Staccato Screening

[HW]

Hi All


We currently print all work 'Kodak' staccato screening.

20 Micron - Coated
25 Micron - Uncoated

We have good process control in all areas, We currenty print to ISO Spec and we use image control to keep to these standards. We proof to fogra standards, so we should be able to acheive a Commercially acceptable, Proof to print match on coated boards (uncoated is another problem to discuss).

We sometimes struggle to match tints ie, Light blues, bascially light colours. Im sure this is staccato screening which his causing this problem, change to AM and you get the match you require.


What do you think.

[PeterA]

Dan
I should keep printing conventional - clients wont know the difference

Peter

[meddington]

Noticing the same thing with lighter colors/pastels and Stacatto screening (actually HDS, but virtually same thing). The interior gamut is slightly different which could account for this. If you have the capability, a device-link workflow could clear this up.

[gordo]

RE: Michael Eddington wrote: "Stacatto screening (actually HDS, but virtually same thing)"

Actually Staccato is not HDS.

And

"Noticing the same thing with lighter colors/pastels and Stacatto screening (actually HDS, but virtually same thing). The interior gamut is slightly different which could account for this. If you have the capability, a device-link workflow could clear this up."

In fact 20 micron Staccato has a larger gamut than an AM screen up to about 350 lpi (at which point the gamuts are about the same) The gamut difference shows up at the perimeter of the gamut - not internally. This is because Staccato's distribution and size of dots allows more light to be filtered by the ink. Also, AM screens lose some of their possible gamut because of the non-homogenous film of ink on each dot. The gamut difference shows up from the 3/4 tones up into the 1/4 tones (pastels) in one and two color screen tint builds. Also contributing to the difference is the relative coverage of ink in the 1/4 tones. Ink filters light - including UV (i.e. optical brightners) the greater number of small dots in pastels may be cutting a bit more of the brightners than the AM screen.

Here is an animated gif that compares 175 lpi to 20 micron Staccato so that you can see where the added gamut lies. The dot gains of the presswork were normalized so that they matched tonally. Solid densities and traps are also the same. You may have to wait a moment for the graphic to load and animate.

!http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/10692Gamut.gif!

best, gordo

[HW]

Thanks Guys

Gordon - If we are proofing to Fogra 39, surely dont we have to print AM to get a constant match. If we want to print staccato, then would we have to create a internal proof profile for our own inhouse standard.

We print lots of greeting cards, so the pastels are quite common, Im really thinking of moving back to AM.

[JRom]

Really they wont know the difference ?

I have customers that will see the difference from 20 to 25 micron stacatto, granted its not a huge
difference but you CAN see it.And it WILL get rejected.

Its pretty typical to see the light tints print sharper, unless like mike mentioned are using a DVLP.

John

[PeterA]

Dan
I print about 60 - 80 sets of Stacatto a day - I spoke to my press room manager today (and printers on shift) It would appear that we have problems with both AM and Staccato down the bottem end tints - we get amuch better match when we are running 200# linear plates. However we are matching the images very well and are loathed to bump the dot up in the qtr and mid tones


All our proofs go through the Matchprintrip and are individually certified to Fogra39.

The real problems we have is matching the intensity of the colour between 50 - 100 . We seem to print much more detail - which is great but client complain they can see mud on the tyres instead of black blobs.
And also sometimes loosing the magenta dot on a Cyan solid - the dot just seems to be overwhelmed.

You are running CMY sequence.???

BTW I couldt see you name on the list on BPIF members ??

Peter

[macdudeken]

Yep, this is a known "issue". There are workarounds. For instance, Rampage can create FM and AM items on the same flat.
If this isn't possible within your workflow, I would run AM OR FM depending on the job itself....

MDK

[meddington]

Thanks for nice the clarification Gordo!

>Actually Staccato is not HDS.

Ok, perhaps not virtually, but I've seen it referenced that stacatto was based on Global Graphics HDS, or is this incorrect?

[gordo]

> {quote:title=meddington wrote:}{quote}
>
> Ok, perhaps not virtually, but I've seen it referenced that stacatto was based on Global Graphics HDS, or is this incorrect?

Kodak re-engineered the Staccato screen sets about a year and a half ago so, yes, it is no longer true.

best gordo