Use the Highlight and Shadow Halftone Dots section to inspect for proper exposure and overall processing activity. Viewed with a common magnifier, the 2% and 98% halftone dots should be clearly resolved.
You will need a higher power (50x) magnifier to inspect the 1% and 99% halftone elements. Some platesetting systems may be unable to image these extreme tints although they are performing well in other respects.
The Highlight and Shadow Halftone Dots section lets you quickly examine areas of 1%, 2%, 98%, and 99% halftone dots of the reference screen. With this arrangement you can view all four areas under magnification at the same time.The KPCS file produces these halftones in the same way as in the lower row of the Tone Scales section, which is:
- The screens are produced within the KPCS file, not by the RIP. Any tone curves the RIP may be using do not affect these screens.
- Dots are written at the particular resolution specified in the file (that is, at the device resolution).
- AM screening dots are written at 45 degrees, at the ruling specified in the file, although the exact number used may differ due to mathematical constraints.
- FM screening is done at the feature size specified in the file. The black tile pattern is used.
- Screen patterns are the same regardless of the plate’s process color.