The Dish on Dots

pP: FM screening has been around for more than a decade. What is driving its adoption?
AGFA: With the recent introduction of XM screening technologies from Heidelberg and Harlequin to complement Agfa’s :Sublima XM, along with Esko’s Samba and Kodak’s MaxTone, the writing is on the wall for the future of FM. FM has proven to be difficult to work with in prepress and onpress, with little onpress color adjustment possible, and debate rages on as to whether FM truly offers the benefits it has touted over the years.
ARTWORK SYSTEMS: Four factors: screen visibility, image detail, press stability, and color saturation. Low spot size FM screens are less visible than medium ruling AM screens and carry greater image detail. Because small spot sizes carry a limited ink thickness, they offer greater press stability. A 20µ FM spot will carry only about a 2µ thick film of ink. Even as more ink is applied to the plate, the 20µ spot will not accept it. The result is more stable printing. Thinner ink films also produce greater color saturation. The obstacle to FM screening is a grainy appearance.
ESKO-GRAPHICS: FM screening typically does not produce terrific results from highlights, through midtones, to shadows without a lot of work. The biggest drawback to FM screening is high midtone gain. FM screening typically is used for highlights and shadows. Just like any screening technology, it depends upon how well that technology suits the kind of work you are doing—how fine the work is, and what kind of substrate you are printing on. The rest is how adaptable your press, substrates, and process are to FM screening.
FUJI/ENOVATION: Print buyers want a reproduction as close to continuous tone as possible. The relatively low adoption rate of FM screening is due to the tighter process tolerances required to be successful. The majority of printers who implement alternative screening technologies do so because a client has requested or specified it. Subject matter moiré with certain print jobs also drives the printer and print buyer to consider these technologies.
HEIDELBERG: Heidelberg’s first FM screening technology, Diamond Screening, was launched in 1993. Our second generation Satin Screening was introduced in 2004. In 2006 we have further optimized this screening with our newest screening Prinect Hybrid Screening.