Automated Color Chart Printing for Precise Multi-Substrate Reproduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual creation of color charts in the printing industry is time-consuming and prone to high tolerances, and existing digital methods require significant operator expertise and effort, making it difficult to achieve precise color reproduction across different substrates and printing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize a substrate database to automatically determine essential printing parameters, allowing users to select a color and substrate, with the system calculating and printing the color chart using predefined templates and profiles, minimizing user input and ensuring high precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual creation of color charts is used, then flexibility in handling different substrates and printing processes is maintained, but the process is time-consuming and has high tolerance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of mixing ink and using hand rollers with an automated digital system. The computer automatically calculates ink formulations based on substrate and printing process parameters, eliminates manual mixing operations, and controls the printing process digitally, thereby reducing time consumption while improving precision through consistent digital parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of color chart production from manual physical parameters (hand roller pressure, ink application amount) to digital parameters (ink formulation percentages, printing process settings). This parameter transformation enables automated control and eliminates the variability inherent in manual operations, achieving both time savings and improved precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual mixing of ink is performed, then adaptability to different substrates is maintained, but the process is time-consuming and tolerance variations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the complete ink formulation before the actual printing process. Based on the selected substrate and printing process, the computer pre-calculates the exact percentages of all ink components needed, eliminating the need for manual mixing and ensuring consistent, repeatable results across different substrates while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the color chart production process that can be replicated consistently. Instead of manually mixing ink for each substrate, the system uses digital models to replicate the optimal ink formulation for each substrate type, ensuring identical results across multiple productions without time loss.
3Ease of operation
If hand roller method is used for ink application, then flexibility in ink application is maintained, but high tolerance variations result from pressure and ink amount inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical hand roller system with a digitally controlled ink application system. The computer precisely controls the amount of ink applied to each substrate based on pre-calculated formulations, eliminating the variability caused by manual pressure application while maintaining ease of operation through automated control interfaces.
4Manufacturing precision
If proofing machines are used for color reproduction, then color accuracy is improved, but the process remains complex and requires significant operator expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation by automatically calculating ink formulations and controlling the printing process based on selected substrate and printing process parameters. The computer handles all complex calculations and parameter adjustments automatically, eliminating the need for operator expertise while maintaining high color reproduction accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computer system as an intermediary between the user's simple selections (substrate type, printing process) and the complex ink formulation calculations. This intermediary handles all the complexity of parameter calculations and coordinate transformations, allowing users to operate the system simply without needing expertise in the underlying technical complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a method and a device with which color charts can be produced with high precision and very little operator effort, and which further increases the flexibility of the color chart designs, the invention proposes a method for the automated creation of color charts using a computer system that has access to a database and serves to control a printer. The database is composed of empirically determined and measured values and includes the data assignments that assign all the data required for color-optimized printing to a substrate and printer combination. This data is necessary for converting color space values for a given color and for printing it, so that after an operator selects the color to be printed, the substrate, and the printer, the values required for a color-accurate print and their further calculations are automatically compiled.and the final results can be printed.