How often should the screen/film contact be checked?

• A. Monthly
• B. Biannually
• C. Semi-annually
• D. Annually

Answer: (C)

Regular screen-film contact checks safeguard image sharpness by ensuring the film lies tightly against the screen during exposure. If contact isn’t tight, light from the intensifying screen can spread into the film, blurring details and reducing spatial resolution, especially in dense or fine-detail areas. To balance reliability with practicality, this check is typically performed about every six months. This semi-annual interval catches gradual wear or sagging of the screen or cassette without requiring excessive testing, while a monthly schedule would be unnecessarily frequent and annual checks could miss deterioration that degrades image quality. If the test shows poor contact in any area, maintenance is performed on the cassette or screen assembly and the check is repeated to confirm proper restoration of contact.