There are times when HPG customers need commercial printing that is as close to “real life” as possible. Often needed for highly detailed catalog printing and upscale magazines, Stochastic (pronounced “stow-cast-ick”) technology allows HPG to print vibrant, near-photographic quality images. The colors are richer and the textures are sharper than conventional commercial printing, even better than standard printing at higher resolutions.
This highly precise screening process reduces what we in the printing trade call variation in “dot gain,” “wet trap” and “color contamination.” Dot gain and wet trap variations occur naturally in commercial printing as red, yellow, cyan and black are ink jetted in a regular pattern of dots, onto the paper. As these colors set, they spread just a little bit before they completely dry and some of the ink is absorbed into the paper. When viewed as a whole, some crispness in photographs and complex images is lost.
This variation does not occur with Stochastic printing because the screening process varies the placement of the dots. For darker color, it uses more dots per area, or a higher frequency of dots. Because there are no regular patterns of dots it also reduces the risk of misaligned halftone screens. Images are sharper, colors brighter, textures more pronounced. It truly produces near-photographic quality.
The end result? As beautiful and crisp as nature itself. Next time you need sharp, crisp printed detail, ask HPG about Stochastic printing.