Process and system for defining and visually depicting colors from the components of arbitrary color models

Abstract

A process and system for depicting a combination of process colors and spot colors on a radiant light source such as a computer monitor screen. The invention provides a user-definable “meta-ink” color which is made up of the components of the process colors and the spot colors. Shade values are assigned to each of these components to create the meta-ink color. This meta-ink color then replaces the document color for visual depiction on the radiant light source. This process and system provides a more accurate depiction of the representation of the printed image.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to electronic publishing and particularly to defining and depicting colors for use in electronic publishing.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Electronic publishing has become the standard for developing documents for publication. Publication in this day and age includes not only printed publication but multi-media publications such as CD-ROM or World Wide Web documents as well. Thus, electronic publishing includes content preparation, such as text articles, images and even audio or video in multi-media documents, pre-press layout, proofing and printing.[0003]Color is an important feature in designing documents for publication, whether for print or electronic publication. There are a number of concerns with the integration of color into electronic publishing, not the least of which is the accurate depiction of color on a computer monitor during the design and layout of the document relative to the final printed version. This concern i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]The system of the present invention, in one preferred embodiment, takes the user-defined meta-ink color and converts the process color components and their assigned shade values of this meta-ink color into RGB values. The system then shades each of the RGB components of the spot colors of this meta-ink color according to the shade values which have been assigned to each of the components in the definition of the meta-ink color. The shaded values for each of the spot color components is “layered” onto the RGB values converted from the process color components of the meta-ink color in an iterative process. That is, each of the spot colors defined in the meta-ink color are respectively layered onto the preceding value of the previously defined spot color layered onto the RGB values converted from the process color components. The final value of the iterative process is computed and converted into a color model suitable for the radiant light source, such as a LAB color model value. This process essentially treats the color inks as a series of photographic filters which attenuate the spectrum of the combined colors to depict the combined colors in an accurate representation of the printed image. This layering of the spot colors is analogous to placing a series of photographic filters, one for each spot color, over the image. The spot colors are thus able to be more accurately depicted on the screen as a match for the colors of the printed image.

Problems solved by technology

One of the problems occurring with existing electronic publishing systems occurs when a document is created using process colors, but also requiring a spot color as well.

However, the adding of a spot color onto a document process color is a problem during the electronic design process.

Presently, when such a spot color is applied during the design or layout phase of the publishing process, it is difficult to accurately depict on screen.

However, the existing algorithms are unable to convert process colors which have been combined with spot colors or with the combination of arbitrary inks.

The final image to be printed is not able to be accurately displayed prior to the actual printing of the image.

Since process colors are normally used in most higher end documents, this is an important issue in the publishing industry.

Thus, a problem exists in accurately depicting color documents during the electronic design of such documents.

Another problem with the prior electronic publishing systems is the definition of colors digitally.

These electronic publishing systems are unable to define a color using “arbitrary” color components.

These color components, often referred to as “inks”, are limited for use only within their respective color model.

Colors defined in terms of inks in one color model may be converted into the inks of another color model, but a color has not been able to be previously digitally defined in the inks of more than one color model at a time.

Thus, a problem exists in the inability to define a color with color components or inks outside of a particular color model.

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