JPH0411855B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a data input device for printing plate making that performs layout according to the contents of a layout board.

[Prior art]

In recent years, what is called a layout computer has come to be used for layout work in printing plate making, and for example, is used together with a scanner.
FIG. 5a shows a configuration in which this scanner is used to take in image data and print it onto a film, and FIG. 5b shows a configuration in which a layout computer performs layout work.

Layout work using these is performed as follows. First, a document is pasted on the input drum 101 of the scanner 100, and the
The image data of the document is taken into the input computer 106 via the interface 105 along with the direction position data P _x and the Y direction position data P _y from the rotary encoder 104 , and is stored in the memory 107 .
Accumulate in. Image data is on layout mount (not shown)
Incorporate the appropriate range of the manuscript based on
Later, the layout computer 121 performs trimming.

The memory 107 in which image data has been written is separated from the input computer 106 and connected to the layout computer 121. As a result, the image data written in the memory 107 is displayed on the display 123. The operator observes this displayed image and moves the cursor by operating the joy stick 124 while referring to a layout board (not shown) to designate the trimming range, the position of the screen cover, etc. Further, the keyboard 122 is used to specify the magnification, plate color, and dot %.

Since these data are written to the memory 110, after the writing is completed, the memory 110 is disconnected from the layout computer 121 and connected to the output computer 109. As a result, the data in the memory 110 is retrieved via the output computer 109 and the interface 108, and the data is transferred to the scanner 100.
The trimmed and laid out image is printed onto the film set on the output drum 102 of the printer.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Although layout work can be performed using a layout computer in this way, this work cannot necessarily be performed with high efficiency. Since the layout work is performed on the display of the layout computer, the position of the trimming range is likely to be inaccurate, and on the other hand, this means that the work requires skill. Layout work while looking at the display occupies the layout computer for a long time, and an expensive layout computer cannot necessarily be used effectively.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a data input device for printing plate making that does not require layout work using a display of a layout computer.

[Means for solving problems]

To achieve this objective, the present invention includes a tablet digitizer in which a layout mount is set and inputs position data of a figure drawn on the layout mount showing the trimming range of the document, and a tablet digitizer that is set in advance for the document. a figure shape input means for inputting one of a plurality of selection options regarding a representative shape of the trimming range; a layout data input means for inputting layout data including a pattern number, a printing surface color, a ruled color, and a dot percentage; and the tab. Position data from let dataizer,
A data input device for printing plate making is provided with a recording means for recording data from the graphic shape input means and data input from the layout data input means on a recording medium.

[Effect]

A layout mount is set in advance in the mount area of the tablet digitizer, and when position data of a figure drawn on this layout mount indicating the trimming range of the original is input, output data corresponding to this input is sent to the recording means. give. One method is to operate a cursor on a tablet digitizer, and another method is to use graphic shape input means.

The graphic shape input means stores a plurality of representative shapes of the trimming range and has these shapes as options. When an input for selecting one of the options is made, output data corresponding to the input is provided to the recording means.

Furthermore, layout data including the painting number, printing surface color, living line color, and dot percentage is provided from the layout data means to the recording means.

The recording means records data provided from the tablet digitizer, the graphic shape input means, and the layout data input means on the recording medium.

The recording medium is later taken out from the recording means and used for layout work in printing plate making.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which A is a drawing machine and B is a device that performs a trimming layout using the drawing results of the drawing machine A.

The drawing machine A includes a tablet digitizer 10,
Work with this tablet digitizer 10
Consists of CPU1 and other elements. The tablet digitizer 10 has a cursor 11, an input surface 1
2, the input surface 12 has a mount area 13, a first
A menu area 14 and a second menu area 15 are set. A floppy disk device 2, a plotter 3, and a mask cutter 4 are combined with the CPU 1.

The trimming layout device B has an input drum 2.
1. Scanner 20 having an output drum 22, a linear encoder 23, and a rotary encoder 24;
Interface 25, 26, computer 2
9, magnetic disks 28, 28 and a floppy disk device 2.

Next, the general operations of the drawing machine A and the trimming layout apparatus B will be explained.

First, for plotting machine A, a layout sheet is set on the tablet digitizer 10. The layout mount corresponds to the mount area 13 in the figure, and both the mount area and the layout mount are indicated by the reference numeral 13 in the figure. On this layout board 13, ruled lines indicating the range to be trimmed of the document and simple figures indicating the outline of the picture are drawn.

Then, position data is input by aligning the cursor 11 with the ruled line of the trimming range. However, if the trimming range is one of several predetermined shapes, for example a rectangle, a simple position data input method can be used. As will be described in detail later, this involves selecting "Rectangle" in the first menu area 14 with the cursor 11, and inputting only the two vertices of the rectangle, the upper left corner and the lower right corner, regarding the position.

After setting the trimming range in this way, input by placing the cursor 11 at a specific point on the picture, for example, the inner corner of the eye in the case of a person.

This means that the input of the trimming range and the position data of the specific point is completed, and the input is then performed using the second menu area 15. The input through the second menu area 15 is wide-ranging and will be described in detail later.

Input using tablet digitizer 10
It is recorded on the floppy disk 2 via the CPU 1. This floppy disk 2 is transferred to the trimming layout device B, and its recorded contents are used. The recorded contents are also given to the plotter 3 and the mask cutter 4 and used for photographing and printing characters, but since the characters are not particularly related to the trimming layout in the present invention, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the trimming layout device B, the computer 27 receives the position data and layout data recorded on the floppy disk 2 transferred from the drawing machine A, and processes the image data from the input drum 21 of the scanner 20.

A document is set on the input drum 21 of the scanner 20, and the aim of a magnifying glass (not shown) is aligned with a specific point on the document image. The outputs of the linear encoder 23 and rotary encoder 24 at this time are the coordinates of the specific point on the original image, and the coordinates of this specific point will be used as a reference for extracting the output by scanning with the scanner 20 thereafter. That is, the image data taken out from the input drum 21 of the scanner 20 is sent to the linear encoder 23 and the rotary encoder 24.
It is provided to the computer 27 via the interface 25 along with the position signal from the . The computer 27 processes the image data from the scanner 20 based on the position data etc. from the floppy disk 2, extracts only the image data included in the trimming range, and further makes corrections based on the layout data. The image data that has undergone these processes is stored in memory 2.
8 is written.

The memory 28 of is then connected to the computer 27 for output. In the figure, the memory 28 shown on the right represents the memory connected to the computer 27 for output. The contents of this memory 28 are read out by the computer 27 and sent to the interface 2.
6 to the output drum 22 of the scanner 20. A film is mounted on the output drum 22 in advance, and exposure is performed according to the recorded data in the memory 28. As a result, a film original plate with trimmed layout is completed. This film manuscript has a manuscript image, halftone dots, lines, etc. imprinted on it.

Next, each operation of the tablet digitizer of the drawing machine A will be explained based on FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the menu setting operation performed prior to setting the layout board and importing data. As shown in FIG. 2, this operation first sets a menu area (S1), then divides the menu area and assigns menu items to each divided area (S2). FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the input surface 12 of the tablet digitizer.

A mount area 13, a first menu area 14, and a second menu area 15 are set on this input surface. The mount area 13 is set by inputting three points A1, A2, and A3 using a cursor in accordance with a layout mount (not shown). The layout board itself is used to input position data. The first menu area 14 lists graphics frequently used in tablet digitizers as items. Here, the items are rectangles, circles, polygons, straight lines, etc., and are generally set at positions as shown in the figure. Above mount area 13
And the first menu area 14 is provided in a typical tablet digitizer.

In contrast, the second menu area 15 is newly introduced in the present invention. However, since the numerical input has been conventionally used, the part excluding the numerical area has been added according to the present invention. And the menu item is
Layout items such as pattern number, magnification ratio (%), halftone → halftone %, living line color, plate color, specific point, operational items such as terminator and end, and color items C, Y, M, It is B. These show 0 to 9, decimal point, and number separator for numerical input.
In order to provide 24 areas including TAB, point B1,
The second menu area 15 is set by B2 and B3, divided into 24 areas, and each of the above items is assigned to each divided area.

Through this menu setting operation, the layout device according to the present invention becomes a tablet digitizer having the necessary functions.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a drawing operation performed using a tablet digitizer in which such a menu is set and operations based thereon, and the explanation will be made accordingly.

First, input the plate surface coordinates (S11). The plate surface coordinates refer to the coordinates of the mount area, and in Figure 3, A1~
Points to A3. Input these three points using a cursor. Next, input the plate color (S12). Here, an example of cyan C is shown, and the plate color is cyan 10%.
shall be. In this case, move the cursor to select "Print color", "C", "1", "0", "TAB" in the second menu area.
Specify sequentially.

After inputting the plate color, input the figure (S14). A figure refers to a figure indicating a trimming range and other figures drawn on the layout board, and is assumed to be a rectangle here. Therefore, following "Rectangle" in the first menu area, the two vertices at the upper right and lower right of the rectangular trimming range on the mount are input using the cursor.

This figure can be either a picture or a mesh. In the case of a pattern, the image data will be imported from the original later, and in the case of halftone dots, it will be filled in with a specified color. Then, it is determined whether or not the net is closed (S15), and an operation is performed accordingly. If it is not halftone, it is a picture, and in this case, the picture number is input (S16), the magnification is input (S17), and the specific point is input (S18). To input the picture number, perform the following operations: "Picture number", "1", and "TAB" (in the case of picture number 1). In addition, the variable magnification input is "variable magnification",
Operate "1", "2", "0", "TAB". (When magnification is 120%). And the specific point input is "specific point"
followed by ``a predetermined point on the mount.''

In addition, in the case of netting, the color of the netting is input (S19). This is "Net Fuse", "C", "1", "0"
,
Perform "TAB", "Y", "2", "0", "TAB" (in the case of C10%, Y20%) After this, determine the presence or absence of living lines (frames for pictures, etc.) (S20) , if there is a live rule, input the color of the live rule (S21). This is "living ruled color", "M",
Press "5", "0", and "TAB" (for live ruled color M50).

Subsequently, by instructing the "terminator" (S22), the flow returns to the repetition point. The above-described operations can be performed on a new figure unless an instruction is given to "end". Further, when "end" is instructed, the operation of the drawing machine ends.

And all drawing data is floppy disk 2
(Figure 1). This floppy disk is transferred to the trimming and layout device as described above, and image data is taken in and a film original is created.

The arrangement order of each step in the above flowchart is an example, and the order can of course be changed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, since the layout data writing function is added to the mount drawing machine, the work in the trimming layout device is significantly simplified. In other words, the work using a layout computer, which has been a bottleneck in the work leading to the creation of an original, becomes unnecessary, and as a result, the efficiency of the original creation work can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
3 are a flowchart and an explanatory diagram of the menu area setting work of the drawing machine in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the layout data input work in the same embodiment, and FIGS.
FIG. 1b is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a layout device for printing plate making including a conventional layout computer. 2...Floppy disk device, 3...Protester,
4... Mask cutter, 10... Tablet digitizer, 11... Cursor, 13... Mount area, 14, 1
5... Menu area, 20... Scanner, 23, 24
... Encoder, 28... Memory, 100... Scanner, 107, 110... Memory, 123... Display, 124... Joystick.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A tablet digitizer into which position data of a figure indicating a trimming range of the document drawn on the layout board is inputted, and a preset trimming range of the document is set. a figure shape input means for inputting one of a plurality of choices regarding a representative shape of the tablet digitizer; a layout data input means for inputting layout data including a pattern number, a plate color, a living line color, and a dot percentage; and the tablet digitizer. 1. A data input device for printing plate making, comprising a recording means for recording position data from the graphic shape input means, data input from the graphic shape input means, and data input from the layout data input means on a recording medium. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first menu area provided on the tablet digitizer. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout data input means comprises a second menu area provided on the tablet digitizer.