US 5,296,947 AGranted

System for softproofing a color reproduction

AssigneeCactus, LLC

InventorHarry Bowers

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Abstract

Cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink are each used to print a color patch to obtain four color patches. Two of each pair of the three colorants cyan, magenta and yellow are used to print a red, a green and a blue patch. These seven color patches together with a patch formed by the printing medium with no colorant form eight color patches. A color monitor is adjusted until its screen color matches one of the eight color patches and the appearance values of the monitor are noted. This is repeated for each of the eight patches in order to compile a lookup table for the colors in each of the eight color patches. For softproofing, each square in a color grid pattern printed by the printer will contain portions, each of which has a color identical to one of the eight color patches. Using the lookup table, the values of the appearance signals corresponding to the colors of these portions in the square area are obtained for displaying a color patch on the color monitor of the same color. In this manner, the color image displayed by the monitor will closely resemble the printing result using actual inks.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for soft proofing a color reproduction, said reproduction to be performed on areas of a medium using a set of at least two reproduction colorants according to a predetermined overlapping pattern, wherein amounts of the reproduction colorants to be used in the reproduction are determined by reproduction signals, said method using a display device capable of displaying images of colors corresponding to the colorants, wherein the color or colors of said images displayed are determined by the values of corresponding appearance signals, said method comprising:

reproducing said colorants in areas of a medium so that each colorant is reproduced separately in at least one area, and so that two colorants overlap in at least one area;
displaying color images on the display device so that the color of one of said images corresponds to the color of colorant or of overlapping colorants in each reproduced area;
adjusting said display device until the color of each of said images matches the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area;
determining values of appearance signals corresponding to the color of each of said images matching the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area, said values of appearance signals determined also corresponding to the colorant or colorants of its corresponding matching reproduced area;
storing the values of appearance signals corresponding to the colorant or colorants of its corresponding matching reproduced area and the reproduction signals for such colorant or colorants in a lookup table;
transforming the reproduction signals of a color reproduction to be softproofed into corresponding appearance signals according to said overlapping pattern and the lookup table;
and
displaying color images on the display device in accordance to said corresponding appearance signals, so that said color images will resemble said color reproduction in said medium.

5 more elements

A system for soft proofing a color reproduction, said reproduction to be performed on areas of a medium using a set of at least two reproduction colorants according to a predetermined overlapping pattern, wherein amounts of the reproduction colorants to be used in the reproduction are determined by reproduction signals, said system comprising:

means for reproducing said colorants in areas of a medium so that each colorant is reproduced separately in at least one area, and so that two colorants overlap in at least one area;
a display device capable of displaying images of colors corresponding to the colorants, wherein the color or colors of said images displayed are determined by the values of corresponding appearance signals, said device displaying color images so that the color of one of said images corresponds to the color of colorant or of overlapping colorants in each reproduced area, said device capable of being adjusted so that the color of each of said images matches the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area;
means for storing values of appearance signals corresponding to the color of each of said images matching the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area, said values of appearance signals also corresponding to the colorant or colorants of its corresponding matching reproduced area, and for storing the reproduction signals for such colorant or colorants in a lookup table;
and
means for transforming the reproduction signals of a color reproduction to be softproofed into corresponding appearance signals according to said overlapping pattern and the lookup table, so that when the display device is caused to displays color images in accordance to said corresponding appearance signals, said color images displayed will resemble said color reproduction in said medium.

2 more elements

An apparatus for use in a system for soft proofing a color reproduction, said reproduction to be performed on areas of a medium using a set of at least two reproduction colorants according to a predetermined overlapping pattern, wherein amounts of the reproduction colorants to be used in the reproduction are determined by reproduction signals, said system including (a) means for reproducing said colorants in areas of a medium so that each colorant is reproduced separately in at least one area, and so that two colorants overlap in at least one area;

and (b) a display device capable of displaying images of colors corresponding to the colorants, wherein the color or colors of said images displayed are determined by the values of corresponding appearance signals, said device displaying color images so that the color of one of said images corresponds to the color of colorant or of overlapping colorants in each reproduced area, said device capable of being adjusted so that the color of each of said images matches the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area;
said apparatus comprising:
means for storing values of appearance signals corresponding to the color of each of said images matching the color of colorant or colorants of its corresponding reproduced area, said values of appearance signals also corresponding to the colorant or colorants of its corresponding matching reproduced area, and for storing the reproduction signals for such colorant or colorants in a lookup table;
and
means for transforming the reproduction signals of a color reproduction to be softproofed into corresponding appearance signals according to said overlapping pattern and the lookup table, so that when the display device displays color images in accordance to said corresponding appearance signals, said color images will resemble said color reproduction in said medium.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.