EP2108518B1 - Illustration method for sheet variants of printed products - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging method for printing forms using imposed sheet variants that are at least partially associated with different versions of a printed product to be produced.

The invention further relates to a printing method using printing forms produced in this way.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for imaging of printing plates according to a Bebilderungsverfahren for imaging of sheet variants, which are at least partially associated with different versions of a printed product.

In the planning and production of printed products, the pages of the printed product to be delivered must be spread on printed sheets and printing plates must be imaged.

A set of printing plates is assigned to a set of electronic color separations and is used in a subsequent printing process within a printing press for the edition print of a printed sheet. The color separations are assigned to the printing inks used.

In the production of printed products such. As folders, brochures or leaflets, if all the sheets are printed, each sheet folded and optionally cut. The folded specimens are then tied together or stapled to form a final product.

If different versions of this final product are created, this can be z. B. be the case, if certain pages of the final product or the printed product are assigned to different languages, then several versions of this printed product must be planned in an upstream step in the preliminary stage or already when planning the printed product. It is generally versioned for this Print product creates a separate sheet for each version, ie electronic sheets are imposed and identical sheets, which are used in all versions, are i. A. just copied for the other versions. For the remaining bows, different electronic printed sheet variants are created or imposed. The color separations are then created on the basis of all generated signatures.

Without further influencing the imaging of the printing plates for the different versions of the printed product of all electronic sheet variants for the individual color separations then printing forms are exposed.

In general, as printing plates here printing plates are exposed, which are used in subsequent printing processes in printing presses.

It will be exposed without intervention of the user so several similar and content matching printing plates in a platesetter, since this is so provided for the different versions of the printed product.

Conventional imaging methods for printing forms for different versions of a printed product are out JP-A-2001080022 and WO-A-2006/067143 known.

The object of the present invention is therefore to enable a more efficient imaging of printing forms for use in a subsequent printing process or at least to support such a more efficient imaging.

The object of the invention is achieved in process view by a Bebilderungsverfahren according to claim 1 and a printing method according to claim 7.

Further, the object is achieved according to a device for imaging of printing plates according to claim 11.

According to the inventive imaging method for printing forms, different versions of a printed product are initially provided. This is an information transfer to understand that concerns the data regarding the different versions of the printed product to be printed. It has to be announced at least which contents contain the different versions of the printed product. These different versions of the printed product are to be printed on at least one printed sheet in real terms.

In a next step, it is envisaged that the different versions of the printed product will be imposed on different electronic signature variants. Under sheet variants are here to understand at least two different electronic signatures, which differ in content at least partially, but in each case correspond to the same position within the printed product to be produced. Different electronic signature variants can, for. Depending on the location for which the versioned printed products are to be created have different content or even created in different languages.

Furthermore, the provision of first identification means for identifying at least one basic variant for at least one electronic printed sheet, which essentially represents the basis of variants of the printed sheet, is provided. When providing different versions of the print product, it is not clear which version of this print product should be used as the basis for the other print products. All versions of this printed product are as such equal. In order to enable a further simplification of the processing of the imaging process for the printing form and for this printed product, first identification means are now provided with which a basic variant for an electronic printed sheet can be identified. In this way, a basis for the further process of imaging the printing forms is given. These first identification means may in particular be designed so that at least initially the first handed-over sheet variant can be identified as a basic variant.

On the basis of the provided identification means, at least one basic variant for at least one electronic printed sheet is identified in a further step. This basic version of the print sheet then serves as the basis for the other variants of this print sheet. As described, it can be provided that the first electronic printed sheet is automatically identified as the basic variant.

Second identification means are furthermore provided which serve for the identification of electronic sheet variants or areas of electronic sheet variants as belonging to a specific version of the printed product. By means of this second identification means, areas of the electronic sheet variants or electronic sheet variants themselves are identified as assigned to a specific version of the printed product. In this way, a splitting of the different sheet variants can be achieved, which are assigned to one of the identified base variant and on the other certain versions of the printed product to be produced. The signatures as such are actually assigned by their nature equal to a certain position of the printed product. By splitting into the mentioned variants, it is now possible to set up the following work steps with respect to the sheet variants on the different versions of the printed product.

To make use of all this information obtained and the chosen distinctions of the different arc variants in downstream processing steps this versioning information about z. As the number of versions, about the basic version or the information which electronic sheet variants or areas of electronic sheet variants belonging to which versions of a printed product.

It will continue to create color separations based on the electronic sheet variants and used for further imaging of printing forms.

At least printing forms are imaged according to data which correspond at least to the data of the color separations of the basic variant. By this imaging of printing forms according to the color separations associated with the basic variant or at least identical with these color separations, a complete set of printing forms is thus imaged, which is assigned to all colors of the printing press used.

In order to achieve the more ergonomic imaging of printing plates, the imaging of printing forms which would have color separation data which is associated with a second color separation which is identical to a color separation of the basic variant is then further prevented.

A printing method is furthermore provided in which the printing forms produced in this way are used, wherein at least part of the versioning information is made available to the printing press. Here, a first complete set of printing plates in accordance with the sheet variants which were provided should first be used in the printing press. A complete set of printing plates here is a set of printing plates associated with all provided for the current printing process colors of the printing press. This first complete set of printing plates can preferably be based on the described basic variant.

The substrates are to be printed in an edition that corresponds to the desired edition of the corresponding sheet variant and which can be derived from the edition of existing on the sheet variant versions of the printed product to be created. After an appropriate amount of substrates has been printed by means of the printing plates used, it is sufficient to replace only a subset of the printing plates used for printing the substrates using the passed versioning information. This can be saved according to setup time in the printing process.

For carrying out the imaging method, a device is provided which comprises an allocation device which comprises at least one acceptance device for receiving imposed electronic signatures, furthermore a display device for displaying at least symbols of the imposed electronic signatures and a selection device for selecting electronic signature variants are provided become.

The assignment device should have a selection device with at least one first identification means for identifying electronic signature variants which represents a basic variant in accordance with the predetermined product version.

Furthermore, at least one second identification means should be present, which serves for the identification of electronic sheet variant or ranges of electronic sheet variants as belonging to a specific product version.

It is also intended to provide a memory device or memory areas for storing information about the basic variant of the assignment information, which arc variants or areas of arc variants belong to which versions of a printed product. This stored information is also referred to as versioning information.

It is further provided that the allocation device comprises at least one fixing member for setting the color separations to be imaged by a imaging device and the color separations whose imaging is to be prevented comprises. In this way, after the evaluation of the information by the determining member, printing forms can be imaged more economically.

In order to be able to better determine the number of printing forms to be imaged in total, it is provided in a development of the invention that determining means for determining the number of provided versions of the printed product are provided by the method and the number of provided versions of the printed product are determined. For this purpose, the allocation device should comprise at least one determining means for determining the number of provided versions of the printed product. In addition, determining means for determining the number of variants of an electronic printing sheet can be provided and provided by means of which the number of variants of an arc is determined.

In order not only to distinguish entire printed sheets, which are assigned to different variants, from the basic variant and thus only to prevent an entire set of color separations of the identical is illustrated with the basic variant, it is further envisaged to extend the process to color separations so that third identification means are provided which allow to distinguish whether a color separation of at least one electronic sheet variant with the corresponding color separation of the electronic base variant is identical or different from this. It is then distinguished whether this color separation is identical or different from the color separation of the electronic base variant and it is deposited in the form of discrimination information, whether and what differences of color separations to color separations with respect to the electronic base variant are present, this distinction information are also deposited as versioning information ,

For this purpose, in accordance with the device, corresponding third identification means are provided for distinguishing at least one color separation of at least one electronic sheet variant which is suitable for identifying whether this color separation is identical to or different from the corresponding color separation of the basic variant and if the memory regions are also to be suitable for this distinction information about differences from color separations to color separations regarding the basic variant store.

In order to ensure an even better efficiency of the method for imaging of printing plates, it is provided that color elevators or entire sheet variants, which are different from the basic version but are identical to other color separations or electronic signatures also different from the basic variants, are not imaged either become. For this purpose, it is procedurally provided that a distinction is made for at least one second color separation, whether this is identical or different from the corresponding color separation of the electronic base variant. Next distinguished from at least a third color separation of a further variant, whether this is the same or different from the corresponding color separation of the electronic base variant and if the second and the third color separation are different from just these color separations of the basic variant once again, whether the third color separation is also different from the second color separation. For the illustration of printing forms, it is then intended that this only takes place in accordance with color separation data, which are associated with a third color separation, which is not identical to a second color separation or a color separation of the electronic base variant. These color separations are then used for imaging of printing forms. The same is also possible for entire printed sheets with a complete set of color separations.

In a further development, it is provided that further method steps are included, namely the determination of color separation sets consisting of color separations of the electronic base variant and color separations of the electronic sheet variants, which are different from the corresponding color separations of the electronic base variant and / or second color separations, so that at least one color separation set is determined which has a color separation for each ink to be used, these color separations are intended to be at least temporarily used simultaneously in a printing press for printing substrates and that subsequently printing forms are imaged according to these so determined color separations. According to these regulations, such complete sets of color separations are summarized, wherein individual color separations may be common to different sentences. This increases the effectiveness of the process of imaging the printing forms and then the printing process.

Furthermore, it is still provided in device view that the allocation means-fourth identification means for identification of third color separations, which are identical to second color separations, which in turn are different from color separations, which are associated with an electronic base variant. In this way, according to the invention advantageously also the double imaging of printing plates can be avoided, which are different from the basic variant, but identical to each other.

Since it is possible that an electronic printed sheet in its variant has areas that are assigned to different versions of the printed product to be created, it is advantageously provided that in a further development, the print run of a sheet variant from the assignment of existing on the sheet variant print sheet areas of each individual already assigned version of their Target is determined. In this way it can be determined for a subsequent printing process how long exactly this sheet variant is to be used.

In order to determine complete color separation sets for use in a printing process, the apparatus advantageously has an allocation device which additionally has a determining element for determining color separation sets with a rule memory for at least one of the following rules: namely the selection of color separations of the base variant, the selection of color separations of sheet variants, these color separations are different from the corresponding color separations of the basic version and / or second color separations and the number of variants per sheet. The determining element should further comprise a determining element for determining at least one color separation set from the selected color separations, comprising a color separation for each printing ink to be printed, these color separations are intended to be at least temporarily used simultaneously in a printing machine for printing on printing material. By this determining member it is possible to achieve a determination of complete color separation sets, with individual color separations may be common to different color separation sets.

For further processing of the versioning information obtained and the imaging data associated with the signatures or color separation data, a first transmission device is provided for transmitting imaging data and a second transmission device for transmitting versioning information to a further processing device, wherein the further processing device can be a printing platesetter or a printing press or else another Device such. B. a proof printer or a film. The imaging data and versioning information can be z. B. simultaneously or separately only a further processing device such. For example, a printing plate setter may be fed or may be divided and the image data is fed to a plate setter, while the versioning information is supplied to a finishing device such as a printing machine, or imaging data and versioning information may be supplied to the plate setetter and only the plate setters Versionierungsinformationen be supplied to a printing press, for which the device for imaging of printing forms is associated with both the imaging unit of the platesetter, as well as at least connected to a printing press. In addition, it can be provided that the first transmitting device and the second transmitting device coincide in a single common transmitting device.

In terms of the apparatus, the further processing device can be both a set of raster image processor (RIP), imaging device and preferably a plate setter for imaging printing plates or the imaging unit of such a plate setter. This further processing device can thereby have an interpretation element for interpreting the versioning information, so that imaging data corresponding to the color separations of the basic variant are imaged and further color separations only the imaging data are further processed by the further processing device represent the color separations, at least from the corresponding color separations of the basic variant and / or other second color separations are different.

For further use of the printing plates or printing plates thus produced, it is provided according to the invention that the printing process according to the invention is designed so that successive subsets or entire sets of printing plates are exchanged, so that all the printed sheet variants are printed at least in the edition, which are for the creation the assigned versions of the printed product are needed. In this way it can be achieved that all printed product versions are produced in the desired edition. Furthermore, it can be attempted to generate as little excess as possible.

In a further development according to the invention, it is provided that an order of printing forms is determined for each printing ink during the printing process, which sequence is assigned to different versions at least in regions. In this way, is independently prescribed for each printing unit of a printing press in which order which printing plates are assigned to the individual sheet variants are used.

In this case, it may in particular be advantageously further provided that the printing order, ie. H. the use of the individual printing plates is determined so that a total of only a minimum of pressure plate changes between the printing passes is required.

The printing method can advantageously cooperate with the imaging method in such a way that the versioning information is interpreted in such a way that initially all the printing forms which are assigned to different color separations of only one basic variant are used at the beginning. Starting from this first choice of the basic variant for a sheet then the individual color separations z. B. be successively partially or completely replaced according to the rules described. In this way, the set-up time for the printing process is minimized and it is necessary only the least amount of work for the creation of all versions of a printed product.

An example of the solution according to the invention, to which the invention should not be limited and from which further features according to the invention can result, is described below and illustrated in the drawings.

Figur 1

Basisvarianten dreier unterschiedlicher elektronischer Druckbögen eines Endprodukts,

Figur 2

zwei Bogenvarianten eines ersten Druckbogens,

Figur 3

drei Bogenvarianten eines Druckbogen,

Figur 4

einen Bogen ohne Bogenvarianten,

Figur 5

Identifikation der unterschiedlichen Farbauszüge zweier Bogenvarianten 2,

Figur 6

unterschiedliche Druckbogenvarianten für unterschiedliche Positionen eines Endprodukts,

Figur 7

die Farbauszüge der Bogenvarianten gemäß Figur 6,

Figur 8

eine Anzeige mit Identifikationsmitteln zur Identifikation verschiedener Farbauszüge, und

Figur 9

ein Flussdiagramm über das Bereitstellen und Drucken von Bogenvarianten.

Show it:

FIG. 1

Basic variants of three different electronic signatures of a final product,

FIG. 2

two sheet variants of a first printed sheet,

FIG. 3

three sheet variants of a printed sheet,

FIG. 4

a bow without bow variants,

FIG. 5

Identification of the different color separations of two sheet variants 2,

FIG. 6

different sheet variants for different positions of a final product,

FIG. 7

the color separations of the bow variants according to FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8

a display with identification means for identifying different color separations, and

FIG. 9

a flow chart about the provision and printing of sheet variants.

As a possible printed product, a catalog, a magazine, leaflets or the like may be provided. For example, this example might be a catalog. Different versions will be available for this catalog. First of all, the printed sheets 1, 2, 3 are assembled for the first version, which means imposition software, such. B. the software Prinect Signastation (®) can be done. As in FIG. 1 In this case, the catalog can be created by means of three printed sheets. The sheet 1 can be z. B. be assigned to a particular substrate and therefore only a smaller number of individual pages than the sheets 2 and 3 include.

In a second step as in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 represented, then the different versions of printed sheets 1 ', 2', 3 'are created to the first version. The spreadsheets of the first version, which continue to be used, are simply copied for the remaining versions of the printed product. Advantageously, it is determined in this process already in the preparation of the printing sheets for the first version that these sheets of the first version are each the basic variant of the corresponding sheets.

For the individual sheets 1, 2, 3 can then be provided different workflows for variant production of the signatures for different versions.

As in FIG. 2 illustrated, the basic version of the sheet 1 have a content A, which is assigned exclusively to a version of the printed product and it can be provided for a second sheet variant a sheet variant 1 ', which are assigned to two different versions of the printed product B, C.

For the sheet 2 z. B. each electronic signatures may be provided, which are individually associated with only one version of the printed product. It then arises as in FIG. 3 illustrated, a basic version 2 of the sheet 2, for a version A, a sheet variant 2 'for the version B of the printed product and a sheet variant 2 "for a version C of the printed product.

As in FIG. 4 in contrast to the sheets 1 and 2, it may be provided for the printed sheet 3 that this sheet should be printed only in the base variant 3 and printing plates are generated accordingly and otherwise this printing borrower is identical for all versions of the final product.

How to FIG. 3 executed, the sheet 2 in three different variants 2, 2 ', 2''which are assigned to the different versions A, B, C, are present. However, these printed sheets need not differ in all their color separations. As in FIG. 5 4, 5, 6 (CMY), it may be provided that the printed sheet variants 2 and 2 "only differ in a color separation 7, 7 ', for example for the printing ink black (K) Therefore, be provided that these two variants 2, 2 "are common. The color separations 4, 5, 6 of the basic variant 2 can then also be used for the variant 2 "of the printed sheet, which is assigned to the version B, and copied for this sheet variant 2".

The generated electronic signatures can be passed on to another management system. In this case, information about the type of paper and the number of different versions, at least part of the printed product are passed.

Different sheet variants can symbolically on a screen as in FIG. 6 can be deposited, with additional information about the difference of the individual sheets can be deposited here.

There are here three printed sheet variants 8, 8 ', 8 "deposited, which partially differ and wherein the base variant 8 and the second sheet variant 8' are each associated with only one version of the printed product, while the sheet variant 8" after selection by means not shown here is assigned to two different versions of the printed product. The sheet variant 8 is assigned a version A. It may, for example, be a printed sheet with an English text. The sheet variant 8 'is a version B of the final product assigned, for example, the corresponding sheet with German text. The bow variant 8 "turn are, as in Fig. 2 represented represented two different versions of the printed product, namely the versions A and C. The version C may be, for example, a French text. Analogous conditions are given here for back sides of the sheets 8, 8 ', 8 "which are not shown.

From the representation according to FIG. 6 may be according to another illustration FIG. 7 In each case, the different color separations of the individual sheet variants 8, 8 'and 8 "are shown with respect to their front and back side, ie recto and reverse side All color separations of this basic variant 8 are also used for imaging of printing forms, and therefore all the color separations of the basic variant 8 are shown here FIG. 8 are to identify whether a special color separation only one version of the printed product or multiple versions and thus multiple sheet variants is assigned, corresponding identification means 11 are provided. The selection of the basic variant can automatically by identifying the first submitted arc as the base variant.

In a further method step, the color separations cyan, magenta and yellow (yellow) are identified as identical to the color separations of the basic variant 8 for the sheet variant 8 ', whereby in this process status only the color black (black) is present as a color separation. The same applies here to the black color separation for the third sheet variant 8 ". This is the case for a catalog, especially if the changes between the individual versions of the catalog relate only to the text, which is generally black.

The color separations of the sheet variants 8 'and 8 "marked according to the method or not shown here are also no longer used for imaging in a imaging device such as a platesetter.

In a subsequent process step, the so selected and as in FIG. 7 shown color separations supplied to a printing platesetter, which creates printing plates based on these separations. The printing plates thus created are provided to a printing press for a printing operation and according to the versioning information according to the selection in accordance with FIG. 7 complete color sets consisting of black, cyan, magenta and yellow are compiled and z. For example, for the different sheet variants 8, 8 ', 8 ", the color separations cyan, magenta and yellow are retained and only the black color separations are exchanged, whereby the sheet variants are also imaged in the previously determined edition of the total printed product printed with the sheet 8 twice pages (here pages 1 to 4) for the version A. With the sheet 8 "for the pages 1 to 4 then again a version A and additionally a version C, for example in a French language version printed. The color separations for the basic version 8 are therefore used half as often as a (English) print product of version A is to be generated in total, again half of the support for the sheet 8 "with the two versions A and C must be deducted since With Each page for version C will still print a copy for version A.
The color separations of the colors cyan, magenta and yellow of the sheet variant 8 and the color separation black of the sheet variant 8 'are used together half as often as a version B according to sheet variant 8' to be produced. The printing plates for cyan, magenta and yellow for base variant 8 are used together with the printing plate for the color separation black of the sheet variant 8 "as often as the print product version C (eg with the language french) is to be produced for the French edition of the catalog also English pages are produced as version A on the sheet variant 8 ", this number of pages according to the sheet variant 8" does not have to be printed with the black color of the sheet variant 8. Here are always duplicate pages for the English version printed, therefore, the number of prints required with the black color for the color separation of the base variant 8 is reduced by a corresponding number of prints.

In this way, only the really necessary printing plates for the individual color separations of the different sheet variants are imaged and used in a printing press, so that all different versions of the printed product to be produced, d. H. a catalog with different language supplements in English, German and French can be produced in the desired edition. It is always only a change of the black printing plates between the individual sheet variants necessary and by using different pages that belongs to different versions of the printed product, on a common sheet variant 8 "and the need for printing plate space is minimized as such.

The FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the inventive method for determining the sheet variants, which are actually imaged in the form of printing plates and in a subsequent printing process of the imaging of substrates, such as paper sheets are based.

In step S 1, for a single printed product, it is first determined which page size this product will have. This is first of all independent of the number of different versions in which this print product is to be created later. In addition to the page size, it is determined by suitable means how many versions of the printed product are to be generated, to simplify the further processing, these different versions are named by means of input masks, so that a clear assignment is possible. Here, e.g. Versions A, B, C are named or determined.

In step S2, first of all, for a single version, the sheets are imparted and the paper types required for each sheet are determined.

In step S3, it is then determined for each sheet in how many variants this printed sheet is to occur. In this step S4 also the basic variant, which is based on the other sheet variants exactly this arc is determined.

In step S4, in each case one of the versions determined in S 1 is assigned to the sheet variants determined in S 3. If there are several areas on a sheet variant, one of the versions is assigned to each of these areas. The areas may in particular describe different or identical sides of a final printed product, which are imaged onto a single printing plates.

A further refinement of the assignment of the sheet variants takes place in step S5. Here it is determined with which colors are to be printed and which of them differ between the versions. If a printed product is composed of a plurality of printed sheets, it may generally be the case that for different printing sheets, i. For printed sheets that are assigned to different positions in the printed product, also different findings are made, which colors differ within a sheet from variant to variant.

When determining the differing color separations, or the identical color separations, a distinction with respect to the color separations of the first Basic variant met and in a second comparison then in relation to color separations, which were already compared with the basic variant.

The differing color separations are applied in step S6 to a plate exposure, i. forwarded to a platesetter. Thus, although image data for each first color separations, to which identical second color separations exist for imaging transferred, the image data of identical second color separations, however, are not sent to the platesetter.

On the basis of the image data of the individual color separations sent to the imagesetter in step S6, printing plates are exposed in step S7. Only the required printing plates are imaged, corresponding color separations are used only once to produce corresponding printing plates.

Finally, in step S8, substrates in the form of paper sheets are imaged on the basis of the exposed printing plates and the specific sheet variants by means of the printing plates provided. In this case, different variants of a printed sheet are first printed on one another in a printing press. First, the base variant is printed and subsequent subsets of the printing plates used for the different inks, i. for the individual color separations according to the differing color separations, as determined in step S5, exchanged.

In this way, the number of printing plates to be imaged and also the necessary printing plate changes for different versions of a printed product can be kept to a minimum.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 2, 2 ', 2' ', 3, 8, 8', 8 "4, 5, 6, 7 7 '

Sheet variants Color separations of the basic variant Color separation of a second sheet variant11 Third identification means for identifying identical or color separations of the basic variant of different color separations

Claims (15)

1. Imaging method for printing formes, comprising the steps of

   - providing different versions of a print product to be printed on at least one print sheet,

   - imposing the versions to different electronic print sheet variants, (1, 1', 2, 2', 2", 3, 8, 8' 8")

   - providing first identification means to identify at last one basic variant for at least one electronic print sheet, the basic variant being essentially the basis for variants of the print sheet,

   - identifying the basic variants for print sheets with more than one variant,

   - providing second identification means for identifying electronic sheet variants or areas of electronic sheet variants as belonging to a specific version of the print product,

   - identifying the areas of the electronic sheet variants or the electronic sheet variants that are associated with a version of the print product,

   - storing the number of versions, the information on the basic variant, the association information on which electronic sheet variants or areas of electronic sheet variants belong to which version of a print product as versioning information,

   - using colour separations based on the electronic sheet variants to image printing formes,

   - imaging printing formes in accordance with data that are identical with at least the data of all colour separations associated with the basic variant (8),

   - preventing the imaging of printing formes in accordance with colour separation data that are associated with a second colour separation that is identical with a colour separation of the basic variant (8).
2. Imaging method according to Claim 1,
   characterized in
   that the following steps are included:

   - providing determination means for determining the number of envisaged versions of the print product,

   - determining the number of envisaged versions of the print product.
3. Imaging method according to one of Claims 1 and 2,
   characterized in
   that furthermore the following steps are included:

   providing third identification means (11) for differentiating for at least one colour separation (4, 5, 6, 7) of at least one electronic sheet variant (2, 2') whether the it is identical with or different from the corresponding colour separation of the electronic basic variant (8),

   - differentiating whether the at least one colour separation is identical with or different from the corresponding colour separation of the electronic basic variant (8),

   - storing differentiation information pertaining to differences from colour separation (4, 5, 6, 7) to colour separations relative to the electronic basic variant as versioning information.
4. Imaging method according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in
   that the following steps are included:

   - differentiating for at least one second colour separation whether it is identical with or different from the corresponding colour separation of the electronic basic variant (8),

   - differentiating for at least one third colour separation whether it is identical with or different from the corresponding colour separation of the electronic basic variant (8),

   - if the second and third colour separations are different from the colour separation of the basic variant, differentiating whether the third colour separation is different from the second colour separation,

   - using the colour separations to image printing formes

   - preventing the imaging of printing formes in accordance with colour separation data that are associated with a third colour separation identical with a second colour separation.
5. Imaging method according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in
   that the following steps are included:

   - determining sets of colour separations (C, M, Y, K) consisting of colour separations of the electronic basic variant (8) and of colour separations of the electronic sheet variants (8', 8") different from the corresponding colour separations of the electronic basic variant and/or from second colour separations to determine at least one set of colour separations that includes a colour separation for each process colour to be used, these colour separations being destined to be used simultaneously at least for periods of time in a printing press for printing on printing material, and

   - subsequent imaging of printing formes according to the colour separation data determined in this way.
6. Imaging method according to Claim 1,
   characterized in
   that the length of the print run of a sheet variant is determined from the association of the print sheet areas present on the sheet variant, the version associated with each individual area, and the target run length thereof.
7. Printing method using printing formes that have been imaged in accordance with one of Claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in
   that at least a part of the versioning information according to Claim 1 is made available to the printing press, that initially a first complete set of printing plates according to the sheet variants (1, 1', 2, 2', 2", 3, 8, 8', 8") is provided in accordance with one of the preceding claims, that printing material is printed using these printing plates in a print run corresponding to the desired print run length of the print sheet variant, and that subsequently a subset of the set of print formes used for this printing process is exchanged for printing formes that are different from the used sheet variants, the subset being smaller than the total set.
8. Printing method according to Claim 7,
   characterized in
   that successively, subsets or entire sets of printing plates are exchanged so that all print sheet variants are printed at least at the run length that is required for providing the associated versions of the print product.
9. Printing method according to one of Claims 7 and 8,
   characterized in
   that the print run length to be printed for a single print sheet variant is determined from the association of the versions to the print sheet variants or to areas of the print sheet variants that are associated with one version and from the target print run lengths required for the versions, and
   that printing material amounting to the determined print run length is printed in a printing press using printing plates that are associated with these print sheet variants.
10. Printing method according to Claim 7 or 8,
    characterized in
    that for each print colour, an order of print formes at least areas of which are associated with different versions is determined, or a printing order is determined that on the whole requires a minimum of printing plate changes between the print runs and/or that initially all printing formes are used that are associated with different colour separations of only one basic variant.
11. Device for imaging printing formes in accordance with a method according to one of Claims 1 to 10,
    characteriezd in
    that an association device is provided comprising
    a receiving device for accepting imposed electronic print sheets,
    a display device for displaying at least symbols for the imposed electronic print sheets and a selecting device for selecting electronic print sheet variants,
    wherein the association device further comprises a selecting device with at least one identification means for identifying electronic print sheet variants that represent a basic variant for imaging print sheets according to predetermined product versions, wherein at least one second identification means for identifying electronic sheet variants or areas of electronic sheet variants as associated with a specific product version is provided, and
    wherein memory areas for storing information pertaining to the basic variant, the association information on which sheet variants or areas of sheet variants belong to which versions of a print product as versioning information are included, and
    wherein the association device further comprises a defining element for defining those colour separations that are to be imaged by an imaging device and those colour separations whose imaging is prevented.
12. Device according to Claim 11,
    characterized in
    that third identification means are provided to differentiate at least one colour separation (4, 5, 6, 7) of at least one electronic sheet variant, the identification means being suitable for identifying whether this colour separation (7) is identical with or different from the corresponding colour separation of the basic variant, and
    that the memory areas are suitable for storing this differentiation information on differences from colour separations to colour separations relative to the basic variant.
13. Device according to Claim 11 or 12,
    characterized in
    that the association device comprises at least one determination means for determining the number of envisaged versions of the print product or that the association device includes fourth identification means for identifying third colour separations that are identical with second colour separations, which in turn are different from colour separations that are associated with an electronic basic variant.
14. Device according to at least one of Claims 11 to 13,
    characterized in
    that the association device includes a determining organ for determining sets of colour separations and including a rule memory for the following rules:

    selection of colour separations of the basic variant,

    selection of colour separations from sheet variants, the colour separations being different from the corresponding colour separations of the basic variant and/or from second colour separations,

    and that the determining organ further includes a determining element for determining at least one set of colour separations from the selected colour separations that includes a colour separation for each print colour to be used, these colour separations being destined to be used at least for periods of time simultaneously in a printing press to print on printing material.
15. Device according to one of Claims 11 to 14,
    characterized in
    that a first transmission device for transmitting imaging data and a second transmission device for transmitting versioning information to a device for further processing are provided.

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