Spot Color Preview Control for Printing Apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Printing apparatuses sometimes execute unintended print settings due to miscommunication between print data and user intentions, leading to incorrect printing modes or materials being used.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus with an acquisition unit for print data and a display control unit to show a preview screen based on print data, allowing users to control and confirm spot color printing settings, ensuring intended settings are executed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If spot color printing is automatically executed based on print data settings, then printing efficiency is improved, but unintended printing errors occur due to miscommunication between print data and user intentions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting efficiencyVSAvoidprinting accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system displays a preview screen showing the image to be printed with spot color areas highlighted before actual printing executes. This preliminary visualization allows users to confirm whether spot color printing settings match their intentions, preventing unintended printing errors while maintaining automated processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If preview screen is always displayed for user confirmation, then printing accuracy is improved, but operation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting accuracyVSAvoidoperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The preview screen selectively highlights only the areas that will be printed with spot color, rather than displaying the entire image. This localized visualization focuses the user's attention on the critical spot color regions, enabling quick verification without excessive viewing time while maintaining printing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If spot color printing is performed without user verification, then productivity is improved, but harmful factors increase due to unintended printing settings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting throughputVSAvoidunintended printing errors

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides visual feedback by displaying a preview of the image with spot color areas marked before printing. This feedback loop allows users to verify that the automated spot color detection and application matches their intentions, preventing harmful unintended printing errors while maintaining high productivity through automated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12014091B2Printing apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program

Publication Date: 2024.06.18 CANON KK

AI summary

A printing apparatus capable of performing spot color printing using a spot color printing material of a spot color that is a color different from a process color, includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire print data including image data for an image of a print target, wherein if the print data is data used to cause the printing apparatus to execute the spot color printing, the print data includes information about the spot color printing; and a display control unit configured to display, on a display part of the printing apparatus, a preview screen of the image of the print target. Whether to display the preview screen on the display part of the printing apparatus is controlled based on the print data.