Prepress Color Match Verification for Print Jobs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current color management systems fail to effectively identify and correct color mismatches between different source color representations and processing paths in print jobs before printing, leading to costly and time-consuming issues during production.
Innovation Solution
A software tool that generates color mismatch metrics and visual relevance metrics to identify and correct color match problems by transforming source colors using prototypical and actual color transformations, ensuring color consistency across objects in a print job, and allowing users to manually update source color definitions for matching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sophisticated object optimized color transformation is used to optimally utilize device capability, then color representation quality is improved, but color consistency between different objects is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing color match verification and correction during the prepress stage, before actual printing. The system proactively identifies objects with different source color definitions that will produce mismatched colors, and corrects them in advance. This prevents color inconsistency issues from reaching production, allowing sophisticated color transformations to be applied later without causing matching problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by analyzing the actual color output of objects after transformation and comparing it against expected match criteria. When mismatches are detected, the system provides feedback about which objects need correction and what adjustments are required. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain color consistency even when using sophisticated object-optimized transformations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple source color definitions are allowed for different objects, then color representation flexibility is improved, but color match verification difficulty is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification system that acts as a mediator between diverse source color definitions and the final color output. This system includes a color match verification module that translates and compares colors from different source definitions against a standardized criteria, and a correction module that harmonizes them. This intermediary layer maintains flexibility in accepting multiple color definitions while simplifying the verification process through automated analysis.
3Measurement precision
If color match verification is performed on all objects in a print job, then color match accuracy is improved, but processing time is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by focusing color match verification efforts on objects that are most likely to produce mismatches. The system identifies objects with different source color definitions as priority targets for verification and correction. Rather than uniformly processing all objects with equal intensity, the system concentrates resources on problematic areas while using more efficient processing for objects that are unlikely to cause issues, thus maintaining accuracy while reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of matching color elements for objects within a print job prior to printing, includes for each page in the print job, identifying all objects and their associated object properties within the page; for each object, identifying, according to predetermined object property criteria, if the object is a candidate for a color matching task; for each of the identified candidates, filtering the object properties using a predetermined visual relevance metric, such that objects having less than the predetermined visual relevance metric are removed from consideration; defining each candidate object satisfying the predetermined visual relevance metric as a color matching object with respect to at least a second color matching object thus defining a color matching object group; for each such color matching object group, either alerting a user to a problem or resolving the problem by assigning common rendering across the color matching object group.