Digital Printing Color Management Using Substrate as Virtual Process Color
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital printing processes fail to effectively utilize the background color of substrates beyond black or primary colors, limiting the gamut and ink savings, especially when printing on non-white materials, and require complex recalibration for each substrate color.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses the background color of the substrate as a virtual process color, modulated with white ink, to generate optimized colorimetric tables and profiles, allowing for automatic selection of dye mixtures and reducing ink consumption by integrating the substrate color into the printing process, even when it's not within the traditional gamut of the printer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If white dye is applied to neutralize the background color of printing substrates, then color accuracy is improved, but ink consumption increases and tactile characteristics are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the white dye application parameters based on the measured background color characteristics of the substrate. By changing the amount of white dye applied according to the specific substrate color parameters, the system achieves color accuracy while minimizing unnecessary ink consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a feedback mechanism where the background color of the substrate is measured and used to adjust the white dye application in real-time. This closed-loop control ensures that white dye is applied only to the extent necessary for color accuracy, preventing over-application and reducing ink consumption.
2Manufacturing precision
If white dye is applied to neutralize the background color of printing substrates, then color accuracy is improved, but tactile characteristics are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts the white dye application parameters based on the measured background color of the substrate. By optimizing the amount of white dye applied according to specific substrate characteristics, the system achieves color accuracy while minimizing the impact on tactile properties such as fabric softness and texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from substrate color measurement to control white dye application. This ensures that white dye is applied only where and to the extent necessary for color accuracy, preventing excessive application that would degrade tactile characteristics.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex recalibration is performed for each substrate color, then printing quality is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic self-calibration by measuring the background color of each substrate and autonomously adjusting the white dye application parameters. This eliminates the need for complex manual recalibration procedures for each substrate color, maintaining printing quality while simplifying the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the white dye application parameters based on measured substrate color characteristics. This automatic parameter adjustment replaces complex manual recalibration procedures, maintaining printing quality while reducing process complexity and user intervention requirements.
4Loss of substance
If the substrate color is integrated into the printing process as a virtual process color, then ink savings are achieved and gamut is extended, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a virtual process color that represents the substrate color as an intermediary element. This virtual color acts as a mediator between the physical substrate and the printing process, enabling ink savings and gamut extension while managing system complexity through software-based color management rather than physical hardware modifications.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method for digital printing on color supports that uses the color of the printing substrate, modulated by a white dye, as a virtual process color, as a substitution of the process dyes physically present on the printer. This method automatically generates conversion tables which optimize dye management of a digital printing device as a function of a preliminary assessment of the color of the substrate to print, carried out by using a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or the like.