Document printing using hardware-independent pattern ink cells

A method of printing a document using a device-independent pattern ink cell, the method comprising, by a processor:

• receiving a print job for printing a document that includes one or more security elements;
• identifying an object corresponding to a security element in the print job that identifies a pattern ink cell for a color parameter;
• defining a device-independent pattern ink cell for rendering the identified object, wherein the definition of the device-independent pattern ink cell comprises at least one scaling routine for adjusting a parameter of the device-independent pattern ink cell based on a resolution of a print device that will be used for printing the document;
• querying a print system to return a device resolution and a current page location for a print device of the print system that will be used for printing the document;
• receiving, from the print system, the device resolution and the current page location;
• executing the at least one scaling routine to transform the device-independent pattern ink cell to yield a device-dependent pattern ink cell;
• generating a print file for the document using the device-dependent pattern ink cell so that the print file will, when received by the print system, cause the print device of the print system to print the document with the one or more security elements at a scale corresponding to the device resolution and the current page location;
• and
• transmitting the print file to the print device of the print system.

A document printing system for printing a document using a device-independent pattern ink cell, the system comprising:

• a processing device;
• and
• a non-transitory, computer-readable memory containing programming instructions that are configured to cause the processing device to:
• receive a print job for printing a document that includes one or more security elements;
• identify an object corresponding to a security element in the print job that identifies a pattern ink cell for a color parameter;
• define a device-independent pattern ink cell for rendering the identified object, wherein the definition of the device-independent pattern ink cell comprises at least one scaling routine for adjusting a parameter of the device-independent pattern ink cell based on a resolution of a print device that will be used for printing the document;
• query a print system to return a device resolution and a current page location for a print device of the print system that will be used for printing the document;
• receive, from the print system, the device resolution and the current page location;
• execute the at least one scaling routine to transform the device-independent pattern ink cell to yield a device-dependent pattern ink cell;
• generate a print file for the document using the device-dependent pattern ink cell so that the print file will, when received by the print system, cause the print device of the print system to print the document with the one or more security elements at a scale corresponding to the device resolution and the current page location;
• and
• transmit the print file to the print device of the print system.