Inkjet proofing with matched color and screen resolution
One general aspect of the invention provides for creating half-tone ink-jet proofs on print-enhanced sheets based on an effective image cell pitch that substantially matches a cell pitch used to create press plates. Print process variables can be adjusted for the ink-jet proofing printer based on received color matching information. These adjustments can define preprint ink mixing ratios that allow at least some image cells to be printed with ink mixtures. Or they can define sub-area printing values that allow at least some dots to be printed with areas of different inks.
1. A method of printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the method comprising:
receiving print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
making a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving color matching information for the ink set to be used by the reference printer to print the document, further including the step of adjusting print process variables for the inkjet proofing printer based on the color matching information received in the step of receiving, and wherein the step of printing prints according to these process variables.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting defines preprint ink mixing ratios, and wherein the step of printing prints at least some of the image cells with ink mixtures.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting defines sub-area printing values, and wherein the step of printing prints at least some of the dots with a plurality of areas of different inks.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting defines sub-area printing values, and wherein the step of printing prints at least some of the dots with at least one overlapping ink area.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting defines sub-area printing values, and wherein the step of printing prints at least some inked dots with at least one blank area within their perimeters.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of printing employs the same electronic print representation used by the setter.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the setter is a direct-to-plate plate setter that produces the plates directly and wherein the electronic print representation is an electronic print representation readable by the plate setter.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the setter is a reduced format film setter that produces scaled films at a scaled resolution that when enlarged to produce the plates produces plates that are based on the effective resolution, and wherein the electronic print representation is an electronic print representation readable by the film setter.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of printing prints one image cell for each of substantially all of the image cells in the data received in the step of receiving on a print substrate for at least one of the plates.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second face has properties resulting from the deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of proofing employs a proofing sheet that is a B-size or larger sheet.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of proofing employs a proofing sheet that is a 4-up or larger sheet.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of making a proof employs a continuous inkjet printing technique.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of making a proof employs a drop-on-demand printing technique.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of making a proof employs dye-based inks.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of proofing employs software, ink, and media having tolerances that produce an effective color range of 4Δe in CIE color space.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a proofing sheet receives a proofing sheet with the second face also having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and wherein the step of making a half-tone proof further makes a half-tone proof on the second face of the proofing sheet at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
19. An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the proofer comprising:
storage for print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
a feed mechanism for receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
logic responsive to the storage for generating a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet received by the feed mechanism at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.
20. An inkjet proofer for printing an inkjet proof of a document to be printed with a half-tone reference printer that uses one of four or more different inks with each of a number of different plates produced by a setter based an effective horizontal image cell pitch and an effective vertical image cell pitch, the proofer comprising:
means for storing print data that describes half-tone dots having a predetermined perimeter using image cells at substantially the same horizontal image cell pitch and substantially the same vertical image cell pitch that is used by the setter to create the plates for the reference printer for the four or more colors,
means for receiving a proofing sheet including a first rectangular deposited ink drop printable face having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges of the proofing sheet, and including a second face opposite the first face and also having a periphery being defined by the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the imposition proofing print sheet, with at least the first face having properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment, and
means responsive to the means for storing for generating a half-tone proof for the four or more colors with an inkjet proofer on at least the first face of the proofing sheet received by the means for receiving at substantially the same horizontal cell pitch as the effective horizontal cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving and at substantially the same vertical cell pitch as the effective vertical cell pitch of the data received in the step of receiving.