How to set linescreen on halftones?

[_Hollister_David_]

For our newspaper paste-ups we need 65 line screen halftones for good reproduction. The newspaper printing plant doesn't yet have digital to film or plate. We still give them paste-ups output from a paper printer that they use a process camera to make negs from.

At one time I could rely on Postscript printers to provide the linescreens I wanted. But my recently purchased Xerox Phaser 6130 lacks this ability.

For my uses the present-day Postscript printers seem vastly inferior to the Postscript printers of 10 years ago.

Is there still an affordable Postscript printer on the market that can meet my needs?

[_Hollister_David_]

I probably should add I use Mac OS X 10.5.6

I managed to open the Xerox PPD with Textedit. Changed halftone screen frequency from 141 to 65, but my halftones still remain too fine to reproduce well. The words "halftone" and "screens" occur a number of places in the PPD but I don't understand what's going on.

Here's the text of the Xerox Phaser PPD:

*PPD-Adobe: "4.3"
*% Adobe Systems PostScript(R) Printer Description File
*% Copyright 1987-1996 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
*% All Rights Reserved.
*% Permission is granted for redistribution of this file as
*% long as this copyright notice is intact and the contents
*% of the file is not altered in any way from its original form.
*% End of Copyright statement
*FileVersion: "1.0"
*FormatVersion: "4.3"
*LanguageEncoding: UTF-8
*LanguageVersion: English
*Manufacturer: "Xerox"
*PCFileName: "XRX6130N.PPD"
*Product: "(Phaser 6130N)"
*PSVersion: "(3015.103) 1"
*ShortNickName: "Xerox Phaser 6130N"
*ModelName: "Xerox Phaser 6130N"
*NickName: "Xerox Phaser 6130N"
*cupsVersion: 1.1
*cupsManualCopies: False
*APPrinterIconPath: "/Library/Printers/Xerox/Icons/Xerox Phaser 6130N.icns"
*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 /Library/Printers/Xerox/filter/XeroxSecureFilter"
*APDialogExtension: "/Library/Printers/Xerox/PDEs/XeroxSecurePrint.plugin"
*APDialogExtension: "/Library/Printers/Xerox/PDEs/XeroxJobAccount.plugin"
*XRPrinterLanguageEncoding: "UTF-8"
*XRPTUserIDScope: "32, 126"
*XRPTUserIDScope: "160, 255"
*XRPTUserIDLimit: "Char, 1, 8"
*XRPTPasswdScope: "48, 57"
*XRPTPasswdLimit: "Char, 1, 12"
*XRPTDocNameScope: "32, 126"
*XRPTDocNameScope: "160, 255"
*XRPTDocNameLimit: "Char, 0, 12"
*XRJALoginIDScope: "32, 126"
*XRJALoginIDLimit: "Char, 1, 32"
*XRJAUserIDScope: "32, 126"
*XRJAUserIDLimit: "Char, 1, 32"
*XRJAPasswdScope: "32, 126"
*XRJAPasswdLimit: "Char, 4, 12"
*XRJADocNameLimit: "Char, 0, 32"
*XRJAHostNameLimit: "Char, 0, 32"
*XRJADateStringLimit: "Char, 0, 32"
*XRJATimeStringLimit: "Char, 0, 32"
*XRJAUsePassword:

*% === Options and Constraints =========
*OpenGroup: InstallableOptions/Options Installed
*OpenUI *InstalledMemory/Memory: PickOne
*DefaultInstalledMemory: 128Meg
*InstalledMemory 128Meg/Standard 128MB: ""
*InstalledMemory 384Meg/384MB: ""
*InstalledMemory 640Meg/640MB: ""
*InstalledMemory 1152Meg/1152MB: ""
*?InstalledMemory: "
save
(Unknown) currentsystemparams /RamSize get
dup 134217728 eq{exch pop (128Meg) exch}if
dup 402653184 eq{exch pop (384Meg) exch}if
dup 671088640 eq{exch pop (640Meg) exch}if
dup 1207959552 eq{exch pop (1152Meg) exch}if
pop = flush
restore
"
*End
*CloseUI: *InstalledMemory

*OpenUI *Option2/RAM Disk: Boolean
*DefaultOption2: False
*Option2 False/Not Available: ""
*Option2 True/Available: ""
*?Option2: "
save
/FXProcs /ProcSet resourcestatus {
pop pop /FXProcs /ProcSet findresource /currentstorage get exec
{(True)}{(False)} ifelse
} {(Unknown)} ifelse = flush
restore
"
*End
*CloseUI: *Option2

*CloseGroup: InstallableOptions

*% ==== UIConstraints ===============

*% ==== StorageDevice vs Collate ====
*UIConstraints: *Option2 False *Collate True
*UIConstraints: *Collate True *Option2 False

*% ==== PageSize vs MediaType ====
*UIConstraints: *PageSize Env10 *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageSize Env10 *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize Env10 *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageSize Env10 *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageSize Env10 *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvMonarch *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvMonarch *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvMonarch *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvMonarch *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvMonarch *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvC5 *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvC5 *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvC5 *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvC5 *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvC5 *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvDL *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvDL *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvDL *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvDL *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageSize EnvDL *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion Env10 *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion Env10 *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion Env10 *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion Env10 *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion Env10 *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvMonarch *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvMonarch *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvMonarch *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvMonarch *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvMonarch *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvC5 *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvC5 *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvC5 *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvC5 *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvC5 *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvDL *MediaType Stationary
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvDL *MediaType ColoredPaper
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvDL *MediaType Prepunched
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvDL *MediaType Letterhead
*UIConstraints: *PageRegion EnvDL *MediaType LabelPaper
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageSize Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageSize Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageSize Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageSize Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageSize Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageSize EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageSize EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageSize EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageSize EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageSize EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageSize EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageSize EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageSize EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageSize EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageSize EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageSize EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageSize EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageSize EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageSize EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageSize EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageRegion Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageRegion Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageRegion Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageRegion Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageRegion Env10
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageRegion EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageRegion EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageRegion EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageRegion EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageRegion EnvMonarch
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageRegion EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageRegion EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageRegion EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageRegion EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageRegion EnvC5
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Stationary *PageRegion EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType ColoredPaper *PageRegion EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Prepunched *PageRegion EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType Letterhead *PageRegion EnvDL
*UIConstraints: *MediaType LabelPaper *PageRegion EnvDL

*% ==== LeadingEdge vs PageSize ====
*UIConstraints: *XRMSILeadingEdge

[Dov Isaacs]

A few thoughts:

(1) Sorry to hear that you are stuck in a workflow that was prevalent in the 1960s through the 1980s. There are few places in the world that still use process cameras to produce negatives that are stripped to make plates.

(2) Modern layout programs typically do not propagate screen settings that may be set in images to the output PDF and PostScript.

(3) Most imagesetters used to create plates (and previously, film) routinely are set to by default ignore any screen settings in the PDF or PostScript input to them. Screen settings are normally set by the operator of the imagesetter globally based on the printing conditions and the device resolution.

(4) Most PostScript laser printers have ignored input stream screen settings for quite a few years now. Some printers do have a setting that allows honoring of such settings, but that is not that common. Furthermore, most applications and drivers provide no means to put that into PostScript anyway! Some such printers do allow setting of a limited number of screen choices from their front panels.

(5) The printer you refer to, the Xerox Phaser 6130N, is a very low end, inexpensive composite color device designed for light use producing color output. It was certainly not designed to produce "camera ready" (long time since I used that term) output for process cameras. As far as I can determine, you cannot change the screening used by this device either via the PostScript or the front panel. This is true for many devices of this class. And for 99.9999% of the users of this class device, such a feature is totally irrelevant.

(6) If you really need to control screening, there are monochrome Adobe PostScript devices from Xante that do allow significant control over the screening both via the input screen and the operator panel.

Quite frankly, your least expensive solution may be to find another printer. If your printer is still stuck with use of process cameras and no support for electronic platemaking, it does not portend well for that printer's survival. Even most Third World printers that I know and/or hear about are well beyond "camera ready" only workflows.

- Dov