Abstract: A method and apparatus is shown for leading an imaging surface relative to an imaging beam under two controls where first and second leading spaces are produced. The second leading space being a different width than the first leading space, is distributed among the first leading space separating a plurality of line pairs. The second leading space is interspersed within first leading spaces and is visually less perceptible to the human eye. A pattern describing a matrix of row and column positions control the spacial movement of an imaging beam and after each leading step the imaging beam reproduces the original graphic within each of the elemental image positions or image areas of the matrix.

Abstract: A method of encoding information from a scanned original, for example in the production of halftone pictures by producing a video signal indicative of the original information, comparing it with a screen dot pattern to produce a series of signals which may have weighted values for separate sub areas within the screen dot area to form values representing the information for each of the original sub areas and combining the weighted values according to a predetermined function so that an encoded signal is produced indicative of the modulated distribution of the information of the sub areas of the pattern.