Gloss Control via Multi-Pass Dot Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gloss control techniques in commercial printing limit the number of reproducible gloss tones, making it difficult to achieve smooth gloss changes over a wide dynamic range, especially in terms of feature reproduction in images.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that acquires color and gloss data, separates the data into material amount data, generates inverted data, and corrects the material amount data to produce image forming data indicating dot printing positions, allowing for multiple passes with different printing elements to achieve a wide range of gloss tones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of reproducible gloss tones is increased by using multiple scanning count types or dot arrangement types, then the gloss dynamic range is improved, but the number of reproducible tones remains limited and smooth gloss change is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the printing system adjustable and flexible through multiple scanning operations with varying parameters. Instead of fixed dot arrangements, the system dynamically adjusts the number of scanning operations and dot placement positions to achieve continuous gloss variation. This allows smooth transition between different gloss levels by controlling the overlap and distribution of printed dots across multiple passes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the printing process, specifically the number of scanning operations, scanning speed, and dot placement positions. By varying these parameters across multiple scanning passes, the system can reproduce a wide range of gloss tones smoothly. The key parameter change is the number of times the same area is printed and scanned by the same printing material using multiple printing elements.
2Manufacturing precision
If gloss control is achieved by controlling the use amount of gloss adjustment material, then smooth gloss control is possible, but the controllable gloss range (dynamic range) is not very wide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gloss control function into multiple independent scanning operations rather than relying on a single material concentration adjustment. Each scanning pass contributes differently to the final gloss effect, with some passes creating more dot overlap than others. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both smooth control (within each pass) and wide dynamic range (across multiple passes with varying parameters).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to gloss control by using multiple scanning passes instead of adjusting only material concentration in a single pass. The gloss effect is built up over time through cumulative dot deposition across multiple operations, creating an additional degree of freedom for controlling the gloss dynamic range while maintaining smooth transitions.
3Device complexity
If the number of reproducible gloss tones is limited to the number of dot arrangement types, then device complexity is reduced, but the gloss dynamic range and feature reproduction capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the printing system universal by using the same printing elements and basic dot arrangement mechanism for multiple different gloss effects. Instead of requiring specialized dot arrangement types for different gloss levels, the same printing elements can achieve various gloss effects by varying the number of scanning operations and their parameters. This multi-functionality maintains device simplicity while expanding gloss dynamic range.
Data Source
AI summary
A unit acquires first image data expressing a color of an image and second image data expressing a feature of the image. A unit color-separates the first image data into first and second color material amount data. A unit generates inverted data by inverting the second image data. A unit generates first corrected data from the first color material amount data and the inverted data and generates second corrected data from the second color material amount data and the second image data. A unit generates, based on the first corrected data, first data indicating on dot printing positions during a printing and scanning operation, generates, based on the second corrected data, second data indicating on dot printing positions in the operation, and generates, based on the first and second data, image forming data.