US 8,264,701 B2 · Printing graphics with transparency on a postscript enabled image forming device

Abstract

What is disclosed is a novel system and method for emulating transparency in a PostScript-enabled image forming device, such as a PostScript-enabled print device. The present system and method uses Adobe's DeviceN color space to support transparency printing on PostScript-enabled devices. The present method uses abstract data represented by a color plane in DeviceN space to indicate the existence of a transparency layer in the image to be printed. An emulation procedure is then called to perform a color space transformation and to perform color blending of the first image into the second image. A transparency value is used as one of the colorant channels to define the blending. Advantageously, the present method is backward compatible as there is no update required to the printer's driver or firmware. The present method has been demonstrated to work with Adobe Reader and PostScript Level-3.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for emulating transparency with an image forming device capable of executing page description language program code for manipulating color in a DeviceN color space, the method comprising:

receiving, from an application for forming an image on an image forming device, a first image and a second image to be blended together in a DeviceN color space;
receiving at least two colorant channels from said application at least one of said received colorant channels having a transparency value;
assembling page description language program code for flattening and blending said first image into said second image based upon said transparency value;
and
sending said page description language program code to said image forming device, an execution of said code by said image forming device flattening and blending said first image into said second image to emulate transparency, wherein said page description language program code includes code for blending said first image into said second image, wherein a blended color value v′i for a second layer is given by:
v′i=(1−t2)v′i−1+t2vi
where t2 is a transparency value of said second image such that 0≦t2≦1.

4 more elements

A system for emulating transparency with an image forming device capable of executing page description language program code for manipulating color in a DeviceN color space, the system comprising:

a memory and a storage medium;
and
a processor in communication with said storage medium and said memory, said processor executing machine readable instructions for performing:
receiving, from an application for forming an image on an image forming device, a first image and a second image to be blended together in a DeviceN color space;
receiving at least two colorant channels from said application at least one of said received colorant channels having a transparency value;
assembling page description language program code for flattening and blending said first image into said second image based upon said transparency value;
and
sending said page description language program code to said image forming device, an execution of said code by said image forming device flattening and blending said first image into said second image to emulate transparency, wherein said page description language program code includes code for blending said first image into said second image, wherein a blended color value v′i for a second layer is given by:
v′i=(1−t2)v′i−1+t2vi
where t2 is a transparency value of said second image such that 0≦t2≦1.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Printing graphics with transparency on a postscript enabled image forming device

Life of this patent

Printing graphics with transparency on a postscript enabled image forming device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16