Stochastic Screening
You might say you don’t care about screening, but you care about your job looking great.
From its inception the print industry has been a craft of electromechanical processes where skilled craftsman using proven print methods put ink to paper. As new technologies were adopted intaglio was replaced by offset, film strippers by image setters, film by direct-to-plate.
As an early adopter of a small format Creo Scitex image setter, Cober began it’s digital journey to provide hi-end print solutions using the best ideas and technology available. Standard halftone 150 line screening would be surpassed by 175 line screening which provided customers with superior detail and colour. This too has been eclipsed by KODAK STACCATO Screening Technology.
Stoccato (Frequency Modulated) is a remarkable technology that breaks the limitations of conventional halftone (dot) screening to achieve more consistent colour, greater detail, using less ink while eliminating moirés or rosettes. Stochastic screening places tiny fixed size dots with a variable frequency between them and thus is frequency modulated (FM). The difference in dot size and concentration produces a mid-tone vibrancy previously unheard of. This advancement of computer to plate technology delivers consistent, smooth imagery with amazing colour and image fidelity that rivals photographic prints.
It was a huge change going to stochastic, making us adapt many of our systems and processes to make sure we could do it repeatedly. A fair amount of time was spent on finger printing, colour management and proofing. We even adopted (GRACol) guidelines to standardize a process where consistency is paramount. By continually refining the process we ensure our clients get the Wow” factor they look for. For us, delivering the new age of hi-impact print makes it worth the effort.
