Method and apparatus for automatically inspecting a lithographic plate and reading its folio

An apparatus for inspecting a lithographic plate having an identifying folio including folio information and having an image thereon, the image corresponding to a print image to be printed on sheet material, the apparatus comprising:

• means for optically examining the identifying folio of the lithographic plate to ascertain the folio information;
• means for optically examining the image of each plate to ascertain registration information indicating the position of the image relative to the plate;
• an electronic memory;
• means, responsive to the folio examining means, for recording in the electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the folio of the lithographic plate;
• means, responsive to the image examining means, for recording in the electronic memory the ascertained registration information corresponding to the ascertained folio information;
• and
• means for cross-referencing the folio information of a particular plate to the corresponding registration information of the particular plate, said cross-referencing means including means for accessing the registration information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate and means for accessing the folio information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded registration information for the particular plate.

An apparatus for inspecting a lithographic plate having an identifying folio including folio information and having an image thereon, the image corresponding to a print image to be printed on sheet material, the apparatus comprising:

• means for optically examining the identifying folio of the lithographic plate to ascertain the folio information;
• means for optically examining the image of each plate to ascertain exposure information indicating the exposure of the image;
• an electronic memory;
• means, responsive to the folio examining means, for recording in the electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the folio of the lithographic plate;
• and
• means, responsive to the image examining means, for recording in the electronic memory the ascertained exposure information corresponding to the ascertained folio information;
• and
• means for cross-referencing the folio information of a particular plate to the corresponding exposure information of the particular plate, said cross-referencing means including means for accessing the exposure information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate and means for accessing the folio information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded exposure information for the particular plate.

A method for inspecting lithographic plates, each plate, having an identifying folio including folio information and having an image thereon, the image corresponding to a print image to be printed on sheet material, the method comprising the steps of:

• optically examining the identifying folios of each of the lithographic plates to ascertain the folio information;
• optically examining the images each of the lithographic plates to ascertain images of information;
• recording in an electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the identifying folio of each of lithographic plate optically examined;
• recording in the electronic memory the corresponding ascertained image information of the image of each lithographic plate optically examined;
• and
• cross-referencing the folio information of a particular plate to the corresponding image information of the particular plate, said cross-referencing step including accessing the image information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate and accessing the folio information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded image information for the particular plate.

A method for inspecting a lithographic plate having an identifying folio including folio information and having an image thereon, the image corresponding to a print image to be printed on sheet material, the method comprising the steps of:

• optically examining the identifying folio of the lithographic plate to ascertain the folio information;
• optically examining the image of each plate to ascertain registration information indicating the position of the image relative to the plate;
• recording in an electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the folio of the lithographic plate;
• recording in the electronic memory the ascertained registration information corresponding to the ascertained folio information;
• and
• cross-referencing the folio information of a particular plate to the corresponding registration information of the particular plate, said cross-referencing step including accessing the registration information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate and accessing the folio information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded registration information for the particular plate.

A method for inspecting a lithographic plate having an identifying folio including folio information and having an image thereon, the image corresponding to a print image to be printed on sheet material, the method comprising the steps of:

• optically examining the identifying folio of the lithographic plate to ascertain the folio information;
• optically examining the image of each plate to ascertain exposure information indicating the exposure of the image;
• recording in an electronic memory the ascertained folio information of the folio of the lithographic plate;
• and
• recording in the electronic memory the ascertained exposure information corresponding to the ascertained folio information;
• and
• cross-referencing the folio information of a particular plate to the corresponding exposure information of the particular plate, said cross-referencing step including accessing the exposure information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded folio information for the particular plate and accessing the folio information of the particular plate recorded in the electronic memory by reference to the corresponding recorded exposure information for the particular plate.