Print inspection apparatus, printing system, method of inspecting print data and program

A method of performing an inspection for printing, comprising the steps of:

• (a) weakening an image sharpness of inspection object data which is acquired in a processing on print image data and that of reference data which represents an image condition as a reference for comparison with said inspection object data by performing an average-masking operation on pixels constituting said inspection object data and pixels constituting said reference data on the basis of a predetermined mask size, respectively;
• (b) comparing said inspection object data and said reference data with each other after weakening their respective image sharpnesses, thereby generating comparison result data which describes a difference between a tone value of the said object image data and that of said reference image data by pixel;
• and
• (c) judging whether said difference is significant or not in accordance with a predetermined judgment parameter, thereby generating inspection result data which represents a result of judgment.

A printing system which generates print image data and performs at least one of plate making and output on the basis of said print image data, comprising:

• (a) a print inspection apparatus for performing an inspection of said print image data, which comprises
• (a-1) an image sharpness conversion element for weakening an image sharpness of inspection object data which is acquired in a processing on said print image data and that of reference data which represents an image condition as a reference for comparison with said inspection object data by performing an average-masking operation on pixels constituting said inspection object data and pixels constituting said reference data on the basis of a predetermined mask size, respectively;
• (a-2) a comparison element for comparing said inspection object data and said reference data with each other after converting their respective image sharpnesses, thereby generating comparison result data which describes a difference between a tone value of the said object image data and that of said reference image data by pixel, and
• (a-3) a judgment element for judging whether said difference is significant or not in accordance with a predetermined judgment parameter, thereby generating inspection result data which represents a result of judgment.

A program stored in and executed by a computer to cause said computer to function as a print inspection apparatus comprising:

• an image sharpness conversion element for weakening an image sharpness of inspection object data which is acquired in a processing on print image data and that of reference data which represents an image condition as a reference for comparison with said inspection object data by performing an average-masking operation on pixels constituting said inspection object data and pixels constituting said reference data on the basis of a predetermined mask size, respectively;
• a comparison element for comparing said inspection object data and said reference data with each other after weakening their respective image sharpnesses, thereby generating comparison result data which describes a difference between a tone value of the said object image data and that of said reference image data by pixel;
• and
• a judgment element for judging whether said difference is significant or not in accordance with a predetermined judgment parameter, thereby generating inspection result data which represents a result of judgment.