Creating The Image

High-end scanning and imagesetting systems continue to push the limits of image manipulation and consistency.

WORKING TOGETHER, scanners and imagesetters provide the powerful and precise images needed to create the products your customers expect and deserve.

"Today's properly managed workflows allow close monitoring of input [scanner] and output [imagesetter] conditions to assure the consistency of the desired results," says Al Eddy, special promotions manager for electronic imagining at Fujifilm. "If printing parameters are known, the scanner can be the first level of control to create image files that already have the proper characteristics of a press and/or printing condition 'embedded' in them. This allows imagesetters to run at optimum calibration settings. ICC profiling and the improvement of color management can enhance this further."

This is especially true given the strong push towards a totally digital work environment. Scanners can be the first step towards building a digital shop.

"Scanners facilitate a full digital workflow," explains Eric Carlson, product manager for ECRM. "Scanners need to be properly calibrated to correctly separate and capture color. Imagesetters don't produce color, they just output color separations created earlier in the workflow."

Hot Scanning Trends

To begin the printing process, you need to capture an image—quickly.

"The speed level keeps increasing, and that's what customers can't get enough of," notes Javier Mahmoud, regional sales manager for Screen (USA). "Batch scanning is gaining in popularity because you can line up several scans and let the scanner treat each one as a different file. It automatically saves the scan and goes on to the next one, and so on."

Vendors are also reporting the need to provide full purpose scanners to handle both high-end color and copy dot applications, as well as the ability to scan film separations for an all-digital workflow required with computer-to-plate (CTP) output. Twin-plate technology, multi-lens systems and zoom lenses are other hot scanner trends.

Ongoing improvements to flatbed scanner hardware and software are bringing them closer to drum scanner quality, states Don Rogers of Heidelberg. He says many high-level drum users have added flatbed scanners to their shops to increase flexibility and productivity, without losing quality.

"Although there is still a noticeable difference in the very high end of the market, a large number of scans can be made on either drum or flatbed scanners with little to no visible difference," Rogers contends.

Setting up the scanner for the proper range for a scan first is key, according to Mahmoud of Screen (USA).

"If you set a proper highlight density and proper shadow density, the rest will fall in line," Mahmoud says. "Do not adjust color gradation or sharpness until the range is set first."

To ensure quality scans, Mahmoud suggests taking these steps:

• Set shadow and highlight density.

• Balance shadow with UCR/UCA.

• Balance highlight cast.

• Correct gradation and selective color.

• Set proper sharpness level.

Eddy, of Fujifilm, suggests creating a clean working environment in which to perform scanning. Perform all recommended equipment cleaning and maintenance too, he says. He advises users to read all support and tutorial documents before using the machine, and to use standard calibration originals to create setups.

Free time can be used to experiment with the various settings to gain a better understanding of the equipment. Eddy suggests using a high-quality, continuous-tone digital proofer for accurate evaluation and correction.

Image Output

Now that the image has been captured, it needs to be output, either as film or a plate. But which way makes more sense? Should forward-thinking managers bother with an imagesetter, or will a platesetter be a better fit?

"Unless an in-plant does significantly high volume in plates, a platesetter will prove costly," notes Ray McAlister, senior manager of project development for Screen (USA). "The platesetter generally costs two or three times more, thus making ROI more difficult to justify. An all-digital workflow must be in place and imposition must be mastered before direct-to-plate can be considered."

Carlson, of ECRM, agrees that an in-plant must be ready for a 100 percent digital workflow before going direct to plate.

"The in-plant manager should also consider that most of direct-to-plate benefits are available today in a fully imposed and punched film-to-plate workflow, which is far more cost effective," adds Carlson.

The secret for getting the best results out of your imagesetter, according to Dennis Ryan, product marketing manager for Heidelberg's prepress equipment, lies in asymmetrical resolutions.

"Lowering resolution in the slow scan direction so you can expose faster, but doubling the resolution in the fast scan direction gives you the same or more levels of gray, while at the same time running less dpi in the slow across drum direction," hints Ryan.

Chemistry usage is also an issue, according to McAlister, from Screen.

"Using compatible film and chemistry will assure consistent imaging and processing results as well as optimum resolution," he notes. "Mixing the chemistry properly is important."

ECRM's Carlson also gives some tips for getting the best quality out of your imagesetter:

• Calibrate for film being used.

• Carefully choose the right processor type for your application.

• Preventative maintenance.

• Punched films to ensure accurate, tight registration.

• Solid local technical support.

The Future?

Although new technologies are knocking on the door of imagesetters, vendors are confident that this market is not dead yet—and they're banking on it growing in the future.

"We look for the imagesetter market to continue to grow in the four- and eight-page arena through the year 2005," reports Screen's McAlister.

Dry film imagesetting is a technology that in-plants may look to more in the future, says ECRM's Carlson.

"For in-plants...looking to bring film work in-house, dry film imagesetters will allow them to do that without the environmental and logistical issues," Carlson points out. "Also, in the in-plant environment, imagesetting with polyester plates is going to increase in use as it is a low-cost CTP solution."

Features To Look For

For those in-plant managers planning to purchase a flatbed scanner, Fujifilm's Al Eddy suggests looking for the following features:

Solid, metal construction (not plastic) with vibration-free design.

Servo-motor, lead screw driven elements instead of rubber belts.

Capability to scan three-dimensional and oversized originals.

Automatic conversion of color negatives to positive images.

A queue-based workflow management that retains all necessary information about jobs in progress and allows re-prioritization or changes "on the fly."

Standard scanning set-ups for best "out-of-the-box" results with routine originals, and the ability to easily create and save customized set-ups.

Accurate auto-cropping of a variety of image sizes.

Copy-dot and separation descreening package that doesn't require pin registration, electronically registers films, handles more than four colors, and provides methods for calibrating output to any imagesetter's resolution.

Concurrent workflow with maximum operator free time.

Quick Scan

• Scanners can be the first step towards building a digital shop.

• Scanners must be properly calibrated to correctly separate and capture color.

• To ensure quality scans, set proper highlight and shadow density.

• Keep up with scanner maintenance.

• Before going direct-to-plate, have a digital workflow in place.

• Calibrate your imagesetter for the film being used.