Dot Gain Standards

[B.Vespa]

Hello,

I can understand how the approximate 20% gain at 50% became an accepted standard. When you consider going from an original, to film, to plate, to blanket, to paper, the dot gain would have to be an accepted part of the process.

The developement of computer to plate technology allows a linearization to be achieved (50% in file = 50% on paper). So, why is it still the accepted standard to have approximately a 20% dot gain at a 50% value on the printed sheet? Wouldn't linearization produce a more crisp & accurate representation of photographs and tints that are put together by the designer?

Thanks,
Bill

[Emtri]

see other thread here, Dot Gain

[rich apollo]

50% in file = 50% on paper looks yucky on press. Dot gain isn't a bad thing.

[Joseph Donahue]

Dot gain in files comes from the old days before ctp and curve control. The problem with printing linear now is that it creates an issue with legacy files. Anything created or color corrected using Photoshop defaults, won't match the designer's intent if it's printed linear. If everyone instantly switched their settings in Photoshop etc. to reflect no gain, and all printers recalibrated their equipment to a linear state at the same time, and all legacy files world wide were marked and converted to the new standard, then a linear print would work, because it would match the designer's intent, (the pretty picture they see on their monitor). This, however would be an almost impossible task, and one that would be viewed by most users as a case of "If it ain't broke don't fix it".

[B.Vespa]

Thank you all for your input.

Bill

[helmuttgutenberg]

I have checked the ISO 12647-2 amd 2007 documents and it defines standarts TVI for 54-70 lpcm , how about 80 lpc ? Because in the press 80lpc has high TVI.

[Lukas Engqvist]

se the other Dot gain discussion.