- Solid colors printing with lines?
- Posted by Color Blind on June 16th, 2006
Trying to scan a solid color then print, Simple?
The printouts if examined closely have tiny diagonal lines, hence by
definition are Un-solid. Printer is an Epson laser C1100 color. Tried
2 scanners, HP4200C, Epson 1250, and the lined print results are the
same.
I assume it can't be the laser printer since if I create a square in
DTP, fill it solid, the printout is solid with no lines, hence I
assume this is a scanning problem I have.
Running XP and the latest HP/Epson scanner driver files,
lined out
- Posted by Wayne on June 16th, 2006
In article <0nk592tgtqp0mvhknk4esqrls75aef5e41@4ax.com>, <Unknown>
says...
Nothing is without exception, but this is not the kind of thing that
scanners do... esp not two scanners with the same problem. It is
however the kind of thing that printers do. Excessive JPG compression
can possibly cause some visible patterns, but that would be due to the
excessive JPG compression, not the scanner. The acid test is that if
the scanner is responsible, you will be able to see those lines in the
image on the video screen before you print it. If you can't see it in
the image before you print it, then likely it is not yet present.
"tiny diagonal lines" suggests halftones, which are required by laser
printers. Printers only have three colors of toner, and so must print
patterns to represent other more complex colors or tones. Just a fact
of life... halftones will be present in a laser printer output for other
than black text or lines. Use a small magnifying glass to examine it,
and also some of your older color work, which should make it be more
clear what it is.
--
Wayne
http://www.scantips.com "A few scanning tips"
- Posted by Color Blind on June 16th, 2006
Thanks Wayne
1) No compression is involved I guess since I am using tiffs.
2) As you suggested I magnified the images very high in Photoshop and
no lines could be seen
3) My attempts on HP deskjet prints show no lines
Hence we can only blame the laser process. If I am getting lines when
printing these scanned solid colors but not in "homemade" DTP solid
colors then can I assume the scanned image is trying to say to the
lasr printer "this is a half tone, print it whether you like it or
not?"
It seems my only recourse if I am to replicate the color that lies on
the scanner bed is to recreate the color in e.g. Photoshop somehow and
hope halftones are avoided? I'll play around with magic wand,
paintbucket etc tomorrow if thats the right direction. My scanner,
monitor and printer have profiles now (I think!)
colorblind
On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:52:08 GMT, Wayne <nospam@invalid.com> wrote:
- Posted by Wayne on June 16th, 2006
In article <n9269252ji33l28recgd7ros374j51ap67@4ax.com>, <Unknown> says...
Yes, that would be my bet too. Inkjet printers must also print a pattern
of multiple ink dots of only three colors, but inkjets intentionally
randomize and scatter those dots to hide the pattern. Hurts
resolution, but helps "photo quality". Lasers put them into orderly
arrays, same halftones as commercial printing (like magazine photos).
Lasers are NOT "photo quality", and it may be this case is better suited
for the ink jet.
All I know is "tiny diagonal lines", so I dont really know what you are
seeing. I am guessing, but real problems causing lines in printers would
seem to require the lines to be vertical or horizontal streaks. So "tiny
diagonal" sounds like the expected halftones. The pattern should show
everywhere, except where too dark or too light, which might hide them.
If so, you cannot avoid them (again, I dont really know what you are
seeing - but lasers must use halftone patterns, typically at 45 degrees,
typically only noticed under very close inspection).
If you are sure the area you filled in Photoshop did not print with
halftones, the only possibility that I can imagine is that perhaps you
happened to hit on one color very close to one of the tone colors, so that
no dithering was required to match the color of the toner. Or maybe it was
too dark or too light to show the halftone pattern well. Try a fill once
more, but avoid a cyan, magenta, yellow, or black fill. Instead try a
middle tone of either red, green or blue (the compliment of toner colors).
Then at least two toner colors are required to make red, green or blue, and
these two must be mixed somehow (halftones). Better yet, try a gradient of
red, green or blue, varying tone over an area.
--
Wayne
http://www.scantips.com "A few scanning tips"
