Method and apparatus for multi-color printing using a rosette or diamond halftone screen for one or more of the colors

• US 20050243340A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: NEXPRESS SOLUTIONS LLC (Eastman Kodak Company)
• Inventors: Tai, Hwai-Tzuu, Gusev, Dmitri Anatolyevich
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/54 Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing image data representing a color separation or mono-color image includes processing the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with first and second or more halftone screen processings at different screen angles and obtaining results of the processings and combining the results of the processings to generate composite image data of the first and second or more halftone screen processings. The resulting print of the composite image data forms relatively pleasing rosettes or diamond structures in the particular color.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing image data representing a color separation or mono-color image, the apparatus comprising:

a processor operative to process the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with first and second or more halftone screen processings at different screen angles and combining the results of the processings to generate composite image data of the first and second or more halftone screen processings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the processor is operative to process the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with a dot structure dot growth pattern processing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 and including a printer responsive to the composite image data for generating a color separation or mono-color image as a rosette.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 30°

.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 60°

.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the processor is operative to process the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with the first and the second and a third halftone screen processings all at different screen angles and combine the results of the processings to generate composite image data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the processor is operative to process the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with a line structure dot growth pattern processing and the apparatus includes a printer responsive to the composite image data for generating a color separation image or mono-color image having a diamond structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 60°

.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by an angle within the range of 53°

to 64°

.

10. An apparatus for processing color separation image data representing color separation images for each of plural different colors for printing a multi-color image, the apparatus comprising:

a screen generator responsive to the color separation image data for generating halftone screens for each color of the color separation image data, and for one color having color separation image data the screen generator being operative to process color separation image data of said one color in accordance with each of two or more halftone screen angles of different angles and combining the results of the processings with two or more screen angles for output to a printer as composite image data of the two or more screen angles.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 and wherein the processor is operative to process the color separation image data of the one color in accordance with a dot structure dot growth pattern processing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 and including a printer for printing the color separation image data as respective halftone color separation images and for printing said one color as a rosette pattern in response to the composite image data of the two or more screen angles.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 and wherein the printer includes printer components for respectively printing color separation image data in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 and wherein the printer includes additionally a hi-fi printer component for printing the composite image data of the two or more screen angles in a fifth color different from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 and wherein the processor is operative to process the color separation image data of the one color in accordance with two halftone screen angles and with a line structure dot growth pattern processing.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 and wherein the printer is an electrostatographic printer.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 and including a printer for printing the color separation image data as respective halftone screens and for printing said one color as a diamond structure pattern in response to the composite image data of two halftone screen angles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 and wherein the printer includes printer components for respectively printing color separation image data in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 and wherein the printer includes additionally a hi-fi printer component for printing the composite image data of the two screen angles in a fifth color different from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 and wherein the printer is an electrostatographic printer.

42. The apparatus of claim 14 and wherein the fifth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a rosette structure and a complementary color of the fifth color is also printed as a color separation with the same rosette structure.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 and wherein the fifth color is blue and the complementary color of the fifth color is yellow.

44. The apparatus of claim 42 and wherein the fifth color is red and the complementary color of the fifth color is cyan.

45. The apparatus of claim 42 and wherein the fifth color is green and the complementary color of the fifth color is magenta.

46. The apparatus of claim 19 and wherein the fifth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a diamond structure and a complementary color of the fifth color is also printed as a color separation with the same diamond structure.

21. A method for processing image data representing a color separation or mono-color image, the method comprising:

processing the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with first and second or more halftone screen processings at different screen angles and obtaining results of the processings; and

combining the results of the processings to generate composite image data of the first and second or more halftone screen processings.

22. The method of claim 21 and wherein the color separation image data or mono-color image data is processed in accordance with a dot structure dot growth pattern processing.

23. The method of claim 22 and including printing the composite image data and generating a color separation or mono-color image as a rosette.

24. The method of claim 23 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 30°

.

25. The method of claim 23 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 60°

.

26. The method of claim 22 and wherein the color separation or mono-color image data is processed in accordance with the first and the second and a third halftone screen processing all at different screen angles.

27. The method of claim 21 and wherein the image color separation or mono-color image data is processed in accordance with the first and second halftone screen processings and with a line structure dot growth pattern processing and in response to the composite image data generating a color separation or mono-color image having a diamond structure.

28. The method of claim 27 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by 60°

.

29. The method of claim 27 and wherein the different screen angles are separated by an angle within the range of 53°

to 64°

.

30. A method for processing color separation image data representing color separation images for each of plural different colors for printing a multi-color image, the method comprising:

processing the color separation image data for generating halftone screens for the color separation images of some of the colors; and

for one of the colors processing the color separation image data of the one color in accordance with each of two or more halftone screen angles and combining the results of the processings for output to a printer as composite image data of the two or more screen angles.

31. The method of claim 30 and wherein the color separation image data of the one color is processed in accordance with a dot structure dot growth pattern processing.

32. The method of claim 31 and including printing the color separation image data as respective halftone screens and printing a rosette structure in response to the composite image data of the two or more screen angles.

33. The method of claim 32 and wherein the color separation image data is printed in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

34. The method of claim 33 and wherein the composite image data of the two screen angles is printed in a fifth color different from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

35. The method of claim 34 and including printing the multi-color image using an electrophotographic printer.

36. The method of claim 30 and wherein the color separation image data of the one color is processed in accordance with two halftone screen angles processing and with a line structure dot growth pattern processing.

37. The method of claim 36 and including printing the color separation image data as respective halftone screens and printing a diamond structure pattern in response to the composite image data of the two screen angles.

38. The method of claim 37 and wherein the printer includes printer components for respectively printing color separation image data in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

39. The method of claim 38 and wherein the printer includes additionally a hi-fi printer component for printing the composite image data of the two screen angles in a fifth color different from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

40. The method of claim 39 and including printing the multi-color image using an electrophotographic printer.

41. The method of claim 30 and including printing the multi-color image using an electrophotographic printer.

47. The method of claim 34 and wherein the fifth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a rosette structure and a complementary color of the fifth color is also printed as a color separation with the same rosette structure.

48. The method of claim 47 and wherein the fifth color is blue and the complementary color of the fifth color is yellow.

49. The apparatus of claim 47 and wherein the fifth color is red and the complementary color of the fifth color is cyan.

50. The apparatus of claim 47 and wherein the fifth color is green and the complementary color of the fifth color is magenta.

51. The method of claim 39 and wherein the fifth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a diamond structure and a complementary color of the fifth color is also printed as a color separation with the same diamond structure.

52. The method of claim 51 and wherein the fifth color is blue and the complementary color of the fifth color is yellow.

53. The method of claim 51 and wherein the fifth color is red and the complementary color of the fifth color is cyan.

54. The method of claim 51 and wherein the fifth color is green and the complementary color of the fifth color is magenta.

55. The method of claim 32 and wherein the color separation image data is printed in cyan, magenta and yellow and a fourth color that is a complementary color of one of cyan magenta and yellow and further wherein the fourth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a rosette structure and the complementary color of the fourth color is also printed as a color separation with the same rosette structure.

56. The method of claim 55 and wherein the fourth color is blue and the complementary color of the fourth color is yellow.

57. The method of claim 55 and wherein the fourth color is red and the complementary at color of the fourth color is cyan.

58. The method of claim 55 and wherein the fourth color is green and the complementary color of the fourth color is magenta.

59. The method of claim 37 and wherein the color separation image data is printed in cyan, magenta and yellow and a fourth color that is a complementary color of one of cyan magenta and yellow and further wherein the fourth color is printed as a color separation in a halftone screen with a diamond structure and the complementary color of the fourth color is also printed as a color separation with the same rosette structure.

60. The method of claim 59 and wherein the fourth color is blue and the complementary color of the fourth color is yellow.

61. A method for printing a multi-color image using color separation image data representing color separation images for each of plural different colors, the method comprising:

processing the color separation image data of each of two different colors and generating similar rosette structures for each of the two colors and wherein the two colors are complementary colors to each other.

62. The method of claim 61 and wherein the two colors are blue and yellow.

63. The method of claim 61 and wherein the two colors are red and cyan.

64. The method of claim 61 and wherein the two colors are green and magenta.

65. The method of claim 61 and wherein the two different colors are each processed in accordance with two or more halftone screen processings at different screen angles.

66. A method for printing image data representing a color separation or mono-color image, the method comprising:

processing the color separation image data or mono-color image data in accordance with the first and second or more halftone screen processings at different screen angles and obtaining results of each of the processings; and

printing the results of the processings in the color to generate a composite image of the first and second or more halftone screen processings.