Audit Trail

By Ntombifuthi Ramabulana, Ms

A quick floor note on keeping an audit trail for profiles, cartridges, maintenance and reprint causes.

Print faults are often traced back to thin records, not only to ink or profiles. On South African large-format floors, the trouble usually starts with no test print photo, no clear file name, or no note of which FastJET, Stormjet or Skywalker setup was used. Audit Trail is our note for shops that need a cleaner record of what happened on press.

Audit Trail is written for print rooms that need a usable record after colour drift, a cartridge change, or a repeat job. We note the machine name, operator handover, and the evidence kept with the run so a FastJET, Stormjet, or Skywalker issue can be traced later. If you need to refer to an audit record, use the contact form and mention the machine, job and run date.

Entries worth keeping after print

• Date, operator, and machine logged
• Photo of nozzle check or print fault saved
• RIP preset, profile, and job file named
• Cartridge batch and slot position recorded

An audit note is strongest when it links a visible print result to the exact setup used that day. That means keeping the profile name beside the cartridge change, maintenance action, and reprint reason instead of scattering those details across WhatsApp chats or memory. On repeat work, that single record often explains why the second run shifted from the approved swatch.

Shift handover notes that matter

Audit Trail is a simple record for profile changes, cartridge swaps, maintenance done, and the reason a print had to be run again. On FastJET, Stormjet, and Skywalker floors, that note helps operators trace colour shifts and repeat faults without guessing.

Start with what changed before the fault appeared. On South African wide-format sites, the trigger may be a new vinyl roll, a head clean after load-shedding, or a rushed cartridge swap before dispatch. Audit Trail works best when each change is timed and tied to one machine, one media, and one visible result.

Keep the first acceptable print with the note, not only the failed one. A dated photo, the RIP setting, and the reprint cause give the next operator a reference that is far more useful than hearing that the job looked wrong earlier in the shift. This is especially helpful where day and night teams share the same FastJET, Stormjet, or Skywalker unit.

South African checks that change outcomes

Audit records in Johannesburg do not look the same as records kept near the coast. Inland dust can push more frequent cleaning notes, while Durban humidity can affect media handling and drying observations on the same profile. When a site works around courier cut-offs or generator periods, that timing should sit in the record as part of the print history.

Power interruptions can break a run in the middle of a colour approval, so note whether the printer restarted, purged, or stood idle before the reprint. Record when capping station work, wipes, or dampers were touched, because maintenance done between two panels often explains the shift better than the profile alone. These details help separate a media problem from a machine-state problem.

Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.