View source for Elongation & shrinkage

{{Tutorial
|difficulty=Beginner
|time=10 min.
|type=Maintenance
|tools=Ruler
}}
{{Draft}}
Based on the way stencils are made in the risograph, if certain test modes are not properly calibrated, printed images can be elongated or shrunk by 0–3 mm. This comes from two places:

# The speed of the '''write roller''' when making a stencil—if it is faster than it should be, the image will be elongated; if it is slower, it will be shrunk. This is a ''physical property of the changing properties of the depleting stencil roll'' (so it changes over time, based on how many stencils remain on the roll). On two-drum machines and full-featured one-drum machines, compensation for this often happens automatically, but on older and lower model-number machines, this will regularly need to be calibrated for 1:1 printing.
# The speed of the '''scanner head''' (when scanning)—if the head moves too fast, the image will be shrunk; if it is too slow, it will be elongated. This is a more stable setting, so it rarely needs calibration (and should only be calibrated ''after'' correcting elongation/shrinkage in the write roller).

== Overview ==

Calibration can be performed if the dimensions of the printed image do not match the dimensions of the original (this is often measured between [[Registration marks|registration]] or [[crop marks]]). What needs to be calibrated depends on how the machine is used on a regular basis.

* If the stencils are made ''both from the scanner bed and sending files from a computer'' then <u>both the write roller speed and scanner head</u> need to be calibrated.
* If either the scanner bed is used ''exclusively'' or files are sent from a computer ''exclusively'', then <u>only the write roller speed</u> needs calibration (though both can be calibrated if desired).

On older and lower model-number machines however, pursuing perfect calibration can be a wild goose chase. It's only really necessary when miscalibration is detected between layers, or when perfect scale to the sheet is needed (to match fold lines, for example—as in a [[magic zine]]).

== Procedure ==

Both calibrations can be made by comparing a <u>measured</u> (printed) distance against a <u>goal</u> (original) distance, along the left/right axis of printing (along the feed direction of the paper).

=== Printing and measuring ===

The means of making a print and measuring it are different depending on whether the calibration is for the master making unit (to calibrate the write roller speed) or the scanner bed (to calibrate the scanner head speed).

==== Master making ====

# Make a crossed lines test pattern from [[test mode]] (with paper in the feed tray and a drum in the riso).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
|+ Crossed lines test modes
! style="width: 33%" | {{machine chip|GR}}{{machine chip|FR}} !! style="width: 33%" | {{machine chip|RP}}{{machine chip|RN}} !! style="width: 33%" | Z+{{#info:Any machine released with or after the RZ line, i.e. RZ/RV/EZ/EV/SF/SE and MZ/ME/MF/MH machines.}}
|-
| <code>119</code> || <code>51</code> || <code>81</code>
|}

<ol start="2"><li>The resultant grid will either have (relatively) ''square'' cels (for machines with square aspect ratio, i.e. 300 × 300 or 600 × 600) or ''rectangular'' cels (for machines with RISO's 600e rectangular aspect ratio; 600 × 300).
<ul><li>For ''square'' cels, measure 20 cels across in the feed direction, this is the <u>measured</u> distance. Then measure 20 cels up/down (perpendicular to the feed direction), this is the <u>goal</u> distance.</li>
<li>For ''rectangular'' cels, measure 20 cels across in the feed direction, this is the <u>measured</u> distance. Then measure only 10 cels up/down (perpendicular to the feed direction), this is the <u>goal</u> distance.</li></ul></ol>

==== Scanner bed ====

'' Make sure to make the scanner bed calibration'' only after ''the master making calibration or if the scanner bed is used'' exclusively ''.''

# Scan an original with a lengthwise line or other known distance between points. This is the <u>goal</u> distance.
# Measure the distance on the resultant print. This is the <u>measured</u> distance.

{{mbox|title=Crop marks shortcut|text=On either of these calibrations, the measurement can be made between crop marks (or any other known distances) on ''a stencil already made on the drum''. It can be done in the middle of a job, just by comparing the original (<u>goal</u> distance) to the print (<u>measured</u> distance).}}

=== Changing settings ===

On newer Z+{{#info:Any machine released with or after the RZ line, i.e. RZ/RV/EZ/EV/SF/SE and MZ/ME/MF/MH machines.}} machines these adjustments are made in [[test mode]], while in older machines they are made with rotary DIP switches on one of the circuit boards in the back of the machine.

==== Z+ calibration ====

The settings changes are a compensation that's based on the ''percentage'' of scaling desired—with positive values elongating the image and negative value shrinking it. There's a simple formula to determine how much to change the value by.

<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><math>(\frac{goal}{measured}-1)*1000</math></div>

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