394 results about "Spot color" patented technology

The present disclosure relates generally to data hiding for product packaging and other printed objects. One embodiment embeds an information signal in a spot color for product packaging. The spot color is screened, and overprinted with process color tint. The tint is modulated prior to overprinting with optimized signal tweaks. The optimization can include consideration of a detector spectral dependency (e.g., red and / or green illumination). Other embodiments and combinations are described in the subject patent document.

The present invention relate generally to digital watermarking spot colors. A process color approximation can be used for a spot color, and chrominance watermarking can be performed to insert a watermark. These techniques are particularly suitable for product packaging, color brochures, etc.

The present invention relates to digitally watermarking spot color images. In one embodiment, an original spot color is replaced with a combination of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) components and the original spot color. The CMY components convey a digital watermark. Preferably, a large percentage halftone process screens the spot color. This screened spot color is combined with the CMY components. Combining the CMY components with a large percentage halftone screening results in a watermarked image color that closely approximates to the original spot color. In another embodiment, a spot color is halftone-screened to a percentage of its original intensity. The screened-back spot color is modulated to accommodate a watermark signal.

Provided is a method for enabling accurate and consistent imaging of selected colors within a document for various printing device configurations utilizing an automated spot color editor. The method includes determining appropriate target values for a selected color within a print job. The automated spot color editor modifies or adjusts the selected color by selecting a quality level, in the form of a color difference metric, and a maximum number of iterations, which is the maximum number of times the automated spot color editor is operated to calculate a CMYK color formula. Sample patch(es) are printed and analyzed for the selected target value and a CMYK color formula based on the color composition of the sample patch is calculated. The CMYK color formula is inserted into a spot color editing table. Through a graphical user interface, an operator may review the color formula for acceptance.

The invention discloses a printing color quality detecting method of integrating visual measurement, density measurement and color measurement, which comprises the following steps: (1) based on the prior control strips, adding a spot color block, and placing the spot color block into an ink key area corresponding to a spot color part in a printed matter; (2) printing on a machine; (3) extracting the printed matter after a printing machine is stabilized to carry out visual measurement inspection, and taking out the printed matter passing the visual measurement; (4) measuring the colorimetric value of the printed matter by a colorimeter, and using the colorimetric value of the printed matter, the specified value of a sample and the color difference value of a digital sample or the prior sample as standards of qualification judgment; and (5) monitoring the density by adopting a density detecting method during printing. The method integrates respective advantages of the visual measurement, the density measurement and the color measurement, can detect the printing color quality more accurately, is simple and convenient, and is quite suitable for detecting the color quality of the printed matter.

The present disclosure relates generally to digital watermarking for spot colors. In one implementation a substitute spot color+CMY tint is selected to replace an original spot color. The CMY tint can be transformed to carry a digital watermark signal. Of course, other features, combinations and technology are described herein.

Utilizing an ink set that includes a plurality of chromatic primary color inks that, when used in combination, can reproduce achromatic color, and at least one spot color ink of hue different from any of the plurality of chromatic primary color inks. Color to be reproduced on a print medium according to any one input color is termed "reproduction color", and the combination of ink quantities in the ink set for reproducing the reproduction color on the print medium is termed the "color separation ink quantity set." The ink quantity of the spot color ink included in the color separation ink quantity set is adjusted in accordance with a lightness parameter value which is correlated to lightness of reproduction color, so as to reduce ink quantity at a rate of change greater than the rate of change of the lightness parameter in the direction of increasing brightness.

Printing image data is converted into image data for a proofer through a print condition conversion process for converting CMYK for printing into L*a*b*, a spot color reference process for converting a spot color name into L*a*b*, a printer condition conversion process for converting L*a*b* into RGB for proof, and a composition process for synthesizing a process color with a spot color.

There is known a technique of inputting the contents of image data and the use purpose of a print material and automatically selecting a combination of color materials appropriate for them. However, it cannot be confirmed before printing whether improvement of image quality commensurate with the cost and labor to input contents information can be obtained. To solve this problem, the ratio of the amount of the color material of a spot color used to that of the color materials of process colors used in input image data is calculated. The recommendation grade of printing using the spot color is determined on the basis of the ratio. Further, display of the recommendation grade is controlled.

Spot colors reproduce high value brand colors to supplement conventional process colors for printed images and packaging A printing press can utilize hi-fidelity process inks with at least three unique colors and black, and spot colors for printing solid brand colors and for printing over other colors to produce wide-gamut, half-toned color reproductions printing logos on a substrate includes (i) printing the spot colors using spot inks, and (u) printing the remainder of the image using a substituted original process ink set. Such method can alternatively include (in) reading the spectral characteristic of the inks, (iv) determining if any color in the image is identified by a color management method from the default process ink set palette, (v) processing the out-of-palette-colors using spot colors and the standard process ink set, and (vi) applying a tone scale value increase (TVI) to the process color sets

A method for estimating color measurements of color samples includes printing a color sample based on input data, measuring a color of the printed color sample with an in-line spectral sensor at a first temperature, and estimating a color of the printed color sample which would be output by a reference spectral sensor at a second temperature. The estimation is based on a thermochromatic model which represents relationships between measured colors of printed color samples on the in-line spectral sensor at the first temperature and the reference spectral sensor at the second temperature. The reference spectral sensor is a different type of sensor from the in-line spectral sensor, so the color response of the two spectral sensors is different, even when the measurement conditions are identical. Consequently, a set of printed spot color samples generate different measured colors at the second temperature on the in-line spectral sensor from the reference spectral sensor. The exemplary method allows these differences, as well as measurement temperature differences to be accounted for in the estimation.

A printing specification method and printing specification device for specifying a spot color, which differs from process colors, as a substitution color, when setting the substitution color for a color plate of one of the process colors and performing printing processing. The printing specification method includes extracting spot colors from a spot color database, displaying a list of names of the extracted spot colors, and specifying a spot color corresponding to a name that has been selected from the list as the substitution color. The spot color database is based on color information which includes characteristic values, which specify the spot colors, and spot color names. The extraction is performed on the basis of a characteristic value which sets a reference point and of a tolerance range of this characteristic value.

A portable document format (PDF) file includes a graphical object and a corresponding spot color space. The spot color space is represented by at least one spot color name and an alternate representation of the spot color with device-independent data.

Embodiments of the present invention include prepress workflow methods. The prepress workflow methods include generating N spot color separations from the color source image, wherein N is less than four. The N spot color separations, when superimposed, form a reproduction composite image similar in color to the source image. Alternatively, N non-process color separations obtained from Duotone, Tritone, or Quadtone images may also be employed. The methods may optionally include processing the generated N digital spot color separations to achieve misregistration tolerant printing prior to screening. The methods further include screening the N spot color separations, wherein at least one of the N spot color separations is screened using frequency modulation (FM).

An ink set that includes a plurality of chromatic primary color inks that can reproduce achromatic color in combination with each other and at least one spot color ink having a hue different from any of the chromatic primary color inks is prepared. A color to be reproduced on a printing medium in accordance with a given input color is termed a reproduction color, and a combination of ink amounts for inks in the ink set to be used to reproduce the reproduction color on the printing medium is termed a color separation ink amount set. When a saturation parameter value that is correlated with the saturation of the reproduction color falls within a first range that is close to achromaticity, the ink amount of the spot color ink included in the color separation ink amount set is adjusted such that it decreases in accordance with a change in the saturation parameter value in the direction of lower saturation.

A white-balance color temperature measuring device for image pick-up device includes a white or gray light transmitting sheet and a color temperature sensing element and installed in a camera body of a camera, camera phone, video camera or any other image pick-up device such that when focusing or pressing the shutter, incident light is changed by white or gray light transmitting sheet into a neutral light that falls upon the color temperature sensing element, causing the color temperature sensing element to induce a spot color temperature signal and to provide the signal to a CPU for processing, and thus, the color of the captured photos or images can be close to the natural colors of the shooting scene.

In a print server, when page setting is made, a spot color name is extracted from a comment in an image drawing command and image data or a code of a job on a page (page layout) unit basis and a list for a spot color name of each page is generated. After that, a color separating process and an RIP are performed on the page unit basis, raster data of each of colors C, M, Y, and K and corresponding raster data of a spot color name is generated, after that, on the basis of CMYK values designated by the spot color name, the raster data of the spot color is composed with the raster data of each of the colors C, M, Y, and K, and the resultant is output. In such a manner, an overprint of an object designated in a spot color can be reproduced accurately.

An image processing apparatus includes: a region recognizing unit that recognizes a region to be subjected to spot color processing in a digital image that is read from an image database in which a plurality of digital images are stored; a color information acquiring unit that acquires target color information to serve as a replacement target in the spot color processing; and a converting unit that converts color information of the region recognized by the region recognizing unit into the target color information acquired by the color information acquiring unit.

A system and method for achieving process spot color consistency using white and CMYK toners is disclosed. The present application employs traditional CMYK using the automated spot color editing approach and enhances this approach by applying a white toner to the printing substrate prior to applying the color. This new and novel method will improve the color printing technology for printing or alternately, applying the application of the white as a distinct separation layer for the color toner separations, on plastics, ceramics, woods, and other such non-paper materials.

This disclosure provides methods, systems and apparatus to manage spot colors for an image marking device. Specifically, disclosed is a spot color control method including selecting a gain matrix K from a plurality of gain matrices, the gain matrix K being selected to satisfy performance criteria associated with the rendering of the target spot color, the performance criteria including an acceptable spot color error associated with the rendered spot color relative to the target color, an acceptable actuator energy utilized to achieve the acceptable spot color error and a total toner / ink usage acceptable to render the spot color.

No scheme for calculating a color obtained by mixing two spot colors (composite spot color) has been established yet. Hence, an image processing apparatus of this invention includes a spectral database which stores spectral data of spot colors and mixed colors of the spot colors. Upon rendering, a mixed color region of spot colors is detected. A colorimetry table of the spectral DB which corresponds to a combination of the spot colors of the mixed color region is selected with reference to a combination table of the spectral DB. Spectral data corresponding to a mixed color is obtained from the colorimetry table on the basis of the density values of the spot colors of the mixed color region, and the obtained spectral data is supplied to rendering processing.

The present invention provides an image processing method and an image processing apparatus. The method and the apparatus perform image processing based on image data and drawing commands input from an image processing terminal. The method includes: setting drawing of a spot color plate different from process colors when data of color plates of process colors is generated based on a drawing command; performing for each object drawing command replacement of drawing the spot color plate according to object information data of image processing settings according to the type of the object; and enabling image processing for each object with respect to the color plates of the process colors based on the object information of the spot color plate.

A spot color dictionary is fine tuned or updated. Localized color production models are determined for spot colors of interest to be produced by an associated document processing system or printer. Measurements are made of colors of produced spot colors. Optionally, measurements are made of colors of test patches that are based on perturbations from the colors of the spot colors. In determining a model for the production of a target spot color, measurement data related to colors that are closer in color space to a given target color is given a higher weight than is measurement data related to colors that are further in color space from the target color. Accordingly, the model is localized to the region of color space about the target color and therefore, more accurately predicts a colorant recipe for the target color than would interpolation based on a full gamut, or more general model.

A method of color management for image marking devices utilizes an automated spot color editor having a control module accessing a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving image data input, in either device-dependent color space or device-independent color space, for a marking job. It is determined whether spot colors are present within the image data input and whether the CMYK values for each of the spot colors present within the image data input are included in the marking device spot color dictionary. Operational parameters for the automated spot color editor are initialized, with operational parameters including the desired performance criteria to be minimized by the automated spot color editor through selection of one or more matrices from a plurality of possible gain matrices to identify new CMYK values. The quality level of the new CMYK values is assessed and new CMYK values are transmitted to image printing device(s).

A method of selecting optimal inks from a plurality of ink candidates for a given color is provided, said method including a) obtaining a measure of spectral reflectance of a print substrate; b) obtaining a measure of the spectral reflectance of a first candidate ink of a first color; c) predicting a color gamut for the first candidate ink based on the spectral reflectance of the ink and the spectral reflectance of the substrate; d) repeating steps b) and e) for a second ink candidate of the first color; e) selecting the ink candidate for which the predicted color gamut includes the most target spot colors as the optimal ink for the first color.

What is disclosed is a novel system and method for generating a spectral matching guide for spot color print applications. Spectral matching values are determined for spot colors obtained from a library of spot colors. A spectral matching guide is created from the spot colors and their respective spectral matching values in a manner more fully disclosed herein. Thereafter, when a user desires to render a job in a particular spot color, the associated spectral matching value for that spot color can be obtained from the spectral matching guide. In other embodiments, recommendations in the form of a suggested printer to use, a media type, a halftone screen, and other meaningful assistance can be provided for selection of spot colors for a given print / copy job that are less sensitive to varying illuminations. The present spectral matching guide provides meaningful extensions in spectral color reproduction in print / copy job environments.

Spot colors reproduce high value brand colors to supplement conventional process colors for printed images and packaging A printing press can utilize hi-fidelity process inks with at least three unique colors and black, and spot colors for printing solid brand colors and for printing over other colors to produce wide-gamut, half-toned color reproductions printing logos on a substrate includes (i) printing the spot colors using spot inks, and (ii) printing the remainder of the image using a substituted original process ink set. Such method can alternatively include (iii) reading the spectral characteristic of the inks, (iv) determining if any color in the image is identified by a color management method from the default process ink set palette, (v) processing the out-of-palette-colors using spot colors and the standard process ink set, and (vi) applying a tone scale value increase (TVI) to the process color sets.