Printing by Design, a full-service commercial printing company, offers the following tips to ensure your print jobs avoid gradation banding and provide optimal design impact.

1. Reduce the line screen (if you’re at 150, go down to 133).

2. Compose screens of as many process colors as possible. (When they overlay each other they tend to cover better.)

3. Boost fountain steps to the maximum (256+).

4. Always check your individual pieces of film: Colorkeys, Konicas and some other proofing mediums will not show light screens or gradations well.

5. It is best to use match prints when doing gradations or light screens.

For more information, visit Printing by Design here.