(v13) Harlequin Cross-Modulated screening (HXM)

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin Core but not Harlequin MultiRIP.

From v11.0r0 Harlequin Cross-Modulated screening is available for Harlequin Core as well as Harlequin MultiRIP.

In the current printing-on-paper marketplace, the challenge between increasing costs, particularly paper, results in lower quality papers being used coupled with higher customer expectations. HXM screening is a solution that addresses both these issues. You can use higher screen rulings without major re-tooling, producing visually higher quality printing. The range of screens offered within the HXM screen set can handle both matte and gloss stocks.

HXM screening is a combination of Traditional Amplitude Modulated (AM) screening and Pseudo-Randomized Frequency Modulated (FM) screening, which allows higher screen rulings than is provided by AM screens alone.

A wide variety of screen frequency/resolution combinations are available with Euclidean and round dots at offset angles. For the flexographic market a wide range of resolutions and rulings are included, each with a number of variants using different minimum dot sizes.

The HXM screens are supplied separately, called Install_HXMflexo and Install_HXMoffset (.exe or .bin).

For both the flexo and offset installers, you must select the folder of the Harlequin Core to which you want to apply the new screens.

For flexo screens you can select the required output resolutions (DPI), dot sizes and line screen rulings (LPI).

For offset screens you can select the dot shape (round, traditional or both), and the various line screen rulings and output resolutions.

Once installed, each of the PostScript language files listed at:

SW\Tiles\hxmgeneric\*.ps

contains the available screen names and are listed in the sections headed:

TEXT

                        % Add these definitions to the Screen Names file
                        [
                          <<
                            /InternalName (HXM_Flexo_2400_100_11)
                            /ExternalName (HXM Flexo 2400 100 11)
                            /Type (Threshold)
                            /Enabled true
                            /DefaultValues [
                            ]
                          >>
                          <<
                            /InternalName (HXM_Flexo_2400_100_21)
                            /ExternalName (HXM Flexo 2400 100 21)
                            /Type (Threshold)
                            /Enabled true
                            /DefaultValues [
                            ]
                          >>
                        ]

An example configuration file to use an HXM screen is shown below:

TEXT

                        $printerdict /switchscreens get /HXM_Coarse_R_1200
                        << /OverrideSpotFunctionName /HXM_Coarse_R_1200_75
                        >> setsystemparams
                      <<
                        /PageBufferType /TIFF
                        /HWResolution [1200.000 1200.000]
                        /InterleavingStyle 1 % ilv_Seps
                        /SeparationDetails
                        <<
                          /SeparationStyle 1 % Black separations
                        >>
                        /Separations true
                        /Halftone true
                        /DefaultScreenName /HXM_Coarse_R_1200_75
                        /RunLength false
                        /ValuesPerComponent 2
                      >> setpagedevice
                      % Force our resolution to override any value set subsequently in the job:
                      << /OverrideKeys << /HWResolution true >> >> setpagedevice
                      % Better halftone graduation:
                      << /MinSmoothness .001 /MaxSmoothness .001 >> setuserparams
                      %EOF

For more information see Harlequin Technical Note Hqn077 - HXM Screening Module.