AccuRIP Emerald offers powerful control over halftone generation within the software, making it easy to customize how halftones are applied to prints without needing to handle this step inside the graphics software.
Accessing Halftone Settings
Navigate to the Halftone section in the AccuRIP Emerald interface. Here, you’ll find the primary controls for customizing the Shape, Screen (LPI), and Angle of the halftones.
Halftone Settings Explained
Shape
- Round (default): Produces a traditional dot pattern.
- Ellipse: Produces an elliptical shaped halftone.
- Line: Creates a linear pattern ideal for stylized effects.
Screen (LPI – Lines Per Inch)
- The default is 30 LPI. This defines how many halftone lines appear per inch.
- A lower screen value (e.g., 5 LPI) produces larger dots, ideal for lower mesh counts and stylized prints.
- A higher screen value (e.g., 46 LPI) offers finer detail but requires tighter, higher mesh screens.
- For best results, use the Mesh Count Calculator built into AccuRIP Emerald to find the optimal LPI for your screen mesh.
- If unsure, consult your mesh manufacturer for the correct factor, this helps determine the best LPI-to-mesh pairing. The common industry factor is 5 (e.g., 230 mesh ÷ 5 = 46 LPI max).
Angle
- The default is 22.5°, a balanced angle suitable for most designs and preventing moiré.
Enabling Halftone Control in Emerald
To have AccuRIP Emerald manage halftones, toggle the Use Settings switch on (green) in the Halftone section. This tells the software to apply the selected halftone values to every applicable separation. Once you have selected the halftone settings click Apply to lock them in.
Important: If the Use Settings toggle is off, AccuRIP will defer halftone control to the graphics application’s print settings (e.g., from Adobe, Corel, Affinity). This is useful when you’ve already defined halftones during file prep or need specific control on a per-channel basis.
To learn more about halftones visit our article: Don’t Fear Halftones
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