The Dish on Dots

In 1993 computer-to-plate (CtP) was not widely accepted. As a result, many of the advantages of FM screening were overshadowed by problems in the film-based workflow. It was difficult to contract-proof and calibrate. Since the advent of CtP, all of the film-based problems associated with FM screening are eliminated. FM screening offers a stable print run, moiré-free printing, smooth reproduction of vignettes, and sharp details. A key requirement is very good process control in the prepress area and on the press.
KODAK: FM screening entered the digital domain in the early 1970s as a method for rendering tones on the bi-level (green/black) computer displays of the day, since they did not have the resolution to build small-enough conventional AM halftone dots. Offset printing presses are somewhat analogous, since they are essentially binary in nature. Like any other halftone screening technology, FM screening compensates for the inability of the press to reproduce the continuous tones of the original art. What drives the further adoption of FM screening in offset is the printer’s desire to meet customer expectations, lower manufacturing costs, and differentiate themselves from their competition.