JPH02213843A - Setup device for scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the solid-body difference among plural scanners and the setting error of data due to a secular change, etc., and to improve the operation rate of each scanner by correcting set color separation condition data, scanner by scanner, by using the level matching table of a table registering means. CONSTITUTION:The level matching table for matching reference levels between a setup device main body and the respective scanners is registered previously and the color separation condition data which are set by the setup device main body are corrected, scanner by scanner, by using the level matching table. Consequently, data for the plural scanners can accurately and efficiently be set corresponding to the solid-body differences among the scanners, secular change, etc., to improve the operation rate of each scanner.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to a scanner such as a color scanner used for plate making of originals such as color photographs, etc.
In particular, the present invention relates to a scanner setup device that allows color separation condition settings for a scanner to be set efficiently and accurately.

[Prior Art] Currently, in the field of plate making, plate making scanners such as color scanners have been developed and put into practical use when making plates of manuscripts such as color photographs.

This plate-making scanner works by attaching transparent or reflective originals to a drum while fishing on a boat, scanning the drum while rotating the drum, converting photographic information into electrical information as minute dots, and performing various image processing. After that, the Y (yellow plate), 2M (magenta plate), C (cyan plate), BK (
This method creates and outputs a 4-color halftone separation film (black version). And as for the actual work,
In order to create high-quality printed matter, these color separation condition data (hereinafter simply referred to as data) are used in plate making before operating (rotating) the plate making scanner, such as setting highlight shadows, masking and unsharp mask amount. It is necessary to set up the scanner. In this case, it would take a very long time to set the data on the prepress scanner each time.

Recently, set-up devices for independently setting data have been developed with the aim of improving the operating efficiency of plate-making scanners, and in particular, increasing the efficiency of set-up time and preparatory work. That is, this is because, rather than setting up various conditions on the plate-making scanner, it is more efficient to use a separate device from the plate-making scanner and carry out the set-up in a concentrated manner. Such a set-up apparatus usually sets data for a plurality of (2 to 3) prepress scanners in view of its capacity balance. The contents to be set up are (a)
Mechanical conditions such as reflective original/transparent original (b) number of halftone dots, (C) enlargement/reduction ratio, (d) halftone dot shape, (e) exposure mode, (f) highlight set, (g) shadow set(
h) Color correction (1) Broadly divided into soft conditions such as gradation curves. In this case, (a) ~
Regarding the mechanical conditions represented by (e), there are basically no individual differences between plate-making scanners or changes over time, but the problem lies in the software conditions (f) to (i).

In this regard, (f) highlight sets.

(g) Shadow set (1) This will be explained using a gradation curve as an example. In other words, the average operating rate of the prepress scanners used in the prepress department is usually 25 to 25%.
It is said to be 30%. This is the case when preparatory work was also performed using a prepress scanner. It is said that if this is set up online using a setup device, the operating rate of the prepress scanner will double to 50-60%, or it will still be 40-50%.
This means that a loss has occurred. The reason for this is that although various data have been set by the setup device, proper setup has not been performed, and it becomes necessary to perform color separation again using the plate-making scanner. Approximately 70% of these redos are due to poor highlight set gradation curves and balance. Here, the criterion for whether or not to redo the process is a very strict value of ±1% in terms of halftone dot percentage in the case of a highlight set. Also, other conditions are approximately ±1%~
It is said to be ±2%. Therefore, it is not only extremely difficult to meet such strict conditions for each individual plate-making scanner, but it is also difficult to control the color separation filters used when inputting images, considering changes over time, such as changes over time. is almost impossible.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the setup device generally sets data for multiple plate-making scanners, but in this case, level matching of the data sets (between the setup device and each plate-making scanner) is necessary. Although it is possible to match the reference levels between the two, it takes time to set it up, and it is difficult to deal with individual differences among plate-making scanners and changes over time, so it is used in very limited environments. Therefore, the actual situation is that the original objective of improving the operation rate of plate-making scanners cannot be sufficiently achieved.

The present invention was made in order to solve the problems mentioned above, and it is possible to efficiently and precisely set pigs for multiple scanners while taking into account individual differences among each scanner, changes over time, etc. An object of the present invention is to provide a scanner setup device that can significantly improve the operating rate of each scanner.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides color separation condition data for a plurality of scanners that input an image of a document, separate the image information, and output the image information. The set-up device used for setting includes a table registration means for registering a level matching table that matches the reference levels between the set-up device main body and each scanner, and The scanner is configured to include data correction means for correcting color separation condition data for each individual scanner using the level matching table of the table registration means.

[Function] Therefore, in the setup device of the present invention, the color separation condition data set in the setup device main body is corrected for each individual scanner in the level matching table of the table registration means, so that the color separation condition data set in the setup device main body is corrected for each individual scanner. Data setting errors caused by individual differences among scanners, changes over time, etc. can be eliminated, and set-up can be performed efficiently and accurately, thereby making it possible to improve the operating rate of each scanner.

[Example] In the present invention, a level matching table for matching the reference levels between the setup device main body and a plurality of scanners is registered in advance, and color separation condition data set in the setup device main body is used. By correcting each individual scanner using this level matching table, each scanner can be set up efficiently and accurately.

An embodiment of the present invention based on the above concept will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of a setup apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of a plate-making scanner to which the set-up apparatus according to the invention is applied. First, in FIG. 1, a set-up device is equipped with a color measurement head 1 similar to a plate-making scanner, and performs a wide range of document set-up, including color correction and gradation correction faithful to the document. Further, the original (for example, a color film) 3 attached to the cylinder 2 is placed in the color measuring head 1.
Various parameters are displayed on the monitor 5 via the computer 4 or the like. When correcting the parameter values displayed on the monitor 5 to predetermined values, the user can interact with the monitor 5 using the mouse 6 or the operation panel 7.

When the set-up of the document 3 is completed, the set-up data is outputted to the floppy disk 9 set in the floppy device 8 with a document name assigned thereto. In this case, since a plurality of originals 3 are usually attached to the cylinder 2, the above operation is repeated for as many originals as there are originals.

On the other hand, the data created by the setup device is output to a floppy disk 9, and this floppy disk 9 is set in a floppy device 10 of a prepress scanner shown in FIG. Further, the cylinder 2 with the original 3 pasted thereon is similarly attached to the plate-making scanner from the set-up device. In this way, color separation work can be started on the prepress scanner without setting data on the prepress scanner. In addition, in FIG. 2, 11 is an operation panel.

Now, the setup device usually sets data for multiple (2 to 3) prepress scanners, but as mentioned above, the standard level between the setup device and the multiple prepress scanners is set to the above-mentioned tolerance level. It is very difficult to match the conditions, and even if matching is possible as an initial setting, it is impossible to always equalize the change over time of each filter used as a color separation filter when inputting an image of a document. In addition, the plate-making scanner is complex as shown in the block diagram in FIG. I have it.

In other words, there is a table registration function that registers a level matching table as shown in FIG. 4 in the internal memory to match the reference levels between the set-up device main body and a plurality of prepress scanners, and a table registration function that registers a level matching table as shown in FIG. 4 in the internal memory. It has a data correction function that corrects the data set by each plate making scanner using a level matching table.

Therefore, in the setup device of this embodiment, when the setup data is output to the floppy disk 9 after setup in the setup device itself, the setup data is output to the level matching table shown in FIG. By using this method and making corrections for each plate-making scanner, it is possible to match the levels completely uniformly. Further, this level matching table can be easily modified on the screen of the monitor 5, and it is also possible to quickly respond to individual differences in plate-making scanners and changes over time.

As described above, the setup device of this embodiment includes a conventional setup device equipped with a computer 4, and a level matching table for matching reference levels between the setup device and a plurality of prepress scanners. was registered in the computer 4, and the set-up data once set up with the set-up device was corrected for each plate-making scanner using a level matching table to obtain the final set-up data. It is something.

Therefore, it is possible to efficiently and accurately perform data set on a plurality of plate-making scanners, and the operating rate of the plate-making scanners can be significantly improved.

Moreover, in this case, it is possible to deal with individual differences and changes over time between multiple plate-making scanners, so there is no need to use the setup device in a very limited environment as in the past, and it is not necessary to use the setup device for its original purpose. It is possible to sufficiently improve the operating rate of the plate making scanner.

In the above embodiments, the present invention was applied to a plate-making scanner, but the present invention can be similarly applied to other scanners.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a level matching table for matching reference levels between the setup device main body and each scanner is registered in advance, and color separations set in the setup device main body are Since the condition data is corrected for each scanner using a level matching table, data sets for multiple scanners can be done efficiently and accurately while taking into account individual differences among each scanner and changes over time. , it is possible to provide a scanner setup device that can significantly improve the operating rate of each scanner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external view showing an example of the setup device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of a prepress scanner to which the set-up device of the present invention is applied, and Fig. 3 is an example of the same implementation. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the plate-making scanner in the example, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the level matching table in the same example. 1...Color measuring head, 2...Cylinder, 3...
・Manuscript, 4・Computer 5...Monitor 6
... Mouse, 7... Operation panel, 8... Floppy device, 9... Floppy 10... Floppy device,
11...Operation panel. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A setup device used to set color separation condition data for a plurality of scanners that input an image of a document, separate the image information, and output it, comprising: a main body of the setup device; table registration means for registering a level matching table for matching reference levels between the set-up device and each scanner; and a table registration means for registering a level matching table for matching reference levels between the set-up device and each scanner; A scanner setup device comprising: data correction means for correcting each individual scanner;