This is the latest and greatest in printing technology, providing richer colours, sharper images and greater detail. Textures and patterns pop! Fabulous for high quality photography presentation.

Also called frequency modulation (FM) screening, stochastic screening uses the same size dots as conventional but varies the density to create an image that is closer to continuous tone than conventional halftone processes. Stochastic takes the mathematical value of the dot and distributes its tiny components into a random pattern inside the halftone cell. Stochastic patterns make possible halftone printing without the use of conventional dots, resulting in similar perceived detail without the trouble of halftone dots and their associated patterns and interferences.

Stochastic printing – which is also called staccato, diamond, or FM screening – achieves colour and contrast by clustering the dots rather than changing their size. Where the dots are dense, there is more colour; where they are sparse, there is less colour.

Advocates of stochastic printing praise its colour accuracy and crisp images, giving greater clarity to textures and patterns. What's more, the lack of the halftone grid means that you will no longer struggle with moiré in photos of herringbone fabrics and other patterned items.

Many proponents feel that images printed using stochastic more closely resemble the original photography.

Technically speaking, other benefits of stochastic include faster ink drying times, due to the small size of the dots. This in turn saves precious time in the production cycle.