Raster Image Pre-Print Enhancement for Misregistration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face challenges in anticipating and addressing misregistration artifacts, particularly when printing pages with both graphical and image elements, as inexperienced users often choose color schemes susceptible to misregistration, leading to visible artifacts on both graphical and image parts of the page.
Innovation Solution
A method for pre-print enhancement of raster images that categorizes elements as graphical or image elements through image analysis, applying specific enhancements such as trapping and sharpening only to graphical elements, thereby reducing misregistration artifacts before printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If trapping and image enhancement are performed after printing using RIP application, then misregistration artifacts can be corrected, but time and resources are consumed due to returning the page to enhancement and authoring tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing trapping and image enhancement operations on the raster image before the printing process. The system analyzes the raster image to identify graphical elements and applies appropriate enhancement techniques (such as trapping for graphical elements and sharpening for image elements) in advance. This eliminates the need to return the page to enhancement and authoring tools after printing, as the enhancements are already applied to the raster image that is sent directly to the printer.
2Manufacturing precision
If trapping is carried out on a page with image elements, then misregistration is addressed, but artifacts appear on the image elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between graphical elements and image elements within the raster image and applying different enhancement techniques to each type. The system analyzes the raster image to identify graphical elements (such as text and vector graphics) and applies trapping specifically to these elements. For image elements (raster images), the system applies sharpening or leaves them unchanged. This selective approach ensures that trapping is applied only where needed to prevent misregistration artifacts, while avoiding the application of trapping to image elements where it would create unwanted artifacts.
3Ease of operation
If the editor is not an expert in printing, then the page can be created easily, but color schemes susceptible to misregistration are chosen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the system to automatically analyze the raster image and identify graphical elements that require trapping enhancement. The system performs image analysis to detect edges and determine which regions correspond to graphical elements versus image elements. Based on this automatic analysis, the system applies appropriate enhancement parameters without requiring manual intervention from the editor. This allows non-expert editors to create pages easily while the system automatically compensates for potential misregistration issues by applying trapping to identified graphical elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for pre-print enhancement of a raster image is disclosed. The method includesreceiving the raster image, categorizing an element in the raster image as a graphical element or an image element; and if the element is categorized as a graphical element applying graphical enhancement to the graphical element. A computer program product for pre-print enhancement of a raster image is also disclosed.