In today's fierce competitive environment, businesses are under tremendous pressure and must constantly improve the imaging quality of digital or traditional photopolymers. Recently, the development of screening technology can push the plate quality of the flexible version to a new stage.

One of the major limitations of flexo printing is that all dots of the highlights on plates or prints do not form well. Since AM screening has such a limitation, when a small dot or thin line is applied to a digital file, there is often a clear boundary between the transition of the ink layer to the blank area. In the past, people accepted it as usual, or had to increase the color of highlights to avoid the feeling of segmentation.

One solution to these challenges is to use Hybrid AM hybrid AM screening technology, which increases the size of the highlight area by adding or adding colors without sacrificing the authenticity of the image. It has the effect that it can reduce or eliminate the obvious transition from the ink area to the blank area.

The Hybrid AM algorithm uses the FM screening technology to limit the minimum dot size, avoiding the use of tiny dots, that is, controlling the tone by changing the number of dots, not by changing the dot size. To control (AM).

Hybrid AM screening is not a new concept. However, in the past, it was not as omnipotent as one would expect because of the lack of realism in the smoothness of the screening, which produced visible grainy and streaky highlights. The lack of realism and consistency of the cable is due to the limitation of the screen of the highlighting area of ​​the highlight area, and as a result, the smooth structure of the FM screening technology cannot be produced. There are several Hybrid AM screening devices on the market, but they are completely different. Although the basic principles are the same, the smoothness of the screening depends on how the screening device establishes the network lines in the highlight area.

So after studying the advantages and disadvantages of the different Hybrid AM algorithms, Creo thinks that using a hybrid dot size can achieve more realistic replication, effectively eliminating the inconsistency between highlight areas and transition areas. In addition, the same screening principle can also be used for the darker portion to facilitate minimizing the apparent transition from the halftone portion to the solid portion. The traditional Hybrid AM screening uses a fixed-sized dot in the FM screening part of the highlight area; this leaves a hole in the AM screening grid, resulting in inconsistent replication and variegation.

The application of Hybrid AM Screening in the flexo CTP workflow effectively eliminates the need for jump curves, and at the same time, due to the sharpness of the dots, the dot gain is minimized, which is the intrinsic property of digital printing plates.

By using element-based allocation tools, further improvements in quality can be achieved. It allows you to choose to use Hybrid AM screening at the right place, without forcing you to use it for your entire design.

Another new technology is HyperFlex(tm) screening, which complements Hybrid AM screening.

When the photosensitive resin plate is exposed by the amplitude modulation screening, the regularly arranged dots support each other during the formation of the printing plate, resulting in an effect that is often referred to as "bridge". However, when other alternative screening technologies such as Hybrid AM screening are used, the number of high-light area sites is reduced, thereby reducing overall support. This increases the pressure on each point and affects the reproduction of dots during development and printing.

HyperFlex screening helps the photosensitive resin to form small dots or image elements.

In short, the new digital technology continues to enhance the plate-making performance of the photosensitive resin plate. Improving Hybrid AM screening, combining Hybrid AM screening with HyperFlex screening is an example of how science and technology are being used to continue flexographic enhancement.

Source: China Design Printing Network