JPH0980733A - Plate making system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plate making system with which the building and operation of a flexible system are executable and output of good accuracy is possible. SOLUTION: An output scanner 15 is specified by assigning an output scanner name and the number of output lines via a computer 5, etc. This computer 5 reads an output condition file out of a data storage device 11 and obtains the pixel length of the output scanner 15. Image data is inputted from an input scanner at the resulted pixel length. The processing for ordinary plate making is thereafter executed and the image is outputted by the specified output scanner 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plate making system for printing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a plate making system is provided with an input scanner and an output scanner, an image such as a photograph is inputted by the input scanner, and the image is outputted on a film by the output scanner. Then, printing is performed using the film as a plate. By the way, when constructing a plate making system, it was designed on the assumption that a scanner manufactured by our company was connected, and there was no mechanism for registering the output conditions of a scanner manufactured by another company.

[0003]

Therefore, it is difficult to mix and use input / output scanners from different manufacturers in one plate-making system, and it is difficult to construct and operate a flexible system. was there. Further, when absolute accuracy of the output size is strictly required, it is necessary to measure an accurate resolution for each scanner, but in the conventional plate making system, there was no mechanism for registering this.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plate making system capable of constructing and operating a flexible system and capable of outputting with high accuracy. It is in.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first invention is an input scanner for inputting image data, a plurality of output scanners for outputting the image data to a film, and an output of the output scanner. The read output condition comprises: a storage device that stores the condition; and a unit that reads out the output condition of the specified output scanner from the storage device when one of the output scanners is specified. The plate-making system is characterized by inputting with an input scanner in accordance with the above.

In the first invention, when any one of the plurality of output scanners is specified, the output condition of the specified output scanner is read from the storage device, and the input scanner is read according to the read output condition. Make an input.

A second aspect of the present invention is an input scanner for inputting image data under predetermined input conditions, a plurality of output scanners for outputting image data on a film, and a storage device for storing output conditions of the output scanner. And specifying one of the output scanners,
A means for reading the output condition of the output scanner specified from the storage device, and means for performing pixel density conversion of the input image according to the read output condition and the input condition of the input scanner, The plate making system is characterized in that an image whose pixel density has been converted is output by the specified output scanner.

In the second invention, when the output scanner is specified, the output condition of the specified output scanner is read from the storage device, and the pixel of the image input according to the read output condition and the input condition of the input scanner is read. Density conversion is performed, and an image whose pixel density has been converted is output by the specified output scanner.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a network-type electronic plate-making system 1 according to this embodiment. In this network type electronic plate making system, the input scanners 3a, 3b, the computers 5a, 5b, the drawing device 7, the image processing device 9, the data storage device 11, the plate collecting operation device 13, the output scanners 15a, 15b, ... 15n,
Computers 17a, 17b, ... 17n are provided on the network 19.

The input scanners 3a and 3b read an original such as a photograph attached on a drum (not shown) at a predetermined angle and generate image data. The original is color-separated, captured as image data for each color component, and temporarily stored in the computers 5a and 5b directly connected to the input scanners 3a and 3b. The computers 5a and 5b store the image data input from the input scanners 3a and 3b, respectively, and transfer the image data to the data storage device 11.

The drawing device 7 is, for example, a digitizer and has a drawing area and a pointing device (not shown). The layout graphic is captured by inputting feature points and the like. The layout graphic thus fetched is stored in the data storage device 11.

The image processing device 9 displays the image data and layout graphic stored in the data storage device 11 and performs processing such as alignment of the image data and layout graphic and color correction. The data storage device 11 is, for example, a magnetic disk device, and includes image data sent from the computer 5, layout graphics sent from the drawing device 7, an output condition file 21, a page information file, and a plate operation device 13.
Stores one page of data (final data) created in.

The plate operation unit 13 is a data storage unit 11.
One page of data (final data) is created from the individual image data stored in the above, the position information of the image, and the like, and is transferred to the data storage device 11.

The computers 17a, 17b, ...
The final data is read from the data storage device 11 and sent to the output scanners 15a, 15b, ... The output scanners 15a, 15b, ...
The final data sent from 7a, 17b, ... Are output for each color component on the roll film mounted on the drum.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of the output condition file 21. The scanner name indicates the name of each output scanner. The output condition file 21 is classified based on the output scanner name, and the number of output lines, resolution, and pixel length are registered for each output scanner. The number of output lines indicates the pitch of halftone dots, and usually indicates how many halftone dots are lined up per inch. The resolution is the number of pixels per inch. The resolution is a theoretical value, and when the film is actually output, the resolution is slightly deviated from the theoretical value due to the accuracy of the output scanner. The pixel length is the size of one pixel, the size of the output product is measured in advance, and the pixel length (pixel length = output product size / number of pixels) is obtained from the output product size and the number of pixels. In this way, the output condition file 21 registers the resolution, which is a theoretical value, and the pixel length measured and obtained from the output object in order to obtain accuracy.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment. The case of outputting by the output scanner 15a will be described. First, the output scanner name and the number of output lines are specified via the computer 5a or the like to specify the output scanner 15 (step 301). For example, output scanner 15
If a is an output scanner named SCAN1 and the number of output lines is "175", the output scanner name SCAN
1 and the number of output lines "175" are designated. The designated result is recorded in the page information file of the data storage device 11.

The computer 5 reads the output condition file 21 from the data storage device 11 and obtains the pixel length of the output scanner (step 302). In this case, the third output condition registered for the scanner SCAN1 in the output condition file 21 is the output condition for the output scanner named SCAN1 with the number of output lines being "175". 63502 nm is obtained. Image data is input from the input scanner 3a with the obtained pixel length (step 303).

After that, processing for ordinary plate making is performed, and an image is output by the specified output scanner 15a.
(Step 304). In this case, the output scanner 15a
Outputs the data for one page sent from the computer 17a for each color component on the roll film mounted on the drum.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the pixel length calculated by the actual measurement of the connected output scanner is registered in the output condition file 21 in advance. Flexible system construction, such as allowing mixed use, is possible.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a case of outputting by the output scanner 15b will be described. First, image data is input from the input scanner at a resolution unique to the system (step 401). In this case, for example, by using the input scanner 3a, the system-specific resolution 356
Input is performed in dpi (pixel length = 71348 nm).

After that, processing for ordinary plate making is performed, and individual image data, image position information, etc. are stored in the data storage device 11 (step 402).

In the case of outputting an image using the output scanner, the output scanner name and the number of output lines are designated through the plate operation unit 13 to specify the output condition (step 4).
03). For example, if the output scanner outputs SCAN2
It is assumed that the number of output lines is "133".

The plate operation unit 13 is a data storage unit 11.
The output condition file 21 is read from to obtain the pixel length (step 404). In this case, the pixel length of 95490 nm is obtained from the first output condition of SCAN2 registered in the output condition file 21.

Next, the plate-making operation device 13 also performs pixel density conversion of each image when executing the plate-making operation (step 405). In this case, the input pixel length is 71
348 nm, and the pixel length at the time of output is 95490
Since it is nm, the number of pixels at the time of output is 71348 ÷ 95490 * 100 = 74.7% of the number of pixels at the time of input.
Therefore, the plate-making operation device 13 performs pixel density conversion, and performs an operation of thinning out image data to 74.7%.

After the calculation is completed, the output scanner 15b outputs an image (step 406). In this case, computer 1
The data 7b reads the final data from the data storage device 11 and sends one page of data to the output scanner 15b.
The output scanner 15b outputs the data for one page sent from the computer 17b for each color component on the roll film mounted on the drum.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is not necessary to determine the output scanner when inputting with the input scanner, and the output scanner may be determined immediately before the output. The scanner can be used efficiently.

Although the above-described embodiments have been described by taking the network type electronic plate making system 1 as an example, the present invention is not limited to the network type electronic plate making system 1 and can be used in other plate making systems.

[0028]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a plate making system capable of flexibly constructing and operating a system and capable of outputting with high accuracy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a network-type electronic plate-making system 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of an output condition file 21.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Network type electronic plate making system 3 ... Input scanner 5 ... Computer 7 ... Drafting device 9 ... Image processing device 11 ... Data storage device 13 ... Plate collection operation device 15. ..Output scanner 17 ... Computer 19 ... Network 21 ... Output condition file

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An input scanner for inputting image data, a plurality of output scanners for outputting image data to a film, a storage device for storing output conditions of the output scanner, and one of the plurality of output scanners. A plate making system comprising: a unit for reading the output condition of the specified output scanner from the storage device when the output scanner is specified; and inputting with the input scanner according to the read output condition. 2. An input scanner for inputting image data under predetermined input conditions, a plurality of output scanners for outputting image data to a film, a storage device for storing output conditions of the output scanner, and a plurality of output scanners. When any one of the output scanners is specified, a means for reading the output condition of the specified output scanner from the storage device, and a pixel of the input image according to the read output condition and the input condition of the input scanner A plate making system comprising: a unit for performing density conversion; and outputting an image subjected to pixel density conversion by the specified output scanner.