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Laser printing
type particles.using a holographic micro-velocimeter fmd their place in this session. There is also a description of a microprocessor-controlled instrument for measuring the transmittance and reflectance of ocean waters. A lengthy contribution is one on optical transfer measurements in the Sargasso sea. Session three deals with propagation. The main theme is the passage of a laser beam from the atmosphere into water. An analytic model is described, a matrix operator method is discussed, quantitative analytical procedures for relating selected water quality parameters to the characteristics of the backscattered signals are presented and the measurement of optical coherence loss in Atlantic waters described. An applications session covers the detection of shallow submerged obstacles by two-colour lidar, laser applications for near-shore nautical charting, an optical radar receiver using programmed sensitivity time control, and a real-time optical mapping system. The latter is an underwater optical flyingapot scanning sensor system designed to provide an optical map of the ocean floor. This volume gives an insight into work going on to gain a thorough understanding of basic underwater optical phenomena. It is both interesting and instructive. H. G. Jerrard
Laser printing Edited by S. T. Dunn Proceedings of the Society of PhotoQptical Engineers Volume 169,1979, pp 130 $34
Work by manufacturers of laser scanning equipment and suppliers of photosensitive materials has led to the development of new photomaterlals for laser imaging and more are continually appearing. Plate, film, dry silver and electrophotographic materials for exposure at HeNe and Argon, visible and uv wavelengths are described by several contributors. Dunn analyses the economics of various laserplatemaking techniques relative to conventional film and camera methods, concluding that laser exposure can be cost effective. The quality of some of the diagrams in the familiar cameraready copy is very poor, which is not encouraging given the topic being promoted, but many diagrams are of excellent quality. Some of the information presented has appeared in a slightly different form elsewhere, but, since the material is not too technical for the non-specialist, the gathering of these papers into one volume provides a helpful introduction for potential users to the technology and likely market penetration of lasers in printing. B.A. Bakewell
Instrumentation
The use of lasers in the graphic arts industry continues to grow and is in fact an area where the major laser suppliers themselves predict increasing activity during the next few years. These proceedings comprise the papers presented at a gathering of mainly manufacturers, a few users (in the newspaper industry) and some marketing specialists, who discussed present and future applications of lasers in printing in the American market. Three basic areas are covered, (i) the trends in the use of lasers, particularly regarding laser platemakers, (ii) present systems, particularly scanners and platemakers, and (iii) materials for laser imaging. Systems to produce printing plates by a scanning modulated laser beam have been on the market for some years. Several, including the LogE and EOCOM system, using YAG and Argon ion lasers respectively, are described. Each uses a HeNe laser to scan a paste-up in order to generate data to modulate the output laser. Text, line drawings and halftones can be used on the paste-up, so complete pages appear on plate. The input must be generated separately by photographic and phototypesetting techniques and this step generates additional production costs. Several contributors give some coverage to the next stage of manipulating digitized data and outputting directly to plate without the intermediate paste-up. The technical difficulties in achieving this are not fully explored, but it is certainly an area where great effort is being expended. Kessler, in his market review, even predicts the replacement of crt’s, currently the predominant light source in phototypesetters, with lasers by 1983, and the appearance of some form of laser technology in each American newspaper plant during the next decade. The Lincoln Laser and Coherent systems are also described, the former using an Argon laser for both reading and writing, the latter using HeNe for reading and COz for writing onto a rubber roller and producing a flexograpbic plate: two depth engra-
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY.
ving, automatic joining, step-and-repeat on half-tone features are available for applications in packaging, textiles and wall coverings. Similar applications are discussed for the Sci-Tex system and also the use of laser scanners for colour separation and word processor printers.
JUNE 1960
Optics in quality assurance I I Edited by H. L. Kasdan Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Volume 1970,1979, pp 116 $36.00 These proceedings relate to a two day seminar held in Los Angeles in January 1979. Users and suppliers of automatic inspection equipment heard papers in the following areas: optical based production inspection techniques, optical and electrooptical components for automaticinspection systems, quality assurance requirements, and needs and requisites for automatic inspection equipment. The 19 papers cover a wide range and include optics in food analysis, lasers in the industrial environment, the use of robots in inspection, the Ford Motor Company’s advanced gauging program, colour measurement for sorting, grading and quality assurance and automated inspection using electro*ptics. Taken as a whole this volume gives readers, not involved in quality assurance measurements, a glimpse of the influence of optical methods in this expanding field. H. G. Jerrard
Application of optical instrumentation in medicine VII Edited by J. Gre y Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers,Volume 173,1979, pp 398, $42.00 A seminar with the above title was held in March 1979 in Toronto. In this volume are published the 55 papers which were presented in nine sessions. Three sessions deal with imaging systems and cover their physical evaluation, perception evaluation and special topics such as laser readout of electrostatic images, automated screening of chest x-rays and
163
Laser printing Edited by S. T. Dunn Proceedings of the Society of PhotoQptical Engineers Volume 169,1979, pp 130 $34
Work by manufacturers of laser scanning equipment and suppliers of photosensitive materials has led to the development of new photomaterlals for laser imaging and more are continually appearing. Plate, film, dry silver and electrophotographic materials for exposure at HeNe and Argon, visible and uv wavelengths are described by several contributors. Dunn analyses the economics of various laserplatemaking techniques relative to conventional film and camera methods, concluding that laser exposure can be cost effective. The quality of some of the diagrams in the familiar cameraready copy is very poor, which is not encouraging given the topic being promoted, but many diagrams are of excellent quality. Some of the information presented has appeared in a slightly different form elsewhere, but, since the material is not too technical for the non-specialist, the gathering of these papers into one volume provides a helpful introduction for potential users to the technology and likely market penetration of lasers in printing. B.A. Bakewell
Instrumentation
The use of lasers in the graphic arts industry continues to grow and is in fact an area where the major laser suppliers themselves predict increasing activity during the next few years. These proceedings comprise the papers presented at a gathering of mainly manufacturers, a few users (in the newspaper industry) and some marketing specialists, who discussed present and future applications of lasers in printing in the American market. Three basic areas are covered, (i) the trends in the use of lasers, particularly regarding laser platemakers, (ii) present systems, particularly scanners and platemakers, and (iii) materials for laser imaging. Systems to produce printing plates by a scanning modulated laser beam have been on the market for some years. Several, including the LogE and EOCOM system, using YAG and Argon ion lasers respectively, are described. Each uses a HeNe laser to scan a paste-up in order to generate data to modulate the output laser. Text, line drawings and halftones can be used on the paste-up, so complete pages appear on plate. The input must be generated separately by photographic and phototypesetting techniques and this step generates additional production costs. Several contributors give some coverage to the next stage of manipulating digitized data and outputting directly to plate without the intermediate paste-up. The technical difficulties in achieving this are not fully explored, but it is certainly an area where great effort is being expended. Kessler, in his market review, even predicts the replacement of crt’s, currently the predominant light source in phototypesetters, with lasers by 1983, and the appearance of some form of laser technology in each American newspaper plant during the next decade. The Lincoln Laser and Coherent systems are also described, the former using an Argon laser for both reading and writing, the latter using HeNe for reading and COz for writing onto a rubber roller and producing a flexograpbic plate: two depth engra-
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY.
ving, automatic joining, step-and-repeat on half-tone features are available for applications in packaging, textiles and wall coverings. Similar applications are discussed for the Sci-Tex system and also the use of laser scanners for colour separation and word processor printers.
JUNE 1960
Optics in quality assurance I I Edited by H. L. Kasdan Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Volume 1970,1979, pp 116 $36.00 These proceedings relate to a two day seminar held in Los Angeles in January 1979. Users and suppliers of automatic inspection equipment heard papers in the following areas: optical based production inspection techniques, optical and electrooptical components for automaticinspection systems, quality assurance requirements, and needs and requisites for automatic inspection equipment. The 19 papers cover a wide range and include optics in food analysis, lasers in the industrial environment, the use of robots in inspection, the Ford Motor Company’s advanced gauging program, colour measurement for sorting, grading and quality assurance and automated inspection using electro*ptics. Taken as a whole this volume gives readers, not involved in quality assurance measurements, a glimpse of the influence of optical methods in this expanding field. H. G. Jerrard
Application of optical instrumentation in medicine VII Edited by J. Gre y Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers,Volume 173,1979, pp 398, $42.00 A seminar with the above title was held in March 1979 in Toronto. In this volume are published the 55 papers which were presented in nine sessions. Three sessions deal with imaging systems and cover their physical evaluation, perception evaluation and special topics such as laser readout of electrostatic images, automated screening of chest x-rays and
163