Method for printing a color proof using a spatial filter

1. A method for printing a color proof from an initial halftone bitmap file comprising:

a) creating a 10-75% press target from a target bitmap for a printing press from a digital file of said 10-75% press target;

b) creating a proofer bitmap of a digital tint scale;

c) imaging said proofer bitmap on a proofer forming a printed tint scale, wherein said printed tint scale has areas that correspond to proofer bitmap areas;

d) measuring said tint scale areas identifying said proofer bitmap area that most closely matches said 10-75% press target;

e) using said target bitmap with said identified proofer bitmap to create a spatial filter;

f) sending an initial binary bitmap file to said spatial filter forming a filtered output;

g) quantizing said filtered output to “n” levels to create a quantized image;

h) transmitting said quantized image to a color printer; and

i) printing said color proof on said color printer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said spatial filter is a two-dimensional filter.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said two-dimensional filter filters said initial halftone bitmap file first in an “x” direction and second in a “y” direction.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said two-dimensional filter simultaneously filters said initial halftone bitmap file in an “x” direction and second in a “y”.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the edges of said initial binary bitmap are at an exposure greater than an average exposure of said initial binary bitmap.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initial binary bitmap has dots and the individual dot exposure can be adjusted to be greater than the average exposure of dots in said initial binary bitmap.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printing press is selected from the group: sheet fed press, web fed press, single color press, and multicolor press.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said color printer is a single pass recipe color-enabled printer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said “n” levels of said filtered output are at least 16 levels.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said levels of said filtered output include the level “off”.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion simultaneously with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

12. A method for printing a color proof from an initial binary bitmap file comprising:

a) creating a 10-75% horizontal line press target for a printing press having a target bitmap;

b) creating said target bitmap from a digital file of said horizontal line press target;

c) creating a proofer bitmap of a digital horizontal line scale;

d) imaging said proofer bitmap on a proofer to form a printed horizontal line scale, wherein said printed horizontal line scale has areas that correspond to proofer bitmap areas;

e) measuring said horizontal line scale areas to identify the area that most closely matches said horizontal line press target;

f) printing a horizontal line scale from 10 to 100% on said proofer having a set of said proofer halftone bitmaps;

g) using said target bitmap with said identified proofer bitmap area to create a horizontal spatial filter;

h) sending said initial binary bitmap file having individual dots to a horizontal spatial filter forming a horizontal filtered output;

i) quantizing said horizontal filtered output to “n” levels to create a quantized image;

j) transmitting said quantized image to a color printer; and

k) printing a halftone color proof on said color printer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein individual dot exposure can be adjusted to be greater than the average exposure of dots in said initial halftone bitmap file.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said printing press is selected from the group: sheet fed press, web fed press, single color press, and multicolor press.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said color printer is a single pass recipe color-enabled printer, wherein said recipe color-enabled printer consists of:

a) a printer with a writing resolution between 1400 and 4000 dpi;

b) a spot size between 4 and 900 um 2 ;

c) at least two colors each with at least 4 levels; and

d) the ability to image said at least two colors on top of each other to form a solid recipe color.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said “n” levels of said filtered output are at least 16 levels.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein said levels of said filtered output include the level “off”.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said horizontal direction simultaneously with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

19. A method for printing a color proof from an initial binary bitmap file comprising:

a) creating a 10-75% vertical line press target for a printing press from a target bitmap of said vertical line press target;

b) creating said target bitmap from a digital file of said vertical line press target from 10-100%;

c) creating a proofer bitmap of a vertical line scale;

d) imaging said proofer bitmap on a proofer to make a printed vertical line scale, wherein said printed vertical line scale has areas that correspond to proofer bitmap areas;

e) measuring said vertical line scale areas;

f) identifying said proofer bitmap that most closely matches said 10-75% vertical line press target;

g) using said target bitmap with said identified proofer bitmap area to create a vertical spatial filter;

h) sending an initial halftone bitmap file to said vertical spatial filter forming a vertical filtered output;

i) quantizing said vertical filtered output to “n” levels to create a quantized image;

j) transmitting said quantized image to a color printer; and

k) printing a halftone color proof on said color printer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the edges of an initial binary image exposure is adjustable to be greater than the average exposure in said initial binary bitmap file.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein said printing press is selected from the group: sheet fed press, web fed press, single color press, and multicolor press.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein said color printer is a single pass recipe color-enabled printer.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein said “n” levels of said filtered output are at least 16 levels.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein said levels of said filtered output include the level “off”.

25. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in a horizontal direction simultaneously with the quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

26. A method for printing a color proof from an initial binary bitmap file comprising:

a) creating a bitmap from a digital file from first a horizontal line press target and second a vertical line press target;

b) creating a proofer map of first a digital horizontal line scale and second a vertical line scale;

c) imaging said proofer to form a printed horizontal line and said vertical line scales, wherein said printed vertical and horizontal line scales have areas that correspond to proofer bitmap areas;

d) measuring a horizontal line scale areas and vertical line scale areas to identify areas that most closely match said 10-75% horizontal line press target and said vertical line press target;

e) using a target bitmap with said identified proofer bitmaps to create a spatial filter;

f) sending an initial halftone bitmap file to said spatial filter forming a filtered output,

g) quantizing said filtered output to “n” levels to create a quantized image;

h) transmitting said quantized image to a color printer; and

i) printing a halftone color proof on said color printer.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein a printing press is selected from the group: sheet fed press, web fed press, single color press, and multicolor press.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein said color printer is a single pass recipe color-enabled printer, wherein a recipe color enabled printer consists of:

a) a printer with a writing resolution between 1400 and 4000 dpi;

b) a spot size between 4 and 900 um 2 ;

c) at least two colors each with at least 4 levels; and

d) the ability to image said at least two colors on top of each other to form said solid recipe color.

29. The method of claim 26 , wherein said “n” levels of said filtered output are at least 16 levels.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein said levels of said filtered output include the level “off”.

31. The method of claim 26 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said horizontal and vertical direction simultaneously with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

32. The method of claim 26 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said horizontal direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

33. The method of claim 26 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said vertical direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

34. The method of claim 26 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion first in said vertical direction then in said horizontal direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

35. A method for printing a color proof from an initial binary bitmap file comprising:

a) creating a 10-75% horizontal line press target for a printing press having a target bitmap;

b) creating said target bitmap from a digital file of said horizontal line press target;

c) creating a proofer bitmap of a digital horizontal line scale;

d) imaging said proofer bitmap on a proofer to form a printed horizontal line scale, wherein said printed horizontal line scale has areas that correspond to proofer bitmap areas;

e) measuring said horizontal line scale areas to identify the area that most closely matches said horizontal line press target;

f) identifying said proofer bitmap that most closely matches said 10-75% horizontal line press target;

g) using said target bitmap with said identified proofer bitmap area to create a vertical spatial filter;

h) sending an initial halftone bitmap file to said vertical spatial filter forming a vertical filtered output;

i) quantizing said vertical filtered output to “n” levels to create a quantized image;

j) transmitting said quantized image to a color printer; and

k) printing a halftone color proof on said color printer.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the edges of an initial halftone image exposure is adjustable to be greater than the average exposure in said initial halftone bitmap file.

37. The method of claim 35 , wherein said printing press is selected from the group: sheet fed press, web fed press, single color press, and multicolor press.

38. The method of claim 35 , wherein said color printer is a single pass recipe color-enabled printer.

39. The method of claim 35 , wherein said “n” levels of said filtered output are at least 16 levels.

40. The method of claim 35 , wherein said levels of said filtered output include the level “off”.

41. The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said horizontal direction simultaneously with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

42. The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said horizontal direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

43. The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion in said vertical direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.

44. The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of performing error diffusion first in said vertical direction then in said horizontal direction with said quantizing of said filtered output to hide any quantization defects.