What is the purpose of testing screen/film contact in radiographic QA?

• A. Blurred areas on the radiographic image
• B. Increased contrast
• C. Reduced patient dose
• D. No effect on image quality

Answer: (A)

Screen/film contact is about how sharply the image is recorded. When the screen and film sit in close, even contact, the light emitted from the screen cleanly exposes the film and preserves fine detail. If there are air gaps or misalignment between the screen and film, light spreads or scatters at those gaps, creating geometric unsharpness. That loss of sharpness shows up as blurred areas on the radiographic image, especially where fine details would otherwise be visible.

So the test aims to detect poor screen-film contact to ensure the image remains as sharp as possible. It isn’t primarily about changing contrast or reducing dose, and it does affect image quality by influencing sharpness.