Adobe Brilliant Screens make it possible to generate screens that meet the highest quality standards of today's market using existing equipment, procedures and know-how. It represents the latest advancement in Frequency Modulated (FM) screening - the next step in the evolution of "high-end" screening technology.
Conventional Screening Versus FM Screening
With conventional screening methods, gray tones are represented by building a halftone dot using device pixels within a halftone cell. To obtain darker grays, more pixels are turned on. The halftone cells make up a rectangular grid. To avoid moiré patterns, care must be taken to generate different screens with precise grid angles and frequencies for each printing color. And these angles and frequencies often are sensitive to variations in press registration. FM screening, though, uses smaller dots that are not restricted to a fixed grid pattern. By varying the number of dots in a given area, any desired gray level can be generated. And because the dots are significantly smaller than conventional halftone cells, FM screening can represent more detail. This feature enables users of some applications to decrease image scanning resolution, thereby decreasing file size and transfer time. In addition, FM screening methods employ randomness or "noise generation" in determining where to place pixels. This produces smoother tone transitions and eliminates patterns that could lead to a moiré effect. FM screens tend to be less sensitive to registration variations on the press. For the same reasons, FM screening also can enhance the quality of output from desktop printers.
FM screening could dramatically change the process of proof generation. In the past, users have worked to achieve good-looking rosettes, the least objectionable moiré pattern. With FM screening, however, there is no discernible dot structure. This fact opens proofing up to a number of additional output device technologies, including continuous tone.
Ultimately, the goal for users will become matching color and detail fidelity between the proof and press.
FM Screening With Adobe Brilliant Screens
Adobe Brilliant Screens are the "next step" and advance FM screening technology still further. Recognizing how difficult it is to hold small dots through platemaking and on press, Adobe has provided its OEM customers with the tools for controlling dot size via pixel clusters. Compensation for dot gain occurs at each desired gray level. As a result, Adobe Brilliant Screens can accommodate standard plates, normal exposures, old blankets and SWOP settings.
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