Press
Catalogue Refresh
Guidance for updating a profile and media catalogue so operators can match the right setting to the right stock.
How Catalogue Refresh updates FastJET profile listings
Catalogue Refresh explains how to tidy up a profile and media catalogue so operators can pick the correct setting without second-guessing the stock. It focuses on practical naming, usable media entries and clear links between substrate and profile. That matters most on busy floors where FastJET, Stormjet and Skywalker settings can multiply quickly.
Start a Catalogue Refresh by grouping media that still runs on current stock, then mark entries that only match discontinued rolls or old batch codes. FastJET, Stormjet and Skywalker lists often drift when operators save quick presets under rushed names. Inland dust, coastal moisture and power interruptions can all skew the notes you keep against each profile.
A photo of the control panel and loaded media at the first check helps when two similar vinyls are sitting in the rack. That image should sit next to the revised catalogue entry, with the print mode and heater values visible. On a busy shift, that record prevents guesswork when the same material returns a month later under a supplier rename.
Media names that still make sense
The updated catalogue should show which substrate name the operator recognises, which profile belongs to it, and which setting must be retired. Keep duplicate entries out unless the printer genuinely needs a different pass count or ink limit for that stock. A short usable list beats a long menu filled with old test labels.
Before expanding the list, compare the revised entry against the matching Presses page and the latest swatch record for that substrate family. Remove references to profiles that no longer suit the current media surface or backing. ICC work starts from a test print on your usual roll, together with the RIP version you run.
- Old media names replaced clearly
- Print mode shown beside stock
- Retired settings marked for removal
Checks that matter in SA
Catalogue lists in Johannesburg often carry years of supplier changes, while Durban stock can behave differently once humidity shifts. Cape Town operators may keep alternate notes for the same self-adhesive vinyl after a laminate or liner change. Refreshing the catalogue means recording those differences plainly instead of burying them in memory.
Dusty inland rooms can leave a profile looking wrong when the actual issue is contamination during a check print. Coastal conditions can change drying and handling, which affects whether an older media entry still performs as labelled. After load-shedding, confirm the active preset on the RIP and printer before trusting yesterday's catalogue note.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Records to keep with refresh
List the media ranges that changed, add clear sample images, and note which ICC profiles or printer settings no longer match current stock.
Save the new media name, previous label, ICC profile reference and any changed heater or pass settings while the sample is still on hand. Attach a print image that shows colour blocks, fine text and any problem area you used for comparison. That gives purchasing and production one shared record when the same stock arrives under a new code.