A printing method, a printer, a device, and a storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a printing method, a printer, a device and a storage medium. Material information of a to-be-printed image and current printing medium is acquired first. Then, a color characteristic curve and a color management curve are determined according to the material information. Next, the to-be-printed image is color-corrected according to the material information, the color characteristic curve and the color management curve, so as to obtain a target printing image. Subsequently, a printing operation is performed on the current printing medium according to the target printing image. According to the application, the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve are determined according to the material information of the printing medium, so that individual color management for different material printing media can be realized, thereby effectively reducing the color difference between different material areas and greatly improving the consistency and accuracy of colors.

Description

A printing method, printer, device, and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to, but is not limited to, the field of printer technology, and particularly to a printing method, printer, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In current printing technology, color differences often occur when printing with the same ink on media containing different materials. This is mainly because different printing media have varying characteristics in terms of ink absorption, reflection, and diffusion, leading to significant variations in the printed results of the same color image. Traditional printing methods neglect the influence of the printing media material on the printing effect, employing uniform printing parameters and color management strategies. This results in noticeable color differences in products printed on media with different materials. Therefore, achieving color consistency and accuracy for printing media containing different materials has become a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed in current printing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail herein. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0004] This application provides a printing method that can effectively reduce color differences between different material areas, thereby improving color consistency and accuracy.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a printing method comprising: acquiring an image to be printed and material information of a current printing medium; determining a color characteristic curve and a color management curve based on the material information; performing color correction on the image to be printed based on the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve to obtain a target printing image; and printing on the current printing medium based on the target printing image.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the current printing medium includes multiple material information items; the step of color correction of the image to be printed based on the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve to obtain a target printed image includes: determining multiple corresponding printing areas in the current printing medium based on the multiple material information items; segmenting the image to be printed based on the multiple printing areas to obtain multiple sub-region images, wherein the sub-region images correspond to the printing areas; color correction of the multiple sub-region images based on the color characteristic curve and the color management curve; and merging the color-corrected multiple sub-region images to obtain the target printed image.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the color characteristic curve includes multiple color characteristic sub-curves, and the color management curve includes multiple color management sub-curves; the step of color correction of multiple sub-region images based on the color characteristic curve and the color management curve, and merging the multiple color-corrected sub-region images to obtain a target printed image, includes: determining the corresponding color characteristic sub-curve and the color management sub-curve based on the material information corresponding to each sub-region image; color correction of the corresponding sub-region image based on the color characteristic sub-curve and the color management sub-curve, and merging the color-corrected sub-region images to obtain a target printed image.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the step of color-correcting the corresponding sub-region image according to the color characteristic sub-curve and the color management sub-curve, and merging the color-corrected sub-region images to obtain a target printed image, includes: color-correcting the corresponding sub-region image according to the color characteristic sub-curve and the color management sub-curve to obtain multiple color-corrected target sub-region images; and stitching the multiple target sub-region images according to the positional relationship between the multiple printing regions to obtain the target printed image.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the step of color-correcting the image to be printed based on the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve to obtain a target printed image includes: acquiring RGB data of the image to be printed; obtaining CMYK data based on the RGB data, the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve; and color-correcting the image to be printed based on the CMYK data to obtain the target printed image.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, determining the color characteristic curve and color management curve based on the material information includes: searching for target material information corresponding to the material information in a material library; and searching for and matching the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve in a curve library based on the target material information; wherein the material library contains material information for various printing media, and the curve library contains various curve combinations corresponding to the material information in the material library, and the curve combination includes the color characteristic curve and the color management curve.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment of this application, the color characteristic curve is obtained according to the following steps: obtaining an initial color characteristic curve; printing a standard color target on the printing area corresponding to the material information according to the initial color characteristic curve to obtain a target color target; measuring the target color target to obtain a color target measurement result; comparing the color target measurement result with the standard color target to obtain a color deviation result; adjusting the initial color characteristic curve according to the color deviation result to obtain a color characteristic curve.

[0012] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a printer that prints using the printing method described above.

[0013] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus including a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the printing method as described above.

[0014] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the printing method described above.

[0015] The printing method provided in this application first obtains the image to be printed and the material information of the current printing medium; then, based on the material information, it determines a color characteristic curve and a color management curve; next, based on the material information, as well as the color characteristic curve and the color management curve, it performs color correction on the image to be printed to obtain a target printed image. Subsequently, it prints on the current printing medium based on this target printed image. The color characteristic curve accurately depicts the color response characteristics of the current printing medium, while the color management curve ensures the linear processing of color data; the combined effect of both improves the accuracy of color conversion. Through this dual-curve strategy, the image to be printed, after color correction, can more accurately reflect the target color, effectively reducing color deviation during the printing process and significantly enhancing color accuracy. In summary, this application embodiment, by determining the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve based on the material information of the printing medium, can achieve personalized color management for printing media of different materials, thereby effectively reducing color differences between different material areas and significantly improving color consistency and accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the printing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the adjustment process of the ICC characteristic curve provided in a specific example of this application;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of adjusting the RIP color management linearization curve according to the ICC characteristic curve, provided by a specific example of this application;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of adjusting the RIP color management linearization curve based on the ICC characteristic curve, provided by another specific example of this application;

[0020] Figure 5 is a detailed flowchart of step 130 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 6 is a detailed flowchart of step 530 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 7 is a detailed flowchart of step 120 provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of step 130 provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0025] It should be noted that although the flowchart shows a logical order, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than that shown in the flowchart. The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the invention. Furthermore, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are only for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0027] In current printing technology, a significant problem often arises when printing with the same ink on media containing different materials: color difference. This color difference mainly occurs because different printing media have varying characteristics in terms of ink absorption, reflection, and diffusion, leading to significant differences in the printed results of the same color image. Although existing printing technology has made some progress, it is still difficult to ensure consistent color in printed products when dealing with diverse media materials. This color difference problem is particularly prominent in applications requiring high-precision color reproduction, such as art reproduction and advertising design. Traditional printing methods ignore the influence of the printing media material on the printing effect, employing uniform printing parameters and color management strategies, which results in significant color differences in products printed on different media materials. Therefore, how to achieve color consistency and accuracy for printing media containing different materials has become a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed.

[0028] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a printing method, printer, device, and computer-readable storage medium. First, the material information of the image to be printed and the current printing medium is obtained. Then, based on the material information, a color characteristic curve and a color management curve are determined. Next, based on the material information, as well as the color characteristic curve and color management curve, the image to be printed is color-corrected to obtain a target printed image. Subsequently, printing is performed on the current printing medium based on this target printed image. The color characteristic curve accurately depicts the color response characteristics of the current printing medium, while the color management curve ensures the linear processing of color data. Together, they improve the accuracy of color conversion. Through this dual-curve strategy, the image to be printed, after color correction, can more accurately reflect the target color, effectively reducing color deviation during the printing process and significantly enhancing color accuracy. In summary, embodiments of this application, by determining the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve based on the material information of the printing medium, can achieve personalized color management for printing media of different materials, thereby effectively reducing color differences between different material areas and significantly improving color consistency and accuracy.

[0029] The embodiments of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, which is a flowchart of a printing method provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 1, the method includes, but is not limited to, steps 110 to 140.

[0031] Step 110: Obtain the image to be printed and the material information of the current printing medium;

[0032] Step 120: Determine the color characteristic curve and color management curve based on the material information;

[0033] Step 130: Based on the material information, color characteristic curve, and color management curve, perform color correction on the image to be printed to obtain the target printed image;

[0034] Step 140: Print on the current printing medium according to the target print image.

[0035] Steps 110 to 140 will be described in detail below.

[0036] In one embodiment, the image to be printed can be a single-color image, such as a landscape painting, a portrait, or a design pattern, etc., which have a certain uniformity and consistency in color. The printing medium refers to materials that can be used for printing. As an important material carrying image output, it includes, but is not limited to, the following: plain paper for printing various text documents, copy paper for text or draft printing using laser printers and inkjet printers, photographic paper and postcards for printing color pictures, as well as glossy photo paper, high-quality glossy photo paper, matte paper, and fiber paper, etc. However, different printing media exhibit different reactions to the absorption, reflection, and diffusion of printing ink due to differences in their material information (such as physical and chemical properties). This difference in characteristics means that even when using the same ink, printing the same color image on different printing media will result in significant color differences. For example, some media may absorb more ink, resulting in a darker color; while other media may reflect light more strongly, making the color appear more vibrant. For example, when printing a landscape on glossy photo paper, the smooth surface and excellent light reflection of the medium result in a particularly bright and saturated image. However, if the same landscape is printed on matte paper, the rougher surface disperses light reflection, resulting in a softer and more uniform image. In particular, current printing media can also include those with a background color. This background color refers to the inherent color of the medium or a color created through subsequent processing, such as a background color formed by laser etching. When the background color is created using laser etching, key parameters include the laser etching concentration and grayscale value.

[0037] In one embodiment, the color characteristic curve refers to the International Color Consortium (ICC) characteristic curve. This curve, through the construction of a sophisticated mathematical model, reveals the unique response characteristics of current printing media in the color reception and rendering process. It comprehensively considers various factors such as the physical properties of the media surface, the absorption performance of the ink, and the reflection and scattering characteristics of light, thereby ensuring that the printed output color accurately matches the designer's expectations. The color management curve refers to the linearization adjustment curve of the Raster Image Processor (RIP) in the color management process. The main responsibility of this curve is to linearize the color data to ensure consistency and accuracy of color during the conversion process between input devices (e.g., displays) and output devices (e.g., printers). With the help of this curve, color data can avoid the problems of non-linear distortion in the conversion process, thereby comprehensively improving the accuracy of color conversion.

[0038] In one embodiment, during the process of determining the color characteristic curve (i.e., ICC characteristic curve) and the color management curve (i.e., RIP color management linearization curve) based on material information, the ICC characteristic curve can be determined first based on the material information. Then, the initial RIP color management linearization curve can be adjusted based on the ICC characteristic curve to obtain the optimized RIP color management linearization curve. It should be noted that the ICC characteristic curve, as a core tool for color management, ensures a high degree of consistency in color during conversion between different devices. The RIP color management linearization curve, through precise adjustment of image data, ensures excellent performance in color density, saturation, and hue in the printed output, enabling a high degree of consistency or similarity in color effects regardless of changes in the printing media material.

[0039] In one embodiment, during the process of determining the ICC characteristic curve (i.e., color characteristic curve) based on material information, the ICC characteristic curve can be obtained first. Then, according to the ICC characteristic curve, a standard color target is printed on the printing area corresponding to the material information to obtain the target color target. Next, the target color target is measured to obtain the color target measurement result. Subsequently, by comparing the color target measurement result with the standard color target, the color deviation result can be obtained. Then, the initial color characteristic curve is adjusted according to the color deviation result to obtain the color characteristic curve. In actual operation, color block pattern samples can be printed using the preset color management linearization curve in the raster image processor software. These color block patterns cover a wide color gamut, aiming to comprehensively evaluate the printer's color reproduction capability. Next, a color measurement device, such as a spectrophotometer, is used to accurately measure the color block pattern printed on a specific material (the material information has been matched to the corresponding printing medium) to obtain the actual color value of each color block. The measured actual color value is compared with the color value in the original image data. Based on the comparison result, the color management software generates an ICC characteristic curve corresponding to the printing medium corresponding to the specific material information. This curve depicts the color conversion relationship from image data to printed output, thus ensuring color consistency and accuracy across different printing media. As an example, the adjustment process of the ICC characteristic curve is shown in Figure 2. This diagram visually illustrates the step in the entire color management process where precise measurements are taken on the color patch pattern in line 10 of page 1 to obtain the actual color value of each patch.

[0040] In one embodiment, the initial color management curve is adjusted based on the color characteristic curve to obtain the color management curve. In practice, once the ICC characteristic curve is generated, it can be imported into the raster image processor software. The RIP software can then adjust its internal initial color management linearization curve based on these ICC characteristic curves to obtain an optimized RIP color management linearization curve.

[0041] Referring to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of adjusting the RIP color management linearization curve based on the ICC characteristic curve according to a specific example of this application. In this figure, the ink cut-off amount refers to the key parameter of the ink volume cut-off and adjustment operation performed on each color channel when the RIP software processes image data. By adjusting this parameter, the color density and saturation of the printed output can be precisely controlled, thereby ensuring the achievement of ideal printing results. After importing the ICC characteristic curves into the RIP software, the software will linearize and adjust key parameters such as the ink volume of each color channel according to these characteristic curves, and finally generate a RIP color management linearization curve, as shown by curve 1 in Figure 3. In addition, as shown in Figure 4, an embodiment of this application also provides another example of adjusting the RIP color management linearization curve based on the ICC characteristic curve. In Figure 4, the adjusted RIP color management linearization curve is shown as curve 2. By comparing the parameter settings in Figure 3 and Figure 4 and the adjusted RIP color management linearization curve, it can be seen that different ICC characteristic curves will lead to differences in parameter adjustment, thereby generating different RIP color management linearization curves.

[0042] In one embodiment, the material information of the current printing medium may include at least its surface characteristics, ink absorption capacity, and light reflection and scattering characteristics, which can directly affect the final color effect of the printed image. After the processing in step 120, the ICC characteristic curve has been optimized according to the material information of the printing medium, which can ensure that the color performance of the image is more accurate during printing. Furthermore, by using the RIP color management linearization curve to linearize the image, non-linear distortion of color data can be avoided, and the accuracy of the overall color conversion can be improved.

[0043] In one embodiment, it is understood that the printing medium may possess diverse material properties. For example, within a specific area of ​​the same printing medium, glossy photo paper and matte paper, two distinctly different material properties, may coexist. This characteristic means that when an image is printed on this medium, different areas will exhibit varying absorption, reflection, and diffusion characteristics of the printing ink due to the differences in material properties. These different reactions ultimately result in noticeable color differences in different areas of the printed image.

[0044] In one embodiment, different sub-regions of the image to be printed can first be matched with regions of different materials on the printing medium. Then, for each sub-region, the ICC characteristic curve and RIP color management linearization curve corresponding to the material information of the matched printing medium region are used to correct the color of the sub-region until all sub-regions of the image to be printed are corrected, thereby avoiding obvious color differences in different regions of the printed image. Therefore, the specific process of step 130 is shown in Figure 5, and this process may include, but is not limited to, steps 510 to 530.

[0045] Step 510: Determine multiple corresponding printing areas in the current printing medium based on multiple material information;

[0046] Step 520: Based on multiple printing areas, segment the image to be printed to obtain multiple sub-region images, wherein the sub-region images correspond to the printing areas;

[0047] Step 530: Based on the color characteristic curve and color management curve, perform color correction on multiple sub-region images, and merge the multiple sub-region images that have undergone color correction to obtain the target printed image.

[0048] In one embodiment, the color characteristic curve may include multiple color characteristic sub-curves, and the color management curve may also include multiple color management sub-curves. In step 530, the corresponding color characteristic sub-curve and color management sub-curve can be determined first based on the material information corresponding to each sub-region image; then, based on the color characteristic sub-curve and color management sub-curve, the corresponding sub-region image is color corrected, and the multiple sub-region images after color correction are merged to obtain the target printed image. It is understood that during the printing process, if the printing medium incorporates multiple material characteristics, the printed image will often exhibit significant color differences in different areas of the medium. By accurately matching different sub-regions of the image to be printed with the corresponding material areas on the printing medium, and for each sub-region, using the color characteristic curve and color management curve corresponding to the material information of the matching printing medium area, color correction is performed until all sub-regions of the image to be printed are corrected, ensuring the consistency and accuracy of the overall image color.

[0049] In one embodiment, during the process of color correction of corresponding sub-region images based on color characteristic sub-curves and color management sub-curves, and merging these corrected sub-region images to obtain the target printed image, the RGB data (i.e., RGB values) of the sub-region images can first be processed for color separation management based on the color characteristic sub-curves and color management sub-curves (both of which can be determined based on the material information of the printing medium). This step aims to convert the RGB color parameters into multiple target color tone channels (i.e., CMYK). Then, the obtained multiple CMYK target color tone channels are used to color correct the corresponding sub-region images. This processing ensures that the color of each sub-region image conforms to the expected hue and saturation, thereby generating multiple corrected target sub-region images. It is understood that the determination of the color characteristic sub-curves and color management sub-curves is based on in-depth analysis of the printing medium material information. These curves can accurately describe the absorption, reflection, and transmission characteristics of the printing medium (including printing media containing a base color), thereby ensuring a high degree of accuracy and consistency during color conversion and correction. Subsequently, based on the spatial relationship between the printing areas, these target sub-region images are stitched together to ultimately integrate them into a complete target printing image.

[0050] Referring to Figure 6, in one embodiment, the specific process of step 530 may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 610 to 630.

[0051] Step 610: Combine the color characteristic curve and the color management curve to obtain the first target curve combination;

[0052] Step 620: Perform color correction on multiple sub-region images according to the first target curve combination to obtain multiple region corrected images;

[0053] Step 630: Perform image merging processing on the corrected images of multiple regions to obtain the target printed image.

[0054] In one embodiment, the purpose of curve combination is to integrate the functions of color characteristic curves and color management curves into a comprehensive first target curve combination. This combined curve includes both the color characteristic information of the printing device and the requirements for linearization processing. During subsequent printing, different curve combinations can be used simultaneously for color correction of different sub-regions of the image, ensuring accurate and consistent color in the printed image. The color characteristic curve describes the color characteristics of the printing device, including color gamut and color space conversion. The color management curve can be used to linearize the image data to eliminate non-linear distortion of the color data. For example, these two curves can be merged through weighting, interpolation, or other mathematical transformations.

[0055] In one embodiment, based on a determined combination method, color management software or tools can be used to combine color characteristic curves and color management curves. After combination, the combined curves can be further verified to ensure they meet printing requirements. If deviations or deficiencies are found in the combined curves, appropriate adjustments and optimizations can be made.

[0056] In one embodiment, it is understood that the core of applying color correction to multiple sub-region images one by one according to the first target curve combination lies in utilizing the comprehensive correction capability of the combined curves to ensure that the color of each sub-region image can be accurately adjusted, thereby matching the color characteristics of the printing medium. Assume there is an image to be printed that combines cityscapes and natural landscapes. This image is planned to be printed on a special printing medium composed of two different materials: one half matte and the other half glossy. To maintain the consistency of the overall printed color, firstly, different elements in the image are identified and segmented according to the material information of the printing medium. For example, the urban building portion (such as skyscrapers and streets) in the image is segmented into one sub-region, corresponding to the matte area of ​​the printing medium; simultaneously, the natural landscape portion (such as lakes and trees under sunlight) is segmented into another sub-region, corresponding to the glossy area of ​​the printing medium. Next, color correction is performed on each sub-region image. For the matte sub-image (urban buildings), a color characteristic curve suitable for matte materials, along with a corresponding color management curve, can be selected to enhance the details and texture of the buildings while maintaining color softness and realism. For the glossy sub-image (natural landscape), a color characteristic curve suitable for glossy materials, along with a corresponding color management curve, can be selected to highlight the gloss and color saturation under sunlight, making the water reflection more vivid and realistic. After this color correction, the colors and details of both sub-images are optimized and better match the material characteristics of the printing medium. Finally, these two corrected sub-images are recombined to form a single, color-accurate target print image.

[0057] In one embodiment, the process of fusing multiple color-corrected sub-region images into a single target printed image typically involves advanced image stitching and compositing techniques, such as pixel-level fine interpolation algorithms, smooth transition processing techniques, and precise edge blending methods. These techniques aim to ensure a high degree of visual continuity in the merged image, avoiding any potential visual seams or color discontinuities. Crucially, precise positional calibration of the multiple corrected regions is usually performed before merging. This step is key to ensuring image stitching accuracy, requiring each sub-region image to be placed in the correct position to reproduce the complete appearance of the original image. After positional calibration, image stitching techniques are used to seamlessly stitch these calibrated sub-region images together, forming a color-accurate target printed image. This color-corrected and image-merged target printed image not only achieves high color consistency but also fully considers the unique material characteristics of the printing medium and its color performance requirements. This means that, from both a visual and printing perspective, the target printed image can present optimal color and detail, thus meeting the high standards required for print output.

[0058] In one embodiment, to efficiently and accurately correct the color of the image to be printed, a material library and a curve library can be pre-built, and an index relationship can be established between them. This allows for the rapid location of the corresponding color correction curve based on different printing media material information, thereby ensuring accurate and consistent color in the printed image. Specifically, firstly, a comprehensive and detailed material library is constructed by extensively collecting and organizing material information for various printing media. Then, based on the uniqueness of this material information, a corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve are generated for each material. Subsequently, these color characteristic curves and color management curves are combined and stored in the curve library. At this point, each curve combination in the curve library is indexed to a certain material information in the material library, enabling the rapid location of the corresponding curve combination based on the material information, thus greatly improving the efficiency of color correction. In subsequent color correction processes, when it is necessary to generate color characteristic curves and color management curves for a certain material, it is only necessary to search for the target material information that matches that material information in the material library. Then, through the index relationship, the matching target curve combination can be quickly retrieved. This curve combination is the required color characteristic curve and color management curve.

[0059] Referring to Figure 7, the specific process of step 120 may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 710 to 720.

[0060] Step 710: Search the material library for the target material information that corresponds to the material information;

[0061] Step 720: Based on the target material information, search for and match the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve in the curve library.

[0062] The material library contains material information for various printing media, and the curve library contains various curve combinations corresponding to the material information in the material library. The curve combination consists of color characteristic curves (ICC characteristic curves) and color management curves (RIP color management linearization curves).

[0063] In one embodiment, after obtaining the material information of the medium to be printed, this information can be compared with data in a material library. It should be noted that the material library is a pre-established database that stores detailed information on various printing medium materials. Through precise matching, the target material information of the medium to be printed can be determined.

[0064] In one embodiment, once the target material information is determined, the ICC characteristic curve and RIP color management linearization curve matching the material can be searched in the curve library. It should be noted that the curve library is a database containing various curve combinations, each optimized for a specific material. These curve combinations consist of ICC characteristic curves and RIP color management linearization curves, which respectively describe the color performance characteristics of the printing device on a specific material and the linearization processing of the printed data.

[0065] To address the different scenarios of a single material and multiple materials coexisting on the printing medium, the following two specific examples illustrate in detail the application of the embodiments of this application in these two scenarios.

[0066] Example 1: Single-material printing media

[0067] Suppose you are printing a detailed landscape painting on a uniformly matte paper. In this scenario, the printing medium contains only one material information: matte. According to the printing method provided in this embodiment, this single material information is first identified, and then the most suitable combination of ICC characteristic curve and RIP color management linearization curve is selected. This combination focuses on optimizing color performance on the matte paper, ensuring color consistency in the printed landscape painting.

[0068] Example 2: Printing media of various materials

[0069] Suppose you are printing a composite image that blends modern cityscapes with natural scenery, and the printing medium is composed of both matte and glossy materials. In this case, the printing medium contains multiple material information simultaneously. According to the printing method provided in this embodiment, the image can first be divided into sub-regions corresponding to different materials based on the image content and material distribution. Then, for each sub-region, the most suitable ICC characteristic curve and RIP color management linearization curve are selected for color correction based on its corresponding material information. In this way, both the urban buildings in the matte areas and the natural scenery in the glossy areas can achieve accurate color reproduction, ensuring color consistency throughout the entire printed work.

[0070] These two examples demonstrate that the printing method provided in this application is not only applicable to printing media of a single material, but also to printing media with multiple materials, greatly improving the color accuracy of printed works.

[0071] Referring to Figure 8, which is a detailed flowchart of step 130 provided in another embodiment of this application, the process may include, but is not limited to, steps 810 to 830.

[0072] Step 810: Obtain the RGB data of the image to be printed;

[0073] Step 820: Obtain CMYK data based on RGB data, material information, color characteristic curves, and color management curves;

[0074] Step 830: Correct the color of the image to be printed based on the CMYK data to obtain the target printed image.

[0075] As we understand it, RGB data is the basic color information of an image. Based on the three fundamental color channels—red (R), green (G), and blue (B)—it can represent colors in an image through different combinations and intensities. Typically, RGB data can be obtained from sources such as image editing software, scanning devices, or digital cameras. These devices or software read the pixel information of the image and convert it into RGB format data. It is worth noting that the accuracy of RGB data directly affects the subsequent generation of CMYK data and the color representation of the printed image. Therefore, when acquiring RGB data, it is necessary to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data.

[0076] In one embodiment, CMYK data is a commonly used color representation method in the printing industry, based on four basic color channels: cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Converting RGB data to CMYK data is to adapt to the color output characteristics of the printing device. In step 820, firstly, appropriate color characteristic curves and color management curves can be selected based on the material information of the image to be printed (such as paper type, coating condition, etc.). Then, these curves are used to convert RGB data to CMYK data. The color characteristic curves describe the conversion relationship from RGB to CMYK, while the color management curves are used to adjust the color output to ensure color consistency and accuracy.

[0077] In one embodiment, the purpose of color correction is to further adjust the colors of the printed image to meet specific color requirements. This may include adjusting parameters such as brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image, as well as correcting any potential color deviations. Color correction is performed using image processing software or the color management functions of the printing device, based on CMYK data. This includes applying color balance, color correction, and color enhancement processes to ensure that the colors of the printed image meet expectations.

[0078] In one embodiment, steps 610 to 630 constitute a complete process of color processing and correction in the printing workflow. By accurately acquiring RGB data, selecting appropriate color characteristic curves and color management curves for CMYK data conversion, and performing meticulous color correction, the color accuracy and consistency of the printed image can be ensured, thereby meeting the user's printing needs.

[0079] Furthermore, this application also provides a printer capable of using the printing methods described in any of the preceding embodiments, thereby achieving precise correction of color differences that may occur during the printing process. This printer not only inherits all the basic functions of traditional printers, but also achieves significant breakthroughs in color management technology, automatically adjusting printing parameters according to different printing media and material characteristics to ensure accurate color visual effects in the printed output images.

[0080] On the other hand, one embodiment of this application also discloses an apparatus including a memory and a processor; the memory for storing a computer program; and the processor for executing the computer program to implement the printing method as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0081] In addition, one embodiment of this application discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the printing method as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0082] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A printing method, characterized in that, include: Obtain the image to be printed and the material information of the current printing medium, wherein the current printing medium includes multiple pieces of material information; Based on the material information, a color characteristic curve and a color management curve are determined. The color characteristic curve includes multiple color characteristic sub-curves, and the color management curve includes multiple color management sub-curves. Based on the material information, multiple corresponding printing areas are determined in the current printing medium; The image to be printed is segmented according to multiple printing areas to obtain multiple sub-region images, each sub-region image corresponding to a printing area; based on the material information corresponding to each sub-region image, a corresponding color characteristic sub-curve and a color management sub-curve are determined; based on the color characteristic sub-curve and the color management sub-curve, the corresponding sub-region images are color-corrected to obtain multiple color-corrected target sub-region images; based on the positional relationship between the multiple printing areas, the multiple target sub-region images are stitched together to obtain the target printed image; Print on the current printing medium according to the target print image.

2. The printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of color-correcting the image to be printed based on the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve to obtain the target printed image includes: acquiring the RGB data of the image to be printed; obtaining CMYK data based on the RGB data, the material information, the color characteristic curve, and the color management curve; and color-correcting the image to be printed based on the CMYK data to obtain the target printed image.

3. The printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the color characteristic curve and color management curve based on the material information includes: searching for target material information corresponding to the material information in the material library; and searching for and matching the corresponding color characteristic curve and color management curve in the curve library based on the target material information. The material library contains material information for various printing media, and the curve library contains various curve combinations corresponding to the material information in the material library, including color characteristic curves and color management curves.

4. The printing method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The color characteristic curve is obtained according to the following steps: obtaining an initial color characteristic curve; printing a standard color target on the printing area corresponding to the material information according to the initial color characteristic curve to obtain a target color target; measuring the target color target to obtain a color target measurement result; comparing the color target measurement result with the standard color target to obtain a color deviation result; adjusting the initial color characteristic curve according to the color deviation result to obtain a color characteristic curve.

5. A printer, characterized in that, Print using the printing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program to implement the printing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the printing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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