Patent ID: 7085018

Claim:
A method for engraving printing cylinders in an electronic engraving machine, comprising the steps of: engraving at least two engraving lanes that lie next to one another in an axial direction on a printing cylinder with a respectively allocated engraving element; generating signal values that represent rated density values to be achieved for drive of the engraving elements; with the engraving elements driven with the signal values engraving cups into the printing cylinder whose geometry values represent actual printing densities that have been achieved; prescribing a standard calibration function that describes a relationship between the geometry values and the rated printing densities; calibrating electrical properties of the engraving elements such that, given drive of the engraving elements with signal values belonging to characteristic rated printing densities, cups having geometry values prescribed by the standard calibration function are engraved; and matching the printing densities in the individual engraving lanes by engraving cups in the printing lanes with which the prescribed, characteristic rated printing densities are to be achieved, identifying the actual printing densities achieved by measurement after the printing, deriving a corrected lane calibration for the respective engraving lane from deviations between the rated printing densities and the actual printing densities, and applying the allocated, corrected lane calibration in the engraving lanes.