Patent ID: 6808244
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method for optimising print images output onto substrate surfaces by color printers and for optimising the printing ink quantities used, wherein an image motif is processed by means of a computer-aided image processing system to form an image original which is ready for printing, characterised in that at image points of the image original with small or missing total color covering, prior to application of the print image, a base print in white is applied directly to the substrate surface or, in a counter-print, a base print in white is applied directly to the print image, wherein for each image point the method comprises the following steps:a) displaying an image data of an image original which is ready to output in a raster graphics format with primary printing colors CMYK; b) applying a further color plane â€œwhiteâ€  (W); c) acquiring a color density values FC for C (cyan), FM for M (magenta), FY for Y (yellow) and FK for K (black) and determining an overall color density SF from the color density values FC, FM, FY, and FK. d) establishing the color density value FW for the color plane white as a function FW=f(SF) of the total color density SF, wherein the dependency FW=f(SF) consists in the fact that with an increasing total color density SF over the interval of 0&lE;SF&lE;SFmax smaller color density values FW are continuously and/or discretely allocated, wherein SFmax corresponds to the maximum possible total color density SF, e) creating the image original in a taster graphics data format with at least 5 color planes (CMYKW); and f) allocation of the modified image data of the image original to a printer driver or â€œRaster Image Processorâ€  (RIP) and conversion into a data format which can be interpreted by the printer unit, printing the print image and the white base print.