Screening
This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; both Harlequin Core and Harlequin MultiRIP.
The Harlequin RIP supports multiple methods of providing halftone screening, including:
- PostScript-language spot functions
- PostScript-language threshold screens
- Spot functions as embedded in PDF files
- An API to add External screening engines
- Tile-based screening that supports non-monotonic 1-bit screens (GGS extension, HalftoneType 116).
- Harlequin Dispersed Screening (HDS), a family of stochastic (FM) screens
- Harlequin Cross-Modulated screening (HXM), hybrid screens designed for high-quality offset and flexo printing
- Mirror and Pearl (see Hqn096 - Advanced Inkjet Screens), designed to mitigate common artefacts seen when printing on high-speed inkjet presses
In addition, it includes extensions to those screening mechanisms, including:
- Harlequin Precision Screening (HPS™), a proprietary mechanism to provide moiré-free screening when using spot functions
- Functionality to increase the number of gray levels achievable for a given resolution & screen frequency combination
- Controls to manage the selection of screens when processing live PDF transparency
- Methods for overriding various aspects of screens set by a job, such as the frequency and the spot shape
- Automatic selection of screens by object type (HalftoneType 195)
- Multi-level screening support (for example, for inkjet presses using grayscale heads) with rich options
Harlequin Core can also be integrated with Global Graphics Software's dedicated screening engine, ScreenPro™, which can apply screening at very high speed post-RIP; it can also incorporate PrintFlat™ to correct for non-uniformity in the print.