Method and system for forming a halftone screen

A method of forming a halftone screen, the method comprising:

• representing a first tone range by forming a plurality of dots arranged in a grid;
• representing a second tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a distal end of at least one of the arms wider than a proximal end, the second tone range darker than the first tone range;
• and
• representing a third tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots representing the third tone range contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a proximal end of at least one of the arms wider than the proximal end of at least one arm of the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range, the third tone range darker than the second tone range;
• wherein the cross-shaped dots representing the first tone range or the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range have a first pair of opposing arms of substantially equal length and a second pair of opposing arms of substantially equal length, the first pair of arms having a different length to the second pair of arms.

A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of forming a halftone screen, the method comprising:

• representing a first tone range by forming a plurality of dots arranged in a grid;
• representing a second tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a distal end of at least one of the arms wider than a proximal end, the second tone range darker than the first tone range;
• and
• representing a third tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots representing the third tone range contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a proximal end of at least one of the arms wider than the proximal end of at least one arm of the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range, the third tone range darker than the second tone range;
• wherein the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range or the cross-shaped dots representing the third tone range define a plurality of substantially cross-shaped non-printed areas.

A printing system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor programmed to form at least one halftone screen and store the halftone screen in the memory, the processor further programmed to:
• represent a first tone range by forming a plurality of dots arranged in a grid;
• represent a second tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a distal end of at least one of the arms wider than a proximal end, the second tone range darker than the first tone range;
• and
• represent a third tone range by forming a plurality of substantially cross-shaped dots arranged in a grid, the cross-shaped dots representing the third tone range contained within respective dot cells and having four arms, a proximal end of at least one of the arms wider than the proximal end of at least one arm of the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range, the third tone range darker than the second tone range;
• wherein the cross-shaped dots representing the second tone range or the cross-shaped dots representing the third tone range define a plurality of substantially cross-shaped non-printed areas.