Print Decoration Data Processing for Digital and Gravure Compatibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods struggle to achieve identical color and detail reproduction across digital and gravure printing processes, leading to visual differences and increased costs due to the limitations of color conversion and the use of different printing technologies.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves converting print motifs into high-resolution electronic data records, digitally separating color information into multiple channels, reducing resolution for gravure printing, and using these channels to create identical decorations across both digital and gravure printing processes, ensuring independent color processing and matching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If digital printing is used to produce sample prints with high resolution, then print quality and detail are improved, but costs increase and compatibility with gravure printing is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprint resolutionVSAvoidprinting process compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the color information into multiple independent color channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, etc.), allowing each channel to be processed separately. This enables the same digital data to be adapted for both high-resolution digital printing and gravure printing by controlling the resolution of individual color channels differently, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining high print quality and ensuring compatibility across different printing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the same high-resolution electronic data record is used for both digital printing and gravure printing, then color consistency is improved, but gravure printing cannot achieve the same detail quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor consistencyVSAvoiddetail reproduction
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by assigning different resolution characteristics to different color channels. The first color channel (C1) containing structural information is reduced to lower resolution (30-100 dpi) suitable for gravure printing, while subsequent color channels (C2, C3, C4) containing color information are maintained at higher resolution (up to 1200 dpi) for digital printing. This allows each printing process to receive data optimized for its capabilities, achieving both color consistency and appropriate detail reproduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If resolution is reduced to enable gravure printing, then compatibility is improved, but digital print quality and detail are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegravure printing compatibilityVSAvoiddigital print quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the color information into multiple independent color channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, etc.), allowing each channel to be processed separately. This enables the same digital data to be adapted for both high-resolution digital printing and gravure printing by controlling the resolution of individual color channels differently, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining high print quality and ensuring compatibility across different printing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If different electronic data records are used for digital and gravure printing, then process-specific optimization is improved, but color and detail matching between the two processes becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess optimizationVSAvoidcolor and detail matching
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the parameter of resolution differently for different color channels derived from the same electronic data record. The first color channel is converted to lower resolution (30-100 dpi) for gravure printing compatibility, while subsequent color channels are maintained at higher resolution (up to 1200 dpi) for digital printing quality. This parameter change approach allows process-specific optimization while maintaining color and detail matching through the segmented channel structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3020565B1Method for the production of at least one print finish for use in at least two different print procedures and device for carrying out said method
Publication Date: 2016.11.02 FLOORING TECH LTD
  • EP3020565B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing at least one print decoration for use in at least two different printing processes, in particular at least one identical print decoration, for printing on at least two substrate materials, comprising the steps: a) providing at least one print motif; b) converting the at least one print motif into at least one high-resolution electronic data set with a resolution of up to 1200 dpi, preferably 1000 dpi, using at least one image processing software; c) digitally separating the color information contained in the at least one electronic data set into a predetermined number N of color channels, and independently processing the color information contained in each color channel;d) Reducing the resolution of the electronic data resulting from processing in the N color channels to up to 100 dpi, preferably 60 to 80 dpi, using at least one image processing software; e) Providing at least M printing rollers using the data created and processed in the N color channels for a first print decoration to be produced using the gravure printing process; f) Producing the at least one first print decoration using the gravure printing process on at least one first substrate using the at least N printing rollers;g) Combining the separated color information, in particular provided in step c), into at least one digital print file for a second print decoration to be produced by digital printing, and h) producing at least one second print decoration on at least one second substrate using at least one digital printer and the at least one digital print file. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out this method.