Gradient banding
Are there any settings either on the Fiery end or from the designers end that will eliminate banding on gradients? We've tried APE and composite overprint on our Ricoh 751, as well as removing the text and images with the same results (banding may shift a little but still there). See image uploaded..
Thanks
Sean
Without seeing how the file is composed, it appears that the bands may be related to the color values at both sides of the gradient. It looks like the pink color on the left side may have 0% cyan and the blue on the right may have 0% magenta. As you go across the gradient from the left, it looks like the cyan is added to the gradient causing the band. As you move farther to the right, it looks like the magenta stops, causing another band. It might help if both sides of the gradient can be composed with at least a small percentage of all colors that are used.
RE: Gradient banding
The other thing you can do to reduce banding is to use the best combination of halftone sceen and resolution.
See the list of Digital Press Certifications here:
https://www.idealliance.org/certific...-press-systems
Look up your press and go to the far right column. Download the "ADS" (Application Data Sheet) for your press. Look in section IV. The halftone and resolution we used to pass the certification is the smoothest choice in general. Be aware that printing at 1200 DPI does not always result in the smoothest gradations because 1200 DPI screens are often optimized for fine lines and CAD graphics. So if the ADS says to use 600 DPI and a certain screen you should try that.
Please let us know your results. Bob is correct that sometimes gradations are created wrong due to either a gradation having not enough color steps or being printed too large. Another issue is if it is created as an image instead of a vector gradation. You can check this by opening a PDF in Illustrator to see if the gradation is a vector gradient or an image.
~Lou
Please give us a dropbox/onedrive link of the full package (File->Package in ID/AI/PS) or the print ready Pdf.
Thanks everyone for the input. It's been very busy here which is why I haven't replied sooner. I eventually changed the halftone mode under the image tab to I believe 175 line (600dpi) and this pretty much fixed it. I've just downloaded the ADS sheet and will look it over when time permits. Thanks again for all the advice, love this forum.
Sean Ryder
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