Blade Trade-offs

Steve Aldrich, product manager at Kidder, Agawam, MA, places time on plastics' side. "Plastic blades typically require a break-in period of several thousand feet to develop a suitable metering edge. During this period, screens and solids may exhibit inconsistent ink laydown, which can cause plugging or tonal variation," he says, adding that some plastic materials are prone to rippling or waviness in the blade holder at lengths beyond 45-inches.