X-Rite's 414/428 Always asks for Paper - Why?

The X-Rite 414 & 428 series densitometers were originally indended to fill some special needs in the Non-heatset (Newspaper) market. Early on in their history there was some trouble in identifying overprints, solid ink films, etc., due to [1] the low densities found in these applications, and [2] the often very yellowish stocks. To that end, if the units are used in the Non-Heatset Mode t they always ask the operator to measure the paper. Via this measurement, the unit is better able to "see" the color of the ink set and is almost impossible to fool. In the Non-Heatset Mode of operation, these units are able to recognize not only process KCMY, but also overprints yielding Red, Green, and Blue. Further, the 414's dot area/gain function was modified to look for lower ink solids and to lock into dot mode once the appropriate paper and solid values were entered.