Patent ID: 7102795

Claim:
A method for engraving printing cylinders in an electronic engraving machine, comprising the steps of: forming an engraving control signal from an image signal that represents tonal values of cups to be engraved and from a periodic raster signal for generating a printing raster, with an engraving stylus of an engraving element controlled by the engraving control signal engraving a printing form engraving line by engraving line in the form of cups arranged in the printing raster in a rotating printing cylinder engraving; for continuous checking of functionability of the engraving stylus, engraving test cups in prescribed printing cylinder regions substantially simultaneously when engraving the printing form; defining a respective measurement interval for selected test cups within the periods of the raster signal allocated to the selected test cups; eliminating the raster signal from the engraving control signal for a duration of the measurement interval; respectively investigating a remaining engraving control signal within the measurement interval for harmonics characteristic of damage to the engraving stylus; and generating a control signal signalling damage to the engraving stylus given presence of the characteristic harmonics.