Information processing device, inkjet recording device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide a printing system, an information processing apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, a printing control method, and a printing control program that enable the degree of coating print in an image to be clearly confirmed.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 100 for controlling a printing apparatus 120, comprises: an information acquisition unit for acquiring information on a coating thickness related to the thickness of coating print that is set for each image area in coating image data used when performing the coating print on a base material; an image generating unit for generating thickness display image data in which differences in the coating thickness for each image area are expressed by differences in hue using the coating image data; and a display control unit for displaying the thickness display image data on a display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system, an information processing apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, a print control method, and a print control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the above technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for emboss printing using ultraviolet curable resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5824712 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technique described in the above document, it is not possible to clearly determine which part to print and how thick to print before printing. Shown in Because it is not shown, There is room for improvement in setting the coating printing thickness.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for solving the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing device according to the present invention comprises: a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in the image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of the coating printed on the substrate; an upper limit thickness setting means for setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determining means for determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit of the coating thickness set by the upper limit thickness setting means; Equipped with.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an inkjet head that ejects ink for coating printing onto a substrate transported by a transport mechanism; a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in the image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of the coating printed on the substrate; an upper limit thickness setting means for setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determining means for determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit of the coating thickness set by the upper limit thickness setting means; a control means for controlling the inkjet head so as to perform coating printing with a coating thickness according to the thickness gradation determined by the thickness gradation determining means based on the image data; Equipped with.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing method according to the present invention comprises: An information processing method for setting a coating thickness in a printing device via a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of a coating printed on a substrate, the method comprising: a thickness upper limit setting step of setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determination step of determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit value of the coating thickness set in the thickness upper limit setting step; Includes.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing program according to the present invention comprises: An information processing program for setting a coating thickness in a printing device via a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of a coating printed on a substrate, the program comprising: before Kiyu a thickness upper limit setting step for setting an upper limit for the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determination step of determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit value of the coating thickness set in the thickness upper limit setting step; to be executed by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, The thickness of the coating print is determined according to the upper limit of the coating thickness setting. can. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of printing by a printing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating details of a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a base material on which a base image and registration marks are printed, which is used in an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating details of a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical configuration, mainly of an electronic control unit, of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a printed matter printed using an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing an example of a printed matter printed using an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed by an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the appearance of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] This is a color drawing of Figure 9. [Figure 25] This is a color drawing of Figure 10. [Figure 26] 13 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 12. [Figure 27] 14 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 13. [Figure 28] 16 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 15. [Figure 29] 17 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 16. [Figure 30] 18 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 17. [Figure 31] 19 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 18. [Figure 32] 20 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 19. [Figure 33] 21 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 20. [Figure 34] 22 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 21. [Figure 35] 23 is a color drawing of a portion of FIG. 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] [First embodiment] An information processing device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The information processing device 100 is a device that controls a printing device 120 that performs coating printing on a substrate.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 includes an information acquisition unit 101, an image generation unit 102, and a display control unit 103.

[0015] The information acquisition unit 101 acquires coating thickness information relating to the thickness of the coating print, which is set for each image area in the coating image data used when performing coating printing on a substrate.

[0016] The image generating unit 102 uses the coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image region with a difference in hue.

[0017] The display control unit 103 causes the display 110 to display the thickness display image data.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the user (operator) can more clearly grasp the difference in coating thickness.

[0019] [Second embodiment] <Printing system configuration> Next, an information processing device 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings. First, FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a printing system 200 that performs printing using the information processing device 201. The printing system 200 is a system in which the information processing device 201 and an inkjet recording device 203 are connected via a network 202. The inkjet recording device 203 has a mechanism that enables printing using actinic energy ray-curable ink in addition to ordinary ink. A user 204 can control the inkjet recording device 203 via the network 202 using a screen displayed on a display 205 by the information processing device 201 to record a desired image. The actinic energy ray-curable ink according to this embodiment contains, for example, an actinic energy ray-curable monomer and / or an actinic energy ray-curable oligomer, a photopolymerization initiator, and a surface tension modifier, and has the property of being cured by irradiation with actinic energy rays such as ultraviolet light.

[0020] <Printed material composition> Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a printed matter 300 printed using an actinic ray-curable ink. As shown in Fig. 3, the printed matter 300 has a base image 302 and a coating print image 301 formed on a substrate 303 such as paper.

[0021] A coating print image 301 (also known as an overprint image) made of actinic energy ray-curable ink is formed on a substrate 303 with a three-dimensional shape that is raised vertically. Here, as an example, the coating print image 301 has the shape of the letter D. As shown in FIG. 3 , the coating print image 301 may be printed directly on the surface of the substrate 303 on which nothing is printed (310), or may be printed on a base image 302 that has been applied to the substrate 303 in advance (320).

[0022] When the substrate 303 is viewed from above, the coating print image 301 may be formed in approximately the same position and shape as the base image 302 (320), or may be formed in a different shape and in a position intentionally shifted from the base image 302 (330).

[0023] Such coating prints have the effect of adding a matte or glossy finish to the base image printed on the substrate, making it stand out from a design perspective, and also have the effect of creating an aesthetic impression different from conventional flat prints due to the three-dimensional design of the coating itself.

[0024] Examples of the substrate 303 include, but are not limited to, printing paper such as plain paper, art paper, photo paper, business card paper, postcards, coated paper, matte coated paper, high-quality paper, and special paper; plastic substrates such as polycarbonate, hard vinyl chloride, soft vinyl chloride, polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, PMMA, polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET; laminate films made by bonding these plastic substrates; materials made by mixing or modifying these plastic substrates; glass; metal substrates such as stainless steel; and wood.

[0025] As the active energy rays, ultraviolet rays, electron beams, etc. can be used.

[0026] <Configuration of Inkjet Recording Apparatus> 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the inside of the inkjet recording apparatus 203 of this embodiment. The inkjet recording apparatus 203 can perform a coating printing process for forming a coating of active energy ray-curable ink on a substrate on which a base image has been printed in advance, so as to coat the base image. The inkjet recording apparatus 203 can also perform a process for forming a coating of active energy ray-curable ink on a substrate on which no image has been formed by printing.

[0027] The inkjet recording device 203 includes a transport element 401, a coating image recording device 402, and a stacker 403. The transport element 401 has a substrate table 411 and a substrate supply mechanism 412. For example, substrates on which a base image has been printed in advance by another electrophotographic recording device are loaded on the substrate table 411. Note that the base printing is not limited to electrophotographic printing, and any printing method such as inkjet printing or offset printing may be used.

[0028] The substrate table 411 is configured to be able to move up and down, and the substrate positioned at the top of the loaded substrates is supplied by the substrate supply mechanism 412. In this way, the transport element 401 is a transport element that transports substrates and is equipped with the substrate table 411 and the substrate supply mechanism 412.

[0029] The substrate transported by the transport element 401 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material on which an image can be recorded, and may be paper, surface-treated paper or other paper, plastic plate, thin metal film, etc.

[0030] The substrate fed by the substrate supply mechanism 412 is transported along a transport path 413. A coating image recording device 402 is provided along the downstream portion of the transport path 413. The coating image recording device 402 is provided with a belt transport mechanism 421 that transports the substrate transported along the transport path 413. The belt transport mechanism 421 transports the substrate while adsorbing it onto the transport surface by the suction force of air that passes through holes formed in the belt. Above the belt transport mechanism 421, an image reading device 422, an inkjet head unit 423, and an active energy ray irradiation device 424 are provided, from the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate.

[0031] A discharge path 426 is connected to the downstream side of the coating image recording device 402. The substrate conveyed from the belt conveying mechanism 421 is sent to the discharge path 426. The substrate sent to the discharge path 426 is carried out to the stacker 403. The stacker 403 has a conveying path 431 and a substrate accumulation section 432. The substrate conveyed from the discharge path 426 passes through the conveying path 431, is discharged to the substrate accumulation section 432 and is accumulated therein.

[0032] Instead of the conveying element 401, a printer for printing a base image may be directly connected to the coating image recording device 402. Also, instead of the stacker 403, a device for performing post-processing such as cutting or stapling the substrate to be fed out may be connected to the coating image recording device 402.

[0033] The inkjet recording apparatus 203 also has an electronic control unit 404. The electronic control unit 404 has a CPU that executes various arithmetic processes, a ROM that stores various control programs, and a RAM that is used as a work area for storing data and executing programs. The electronic control unit 404 controls the operation of actuators provided within the inkjet recording apparatus 203. As a result, an active energy ray curable ink is ejected from the inkjet head unit 423 toward the substrate, thereby performing a coating printing process.

[0034] Similarly, the electronic control unit 404 executes a process of ejecting active energy ray curable ink from the inkjet head unit 423 onto a substrate on which an image has not been formed by printing, thereby forming a coating layer made of the ink.

[0035] The inkjet recording device 203 is provided with an operation panel 427, and the user can make various settings for the coating printing process by inputting operations via this operation panel 427. As a modified example, the display, mouse, and keyboard of the information processing device 201 may function as the operation panel, and the information processing device 201 may function as the electronic control unit 404.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the details of the coating image recording device 402, which is a main part of the inkjet recording apparatus 203. FIG. 5 is a side view of the coating image recording device 402. As shown in FIG. 5, the coating image recording device 402 includes, as part of a belt conveying mechanism 421, a plurality of conveying rollers 521 that convey the substrate 303. As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 303 is prepared on which a base image 302 and registration marks 601 that serve as references for identifying the position of the base image are printed. The registration marks 601 are arranged in a straight line along both long sides of the substrate 303 at equal intervals, and are arranged symmetrically in the short-side direction.

[0037] 5, an encoder 522 (rotary encoder) is installed upstream of the image reading device 422 to calculate the transport amount of the substrate 303 from the rotation speed of the image reading device 422. In addition, an incoming substrate sensor 523 is arranged between the image reading device 422 and the encoder 522 to detect the leading edge of the substrate 303 transported from the transport element 401.

[0038] The electronic control unit 404 is triggered by the detection of the substrate 303 by the incoming substrate sensor 523, acquires an output pulse from the encoder 522, and calculates the transport position of the substrate 303. Then, based on the position of the substrate 303, sets the timing of imaging by the image reading device 422, the timing of ejecting the active energy ray curable ink by the inkjet head unit 423, and the timing of irradiating the active energy ray by the active energy ray irradiation device 424.

[0039] 7, the image reading device 422 includes a pair of image sensors 724, 725 that are arranged spaced apart in the width direction of the substrate above the belt conveying mechanism 421. These image sensors 724, 725 are preferably CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensors, but may also be configured with CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) sensors or other image sensors.

[0040] The image sensor 724 is fixed to one end of the substrate 303 in the width direction (vertical direction in the figure), and the image sensor 725 is movably mounted on the other end of the substrate 303 in the width direction. In other words, the image sensor 725 can be moved in the width direction of the substrate 303 to adjust the spacing between the image sensors in accordance with the size of the substrate 303. The image sensors 724 and 725 capture images at predetermined timing based on the position of the substrate 303 calculated by the encoder 522. The predetermined timing is determined in advance based on the design position of the registration mark 601 stored in the memory unit 844. Based on the position (actual measured position) of the registration mark 601 included in the captured image, the "deviation" of the printing position of the base image 302 on the substrate 303 from the design position can be recognized. Correcting the ejection position of the active energy ray-curable ink from the inkjet head 526 in accordance with the recognized "deviation" enables the base image 302 and the coating print image to be correctly aligned. In addition, from the images captured continuously by the image sensors 724, 725 while the substrate 303 is passing through the image sensors 724, 725, an image from which the actual measured position of the registration mark 601 should be obtained may be selected based on the position of the substrate 303 calculated by the encoder 522 and the designed position of the registration mark 601.

[0041] 6, the registration marks 601 are arranged at equal intervals in a straight line along both long sides of the substrate, but this arrangement is just an example, and they do not necessarily have to be arranged at equal intervals or in a straight line. In short, it is sufficient if they can be read by the image sensors 724 and 725, compared with the pre-stored design positions, and the "misalignment" can be recognized.

[0042] The inkjet head unit 423 includes three inkjet heads 526 that eject active energy ray-curable ink onto the substrate 303. These three inkjet heads 526 function as so-called "recording heads." The active energy ray-curable ink ejected from the inkjet heads 526 is cured by active energy rays irradiated from the active energy ray irradiation device 424.

[0043] The inkjet head unit 423 is equipped with a heater 527 for maintaining a constant temperature. The location of the heater 527 equipped in the inkjet head unit 423 is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain a constant temperature of the inkjet head unit 423. In other words, the heater 527 may be installed outside the inkjet head unit 423, inside the inkjet head unit 423, or both inside and outside the inkjet head unit 423.

[0044] Inkjet head unit 423 is disposed above belt conveyance mechanism 421. Inkjet head unit 423 has inkjet heads 526 arranged in a row so that the nozzles are evenly aligned in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the substrate being conveyed by belt conveyance mechanism 421. Furthermore, inkjet heads 526 are arranged to overlap each other so that no gaps are generated between adjacent inkjet heads 526.

[0045] The number of inkjet heads 526 is not limited to three, and may be two, or four or more. Alternatively, the inkjet head 526 may be a single inkjet head that is long in the width direction of the substrate 303. The ejection holes of the inkjet head 526 may be arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the width direction of the substrate. That is, the ejection holes of the inkjet head 526 may be arranged so as to be aligned in a predetermined direction that is not parallel to the transport direction of the substrate. The inkjet head 526 may be an inkjet head having two or more lines that simultaneously ejects actinic energy ray-curable ink.

[0046] The active energy ray irradiation device 424 irradiates the active energy ray curable ink applied onto the substrate 303 transported from the upstream side with active energy rays, thereby curing the ink layer.

[0047] 8 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 203, centered around the electronic control unit 404. These functions are realized by the cooperation of hardware and software, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes various arithmetic processes, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that is used as a work area for storing data and executing programs. Therefore, these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0048] The electronic control unit 404 includes a data acquisition unit 841 , a correction unit 842 , a discharge control unit 843 , and a storage unit 844 .

[0049] The data acquisition unit 841 acquires coating image data (including information on color, position, shape, and thickness) from the information processing device 201 via the communication unit 801.

[0050] The storage unit 844 stores image data of the base image (so-called CMYK data) and image data of the coating print image (so-called varnish plate, spot color plate) acquired by the data acquisition unit 841. The storage unit 844 also stores information regarding the printing positions and shapes of the multiple registration marks 601 on the substrate 303.

[0051] The discharge control unit 843 refers to the coating image data stored in the memory unit 844 and controls the discharge amount of the active energy ray curable ink so that the ink is coated onto the substrate 303 on which the base image has been applied.

[0052] The correction unit 842 detects printing misalignment of the base image of the substrate 303 by comparing the read position and read shape of the registration mark 601 by the image sensors 724, 725 with the print position and shape previously stored in the memory unit 844. The correction unit 842 corrects the coating image data based on the position information (design position) of the registration mark read from the memory unit 844 and the position information (actual measured position) of the actual registration mark read by the image reader 422.

[0053] The correction unit 842 calculates the difference between the design value of the base image and the actual measurement value of the base image based on the position change of the registration mark, and executes a correction process on the coating image data to compensate for the difference.

[0054] The ejection control unit 843 controls the ejection timing and ejection amount of the active energy ray curable ink from the inkjet head unit 423 based on the coating image data corrected by the correction unit 842 .

[0055] The electronic control unit 404 receives signals acquired from the information processing device 201 via the communication unit 801 and signals from an operation panel 427. This operation panel 427 includes various switches such as a start switch for starting the coating printing process and a stop switch for stopping the coating printing process.

[0056] The electronic control unit 404 also receives detection signals from the encoder 522, the substrate input sensor 523, image sensors 724 and 725, etc. Based on these switch and sensor inputs, the electronic control unit 404 executes predetermined arithmetic processing for substrate feed control, conveyance control, discharge control of the active energy ray curable ink, active energy ray irradiation control, etc. The electronic control unit 404 also outputs control command signals to the conveyance element 401, the belt conveyance mechanism 421, the inkjet head unit 423, the active energy ray irradiation device 424, etc.

[0057] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a printed matter 900 formed using the inkjet recording apparatus 203. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 9.

[0058] As shown in Figure 10, the printed matter 900 includes a coating print image 1001 that has a vertically raised three-dimensional shape while maintaining approximately the same shape as the base image, and a coating print image 1002 that is formed in a shape and position different from the base image.

[0059] <Configuration of information processing device> 11 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an information processing device 201. The information processing device 201 has a GUI (Graphic User Interface) display control unit 1101, an image data specification unit 1102, a preview image generation unit 1103, an image editing application calling unit 1104, and a registration mark data generation unit 1105. The information processing device 201 also has a parameter input unit 1106, an upper limit thickness setting unit 1107, a thickness gradation determination unit 1108, a threshold value changing unit 1111, a thickness setting unit 1112, a display control unit 1113, and a job sending unit 1114.

[0060] These functions are realized by the cooperation of hardware and software, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes various arithmetic processes, ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various control programs, and RAM (Random Access Memory) that is used as a work area for data storage and program execution. Therefore, these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0061] Using the above functions, the information processing device 201 provides a graphic user interface for adjusting the correspondence between the area in the image data and the thickness of the coating print on the substrate (coating thickness), and adjusts the coating thickness in the inkjet recording device 203. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the graphic user interface 1200.

[0062] The GUI display control unit 1101 provides the display 205 with a user interface 1200 shown in FIG.

[0063] The image data designation unit 1102 designates image data for coating printing (coating image data) from image data stored in the image database 1120 in accordance with user input to the user interface 1200 .

[0064] The preview image generating unit 1103 uses the specified coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image region with a difference in hue. The GUI display control unit 1101 displays the thickness display image data generated by the preview image generating unit 1103 on the display 205.

[0065] The image editing application calling unit 1104 calls an application for editing the image data designated by the image data designation unit 1102 in accordance with the user's input to the user interface 1200 .

[0066] The registration mark data generator 1105 generates registration mark data from designated image data in accordance with user input to the user interface 1200 .

[0067] The parameter input unit 1106 inputs various parameters via a user interface 1200 .

[0068] The upper thickness limit setting section 1107 sets the upper limit (for example, 20 μm to 80 μm) of the thickness of the coating print input by the parameter input section 1106.

[0069] The thickness gradation determination unit 1108 determines the thickness gradation of the coating print according to the upper limit of the coating thickness set by the upper limit thickness setting unit 1107. For example, if the upper limit of the coating thickness is 20 μm, two gradations are available: no coating (0 μm) and 20 μm. For example, if the upper limit of the coating thickness is 80 μm, eight gradations are available: no coating (0 μm), 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 60 μm, 70 μm, and 80 μm. While 10 μm is not set in this embodiment, it may be set to include 10 μm or a thicker 90 μm depending on demand.

[0070] The threshold value changing unit 1111 changes the threshold value (pixel value) for adjusting the coating thickness in accordance with the input from the parameter input unit 1106 .

[0071] The thickness setting unit 1112 sets different coating thicknesses for image regions having pixel values ​​equal to or greater than the threshold set by the threshold changing unit 1111 and image regions having pixel values ​​less than the threshold in the image data specified by the image data specifying unit 1102. In other words, the thickness setting unit 1112 acquires coating thickness information relating to the thickness of the coating print set for each image region in the coating image data used when performing coating printing on a substrate.

[0072] A cost calculation unit 1113 calculates the cost when coating printing corresponding to the image data is performed with the coating thickness set by the thickness setting unit 1112 .

[0073] The job transmission unit 1114 controls the inkjet recording device 203 so that coating printing is performed with the coating thickness set in the thickness setting unit 1112 for the image area set in the thickness setting unit 1112 .

[0074] <User interface configuration> 12 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface 1200. A paper size button 1201 is a button for launching a paper size setting dialog box (not shown) and selecting a paper size from a paper size list or setting a custom size.

[0075] The image data button 1202 is a button for specifying image data, and by selecting this button, the image data specification unit 1102 specifies image data for coating printing from the image data stored in the image database 1120 of the information processing device 201.

[0076] When the registration mark data generation button 1203 is selected, the registration mark data generation unit 1105 launches a registration mark generation dialog box (not shown), generates and saves a registration mark from the input coordinate information, etc. If registration mark data is already stored in the image database 1120, the registration mark data can be specified by selecting the registration mark data button 1204.

[0077] The correction mode button 1205 is a button for specifying the correction mode when correcting the position of the coating print using registration marks. The pull-down menu allows you to select "Real Time," "Leading Edge," "Leading Edge," or "Manual." With real-time correction, all registration marks printed on the substrate being transported are read and compared with the registration mark data in the image data. With leading edge / trailing edge correction, only the registration marks at the leading edge and trailing edge of the substrate being transported are read and compared with the registration mark data in the image data. With leading edge correction, only the registration mark at the leading edge of the substrate being transported is read and compared with the registration mark data in the image data. "Manual" is used when no registration marks are printed on the substrate being transported.

[0078] The finish thickness setting slide bar 1206 is a slide bar for setting the upper limit of the coating thickness. The upper limit of the coating thickness can be changed by moving the handle 1261 left or right. The upper limit thickness setting unit 1107 sets the upper limit of the coating thickness (e.g., 20 μm to 80 μm) depending on the position of the handle 1261, and the thickness gradation determination unit 1108 determines the thickness gradation of the coating printing. When the thickness gradation determination unit 1108 determines the gradation from seven options ranging from 2 to 8 gradations, the result is displayed in the thickness gradation display unit 1209. In FIG. 12, the handle 1261 is positioned to set the upper limit to 50 μm, and since there are five gradations, coating printing is performed at thicknesses of 0 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, and 50 μm. The thickness gradation display unit 1209 also shows the correspondence between thickness and color on the color preview screen. Specifically, the 50 μm thick area is shown as a red area 1209r, the 40 μm thick area as a yellow area 1209y, the 30 μm thick area as a green area 1209g, the 20 μm thick area as a blue area 1209b, and the area where no coating printing will be performed as a white area 1209w (Note that in Fig. 12, colored areas are shown with hatching, with the type of hatching corresponding to the hue, and different hues are shown by different types of hatching. The same applies to Figs. 13 and 15-22.) Note that it is also possible to freely set the combination of different coating thicknesses and colors.

[0079] The preview tab 1207 is used to display the preview screen in color, and an image corresponding to the image data selected using the image data button 1202 is displayed in the display area 1208. At this time, the preview image generator 1103 displays an image 1230 corresponding to thickness display image data generated using the coating image data. The thickness display image data expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image region using different hues. Specifically, the preview image generator 1103 uses the coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image region using at least two colors: red, green, yellow, and blue. In particular, the preview image generator 1103 generates image data that changes from blue to green, green to yellow, and yellow to red as the coating thickness increases, and displays the image data on the display 205. The thickness display image data may also express the difference in coating thickness using achromatic and chromatic colors. For example, areas where no coating printing is performed (areas where the coating thickness is zero) may be displayed in an achromatic color, such as black or white. To more clearly represent multiple coating thickness regions, the outlines of the coating regions may be outlined in a different color or intensity than the coating regions themselves. In the example of FIG. 12 , in image 1230, object 1230r to be printed with a 50 μm coating is displayed in red, object 1230y to be printed with a 40 μm coating is displayed in yellow, object 1230g to be printed with a 30 μm coating is displayed in green, and object 1230b to be printed with a 20 μm coating is displayed in blue. The remaining areas are displayed in white, since they are areas where no coating printing will be performed. These hues are the same as the colors displayed in each area of ​​the thickness gradation display section 1209, corresponding to each coating thickness. In this embodiment, a specific coating thickness is specified for each object in image 1230. However, areas with different coating thicknesses may also be specified within the same object. In such cases, each area will be displayed in a hue corresponding to the coating thickness.

[0080] Here, only the image corresponding to the image data for coating printing is displayed, but it is also possible to read out the image data for base printing and display the base image simultaneously with the coating image. For example, the coating image may be displayed transparently and superimposed on the base image, or the coating image and base image may be displayed side by side. Furthermore, the base image and coating image may be displayed alternately at regular intervals.

[0081] The preview tab 1229 is used to display a preview screen in grayscale, and an image 1330 corresponding to the image data specified by the image data button 1202 is displayed in the display area 1208 as shown in FIG.

[0082] A thickness threshold tab 1212 is a tab for displaying in the display area 1208 a screen for changing the threshold (pixel value) for adjusting the coating thickness.

[0083] The list button 1213 is a button for displaying the job history and job list. The open button 1214 is a button for opening a saved job and displaying it in the job window. The save button 1215 is a button for saving a created job. The new button 1216 is a button for creating a new job. The send button 1217 is a button for sending the job displayed in the job window to the inkjet recording device 203.

[0084] The function buttons 1218 are used to turn on / off the power supply of the inkjet recording apparatus 203, set the irradiation time of the active energy ray irradiation device 424, set energy saving, set the number of test sheets to be fed, and so on.

[0085] The monitor button 1219 is a button for monitoring the status of the inkjet recording apparatus 203, and by selecting this button, the presence or absence of an error, the location of the error, the error code, the remaining amount of ink, and the like are displayed.

[0086] When the job is successfully sent to the inkjet recording device 203 by the send button 1217, the action buttons 1221 to 1228 are displayed in color and become selectable. Here, the paper feed test button 1221 is a button for feeding the set number of sheets without printing. The test button 1222 is a button for performing all processing on only one sheet. The start button 1223 is a button for starting the printing process. The stop button 1224 is a button for stopping the printing process. The number input button 1225 is a button for displaying a number input screen and inputting the number of sheets. The count clear button 1226 is a button for clearing the number of printed sheets or the number of sheets. The count method switch button 1227 is a button for switching the display format of the number of printed sheets between addition and subtraction. The count repeat setting button 1228 is a button for setting count repeat on or off. When it is on, the inkjet recording device 203 automatically stops when printing processing for the set number of copies is completed. When it is off, when printing processing is completed, the number of copies processed by the inkjet recording device 203 is cleared and the device enters waiting mode.

[0087] <Processing flow> The flow of processing by the information processing device 201 using the user interface 1200 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0088] First, in step S1401, a control application for the inkjet recording apparatus 203 is launched. This displays the user interface 1200. Next, in step S1403, the paper size, image data for coating printing, and registration mark data are specified based on input to the user interface 1200. Furthermore, in step S1405, the upper thickness limit setting unit 1107 sets the upper thickness limit according to the position of the handle 1261 on the slide bar 1206 for setting the finished thickness.

[0089] In step S1407, the thickness threshold tab 1212 is selected to display a screen in the display area 1208 for changing the threshold (pixel value) for adjusting the coating thickness. FIGS. 15 to 20 show examples of the coating thickness adjustment screen. FIG. 15 shows the coating thickness adjustment screen 1501 when the upper limit thickness is set to 20 μm using the finish thickness setting slide bar 1206. When the upper limit thickness is set to 20 μm, the coating printing has two gradations: no coating (0 μm) and 20 μm. (The color display in the thickness gradation display section 1209 indicates 20 μm-thick areas with a red area 1209r and areas where no coating printing is to be performed with a white area 1209w.) Therefore, if one pixel value is set as the threshold, 20 μm-thick coating printing is performed only on image areas in the image data specified by the image data button 1202 that have pixel values ​​greater than that threshold. In this figure, a pixel value of 127 (density 50%) is displayed in the threshold display field 1502, but by changing the position of the handle 1504 on the slide bar 1503, the pixel value as the threshold can be changed between 0 (density 100%) and 255 (density 0%). Furthermore, the density of the background of the threshold display field 1502 changes depending on the threshold value. When the background density of the threshold display field 1502 is dark, the area with a thick coating becomes smaller, and when the background density of the threshold display field 1502 is light, the area with a thick coating becomes larger.

[0090] Here, the minimum thickness is set to 20 μm, but it may be set to include 10 μm depending on the needs. Also, in this embodiment, the coating thickness is set in 10 μm increments, but it may be set finer (for example, every 5 μm) or coarser (for example, every 20 μm), and it does not necessarily have to be at equal intervals. Also, the coating thickness for each step may be set arbitrarily by the user.

[0091] If handle 1504 is moved to the left in the figure and the threshold is set to 0, there will be no image areas below the threshold of 0, so no coating printing will be performed. On the other hand, if handle 1504 is moved to the right in the figure and the threshold is set to 254, the entire image, excluding image areas set as blank (pixel value 255), will have a brightness value of 254 or less (density 0% or higher), so a 20 μm coating will be printed on the areas of the substrate excluding image areas set as completely blank. Coating images usually have pixels set as blank areas where "nothing is printed," and these blank areas are set to a pixel value of 255, but the threshold can only be set up to 254. In other words, no coating will be applied to the blank areas no matter what the threshold is set to (even at the maximum). Therefore, even if the threshold is set to 254, the entire surface will not be coated.

[0092] As shown in the figure, when handle 1504 is in the center and the threshold is 127, only the image area with a pixel value of 127 or less is coated and printed with a thickness of 20 μm. Above slide bar 1503 are displayed a gradation display section 1507, a coating thickness display section 1508, a coating thickness switching position display section 1509, and a hue display section 1510. The coating thickness switching position display section 1509 is always located directly above the position of handle 1504 and moves left and right as handle 1504 is moved. In other words, moving handle 1504 to the left reduces the area (left side) in coating thickness display section 1508 with a coating thickness of 20 μm and increases the area (right side) with a coating thickness of 0 μm. On the other hand, even if the position of the handle 1504 is changed, the background of the gradation display section 1507 does not change, but the hue display section 1510 displays, from the left, red, which represents a coating thickness of 20 μm, and white, which represents a coating thickness of 0 μm (i.e., the same colors as in the thickness gradation display section 1209 are displayed in the same order), and the size of the area of ​​each color (here, red and white) changes. This allows the user to intuitively recognize which pixel value in the preview screen corresponds to the coating thickness switching position, and which coating thickness is applied to which area of ​​which darkness.

[0093] The GUI display control unit 1101 and the preview image generation unit 1103 may reflect the image area in which the coating thickness is determined in this way in the preview display. For example, it is preferable to reflect differences in coating thickness in the preview display as differences in color.

[0094] By selecting the plus button 1505 or the minus button 1506, the handle 1504 moves to the right or left, and the threshold in the threshold display field 1502 increases or decreases by 1. Note that the threshold display field 1502 may also be configured as a threshold input field, allowing the user to directly input a numerical value for the threshold.

[0095] 16 shows the coating thickness adjustment screen 1601 when the upper limit of the thickness is set to 30 μm using the slide bar 1206 for setting the finished thickness. When the upper limit of the thickness is set to 30 μm, coating printing has a maximum of three gradations: no coating (0 μm), 20 μm, and 30 μm. (The color display of the thickness gradation display unit 1209 displays the 30 μm-thick area as a red area 1209r, the 20 μm-thick area as a blue area 1209b, and the area where no coating printing will be performed as a white area 1209w. The hue display unit 1510 also displays the same colors as the thickness gradation display unit 1209 in the same order.) Therefore, two pixel values ​​can be determined as threshold values. As shown in Figure 16, if the threshold defined by handle 1504 is a pixel value of 85 and the threshold defined by handle 1604 is a pixel value of 170, image areas in the image data with a pixel value of 85 or less will be coated with a thickness of 30 μm, image areas with a pixel value greater than 85 but less than 170 will be coated with a thickness of 20 μm, and image areas with a pixel value greater than 170 will not be coated. In this way, you can adjust which areas of the coated image represented by the image data will be coated with a certain thickness. In this case, on the color preview screen, image areas with a pixel value of 85 or less will be displayed in "red," and image areas with a pixel value greater than 85 but less than 170 will be displayed in "blue." Image areas with a pixel value greater than 170 that will not be coated will be displayed in "white." The correspondence between coating thickness and color on the color preview screen matches that in the thickness gradation display area 1209.

[0096] Figures 17 to 21 show coating thickness adjustment screens 1701 to 2101 when the upper limit of the thickness is set to 40 μm to 80 μm using the finish thickness setting slide bar 1206. As can be seen from these figures, as the number of finish thickness gradations increases, the threshold value increases accordingly, and therefore the number of slide bars and handles used to set the threshold value also increases. Specifically, the number of slide bars and handles displayed is one less than the number of gradations. Furthermore, the thickness gradation display area 1209 displays the same number of colors as the number of gradations, each with a different color. In Figures 17 to 21, 1209r is displayed in red, 1209m in magenta, 1209or in orange, 1209y in yellow, 1209g in green, 1209lb in light blue, 1209b in blue, and 1209w in white. The hue display area 1510 of each screen also displays the same colors as the thickness gradation display area 1209, in the same order. Furthermore, when switching from each screen to a color preview screen, the areas to be coated with each coating thickness are displayed in different hues, and the correspondence between the coating thickness and color matches that of the thickness gradation display section 1209.

[0097] FIG. 22 shows the changes in the display screen 2201 that occur when handle 1604 is moved to the right of handle 1504 in FIG. 21. When handle 1604 is moved to the left of handle 1504, the threshold value specified by handle 1604 becomes equal to or less than the threshold value specified by handle 1504. As a result, there are no pixel values ​​that are greater than the threshold value specified by handle 1504 but less than the threshold value specified by handle 1604. As a result, the image area with a thickness of 70 μm (displayed in magenta in the hue display section 1510) disappears, and the coating thickness gradations are essentially reduced to seven gradations: 0 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 60 μm, and 80 μm. If you switch to the color preview screen in this state, the areas to be coated with coating thicknesses corresponding to these seven gradations are displayed in different hues. Similarly, it is possible to easily realize a wide variety of coating thickness distributions, for example, with an upper limit of 80 μm and four gradations of 0 μm, 30 μm, 50 μm, and 80 μm, and to display a preview in a number of colors corresponding to the number of gradations.

[0098] In step S1409, the thickness data set in step S1407 is integrated with the coating image data specified in step S1403 to generate thickness display image data that expresses differences in coating thickness for each image region using differences in hue.

[0099] In step S1411, the GUI display control unit 1101 displays a preview screen on the display 205 using the thickness display image data.

[0100] In step S1413, the image editing application calling unit 1104 calls an application for editing image data, and edits the image displayed on the preview screen as necessary. For example, editing can be performed such as enlarging or reducing the coating area or shifting its position.

[0101] In step S1415, the job is sent to the printing device in response to the instruction.

[0102] In this embodiment, the thickness of each gradation divided by a threshold value is automatically determined relative to the set maximum thickness. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and an arbitrary thickness may be set for each gradation divided by a threshold value. Specifically, the thickness setting may be cleared, or an arbitrary value may be sequentially set so that the thickness increases as the pixel value decreases. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 21, each pre-set thickness may be selected and changed to an arbitrary value (in this case, the range of possible value settings may be limited so that the thickness increases as the pixel value decreases). According to this modification, the thickness increases as the pixel value decreases, resulting in beautiful gradations, and each thickness can be freely set, thereby improving the freedom of expression.

[0103] As described above, according to this embodiment, the user can easily grasp and recognize the coating thickness for each region in the image, and can easily and intuitively check the coating thickness.

[0104] In this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which a network 202 is interposed between the information processing device 201 and the inkjet recording device 203. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the information processing device 201 may be directly connected to the inkjet recording device 203. In other words, the present invention can be adopted regardless of whether or not the recording device is controlled via a network.

[0105] [Third embodiment] Next, an inkjet recording apparatus 2300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the inkjet recording apparatus 2300 according to this embodiment. The inkjet recording apparatus 2300 according to this embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it has a display 2301 that displays the user interface 1200 shown in Fig. 12. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the second embodiment, so the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0106] According to this embodiment, the user 2350 can directly operate the inkjet recording apparatus 2200 and easily and intuitively recognize various coating thicknesses.

[0107] [Other embodiments] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that would be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, systems or devices that combine the separate features included in each embodiment in any manner are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0108] The present invention may also be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices or to a single device. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable when an information processing program that realizes the functions of the embodiments is supplied directly or remotely to a system or device. Therefore, the scope of the present invention also includes a program installed on a computer to realize the functions of the present invention, a medium storing the program, and a WWW (World Wide Web) server from which the program can be downloaded. In particular, the scope of the present invention includes at least a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-described embodiments. The originally claimed aspects of this application are described below. [Aspect 1] Aspect 1 is an information processing device having an information acquisition means for acquiring coating thickness information relating to the thickness of the coating print, which is set for each image area in the coating image data used when performing coating printing on a substrate, an image generation means for using the coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image area with a difference in hue, and a display control means for displaying the thickness display image data on a display. [Aspect 2] Aspect 2 is an information processing device according to aspect 1, in which the image generation means uses the coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the difference in coating thickness for each image area using at least two of the colors red, green, yellow, and blue. [Aspect 3] A third aspect is the information processing device according to the first aspect, wherein the thickness display image data is image data that changes from blue to green, green to yellow, and yellow to red as the coating thickness increases. [Aspect 4] A fourth aspect is the information processing device according to the first aspect, wherein the thickness display image data is data that further expresses the difference in coating thickness by achromatic and chromatic colors. [Aspect 5] A fifth aspect is the information processing device according to the first aspect, wherein the thickness display image data is data that represents an area where the coating thickness is 0 in an achromatic color. [Aspect 6] A sixth aspect is the information processing device according to the first aspect, wherein a color corresponding to the coating thickness can be freely set in order to generate the thickness display image data. [Aspect 7] Aspect 7 is an information processing device described in any one of aspects 1 to 6, which provides a graphic user interface for adjusting the correspondence between areas in image data and the coating thickness, and further includes a modification means for changing the pixel value to be used as the threshold based on user input to the graphic user interface, and a setting means for setting different coating thicknesses for image areas in the image data having pixel values ​​greater than the threshold and image areas having pixel values ​​less than the threshold, and the information acquisition means acquires information about the coating thickness from the setting means. [Aspect 8] Aspect 8 is an information processing device according to aspect 7, further comprising a printing control means for controlling the printing device so as to perform coating printing on the image area set by the setting means with the coating thickness set by the setting means. [Aspect 9] Aspect 9 is an inkjet recording device having an information acquisition means for acquiring coating thickness information regarding the thickness of the coating print, which is set for each image area in the coating image data used when performing coating printing on a substrate; an image generation means for using the coating image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses the differences in coating thickness for each image area with differences in hue; a display control means for displaying the thickness display image data on a display; and an inkjet recording means for performing coating printing on a substrate based on the coating image data. [Aspect 10] Aspect 10 is an information processing method including an acquisition step of acquiring coating thickness information relating to the thickness when coating printing is performed on a substrate, which is set for each region in the image data; an image generation step of using the image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses differences in the coating thickness with differences in hue; and a display control step of displaying the thickness display image data on a display. [Aspect 11] Aspect 11 is an information processing program that causes a computer to execute an acquisition step of acquiring coating thickness information relating to the thickness when coating printing is performed on a substrate, which is set for each region in the image data; an image generation step of using the image data to generate thickness display image data that expresses differences in the coating thickness with differences in hue; and a display control step of displaying the thickness display image data on a display. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the image does not clearly show which parts will be printed thickly before printing, making it difficult for workers to check subtle differences in thickness in advance.However, with the above-described embodiment, the degree of coating printing can be clearly confirmed in the image.

Claims

1. a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in the image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of the coating printed on the substrate; an upper limit thickness setting means for setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determining means for determining the thickness gradation of the entire coating print performed based on the image data within a range equal to or less than the upper limit value of the coating thickness set by the upper limit thickness setting means; An information processing device comprising:

2. The thickness gradation determining means determines the number of thickness gradation steps according to the range of the coating thickness set by the upper thickness limit setting means. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The thickness gradation determining means determines the thickness gradation based on a thickness within the range of the coating thickness set by the upper thickness limit setting means, from among a plurality of predetermined thicknesses.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. a thickness setting means for setting each coating thickness of the thickness gradation determined by the thickness gradation determining means to each region of the image data; 4. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. The user interface allows the area of ​​the image data in which each coating thickness of the thickness gradation is to be set to be adjustable in size. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. The thickness setting means sets a coating thickness corresponding to a pixel value in each region of the image data in accordance with the pixel value representing the density in the region.

6. The information processing device according to claim 4.

7. The thickness setting means sets different coating thicknesses for image regions having pixel values ​​equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and image regions having pixel values ​​less than the threshold. The information processing device according to claim 6 .

8. The thickness setting means sets the threshold values ​​at regular intervals. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. an inkjet head that ejects ink for coating printing onto a substrate transported by a transport mechanism; a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in the image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of the coating printed on the substrate; an upper limit thickness setting means for setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determining means for determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit of the coating thickness set by the upper limit thickness setting means; a control means for controlling the inkjet head so as to perform coating printing with a coating thickness according to the thickness gradation determined by the thickness gradation determining means based on the image data; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

10. An information processing method for setting a coating thickness in a printing device via a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of a coating printed on a substrate, the method comprising: a thickness upper limit setting step of setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determination step of determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit value of the coating thickness set in the thickness upper limit setting step; An information processing method including:

11. An information processing program for setting a coating thickness in a printing device via a user interface for setting a correspondence relationship between an area in image data and a coating thickness as a thickness of a coating printed on a substrate, the program comprising: a thickness upper limit setting step of setting an upper limit value of the coating thickness based on an operator's input to the user interface; a thickness gradation determination step of determining a thickness gradation of the coating print within a range equal to or less than the upper limit value of the coating thickness set in the thickness upper limit setting step; An information processing program that causes a computer to execute the above.

Images