Tewksbury, Massachusetts - ECRM today announced they will launch ECRM DM Screening at the upcoming Graph Expo 2010 show (Chicago, October 3-6). Available as an upgrade option for all ECRM RIP users, the new digitally modulated screening option gets its name from new patent-pending technology that enables it to digitally analyze each and every pixel it produces. The result with ECRM DM screening is more detail, smoother vignettes, and no moiré. ECRM will be exhibiting the new DM screening module in their Graph Expo booth (#444).
 
ECRM DM Screening vs. Conventional (AM) Screening
The benefits of ECRM DM Screening over conventional screening are:
- Significantly more detail in images, utilizing a dot equivalent to 350-400 lpi in conventional screening;
- Moiré is eliminated. No more screen moiré or subject / content moiré;
- Highlight and Shadow detail is greatly enhanced. Highlights down to 1% and shadows up to 99% on press resulting in increased shadow detail and contrast;
- Lower ink consumption, due to higher optical gain. In testing at newspapers, estimated ink saving of around 10-15% over a conventional 100 lpi screen was achieved.
 
ECRM DM Screening vs. Stochastic (FM) Screening
The benefits of ECRM DM screening over FM screening are:
- Easier to calibrate (with the built in dot gain compensation technology); FM screens have a very high dot gain curve, which is hard to calibrate accurately and maintain press consistency;
- Easier to control on both plate and press; small variations in processing plates or ink densities on press don't suddenly fill-in the shadows or lose the highlights. FM screens usually have a very high dot gain curve, which is hard to control on both plate and press;
- Smooth flat tints, especially for Black; FM screens are notoriously noisy and grainy as well as often contain patterning artifacts;
- Highlights down to 1% and Shadows up to 99% results in increased shadow detail and contrast; FM screens often have problems holding their very fine highlight dots, and usually fill in their shadow dots.
 
ECRM DM Screening users will also benefit from simple test sheet to select optimal highlight, mid-tone and shadow dots, which are unique to the individual platesetter, plates and press, as well as smoother vignettes of up to 50,000 gray levels. ECRM DM Screening can be integrated into all ECRM v8.3 RIPs (just announced) and higher.
 
ECRM Quote
"Traditional AM screens suffer from a loss of detail, especially in the highlight and shadow areas making higher screen rulings unobtainable," notes ECRM Director of Product Management, John Marzec. "Although FM screens often improve detail, they tend to suffer from dot wear in highlight areas, an inconsistent dot structure in mid-tone areas [resulting in noisy flat tints], and significant dot gain issues in the shadow regions. This often causes these areas to fill in and lose detail. In contrast, ECRM DM screening maintains a carefully controlled and consistent dot throughout the tone range which produces a reliable highlight dot, smooth flat tints in mid-tone areas, and shadow regions that are easily kept open and retain detail."
 
Availability
ECRM DM Screening module for either commercial printing or newspaper applications is now available to order through the ECRM worldwide distribution channels.