Printing device and printing method
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Solution Overview
Problem
When printing on fabrics that undergo distortion during transport, such as stretching or shrinking, the shapes of patterns and colored pixels deviate, requiring users to manually edit images using photo-editing software to match the pattern and image shapes, which is burdensome and affects printing quality.
Innovation Solution
A printing device and method that includes a transport section for moving the fabric, an imaging section for capturing images, a printing section for printing, and a control section that prepares for printing by acquiring pattern and captured image data, specifying feature colors, generating binary and adjusted pattern images, setting feature points, calculating correction values for image deformation, and printing the deformed image onto the fabric.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual editing is performed using photo-editing software to match pattern and image shapes, then printing quality is improved, but user burden increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic distortion correction by capturing images of the medium, detecting pattern positions, calculating correction values, and applying deformations to colored images without user intervention. The control section executes the entire workflow autonomously, eliminating the need for manual photo-editing operations while maintaining high printing quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary distortion correction by capturing images of the medium before printing, detecting pattern positions in advance, calculating correction values, and pre-deforming the colored images to match the distorted pattern shapes. This preliminary processing eliminates the need for post-capture manual editing
2Manufacturing precision
If manual editing is performed using photo-editing software to match pattern and image shapes, then printing quality is improved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control section autonomously executes the complete workflow including image capture, pattern detection, correction value calculation, and image deformation without requiring user operations. The system serves itself by automatically performing all necessary processing steps that would otherwise require manual photo-editing intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual photo-editing operations with automated image processing algorithms. The control section uses computational methods to detect pattern positions, calculate distortion correction values, and apply deformations to colored images, substituting mechanical user operations with automated digital processing
3Productivity
If automatic distortion correction is implemented, then user burden is reduced and productivity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control section performs multiple functions including image capture coordination, pattern detection, correction value calculation, and image deformation processing. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single control unit, the system achieves automatic distortion correction and high productivity without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the imaging section, printing section, and control section into an integrated printing device. The control section combines pattern detection, correction calculation, and image deformation functions into a unified processing workflow, reducing the need for separate independent systems while achieving automatic distortion correction
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing device performs, as preparation process, specifies the first feature color and the second feature color from the first captured image data of the medium, generating binary image data with a first color and a second color by binarization of the first pattern image data that has information about the shape of the pattern of medium, generating second pattern image data by replacing the first color of the binary image data with the first feature color and replacing the second color with the second feature color, and setting a feature point for an edge of a pattern in the second pattern image data, and print production process has calculating a correction value of the feature point required to match the shape of the pattern in the second pattern image data with the shape of the pattern in the second captured image data based on the collation between the second captured image data of the medium and the second pattern image data, deforming the colored image by applying the correction value, and causing to print the colored image after the deformation against the medium for the generation of the second captured image data.