Flexographic printing
AssigneeKodak Graphic Communications Canada Company
InventorsDevon McCrea, Stephen Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of screening a continuous tone image into a halftone representation for a flexographic printing operation can compensate for characteristic printing problems in highlight areas by selectively placing non-printing dots or pixels proximate highlight dots. The non-printing dots or pixels raise the printing relief floor in the highlight areas providing additional support for marginally printable image features.
Claims42
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- a workstation for receiving image data representing an image;
- a raster image processor for converting the image into a halftone representation thereof;
- and
- an image processor for identifying at least one printable image feature and establishing at least one non-printing image feature in proximity to the printable image feature.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- printable image feature identification logic operative to identify at least one printable image feature in a halftone representation to be used in making a flexographic printing plate according to at least one predetermined decision criterion;
- and
- non-printing image feature establishment logic responsive to the printable image feature identification logic and operative to establish at least one non-printing feature proximate to the printable image feature identified by the printable image feature identification logic.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- means for identifying at least one printable image feature in a halftone representation to be used in making a flexographic printing plate according to at least one predetermined decision criterion;
- and
- means responsive to the printable image feature identification logic for establishing at least one non-printing feature proximate to the printable image feature identified by the means for identifying.
A memory for storing data for access by a flexographic printing system, wherein the memory comprises machine-readable data elements adapted to specify to the flexographic printing system at least one printable image feature, at least one non-printing feature proximate the printable image feature, and at least one non ink-transferring background area.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- a computer system for receiving image data;
- a raster image processor for converting the image data into halftone data for producing a relief image in the flexographic printing plate wherein the raster image processor includes a halftone generator for
- creating a marginal halftone dot for a highlight feature of the image data wherein the marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot in the flexographic printing plate;
- and
- adding a non-printing configuration of halftone pixels in the halftone data, proximate to the marginal halftone dot, to improve the printability of the marginally printable relief dot, wherein the configuration of halftone pixels is based on a characteristic of the marginal halftone dot.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- a computer system for receiving image data;
- a raster image processor for converting the image data into halftone data for producing a relief image in the flexographic printing plate;
- an image processor for
- identifying a marginal halftone dot amongst the halftone data wherein the marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot in the flexographic printing plate;
- and
- enabling a configuration of non-printing halftone pixels in the halftone data, proximate to the marginal halftone dot, to improve the printability of the marginally printable relief dot wherein the configuration of halftone pixels is based on a characteristic of the marginal halftone dot.
A memory for storing data for access by a flexographic printing system, wherein the memory comprises machine-readable data elements adapted to specify to the relief printing system:
- a marginal halftone dot wherein the marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot in a flexographic printing plate;
- and
- a configuration of non-printing enabled halftone pixels, proximate to the marginal halftone dot, to improve the printability of the marginally printable relief dot and wherein the configuration of halftone pixels is based on a characteristic of the marginal halftone dot.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- means for generating halftone data used to produce a relief image in the flexographic printing plate wherein means for generating halftone data comprises:
- means for identifying a marginal halftone dot amongst the halftone data wherein a relief dot produced in the flexographic printing plate based on the marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot;
- and
- means for enabling a configuration of non-printing halftone pixels in the halftone data, proximate to the marginal halftone dot, to improve the printability of the marginally printable relief dot wherein the configuration of halftone pixels is based on a characteristic of the marginal halftone dot.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the system comprising:
- means for constructing a plurality of threshold arrays comprising means for constructing at least one threshold array defining a marginal halftone dot wherein means for producing a relief dot in the flexographic printing plate based on the marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot;
- and
- means for comparing a plurality of gray scale values derived from the image data with the plurality of threshold arrays to generate a halftone data for means for producing a relief image in the flexographic printing plate.
A system for producing a flexographic printing medium, the system comprising:
- means for establishing a relief medium floor as a base for a relief image;
- means for receiving halftone data representing the relief image, the halftone data comprising:
- a plurality of normal halftone dots wherein a normal halftone dot tends to produce a reliably printable relief dot;
- and
- at least one marginal halftone dot wherein a marginal halftone dot tends to produce a marginally printable relief dot;
- a configuration of non-printing halftone pixels, proximate to each at least one marginal halftone dot, wherein the configuration of halftone pixels improves the printability of the corresponding marginally printable relief dot and wherein the configuration of halftone pixels is based on a characteristic of the marginal halftone dot;
- means for exposing the flexographic printing plate in accordance with the halftone data;
- and
- means for processing the flexographic printing plate to develop the relief image.
A system for preparing an image for use in making a flexographic printing plate, the apparatus comprising:
- logic for identifying two or more printable image features, and
- logic for establishing at least one shared non-printing image feature in proximity to the printable image features based on the location of the two printable image features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.