Inkjet proofing with matched color and screen resolution
AssigneeCreo Americas, Inc.
InventorsAdam I. Pinard, James M. Enge, Bradley S. Winslow, Andrew Masia, Foster M. Fargo, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One general aspect of the invention provides for creating half-tone ink-jet proofs on print-enhanced sheets based on an effective image cell pitch that substantially matches a cell pitch used to create press plates. Print process variables can be adjusted for the ink-jet proofing printer based on received color matching information. These adjustments can define preprint ink mixing ratios that allow at least some image cells to be printed with ink mixtures. Or they can define sub-area printing values that allow at least some dots to be printed with areas of different inks.
Claims48
A method of printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch and an effective vertical image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch, the method comprising:
- receiving print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
- receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
- making a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch and an effective vertical image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch, the proofer comprising:
- storage for print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
- a feed mechanism for receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
- logic responsive to the storage for generating a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet received by the feed mechanism at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch and an effective vertical image cell pitch of at least about 2400 image cells per inch, the proofer comprising:
- means for storing print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
- means for receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
- means responsive to the means for storing for generating a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet received by the means for receiving at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
A proof generation method for proof printers, comprising the steps of:
- receiving halftoned print data to be printed on a target halftone printing press to which a first halftoning technique has been applied, wherein the first halftoning technique is at least comparable to a target halftoning technique used by the target halftone printing press,
- accessing color recipes that specify color values for the target halftone printing press in terms of color values for a proofing printer in response to the halftoned print data,
- producing proof print data based on the color values accessed in the step of accessing, and
- providing the proof printing data to the proofing printer different from the target halftone printing press.
Proofing apparatus, comprising:
- color recipe storage for storing color recipes that specify color values for the target halftone printing press in terms of color values for a proofing printer in response to halftoned print data to be printed on a target halftone printing press to which a first halftoning technique has been applied, wherein the first halftoning technique is at least comparable to a target halftoning technique used by the target halftone printing press,
- logic for producing proof printing data responsive to the color recipe storage, and
- a proofing print engine different from the target halftone printing press and responsive to the logic for producing proof printing data.
Proofing apparatus, comprising:
- means for receiving halftoned print data to be printed on a target halftone printing press to which a first halftoning technique has been applied, wherein the first halftoning technique is at least comparable to a target halftoning technique used by the target halftone printing press,
- means for accessing color recipes that specify color values for the target halftone printing press in terms of color values for a proofing printer in response to the halftoned print data,
- means for producing proof print data based on the color values accessed in the step of accessing, and
- means for providing the proof printing data to the proofing printer different from the target halftone printing press.
An inkjet printing apparatus, comprising:
- a body defining a chamber,
- a plunger sized to move within the chamber,
- an actuator operatively connected to the plunger,
- an outlet defined in the chamber and operatively connected to an inkjet printing nozzle,
- a plurality of inlets defined in the chamber and each being operatively connected to one of a plurality of ink supply reservoirs, and
- a linear controller having a control input provided to the linear actuator.
A method of printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of three or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the method comprising:
- receiving print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
- receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a first mixed inkjet ink of a predetermined color,
- receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a second mixed ink-jet ink of a predetermined color,
- receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a third mixed ink-jet ink of a predetermined color,
- receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second rectangular face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
- generating a halftone proof by depositing the first, second, and third mixed inks on at least the first face of the proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the proofer comprising:
- a first reservoir for a first ink of a predetermined color,
- a second reservoir for a second ink of a predetermined color,
- a third reservoir for a third ink of a predetermined color,
- a mixing chamber responsive to the first, second, and third reservoirs, and
- logic for generating a halftone proof by depositing the first, second, third, and fourth mixed inks on at least the first face of a proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data for the reference printer and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data for the reference printer.
An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the proofer comprising:
- means for receiving print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
- means for receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a first mixed ink-jet ink of a predetermined color,
- means for receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a second mixed ink-jet ink of a predetermined color,
- means for receiving predetermined amounts of a plurality of inks from a plurality of ink reservoirs to define a third mixed ink-jet ink of a predetermined color,
- means for receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second rectangular face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
- means for generating a halftone proof by depositing the first, second, and third mixed inks on at least the first face of the proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received by the means for receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.