SCREEN PRINTING FILM SPECIFICATIONS
PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE A QUALITY PRINT JOB
FILM
• Positive
• Right reading
• Emulsion side up
• Minimum film thickness 0.004 in. (0.10 mm)
• Minimum film size 8” x 8”
• Film image shall have sharp, hard edges with a minimum density of 4.0
• Clear area shall have no fog
• Film shall be output at a minimum of 1,270 dots per inch. For quality work 2,400 dots per inch is recommended
• Color separated with one film per color. The specific PMS Pantone color or process color must be identified at the top right corner of the film along with a job number and print sequence
• For solid backgrounds, a separate piece of film must be provided
• Film should be free from contamination, pinholes, scratches and creases
TYPE SIZE AND LINE PRINT
• Minimum printable type is 5 pt bold
• Minimum reverse print type on a solid background is 6 pt bold
• Minimum reverse print on a halftone background is 7 pt bold
• Minimum serif width is ½ pt
• Minimum character line width is ½ pt
• Minimum reverse character line width is ¾ pt
• Any color printing over another color(s) shall have ½ pt trap
• Bold face type recommended: best results are achieved with Helvetica bold type (font)
• Boxes, curves, rules - follow the direct and reverse print minimums above
• Only black color can be used to overprint a PMS color without knockouts
• Avoid halftone text. Text should be done in a solid type to reproduce correctly.
SCREENS/HALFTONES
• Dot shape MUST be elliptical with hard edge
• Multicolor halftones are recommended at 100 lines per inch
• Photo type images are recommended at 133 lines per inch
• Tonal range to be within 15 to 85%
• Printing of vignettes is discouraged
• Lithographic separations shall be rejected
• Rescreened separations shall be rejected
• Radial tints shall not be used
• Angles required for each color separation:
Yellow 0°
Cyan 15°
Black 45°
Magenta 75°
• Single color halftones shall be: 75°
• GCR: whenever applicable, GCR shall be incorporated
FOUR COLOR PROCESS
• Any color printing over another color(s) shall have ½ pt trap
• For any process job that requires a flood; the flood should be ½ mm smaller than the other colors
PROOFS
• Any multiprocess or multicolor halftone graphic shall have a proof supplied. This may be a dye proof, chromaline or equivalent
• Care is taken to match proof copies as close as possible, but cannot be guaranteed 100 %
• A print sample can be ordered through your CSR at a nominal charge. Note: Cinram will make every effort to match your printed discs to this sample. However, due to the nature of the silk-screening process and its many variables, there may be slight variations between this printed sample and your printed order.
INK COLORS
• Only Pantone PMS colors are to be used and must be identified by color numbers
• PLEASE NOTE: Care is taken to match PMS colors as closely as possible but slight color variations may occur. A white flood coat will help in matching Pantone PMS colors
FILM IDENTIFICATION
• The following information shall be found at the top of each piece of film containing halftones: color, screen
ruling, screen angle, dot shape, GCR used (%), job number
STANDARD CONTENT
• The designation “Made in the Canada” shall be printed on discs designated for export
• NOTE: When applicable, the “Compact Disc Digital Audio” logo shall be clearly placed in the graphics with a minimum 50% contrast with background colors
• NO ALTERATIONS OF THE LOGO WILL BE PERMITTED!
A FINAL NOTE
Film specifications for screen-printing differ from those of traditional or litho printing. Thus, film output must conform to specific requirements to ensure that you receive the highest quality printing possible!
