Continuous Color Data Synchronization Across Digital Printing Presses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital commercial presses face challenges in consistently reproducing colors across multiple printing presses, leading to noticeable discrepancies in photo albums and other print jobs, as existing calibration methods fail to provide continuous color matching between different presses.
Innovation Solution
A system where a 'master' press continuously saves target color data to a server, which is accessed by 'slave' presses to ensure color consistency, allowing for real-time or near-real-time matching of color outputs across multiple printing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If regular calibration is performed on digital presses, then color control is improved, but color consistency across multiple presses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring color outputs from multiple presses in real-time and automatically adjusting printing parameters. Color sensors measure the actual color output, and this information is fed back to the control system which modifies press settings to maintain consistent color across all presses, resolving the contradiction between individual press control and cross-press consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a universal color management system that serves multiple presses simultaneously through a centralized control architecture. The system establishes a master press that defines target color values and slave presses that automatically align to these targets, providing multi-functional color consistency across the entire printing fleet rather than treating each press independently.
2Productivity
If multiple presses are used for print jobs, then productivity is improved, but color uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a master press as an intermediary that mediates color consistency between multiple slave presses. The master press establishes target color values that serve as a reference for all other presses, enabling coordinated color management across multiple presses working simultaneously on different portions of the same print job, thus maintaining uniformity while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary color calibration and target value establishment before print jobs are distributed across multiple presses. By pre-defining target color values and configuring presses in advance, the system ensures that when multiple presses operate in parallel, they all start from the same color reference point, maintaining uniformity throughout the production process.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to print a print job, and determine target color data for each sheet of the print job while printing the job. The instructions further cause the processor to continually save the target color data to a server for each sheet of the print job as each sheet is printed.