WO1998047707A1 - Method of and system for high quality reproduction of images - Google Patents
Method of and system for high quality reproduction of images Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1998047707A1 WO1998047707A1 PCT/US1998/008093 US9808093W WO9847707A1 WO 1998047707 A1 WO1998047707 A1 WO 1998047707A1 US 9808093 W US9808093 W US 9808093W WO 9847707 A1 WO9847707 A1 WO 9847707A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- image
- converting
- halftone
- separations
- color
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F5/00—Screening processes; Screens therefor
- G03F5/22—Screening processes; Screens therefor combining several screens; Elimination of moiré
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
- B41C1/00—Forme preparation
- B41C1/10—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme
- B41C1/1083—Mechanical aspects of off-press plate preparation
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
- H04N1/405—Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
- H04N1/4051—Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels producing a dispersed dots halftone pattern, the dots having substantially the same size
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
- B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
- B41C2210/16—Waterless working, i.e. ink repelling exposed (imaged) or non-exposed (non-imaged) areas, not requiring fountain solution or water, e.g. dry lithography or driography
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to reproduction of images, and more particularly, to methods and systems that create high quality image reproductions.
- a further type of lithographic printing process utilizes printing plates each having a photosensitive printing surface which, after exposure, is developed to produce oliophilic and oliophobic portions.
- An oil -based ink alone rather than an emulsion of ink and fountain solution, is then applied to the printing surface and is attracted to the oliophilic portions and is repelled from the oliophobic portions.
- the plates are then used as in the conventional lithographic process to apply the ink to the substrate.
- This process minimizes or eliminates the disadvantages of the water- based process, including problems relating to dot gain, washing of inked areas, maintenance of proper ink to water balance under static and dynamic press and ambient conditions, and the like.
- waterless printing can create reproductions having increased resolution, clarity, color accuracy and intensity.
- CTP computer-to-plate
- a CTP platesetter having a green or infrared laser imager.
- the imager is said to be of the thermal type which is capable of still further improvement in image definition as compared with visible light imagers . Cost may also be reduced as compared with such imagers.
- Stein, U. S. Patent No. 5,283,154 discloses a printing process which combines random screening techniques with waterless printing. In one embodiment, photosensitive printing plates are exposed through random pattern screens. In an alternative embodiment, the image to be reproduced is scanned by a scanner having software which generates a random pattern halftone image. The resulting electronic files are then used to produce printing plates. The plates are then used on a waterless press to reproduce the image.
- a method of and system for reproducing an image comprises a new combination of stochastic, thermal imaging and waterless printing which together achieve a remarkable improvement in reproduction quality. More particularly, a method of reproducing an image includes the steps of converting the image into a halftone image version having at least one set of irregularly spaced halftone dots associated with a color to be printed, thermally imaging a waterless printing plate in accordance with the halftone image version and using the waterless printing plate in a waterless printing process to reproduce the image.
- the step of imaging includes the step of using an infrared laser imaging apparatus.
- the image is in color and the step of converting includes the steps of developing separations of the image and processing at least one of the separations using a stochastic process.
- the image is expressed by electronic data and the step of converting includes the step of subjecting the electronic data to a stochastic process.
- a system for reproducing an image includes means for converting the image into a halftone image version having at least one set of irregularly spaced halftone dots associated with a color to be printed.
- Thermal imaging apparatus is responsive to the converting means for creating a waterless plate in accordance with the halftone image version and a waterless printing device is provided for printing the image using the waterless plate.
- the present invention is effective to achieve the highly desirable improvements in image quality and can offer reduced reproduction costs as compared with other reproduction methods and systems.
- FIG. 1-4 are block diagrams illustrating conventional printing systems and methods.
- Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a printing system and method according to the present invention. Description of the Preferred Embodiments
- a conventional lithographic system 10 includes an imagesetter 12 which receives electronic information from one or more of three data sources 14, 16 and 18.
- the sources 14 and 16 provide electronic data representing regular screened images and stochastic screened images, respectively.
- Regular screened images are those having halftone dots on regularly spaced dot centers. Typically, the dot size varies with screen density.
- Stochastic screened images sometimes referred to as random or FM screened images, typically vary the distance between dots to vary the screen density.
- the source 18 provides electronic data representing the makeup of each page to be reproduced.
- the imagesetter 12 assembles the data from the various sources 14, 16, 18 and produces film 20 which is used to expose one or more lithographic plates 22. If necessary or desirable, one or more of the plates may be exposed using film 24 supplied by a customer.
- the lithographic plates 22 are used in combination with ink and fountain solution (also sometimes referred to as "water”) to print images on a substrate, such as a web of paper.
- ink and fountain solution also sometimes referred to as "water”
- Fig. 2 illustrates a modification to the prior art system of Fig. 1 to accomplish waterless printing. Elements common to the various figures are assigned like reference numerals.
- the films 20 and/or 24 are used to expose one or more waterless printing plates 30 which are thereafter utilized with specialized waterless ink to create impressions on a substrate.
- the waterless printing process eliminates the water from the printing process, and thus eliminates ink emulsification, thereby minimizing distortion in the halftone dots. Further, reduced dot gain effects are obtained as well as high ink densities. Print contrast can thereby be increased and, since no water is absorbed by the paper, there is minimum paper stretch and register is more easily maintained.
- Fig. 3 illustrates a "computer-to-plate” (CTP) system 40 having a platesetter 42 which is responsive to the data provided by the sources 14, 16 and/or 18.
- the platesetter 42 includes a green laser which directly images one or more laser printing plates 44.
- the CTP system 40 of Fig. 3 is capable of increased production levels owing to the ability to quickly reimage the printing plates 44.
- Fig. 4 illustrates a modification to the system
- infrared laser i.e., infrared laser
- the infrared imaging illustrated in Fig. 4 is capable of significantly better image definition than the visible laser imaging of Fig. 3.
- Fig. 5 illustrates a printing system which incorporates the present invention.
- the system of Fig. 5 includes a CTP platesetter 42 which includes a thermal imaging laser that images one or more stochastic screened images on one or more waterless lithographic printing plates 60.
- the printing plates 60 are then used together with waterless ink to produce halftone reproductions of exceptional quality. This quality improvement is obtained together with minimization of waste at start-up of the press and can result in ink savings. Still further, color control can be achieved and maintained better and films are eliminated. Reimaging is easily accomplished and the use of stochastic screens for one or more of the separations or color (s) to be printed or otherwise reproduced eliminates Moire effects and results in improved resolution.
- the printing system can be used to reproduce black-and-white or color images, as desired.
- the platesetter is manufactured by Creo of Vancouver, Canada while the thermal waterless printing plates are manufactured by Presstek of New Hampshire. Of course, other manufacturers' products can be substituted for the platesetter and the plates, if desired.
- the stochastic screening process for creating the stochastic image data is disclosed in Xie et. al . U.S. Patent No. 5,335,089, entitled "Electronic High- Fidelity Screenless Conversion System and Method Using a Separable Filter, " owned by the assignee of the present application and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
- a proofing medium of the dye sublimation or thermal transfer type may be imaged by a thermal imaging device, such as the thermal imaging laser noted above, in accordance with stochastic screened image data.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU71472/98A AU7147298A (en) | 1997-04-24 | 1998-04-22 | Method of and system for high quality reproduction of images |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US84249297A | 1997-04-24 | 1997-04-24 | |
US08/842,492 | 1997-04-24 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1998047707A1 true WO1998047707A1 (en) | 1998-10-29 |
Family
ID=25287446
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1998/008093 WO1998047707A1 (en) | 1997-04-24 | 1998-04-22 | Method of and system for high quality reproduction of images |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU7147298A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998047707A1 (en) |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5283154A (en) * | 1990-10-24 | 1994-02-01 | National Printing And Packaging Company | Random screen waterless printing process |
WO1996002868A1 (en) * | 1994-07-13 | 1996-02-01 | Nouel Jean Marie | Use of frequency-modulated screening for lightening offset printing surfaces |
EP0734148A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Time modulated stochastic screening |
EP0734147A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Intensity modulated stochastic screening for preparing a lithographic printing plate |
EP0734151A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Size modulated stochastic screening |
EP0795998A1 (en) * | 1996-03-14 | 1997-09-17 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Producing a lithographic printing plate by sequentially exposing a thermo-sensitive imaging element by a set of radiation beams |
-
1998
- 1998-04-22 AU AU71472/98A patent/AU7147298A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1998-04-22 WO PCT/US1998/008093 patent/WO1998047707A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5283154A (en) * | 1990-10-24 | 1994-02-01 | National Printing And Packaging Company | Random screen waterless printing process |
US5283154B1 (en) * | 1990-10-24 | 1996-05-07 | Nat Printing And Packaging Com | Random screen waterless printing process |
WO1996002868A1 (en) * | 1994-07-13 | 1996-02-01 | Nouel Jean Marie | Use of frequency-modulated screening for lightening offset printing surfaces |
EP0734148A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Time modulated stochastic screening |
EP0734147A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Intensity modulated stochastic screening for preparing a lithographic printing plate |
EP0734151A1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1996-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Size modulated stochastic screening |
EP0795998A1 (en) * | 1996-03-14 | 1997-09-17 | Agfa-Gevaert N.V. | Producing a lithographic printing plate by sequentially exposing a thermo-sensitive imaging element by a set of radiation beams |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU7147298A (en) | 1998-11-13 |
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