4 replies to this topic

[dwdusharme]

I am getting ready to buy a stochastic screen (I found several sources) but had a couple of questions.

1) Is it really necessary to burn a screen and then an image onto the gravure paper rather than creating a stochstically screened image in Photoshop and burning that? I was able to pretty easily create a screen image in Photoshop. Does that behave differently than doing two separate exposures?

2) Has anyone tried creating their own stochastic screen by printing one from their printer?

3) Suggested sources for Stochastic screen. The one that looks most promising is from Precision Digital Negatives. But I also saw one from Takatch Press

Thanks

[kamprint]

1) Is it really necessary to burn a screen and then an image onto the gravure paper rather than creating a stochstically screened image in Photoshop and burning that? I was able to pretty easily create a screen image in Photoshop. Does that behave differently than doing two separate exposures?

Yes. The advantage of two different exposures is that the screen highlights translate into thicker resist than the brightest highlights of the image. Consequently the walls of the cells in the etched plate can hold the very slight amount of ink that gives tone and texture to the image highlights. This gives the photogravure image its unique three-dimensional quality.

With one exposure of a screen merged with the transparency, all you would have is a photo-etching, that is, a fancy version of a magazine photo. Seems like a waste of effort. For some aesthetic purposes, though, the grainy look of a photo-etching might be desired. Depends on the effect you are seeking.

2) Has anyone tried creating their own stochastic screen by printing one from their printer?

I haven't, but have heard of others, don't know the results. A long time ago, I made some screens by exposing non-reflective glass, which has a very fine stochastic pattern, to litho film, and developing it in litho developer. It was hard to get an even-density pattern. I don't know whether litho film is available anymore.

3) Suggested sources for Stochastic screen. The one that looks most promising is from Precision Digital Negatives. But I also saw one from Takatch Press

Could you please post the contact info for these and any other sources. Design Graphia Prepress in Sweden or Denmark used to make good stochastic screens, but they are no longer doing so.

[dwdusharme]

kamprint, on 31 October 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

1) Is it really necessary to burn a screen and then an image onto the gravure paper rather than creating a stochstically screened image in Photoshop and burning that? I was able to pretty easily create a screen image in Photoshop. Does that behave differently than doing two separate exposures?

Yes. The advantage of two different exposures is that the screen highlights translate into thicker resist than the brightest highlights of the image. Consequently the walls of the cells in the etched plate can hold the very slight amount of ink that gives tone and texture to the image highlights. This gives the photogravure image its unique three-dimensional quality.

With one exposure of a screen merged with the transparency, all you would have is a photo-etching, that is, a fancy version of a magazine photo. Seems like a waste of effort. For some aesthetic purposes, though, the grainy look of a photo-etching might be desired. Depends on the effect you are seeking.

2) Has anyone tried creating their own stochastic screen by printing one from their printer?

I haven't, but have heard of others, don't know the results. A long time ago, I made some screens by exposing non-reflective glass, which has a very fine stochastic pattern, to litho film, and developing it in litho developer. It was hard to get an even-density pattern. I don't know whether litho film is available anymore.

3) Suggested sources for Stochastic screen. The one that looks most promising is from Precision Digital Negatives. But I also saw one from Takatch Press

Could you please post the contact info for these and any other sources. Design Graphia Prepress in Sweden or Denmark used to make good stochastic screens, but they are no longer doing so.

Here are the two aquatint screen providers I found:

http://www.precision...cchk=1&Itemid=8

AND

http://www.takachpre...t-screen/Detail

[Craig Zammiello]

Well answered Peter, I shall lift that for the future.
As for the stochastic screens, I can attest to Precision Digital Negatives "medium" screen.
Wonderful! Really works well for gravure.
Best, Craig Z.

[pronier]

Hello
Apply to Elizabeth Dove:
http://www.nontoxicp...atintscreen.htm

But in my opinion you had better to use a dust box with rosin