AM screening

[dcon61]

Has anyone tried using am screen on uncoated, or newsprint? Are you saving ink? How is the press learning to set color?

 

[Elton McAleer]

I think you must mean fm screening.... AM is the 'norm' for the paper types you describe....

Regards,

Elton

 

[gordo]

Has anyone tried using am screen on uncoated, or newsprint? Are you saving ink? How is the press learning to set color?

I think you mean FM screening. FM screening is used quite extensively on uncoated and newsprint. In N America, on average, around 40% of newspaper inserts are printed with FM, and about 80% of Yellow pages directories are also printed FM. Typical ink reduction is around 15% - caused by a combination of cut back curve, thinner ink film, and higher percentage of optical dot gain. Color is basically set the same way it's done with conventional AM screening.

best, gordo

 

[SteveAgfa]

Dcon...

In case you did indeed mean AM screening -
we are finding success with our sheet-wise
application of Opti-Ink for the newspaper
environment. This is based on GCR principles.

In the commercial world, we have rolled
this functionality into Apogee as an option
called InkSave, whereas we are applying
the color management within the "RIP".

Regards,

 

[gordo]

dcon61,

Ink usage reducing strategies (by reseparating images/files using GCR techniques) can be used with both AM and/or FM screening. Implementing whichever option you decide on is first of all a business, rather than a technical question.
For example, using an FM screen, may mean that your presswork no longer conforms to an industry specification like SNAP. That may (or may) not represent an issue for you. Reseparating customer files, on the other hand, may (or may not) make you liable if your customer decides that there is a color issue in your presswork.
If your primary goal is to reduce ink consumption, then, IMHO reseparating images/files using GCR techniques is the first path you should try (rather than going FM) - once you've addressed the business ramifications/issues. One reason I say that is because reseparating images, when done correctly, results in presswork that is generally (not always) indistinguishable from presswork that has not gone through the process, whereas using an FM screen will make for visibly different printing.

best, gordo