Method for controlling inking in an offset press

1. Method for controlling inking in at least one inking unit of an offset press, the inking unit having inking zone actuating elements which control zonal inking of a printing material printed with a subject and measurement regions, wherein the subject comprises inking zones corresponding to respective inking zone actuating elements, each inking zone covering a circumferential strip and having a width, at least one measurement region being measured for each said inking zone, each said measurement region covering a circumferential strip and having a width which is less than the width of the respective said inking zone, said method comprising:

measuring inking parameters of said measurement regions;

determining actual values based on the measured inking parameters including determining an area coverage value from data from the subject in the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region;

comparing the actual values with predefined limiting values to obtain control deviations including comparing the area coverage value to a predefined limiting value;

modifying the control deviations on the basis of at least one of a model of the respective inking unit and data from the subject including, when said area coverage value is smaller than said predefined limiting value, modifying the control deviations by at least one of

increasing a predefined intended value for the corresponding inking zone actuating element, and

reducing the measured actual value; and

generating actuating signals for the inking zone actuating elements based on the modified control deviations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the control deviations are modified on the basis of data from the subject.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the control deviations are modified on the basis of data from the subject and on the basis of a model of the respective inking unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the inking unit comprises a plurality of rolls which exhibit rolling behavior and oscillating behavior, the model of the respective inking unit depends on at least one of the rolling behavior and the oscillating behavior.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data from the subject comprises data from a digital prepress stage.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data from the prepress stage comprises low resolution data in one of a PPF format and a JDF format.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the data from the subject comprises high resolution image data in the form of bitmaps which are also used to produce printing plates.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement regions are print control elements located outside the subject.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the printing material comprises control strips, each said control element being printed in a control strip outside the subject.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the measurement regions comprise regions within the subject.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the measurement regions further comprise control elements outside the subject.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said inking parameters are measured at least one of densitometrically, colorimetrically, and spectrally.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising

dividing the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region into a plurality of part strips, and

determining a partial area coverage value from data from the subject in each of said part strips.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising averaging the partial area coverage values determined from the data from the subject in each of the part strips to generate said area coverage value.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein only the partial area coverage value for the part strip in which the measurement region lies is used to modify the control deviation.

16. Method for controlling inking in at least one inking unit of an offset press, the inking unit having inking zone actuating elements which control zonal inking of a printing material printed with a subject and measurement regions, wherein the subject comprises inking zones corresponding to respective inking zone actuating elements, each inking zone covering a circumferential strip and having a width, at least one measurement region being measured for each said inking zone, each said measurement region covering a circumferential strip and having a width which is less than the width of the respective said inking zone, said method comprising:

measuring inking parameters of said measurement regions;

determining when there is a maximum ink drop off in the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region, and, when there is a maximum ink drop off, modifying the control deviations by at least one of

increasing a predefined intended value for the corresponding inking zone actuating element, and

reducing the measured actual value; and

generating actuating signals for the inking zone actuating elements based on the modified control deviations.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising

determining an area coverage value from data from the subject in the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region,

comparing the area coverage value to a predefined limiting value and, when said area coverage value is smaller than said predefined limiting value, modifying the control deviations by at least one of

increasing the predefined intended value for the corresponding inking zone actuating element, and

reducing the measured actual value.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising

determining at least one adjacent area coverage value from data from the subject in at least one circumferential strip immediately adjacent to the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region, and

modifying the control deviations based on said at least one adjacent area coverage value.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising

determining adjacent area coverage values from the data from the subject in a plurality of circumferential strips adjacent to the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region,

weighting the adjacent area coverage values based on distance of each adjacent circumferential strip from the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region, and

modifying the control deviations based on the weighted adjacent area coverage values.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising

determining when there is a minimum ink drop off in the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region, and, when there is a minimum ink drop off, modifying the control deviations by at least one of

reducing the predefined intended value for the corresponding inking zone actuating element, and

increasing the measured actual value.

21. Method for controlling inking in at least one inking unit of an offset press, the inking unit having inking zone actuating elements which control zonal inking of a printing material printed with a subject and measurement regions, wherein the subject comprises inking zones corresponding to respective inking zone actuating elements, each inking zone covering a circumferential strip and having a width, at least one measurement region being measured for each said inking zone, each said measurement region covering a circumferential strip and having a width which is less than the width of the respective said inking zone, said method comprising:

measuring inking parameters of said measurement regions;

determining an area coverage value dependent on a ghosting behavior of the respective inking unit using a model of the respective inking unit and data from the subject in the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region,

comparing the area coverage value to a predefined limiting value and, when said area coverage value is greater than said predefined limiting value, modifying the control deviations by at least one of

reducing a predefined intended value for the corresponding inking zone actuating element, and

increasing the measured actual value; and

generating actuating signals for the inking zone actuating elements based on the modified control deviations.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising

determining an area coverage value for the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region that lies one developed length of at least one ink applicator roll before the circumferential strip is covered by the measurement region.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising

determining adjacent area coverage values for the circumferential strips covered by the measurement regions that lie one developed length of two respective ink applicator rolls before the circumferential strip covered by the measurement region,

modifying the control deviations based on said adjacent area coverage values.