# US 2012/0073464 A1 · Print control strip for color measurement on printing material, measuring method and method of metering ink

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- Number: US 2012/0073464 A1
- Document ID: US20120073464A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/313,745
- Filed: 2011-12-07
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-06-25
- Assignees: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
- Inventors: Stefan Billmaier; Bernd Wenzel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073464A1

## CPC

- B41F 33/0036: {Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control}
- B41F 33/0045: {for automatically regulating the ink supply}
- G01J 3/52: using colour charts
- B41P 2233/51: for colour quality control
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- B41P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO PRINTING, LINING MACHINES, TYPEWRITERS, AND TO STAMPS

## Abstract

A print control strip to be applied to printing material during a multicolor printing process, includes multiple measuring fields associated with one ink zone on the printing material. The measuring fields, which are associated with one ink zone, include at least two gray measuring fields. A method of measuring measuring fields in print control strips on printing material with a measuring device and a control unit connected thereto, and a method of controlling metering of ink in offset printing presses including at least one ink metering device in each printing unit and a control unit, are also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of controlling metering of ink in offset printing presses having printing units, at least one ink metering device in each printing unit, and a control unit, the method comprising the following steps:
measuring a measuring strip including a plurality of gray measuring fields within an ink zone on a printed product, with a color measuring device;
feeding measured gray values to the control unit for controlling the metering of the ink in the printing units;
calculating nominal values for controlling the metering of the ink in the printing units with the control unit and transmitting the nominal values to the printing units; and
controlling the metering of the ink in the printing units based upon the nominal values.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, which further comprises influencing an evaluation of the gray measuring fields with the control unit through an input device, prior to the step of measuring the gray measuring fields with the color measuring device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, which further comprises controlling the ink metering devices in the printing units of the printing press with the control unit in dependence on selected gray measuring fields.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, which further comprises introducing the measured gray values as average values in the control of the metering of the ink in the printing units, for ink control by the control unit.

### Claim 5

A method of measuring measuring fields in print control strips on printing material, the method comprising the following steps:
providing the measuring fields in at least two rows in the print control strips;
providing each measuring field at least once in each row of the print control strips;
measuring the measuring fields with a measuring device to provide measured values; and
subjecting the measured values, during the measuring step, to a plausibility check in a control unit connected to the measuring device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, which further comprises, upon an occurrence of implausible measured values in one ink zone, using measured values of a neighboring ink zone in the control unit for controlling ink metering devices in printing units of a printing press.