Image handling facilitating computer aided design and manufacture of documents

Apparatus for handling digital representations of documents which are to be provided with one or more images, the apparatus comprising a first store for storing digital data defining the image content of each pixel of each image;

• color data generating means for generating data defining the color of each pixel of each image or combination of images as defined by a user, separate from the image content data;
• and processing means for selectively combining the image content data and color data to enable selected images to be viewed separately or in combination, wherein the color data generating means generates color data for at least one image which varies with position in one direction across the document.

Apparatus for handling digital representations of documents which are to be provided with one or more images, the apparatus comprising a first store for storing digital data defining the image content of each pixel of each image;

• color data generating means for generating data defining the color of each pixel of each image or combination of images as defined by a user, separate from the image content data;
• and processing means for selectively combining the image content data and color data to enable selected images to be viewed separately or in combination, wherein the processing means includes means for adapting the combined image content and color data for use with a display device and the adapting means comprises a look-up table for storing control values suitable for use with the display device, the look-up table having an address corresponding to every possible combination of image content and color data value.

Apparatus for handling digital representations of documents which are to be provided with one or more images, the apparatus comprising a first store for storing digital data defining the image content of each pixel of each image;

• color data generating means for generating data defining the color of each pixel of each image or combination of images as defined by user, separate from the image content data;
• and processing means for selectively combining the image content data and color data to enable selected images to be viewed separately or in combination, wherein the processing means includes means for adapting the combined image content and color data for use with a display device and the processing means generates from the image content and color data proofing control signals defining the corresponding image or combined images in terms of proofing inks or dyes.

Apparatus for handling digital representations of documents which are to be provided with one or more images, the apparatus comprising a first store for storing digital data defining the image content of each pixel of each image;

• color data generating means for generating data defining the color of each pixel of each image or combination of images as defined by user, separate from the image content data;
• processing means for selectively combining the image content data and color data to enable selected images to be viewed separately or in combination;
• and a frame store for connection to a monitor, the processing means storing combined image content and color data for each pixel to be displayed in the frame store.

Apparatus for handling digital representations of documents which are to be provided with one or more images, the apparatus comprising a first store for storing digital data defining the image content of each pixel of each image;

• color data generating means for generating data defining the color of each pixel of each image or combination of images as defined by a user, separate from the image content data;
• and processing means for selectively combining the image content data and color data to enable selected images to be viewed separately or in combination, wherein at least one imaging operation comprises a printing operation and the processing means generates data which defines the color content of pixels of the corresponding image or combined images in terms of ink or dye densities.