A photolith filmPhotolith dictionary definition
/ref> is a transparent film, made with some sort of transparent plastic (formerly made of acetate). Nowadays, with the use of laser printers and computers, the photolith film can be based on polyester, vegetable paper or laser film paper. It is mainly used in all photolithography processes. A color image, or polychromatic, is divided into four basic colors: cyan, the

magenta Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish- red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blu ...

, the

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...

and

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

(the so-called system

CMYK The CMYK color model (also known as process color, or four color) is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. The abbreviation ''CMYK'' refers ...

(short name from ''cyan'', '' magenta '', '' yellow '' and '' black ''), generating four photolith film images, a photo filtered with each of the three basic colors plus a B&W film (addition of the three). For black-and-white images, such as text or simple logos, only one photolith film is needed. The ''photolith film'' it is sometimes recorded by an optical laser process on an '' imagesetter'' machine, coming from a digital file, or by a photographic process in a

contact copier A contact copier (also known as contact printer), is a device used to copy an image by illuminating a film negative with the image in direct contact with a photosensitive surface (film, paper, plate, etc.). The more common processes are negative, w ...

, if a physical copy of the original already exist. In the old offset printing plates acquire text or images to be printed after being sensitized from a photolith film. The photolith films, as well as vegetable and the ''laser'' films, are used to store plates, screens or other media sensitive to

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...

as a backup for repeating their processes in the future. They normally store the information of the three or four separated

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...

s on monochrome photolith films.

References

Animation techniques Non-impact printing Technical drawing Infographics {{technology-stub

See also

References