Dolev 4press - Installation
Peform Loading/Unloading of Film

• Overview
• Setting the Film Path Selector
• Loading Film
• Before Exposing
• Exposing
• Unloading Film

Overview

This section explains how to remove the Loading Cassette, load film into it, place it back in the Imagesetter, and trim the film.

The following section explains how to place the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette in the Imagesetter, and update the Media Info table.

The next section describes the exposure process, and the actions that may be taken during it.

The last part of the section explains how to remove the Unlaoding/Accumulating Cassette, and process the film.

Before starting, make sure the following conditions are met:

• The Imagesetter is powered-on.
• Both the Film Loading and Film Unloading drawers are open.

Both drawers open automatically If the Loading Cassette contains no film, or if you requested Change Media on the Control Panel. If one of the drawers is closed, use Open Load Drawer or Open Unload Drawer on the Control Panel (see Control Panel Functionality further on).

• The NOT READY message appears on the Control Panel
  (refer to Introduction to the Imagesetter).

Setting the Film Path Selector

The Film Path selector determines whether the exposed film is output to the Film Unloading cassette or to the inline processor.

BEFORE STARTING TO EXPOSE, PROCEED AS FOLLOWS:

• Open the left service door.
  The Film Path selector is located below the cutter.

Film Path selector
(set for Accumulating Cassette)

• To direct the exposed film to the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette, turn the selector to the left (i.e., counter-clockwise).
• To direct the exposed film to the inline processor, turn the selector to the right (i.e., clockwise).

Since the selector is arrow-shaped, it points to the selected output device (i.e., to the Film Unloading cassette or to the inline processor)

Loading Film

Overview

When the Loading Cassette runs out of film, the Control Panel prompts End of Film, and the Loading drawer opens.

The loading film procedure consists of the following stages:

• Removing the Loading Cassette out of its Drawer.
• Loading a Roll of Film into the Loading Cassette.
• Placing the Loaded Cassette in its Drawer.
• Trimming the Film.

Removing the Loading Cassette out of its Drawer

• Pull the Film Loading drawer to open it to its full extent.
• Grasp the Loading Cassette by the inset handles on both its sides.

To avoid hurting your knuckles, keep your fingers straight.

• Lift the cassette, and remove it out of the drawer.

Removing the Loading
Cassette out of its drawer

Loading a Roll of Film into the Loading Cassette

Overview

Be sure to load film under the appropriate lighting conditions (i.e., depending on the type of film).

Load only emulsion-out films.

• Clear sufficient space on a dry tabletop in the darkroom.
• Place the Loading Cassette on the table with its two (2) spring-loaded tabs (A) facing upward.
  Position the cassette so that the tabs are closest to you.

The Loading Cassette

• Push the tabs toward the center and lift the cover.
• Lift the film spool to remove it from the cassette, and place it on the table.

A flange is attached to each side of the film spool, namely, the left flange and the right flange.

A different flange is attached to each side of the film spool, namely, the left flange and the right flange (see Handling the Left Flange and Handling the Right Flange below).

Handling the Left Flange

• Situate the left flange at one of the following positions:
  • Nearer to the middle of the spool if side punches are not installed (by default, the flange is set to this position) (A).
  • Nearer the end of the spool if side punches are installed.

• To adjust the flange, press on its inner part, and move it to the appropriate position (B).
• When the flange is at the desired position, release its inner part to lock it into position. Attempt to move the flange slightly to ensure that it is locked in position.

Handling the Right Flange

• Press on the inner part of the right flange (B) and move it until it is detached from the spool.
• Insert the spool into the film roll so that the roll rests on the inner part of the left flange.
• Attach the right flange to the opposite side of the spool.
• Press on the inner part of the right flange and move it to the Film Width groove nearest to the edge of the film roll.
  The position of the right flange affects the representation of the cassettes on the Control Panel.

Attaching the right flange

• When the flange is at the desired position, release its inner part to lock it into position.
• Attempt to move the flange slightly to ensure that it is locked in position.
• Insert the loaded film spool into the Loading Cassette, film emulsion facing upward (A).

Inserting the film spool
into the Loading Cassette

• Rest the film spool ends in the V-shaped channels on both sides of the cassette.
• Pull at least 50 mm (2 inches) of film so it extends beyond the edge of the cassette.
• Close the cover of the cassette until it locks soundly with a click.

To make sure that the cover is closed, push the tabs toward the sides of the cassette.

• Turn the cassette to grasp it by the inset handles on both its sides.
• Exit the darkroom.

Placing the Loaded Cassette in its Drawer

• Pull the Film Loading drawer to open it to its full extent.
• Grasp the Loading Cassette by the inset handles on both its sides.

To avoid hurting your knuckles, keep your fingers straight.

• Place the loaded cassette in the Film Loading drawer so that its tabs face the Imagesetter, and the film exits from the top of the cassette.

Placing the Loading
Cassette in its drawer

• Rest the cassette should against the rear side of the Film Loading drawer (the side furthest from you).

Trimming the Film

The special film trimmer is included in the Accessories kit. Note: Apart from the trimmer, the kit includes two (2) interlocks and four (4) fuses.

• Grasp the edge of the film with one hand.
• Hold the trimmer (A) with two (2) fingers (of your other hand).

Film trimmer

• Place the trimmer on the left side of the film, and slide it to the right along the width of the film.

To make sure that trimming is straight, hold the trimmer steadily, and push it downward.

Trimming the film

• Close the Film Loading drawer. Push firmly until it clicks shut.

Before Exposing

Overview

If the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette is already in its drawer, check whether it contains film. If it does, skip to the Unloading Film section; if not, close the Film Unloading drawer and push it firmly until it clicks shut; then skip to the Updating the Media Info Table section.

This section includes the following topics:

• Placing the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette in its Drawer.
• Updating the Media Info Table.
• Reading Settings from the Imagesetter.

Placing the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette in its Drawer

• Hold the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette by the inset handle at its top center.
• Place the cassette in the Film Unloading drawer.

Placing the Unloading/Accumulating
Cassette in its drawer

• Rest the cassette against the front side of the drawer (i.e., the side closest to you).

Unloading/Accumulating Cassette
resting against the front side of the drawer

• Close the Film Unloading drawer. Push firmly until it clicks shut.

Updating the Media Info Table

This feature is sometimes referred to as the Touch Memory Table.

After you close the Film Loading drawer (while the Film Unloading drawer is already closed), the Media Info window is displayed on the Control Panel’s LCD screen.

Alternatively, select Film: Media Info on the Control Panel (refer to Control Panel Functionality below).

Media Info window

The Media Info window shows the parameters of the Media Info table of the currently loaded film.

The system uses this data to inform you of the status of the cassettes during exposure. Therefore, each time you load film, you need to check the values in the table, and modify them to suit the film you loaded.

• To update a parameter, press the soft button below Toggle. This switches between available options.
• When you wish to confirm the values and exit, press the soft button below Done.

A First Feed is performed and the new film is loaded into the Imagesetter drum. When the Imagesetter completes the first load, a Standby message is displayed on the Control Panel.

MEDIA INFO WINDOW FIELDS

Reading Settings from the Imagesetter

The first time you load film into the cassette, and each time you change any of the parameters in the Media Info table, you need to read the Plotter Setting directly from the Imagesetter.

Proceed as follows on the PS/2* Host:

• Select Set Up from the Utility strip.
• Select I/O Devices from the Set-Up menu.
• Select Plotter Setting from the I/O Devices submenu.
  The PS/2* Host connects with the Imagesetter. When connection has been established, the Plotter Setting menu appears.
• Select Machine and then 4) Get Params from Plotter. This sends the current Imagesetter settings to the PS/2* Host.
• Type E and press <Enter> until you exit the Plotter Settings menu.

Exposing

Overview

After you press the Done soft button on the Media Info window, FIRST LOAD and ATTACH are performed (see Control Panel Functionality, Other below). Standby appears on the Control Panel.

• Now is the time to send the file you wish to expose from the Host on the Imagesetter.

• After communication between the Imagesetter and the Host has been established, the Control Panel prompts:

• The Imagesetter starts to expose, and the following icon appears on the Control Panel:

• The Progress indicator on the Control Panel shows how much exposing has been completed.

• During exposure, you may view the system messages or the exposure parameters (refer to Control Panel Functionality, Params below).

• When the exposure has been completed, the carriage returns to the HOME position (i.e., the left side), the Imagesetter performs ADVANCE (according to the size of the file), and Standby appears on the Control Panel.

• At this stage, you may perform various functions (e.g., Cut & Collect or Change Media). For details, refer to Control Panel Functionality, Film below.

Control Panel Functionality

Params

Press the soft button below Params to view the parameters of the last/current exposure that the Host sent to the Imagesetter.

The Params screen appears.

Params screen

• To return to the previous screen, press the soft button below Params again.

or

• To activate Status or Film, press the related soft button.

Params screen FIELDS

All the fields are read-only fields (i.e., you cannot enter values into them).
All the parameters refer to the last/current exposure.

Util

Overview

Press the soft button below Util to perform various functions related to the exposure media, and to get information on the media and the detectors. The Util menu and the Util soft Functions appear.

Util menu

Do one of the following:

• Press the soft button below Done to select the entry to which the cursor points.
• Press the soft button below Scroll to move the cursor to the entry below the active entry.
• Press the soft button below Cancel to exit to the previous screen.
  
  Selecting Service Utilities activates Service Utilities mode.

Util Soft Functions

Util Menu Entries

Other >

Select this entry to replace the media before it reaches its end and to perform actions that are normally performed automatically (some of which you need when clearing stuck media)

• To exit to the previous screen, press the soft button that is first on the left.

Unloading Film

Overview

When the Accumulating Cassette collects approx. 21 m of film, the Control Panel prompts: C: [W] Acc. Cas full (# m). Note: The # stands for the length of film that may be exposed before the Imagesetter performs CUT. When the Accumulating Cassette is full (i.e., it accumulated 23 m of film), the film is cut, and the Unloading drawer opens automatically.

To cut the film and open the drawer following the end of a specific exposure, select Cut & Collect on the Control Panel (see above) or Cut & Unload on the Plot Defaults form.

Selecting Change Media or Open Unload Drawer on the Control Panel (see above) also opens the Unloading drawer.

Removing the Accumulating Cassette out of its Drawer

• Pull the Film Unloading drawer to open it to its full extent.
• Hold the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette by the inset handle at its top center.
• Lift the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette out of its drawer.

Lifting the Unloading/Accumulating
Cassette out of its drawer

Processing the Film

• Take the Unloading/Accumulating Cassette to the darkroom film processor.
• Check that a flap of film is sticking out (B) of the cassette (if it does not, refer to Media-related Troubleshooting).
  
• Flip the cassette around so that the film flap sticks out of the bottom of the cassette and away from you.
• Rest the cassette on the film processor entry bed.
• To release the film, press on both sides of the Film Gate (A) until it catches with a click.
• Use your fingers to slowly advance the film toward the processor take-up roller, until the processor begins feeding the film automatically.