Makeready

makeready [′māk¦red·ē]

(graphic arts)

The careful leveling of relief printing plates on the bed of the press so that they yield the best possible impression.

Final preparations and adjustments that must be made preliminary to printing, especially those that are required to compensate for irregularities in type or plates.

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Makeready 

(in printing), the operation of preparing letterpress equipment for printing. The process involves evening out or redistributing the pressure of the plate on the paper or other material. The necessity of making ready results from the uneven height and area of the printing elements of the plate and also from irregularities in the cylinder or bed of the press. Making ready is done by putting special makeready sheets with relief surfaces on the drawsheet or under the plate; the relief is produced manually or by chemical, mechanical, or thermal methods. In large part the makeready operation determines the quality of impressions.