A toolkit and method for diagnosing a problem of bad performance of a lithographic printing plate obtained according to the silver salt diffusion transfer process

摘要

The present invention provides a method for diagnosing the cause of bad performance of a printing plate obtained according to the silver salt diffusion transfer process, said method involving the use of: (i) a problem table containing a description of problems that may be observed with said printing plate; (ii) a cause table relating one or more possible causes to one or more problems contained in said problem table; (iii) a test table relating one or more tests to a cause so as to verify whether said cause causes said problem; (iv) a toolkit comprising one or more means for carrying out tests contained in said test table; (v) an action table relating a cause to one or more actions to be taken so as to cure said cause; and said method comprising the steps of: (a) looking up a problem from said problem table fitting best to a problem experienced with said printing plate; (b) looking up a possible cause for said problem from said cause table; (c) looking up one or more tests from said test table relating said cause to one or more tests to verify whether said cause, causes said problem; (d) performing said one or more tests optionally using means contained in said toolkit for carrying out said one or more tests; (e) deciding whether said test confirms said cause as a cause for said problem or not by comparing obtained test results with desired results for said test; (f) if said test confirms said cause as a cause for said problem, looking up necessary actions from said action table to cure said cause; (g) if said test does not confirm said cause as a cause for said problem, looking up a next possible cause from said cause table and repeating steps (c) to (e) until a test confirms a cause for said problem or until all possible causes for said problem have been verified.