Effects of Dry Etching Techniques on Changing Halftone Dot Sizes

This paper describes an investigation into the effects of dry etching techniques on changing halftone dot-sizes. First, the process of dot etching and the alternative method of dry etching are described. Then, details of the study are presented. The growth of halftone dots are compared on films subjected to several levels of exposure manipulation by three contact printing techniques used in dry etching. Two types of graphic arts film are compared; as are three different halftone originals. Observations, conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study are presented.