line screen adds "noise"?

[mc_hristel]

I have been having some problems with banding in some greadients and started looking at the line screen settings on our Brisque. In the screen set box there is a setting to add "noise" either globaly or differently for each seperation. Our standard line screen has noise being added to the C and K seperations only.

My question(s): Why would I want to add noise? Is this causing my banding issues? Should I be adding noise to the M and Y or turn it off completely? Why would the default line screens be set up like this anyway?

Any ideas?

Thanks
-MC

[mattbeals]

You can add more pNoise to the screening set. All it does is add what is basically gausian noise like you would in PhotoShop. You can try running a different screen set like Class, or RT.

Why add noise? To smooth out banding and edges.

Is it causing the banding? No, just the opposite. It is supposed to blur the transitions.

Should you add to it or remove it? No! Use conventional screening in that case.

Why are they setup that way? Well, Scitex thought it was "optimal".

If it the banding is appearing in the gradients only, send the gradients to the CT layer. Or, build them in PhotoShop and add just enough gausian noise so that when you zoom in at 200% you just start to see the noise appear.