Lamination

Lamination is the post press process which gives gloss or matte finish to the end product, the best for book covers, brochures, catalogues etc. It not only adds elegance to look and feel of product, but also protects it from dust, scratches, and moisture. The lamination is a must on Table Menu Cards to protect it from spillage of water etc. Increase its strength and durability, and to add sheen and vibrancy to its ink colors. Lamination makes printed documents look more finished and professional.

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CONVENTIONAL PRINTING vs. STOCHASTIC PRINTING

Advantages of stochastic printing versus conventional printing:

• Continuous tone photographic reproduction
• Produces a larger CMYK color gamut on press
• Renders greater detail
• Eliminates moire patterns
• Reduces ink consumption by as much as 10% – notice the ‘pooling’ of ink in conventional dot
• Produces smoother gradients
• More consistency in color throughout pressrun
• Faster ink drying

Conventional screening (150 lpi, 175 lpi, 200 lpi) refers to AM screens, or amplitude modulation. This refers to halftone dots that are fixed on a grid, angled in 30 degree increments (except yellow: 15 degrees) and grow in size based on tonal value.

LPI = lines per inch

Stochastic screening (Staccato) refers to FM screens, or frequency modulation. This refers to micro-dots (20 micron, 10 micron) that are FIXED in size and tone values increase by adding more dots. The dots are rendered in a psuedo-random algorithm making them ideal for high definition details in photography and artwork. The micro-dots are rendered in a ‘weave’ to create very smooth tonal transitions.

Micron =1/1,000,000 of a meter

It’s important to note that stochastic printing produces a larger CMYK color gamut than AM screens. This occurs because light reflecting off the paper is filtered more efficiently, resulting in less ‘whiteness’ from the paper reflecting into the eye.

Also, reprints are less likely because of the stability in controlling color on press. FM screens are much less likely to be impacted by ink density variations on press. The ink film on press is much thinner and less likely to be affected. Notice in the enlargement photo above the ‘pooling’ of ink in the conventional halftone dots. This causes the press to use more ink than is necessary.

FM Frequency          AM Frequency

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Stochastic Printing

Stochastic printing, also called frequency modulation (FM) screening, uses small (10, 20 or 25 Micron), same size dots in a random pattern and varies the density of the dot to create an image that is closer to continuous tone. In the reproduction of an image, we scan a continuous tone original photograph. The scan results in light striking a photosensitive device which issues a number that digitally represents the tonality of the original image. Printing a halftone image on paper requires that this number be passed to a computer, which stores a grid of numbers in a rectangular matrix representing the original image in digital form. To convert the digital matrix of numbers into a printed halftone, the computer sends the grid of numbers to the imagesetter where it is overlaid with a "virtual" halftone screen, a mathematical matrix. The computer captures the value of the numbers and passed it to the halftone generator in the imagesetter. The numbers can range from 0 to 256, which is translated by the halftone generator into a halftone "dot". That dot may exist in any of 256 potential values. The dot is actually drawn by the halftone generator that determines its shape as it grows in size from nonexistence to solid. Varieties of dot shapes exist, from round or elliptical to diamond shaped. In addition, straight-line and star-shaped dots are also possible. Stochastic printing uses a random dot, which takes the mathematical value of the dot and distributes its components inside the halftone cell. Stochastic patterns make possible halftone printing without the use of conventional dots. As a result, problems associated with screening striped or finely detailed fashion sportswear that would result in a moir patterns are eliminated. This also makes it possible to print in more than the conventional four colors of ink. By removing the barriers of screen angle interference from the printing process, stochastic printing has made it possible for the use of more than the basic 4 ink colors. Pantone introduced hexachromatic inks (six process colors). This allows more accurate reproduction of pastel colors.

NOTE: Screening is the process after rasterizing PDF files in the RIP (raster image processor) during prepress. Halftone screening is done through software and creates very small dots, or cells, that are imaged onto a printing plate. The tiny dots create the illusion of continuous tone photographs when printed on press.

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Johannes Gutenberg is known for the invention of the Gutenberg press

The earliest dated printed book known is the "Diamond Sutra", printed in China in 868 CE. However, it is suspected that book printing may have occurred long before this date.

In 1041, movable clay type was first invented in China. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman from the mining town of Mainz in southern Germany, borrowed money to invent a technology that changed the world of printing. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436 (completed by 1440). This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts.

Gutenberg Press
The Gutenberg press with its wooden and later metal movable type printing brought down the price of printed materials and made such materials available for the masses. It remained the standard until the 20th century. The Gutenberg printing press developed from the technology of the screw-type wine presses of the Rhine Valley. It was there in 1440 that Johannes Gutenberg created his printing press, a hand press, in which ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of moveable hand-set block letters held within a wooden form and the form was then pressed against a sheet of paper.

Gutenberg Bible
Johannes Gutenberg is also accredited with printing the world's first book using movable type, the 42-line (the number of lines per page) Gutenberg Bible. During the centuries, many newer printing technologies were developed based on Gutenberg's printing machine e.g. offset printing.

Brief Biography - Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor best known for the Gutenberg press, an innovative printing machine that used movable type. Gutenberg was born between 1394 and 1400 and died in 1468.

In 1438, Gutenberg began a business arrangement with Andreas Dritzehn, who funded his experiments in printing. In 1450, Gutenberg began a second arrangement with German businessman Johannes Fust. Fust lent Gutenberg the money to start a printing business and build a large Gutenberg Press, their printing projects included the now famous Gutenberg Bible. On September 30, 1452, Johann Guttenberg's Bible was published becoming the first book to be published in volume.

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