Sub-Range Transfer Functions for Cross-Substrate Printer Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed production printers experience inconsistent color management due to changes in optical density over time, requiring time-consuming recalibration when a new optical density target is desired, especially when switching substrates.
Innovation Solution
A printer calibration mechanism that generates sub-range transfer functions based on full-range transfer functions, allowing for a single calibration across different substrates, reducing the need for frequent recalibration by using a composite transfer function that combines printer and print substrate transfer functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recalibration is performed for each substrate when optical density target changes, then color management consistency is maintained, but calibration time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal calibration approach where a single substrate calibration generates transfer functions that can be applied across multiple substrates. The composite transfer function combines printer characteristics with substrate characteristics, enabling one calibration to serve multiple functions and substrates, thereby eliminating the need for separate recalibrations while maintaining color consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the printer and substrate to create transfer functions in advance. These pre-computed transfer functions are stored and readily applied when printing on different substrates, eliminating the need for time-consuming recalibration operations while maintaining accurate color management.
2Reliability
If frequent recalibration is performed to compensate for optical density changes, then printing consistency is maintained, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A single calibration produces transfer functions that are universally applicable across multiple printing scenarios and substrates. This multi-functional calibration approach maintains printing consistency without requiring frequent recalibration interruptions, thereby preserving high productivity in production printing environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital model (transfer function) that copies and represents the complex optical density characteristics of the printer-substrate system. This digital model can be repeatedly applied without physical recalibration, maintaining consistency while enabling continuous high-speed printing operations.
3Measurement precision
If separate transfer functions are generated for each substrate, then substrate-specific color accuracy is achieved, but system complexity and calibration effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the printer transfer function with the substrate transfer function to create a composite transfer function. This unified approach maintains substrate-specific color accuracy while simplifying the calibration system, as the composite function can be generated from a single calibration rather than requiring separate complex calibration procedures for each substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite transfer function serves as a universal solution that handles substrate-specific color accuracy requirements. Once generated, it can be applied across multiple substrates and printing conditions, reducing the overall complexity of the calibration system while maintaining precise color reproduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes at least one physical memory device to store calibration logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the calibration logic to receive operating point data corresponding to an image processing system, receive a full range transfer function corresponding to an image processing system and generate a sub range transfer function corresponding to the image processing system for each of a plurality of digital count values based on the operating point data and the full range transfer function.