JP2002166608A - System, method and program for generating print data - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that a background part will be transferred with an original color as it is when an original image including the background is taken in as it is and transferred, thus producing a loose transfer image. SOLUTION: An original image is separated into the background part and the print image and the ground color of an object being transferred is detected. Color of the background part can be prevented from appearing in a transferred image by substituting the detected ground color of the object being transferred for the color of the separated background part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system and a method for creating print data for transferring an image to a transfer target such as cloth or leather, and a program therefor, and more particularly to a method for making a transferred image look beautiful. It relates to creation of print data that can be performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an image is transferred to a transfer target such as clothing, various furniture, tableware, etc., if the original image is transferred as it is, it cannot be transferred beautifully due to a combination with a cloth part such as clothing. There is. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a case is considered in which a portion surrounded by a broken line 3 of an image 2 of digital model data obtained by digitizing an original transfer image is transferred to a T-shirt 1 to be transferred. In this case, the creator originally intended to print only the print image 4b displayed with diagonal lines except the white background image 4a in the above image.
The purpose is to obtain a design like the T-shirt shown in (2) by transferring it to the shirt 1. However, when the area of the digital model data indicated by the broken line 3 in (5) is simply transferred, the base 4a is also transferred, and the T-shirt on which the image including the background image 4a is transferred as shown in (3). I can only get it. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems of the conventional transfer technology as described above, and to provide a print data creation system, a method, and a program for obtaining a beautiful transfer.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in view of a system, a print data creating system for creating print data to be imprinted on fabric from digital model data is provided. Model data capturing means for capturing, image separating means for generating a print image and a background image from the digital model data, fabric color capturing means for capturing the color of the fabric as digital data, and fabric color capturing means for the color of the background image A background image obtaining means for obtaining a background image by correcting to the color captured by the method, and a print data generating means for generating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained by the background image obtaining means. This is a print data creation system provided. The present invention also provides a configuration in which a print area is extracted from a background image or a print image obtained by the image separating means according to the present invention, and a background image is obtained by the background image obtaining means with respect to the extracted print area. A configuration is also provided in which the background image acquiring means of the invention has a function of applying gradation to the background image obtained by the image separating means in accordance with the background color captured by the background color capturing means. Further, the present invention can include a print image color correcting means for correcting the color of the print image according to the background color. Further, the present invention viewed from a method aspect provides a print data creating method for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data importing step for importing the digital model data, and a print image and a background image from the digital model data. An image separating step of generating a background color, a background color capturing step of capturing the color of the cloth as digital data, and a background image obtaining step of correcting the color of the background image to the color captured in the background color capturing step to obtain a background image And a print data creation step of creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained in the background image acquisition step. Further, the present invention viewed from a program aspect provides a print data creation program for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data importing step for importing the digital model data, and a print image and background from the digital model data. An image separation process for generating an image, a fabric color capturing process for capturing the color of the fabric as digital data, and a background image acquisition for correcting the background image color to the color captured in the fabric color capturing process to obtain a background image A print data creation program for causing a computer to execute a process and a print data creation process of creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained in the background image acquisition process.

[0004]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
The following embodiments and examples are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a print data creation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a modified example of the hardware configuration diagram, FIG. 3 is a modified example of the hardware configuration diagram, and FIG. , A procedure diagram schematically showing an example of a print data creation procedure of the print data creation system, FIG. 5 is a procedure diagram showing another print data creation procedure, and FIG. 6 shows still another print data creation procedure. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of gradation, FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing the effect of the brightness and saturation of the background color on the brightness and saturation of the printed image, and FIG.
Is a flowchart schematically showing an example of a print data creation procedure of the print data creation system. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between digital model data, a print image, a background image and a finished product pattern. is there.

First, an outline of a print data creation system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 1 to 3 show an example of the hardware configuration of this system. The system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an example in which the printing apparatus P achieves a function of reading an image of a cloth from a cloth or the like, an image processing function of separating or synthesizing images, and a print processing function. 3 shows a case where the image processing function is achieved by the host computer, and the image reading function and the image forming function are achieved by the printing apparatus P. However, this is merely an example, and the three units of the image reading unit that achieves the image reading function, the image processing unit that achieves the image processing function, and the image forming unit that achieves the image forming function are separately configured. In addition, for example, it is also possible to configure only the image reading unit independently of the printing apparatus. This print data creation system is a print data creation system for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data in which a figure such as a pattern of clothes is created by digital data. Means. The model data capturing means may be constituted by an image processing means such as an arithmetic unit which captures an image stored in a hard disk of a host computer as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, for example, as shown in FIG. It can also be constituted by image reading means such as a scanner which takes in digital model data from analog information. The system further includes an image separating unit that generates a print image and a background image from the digital model data. The image separating means scans the digital model data in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, recognizes the print image portion and the background image portion, respectively, separates the two, and
It performs a function of generating a print image and a background image, and is configured as an essential element by an image processing unit that forms an arithmetic unit of a computer that fetches the data model data and performs a recognition process. The procedure of this image separation is well known. For example, digital model data is binarized, read in the main scanning direction, and the outline of the image is extracted. If the outline is closed, the inside of the closed area is recognized as a print image, and the outside is a background image. A well-known procedure of recognizing as "" can be adopted. Further, the system includes a cloth color capturing means for capturing the color of the cloth to be transferred as digital data. An example of the cloth color capturing means is an image reading means such as a scanner which reads the colored image directly from the cloth, and an image processing means which is an arithmetic unit of a computer which analyzes the color from the colored image read from the image reading means. And it can be composed of Of course, the image reading means itself may have the color analysis function. As a method of analyzing the color from the colored image, for example, a well-known method of applying three kinds of filters of RGB to the colored image and decomposing the image into three primary colors can be used. The system further includes a background image acquisition unit that corrects the color of the background image to a color acquired by the background color acquisition unit and acquires a background image. Such a function of the background image acquiring unit is achieved by an image processing unit which is a computing unit of the computer. This function is achieved by replacing the area surrounded by the outline in the background image with the color captured by the cloth capturing means. This can be achieved by software. Further, this system is provided with print data creation means for creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained by the background image acquisition means.
The superposition of the images is a well-known method like the separation of the images, and thus the detailed description is omitted. However, this function is also achieved by the image processing means which is the arithmetic unit of the computer. The work manufactured by the print data obtained by the print data creation system thus configured is
As shown in FIG. 9 (2), the background portion is adjusted to the fabric color,
It gives a beautiful finish. In this system, a printing area may be extracted from the background image or the printing image obtained by the image separating means, and the background image may be obtained by the background image obtaining means for the extracted printing area. It is possible. For example, when it is desired to capture a part of the image of the digital model data as a print image, the print area, which is a part of the background image or the print image obtained by the image separating unit, is defined as a rectangle or an ellipse. A case is considered in which a background image is obtained by cutting out (extracting) a simple shape and coloring the background portion thereof with a fabric color. Further, a function of applying a gradation corresponding to the background color captured by the background color capturing unit to the background image obtained by the image separating unit can be added to the background image obtaining unit in this system. If this method is adopted, a gradation that gradually changes to the background color from the printed image to the background portion of the background can be provided, so that a product with a natural finish can be obtained. In this system, a print image color correcting means for correcting the color of the print image according to the background color can be further provided. Human perception of color depends on the color of the fabric. Therefore, if this print image correction means is applied,
As described above, since the color of the printed image can be adjusted to a color that matches the human vision affected by the fabric color, the color of the product image in appearance can be adjusted beautifully.

Next, a print data creation procedure in the print data creation system will be described according to a print data creation program adopted by the system. The basic procedure of this program is shown in FIG. 4 and should be referred to. FIG. 5 is an outline of a procedure including a process of step S3 for detecting a print area from a background image described later. FIG. 6 is an outline of a procedure including a procedure for applying gradations of S5, S6, and S7. This program
It can be correctly understood by referring to the procedure diagram (flow chart) in FIG. In the following description, S1, S2, S3
... indicate the numbers of the processing procedures (steps) of the program. When the program is started, a process of capturing the digital model data 2 (see FIG. 10) is executed (model data capturing means). As described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, even if a color image which is analog data is captured by an image reading means such as a scanner, the digital image stored in the hard disk of the host computer as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. Model data may be imported. The image processing means such as the arithmetic unit of the computer generates the print image 4b and the background image 4a shown in FIG. 10 from the captured digital model data (S2) (image separation means). Which part of the image 2 composed of the digital model data is the print image 4b or the background image 4a is determined by scanning the digital model data in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction as described above. The print image 4b and the background image 4a may be generated by recognizing the image and the background image 4a, respectively, and may be separated by the operator. Next, as shown in FIG. 10 (5), the print image 4b is smaller than the entire size of the digital model data image 2 (the background image 4a
If the image is wide), the image processing means converts the background image 4a or the printed image 4b created as described above into FIG.
As shown by the broken line in (5), a print area 3 having an appropriate size is extracted (S3) (print area extraction means). The reason why the print area is extracted anew is that the print area 3 is extracted as described above.
May be performed only when the print area 3 is smaller than the image 2 of the all-digital model data. If the size of the print area 3 is almost the same as the image 2 of the all-digital model data, the process of S3 may be omitted. . When the print area is extracted in this way, the capture of the background color shown in S4 (S4) is performed (background color capture means). As described above, the capture of the fabric color is achieved by reading the colored image directly from the transfer target fabric by image reading means such as a scanner, and analyzing the color from the read colored image by the image processing means. You. As a method of analyzing the color from the colored image, for example, three types of filters of RGB are applied to the colored image to obtain a color image.
As described above, it is possible to use a well-known method of decomposing into primary colors. As described above, an object of the present invention is to acquire a print image for obtaining a product without the background image 4a ((2) in FIG. 10) as shown in (3) in FIG. In the design as in (2), the contrast between the color of the base of the cloth and the printed image 4b may be too strong. In this case, a natural-looking design can be obtained by providing a gradation that gradually changes from the background color around the print image 4b. Next, the process proceeds to a step of determining whether or not to add a gradation to the background image obtained by the image separating means (S5). If the operator gives an instruction to apply a gradation, the process proceeds to S6, where a gradation reference color is captured. In short, the gradation process is to form a gradation portion 5a gradually approaching the color of the background as it goes outside on the inner peripheral portion of the print image 5 as shown in FIG. For the gradation processing, those incorporated in many commercially available image editing software can be used. In this embodiment, gradation is applied in the procedure shown in FIG. That is, from the digital model data 2 in FIG.
The point of acquiring the print image shown in (2) and the background image shown in (3), and the point of extracting the background color from the clothes to be transferred and the like (4) are the same as the processes S1 to S4 so far. . In this embodiment, the color of the base portion 4b surrounding the print image is further input (5) (S6). This is achieved in the same manner as the input of the background color. Further, in the next step (6), a gradation portion 6 that gradually changes in color from the color of the cloth to the color of the input background is created in the inner peripheral portion of the background portion 4b (S7), and this gradation is applied. The background image 4a and the print image 4b are combined (7) and (8), and the process proceeds to S8. However, whether or not to apply the gradation as described above depends on the instruction of the operator. If no gradation is to be applied, the process directly proceeds to S8. In S8, the color of the background image is replaced with the background color. That is, a background image in which the color of the background image is corrected to the color captured by the background color capturing unit is obtained. If the background includes gradation through S7, the background image with gradation is acquired.

Next, the process proceeds to a process of adjusting the color of the print image to a color that matches the human vision. That is, in S9, the color of the print image is corrected according to the background color (print image color correction means). FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the lightness and the saturation in the color of a predetermined image and the lightness and the saturation of the color of the transferred object corrected according to the human visual sense. As shown in this graph, the relationship between the color indicated by a point consisting of a certain lightness and saturation and the point of the color consisting of lightness and saturation corrected by the human visual sense is
It is represented by a point shifted by a predetermined distance in the direction of the predetermined angle. However, this relationship itself is already known. Such correction of the color of the printed image may be performed as needed, and is an optional process. By performing such a process, a beautiful product that matches the color vision of a person can be obtained. Further, the image processing means creates the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained by the background image acquisition means (S10) (print data creation means). The print data obtained in this way is given a new name and stored in a predetermined storage means (S1).
1). At this time, a left-right inverted image may be created and saved so as to be ready for future print processing (FIG. 6).
(11)). The printing apparatus P creates a transfer seal based on the print data obtained by this method. If this method is adopted, a clear image not including a background image as shown in (2) of FIG. 10 can be transferred. When gradation is applied, a gradation that gradually changes to the color of the fabric, for example, from the printed image to the background of the fabric can be provided, so that a product with a natural finish can be obtained.

[0008]

As described above, the system according to the present invention is a print data creation system for creating print data to be imprinted on fabric from digital model data. Image separating means for generating a print image and a background image from data; cloth color capturing means for capturing the color of the cloth as digital data; and correcting the background image color to the color captured by the cloth color capturing means. And a print data creating unit for creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained by the background image acquirer. .
Further, the present invention viewed from a method aspect provides a print data creating method for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data importing step for importing the digital model data, and a print image and a background image from the digital model data. An image separating step of generating a background color, a background color capturing step of capturing the color of the cloth as digital data, and a background image obtaining step of correcting the color of the background image to the color captured in the background color capturing step to obtain a background image And a print data creation step of creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained in the background image acquisition step. Further, the present invention viewed from a program aspect provides a print data creation program for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data importing step for importing the digital model data, and a print image and background from the digital model data. An image separation process for generating an image, a fabric color capturing process for capturing the color of the fabric as digital data, and a background image acquisition for correcting the background image color to the color captured in the fabric color capturing process to obtain a background image A print data creation program for causing a computer to execute a process and a print data creation process of creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained in the background image acquisition process. Therefore, according to these inventions, the background image shown in (3) of FIG. 10 is not formed around the print image transferred to the product, and the printed image is printed as shown in (2) of FIG. Since only the image is clearly transferred, the transfer quality is improved,
A beautiful transfer image can be obtained. Further, if the print area is extracted from the background image or the print image obtained by the image separating means and the background image is obtained by the background image obtaining means with respect to the extracted print area, the print image becomes digital model. Even when the image is smaller than the data image, a small background image can be extracted in accordance with the small print image, so that a beautiful transcript can be obtained. Further, when the background image acquiring means of the present invention has a function of applying gradation to the background image obtained by the image separating means in accordance with the background color taken in by the background color taking means, Since a natural gradation can be introduced into the image, the unnaturalness of the joint between the transferred image and the background image can be eliminated. Further, the present invention can include a print image color correcting means for correcting the color of the print image according to the background color. In this case, since the visual color sense of the print image corresponding to the ground color can be corrected, a beautiful transfer image conforming to human vision can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a print data creation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a modified example of the hardware configuration diagram.

FIG. 3 is a modified example of the hardware configuration diagram.

FIG. 4 is a procedure diagram schematically showing an example of a print data creation procedure of the print data creation system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another print data creation procedure.

FIG. 6 is a procedure diagram showing another print data creation procedure.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of gradation.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing the effect of the brightness and saturation of the background color on the brightness and saturation of a printed image.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an example of a print data creation procedure of the print data creation system.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between digital model data, a print image, a background image, and a finished product pattern.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Clothes (transfer target) 2 ... Digital model data image 3 ... Dashed line 4a ... Background image 4b ... Printed image 5 ... Printed image 5a ... Gradation part 6 ... Gradation

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A print data creation system for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data acquisition unit for acquiring the digital model data, and an image separation unit for producing a print image and a background image from the digital model data. Means for acquiring a background color by acquiring the background image by correcting the color of the background image to the color acquired by the background color acquiring means; And a print data creation means for creating the print data by superimposing the background image obtained by the background image acquisition means. 2. A print data creation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a print area is extracted from the background image or print image obtained by the image separation means, and the background image is obtained by the background image obtaining means for the extracted print area. system. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said background image acquiring means has a function of applying a gradation to the background image obtained by said image separating means in accordance with the background color taken in by the background color taking means. Described print data creation system. 4. A print image color correcting means for correcting a color of the print image in accordance with a background color.
3. The print data creation system according to any one of 3. 5. A print data creating method for creating print data to be imprinted on fabric from digital model data,
A model data capturing step of capturing the digital model data, an image separating step of generating a print image and a background image from the digital model data, a fabric color capturing step of capturing a fabric color as digital data, A background image obtaining step of obtaining a background image by correcting the color captured in the fabric color capturing step, and a print of creating the print data by superimposing the print image and the background image obtained in the background image obtaining step A print data creation method comprising a data creation step. 6. A print data creation program for creating print data to be imprinted on a fabric from digital model data, a model data importing step for importing the digital model data, and an image separation for generating a print image and a background image from the digital model data. Process, and a fabric color capturing process for capturing the color of the fabric as digital data.
A background image obtaining step of correcting the color of the background image to a color captured in the background color capturing step to obtain a background image, and superimposing the background image obtained in the printed image and the background image obtaining step to obtain the background image. A print data creation program for causing a computer to execute a print data creation step of creating print data.