Need tips for two color two sided business card

If you are running handfed or on a Kluge with both right and left register cams, or on most cylinders, you can run the job as a work and turn (common gripper, common guide). With that you can run a little off center or with poorly trimmed stock. If you don’t have the ability to run with an alternate guide (Windmill or lacking opposite register cam on Kluge, or just not wanting to move guides around) then make sure all the stock is cut to the same size on the guide dimension side and run work and turn with the form centered. You might want to lock hairline rules in the center of the form to make sure that you are in the middle of the sheet and for color register.

If you are running two color and you need to register throughout the form, you may want to lockup register marks in the corners anything from hairline rule to border quads that help you pick out mis-register.

this question is kinda vague but, if you want to save position on the platen then flip sheet and adjust image area in your lockup. yes center is probably easiest. on a simple handfed press use either guide first then when flipping the sheet over, use the common grip but switch guide to other side. adjust for position. a fixed guide glued down works, a thin wood block works. most auto feed presses have moving side guides and are switchable to either side.

this is on a Kluge, but I’d like to try and leave all my guides alone. it’s working like clock work right now.

i.e. same guides and just flip the sheet.

I know it’s vague eric, but I wanted answers exactly like you gave me.

okay now we getting some place the kluge is Very made to switch guides back and forth. you just need to switch the cams. one nut, but unhook the spring carefully, or buy a bunch of them. the cams are brass and underneath the far side of the gripper bar. underneath the far side gripper “ear”. don’t be shy with it, it is made to do this. make sure you are using proper cam for the side you are using. the guide will push towards the center of the platen when proper cam is used. if you have current style side guides, you will find the micro adjust feature of the little thumb screw quite nice to fine tune position. (instead of a fixed block)

Fiddling with the guides now seems like a lot of extra work, but good work habits will make you so much happier down the road, especially if you can’t get uniform sized stock. For what you intend however, run the form centered and give yourself some guide marks to work with if the sheet will allow it.