Certified proofing

• US 6,793,310 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Creo Americas Incorporated (Eastman Kodak Company)
• Inventors: Fargo, Foster M. Jr., Pinard, Adam I., Darby, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUDDING, ALFRED E
• Application Number:
  US10/118,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 347/16, 347/105, 347/106, 355/6
• US Class Current: 347/16
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00015 Reproducing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00023 Colour systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00031 Testing, i.e. determining the result of a trial H04N1/00029 takes precedence; using test signals for transmission mode changing H04N2201/33371
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00045 using a reference pattern designed for the purpose, e.g. a test chart
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00061 using a remote apparatus H04N1/00066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00087 Setting or calibrating picture signal circuits H04N1/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0009 Storage

Abstract

A set of ink-jet printable proofing sheets are disclosed that each comprise a first printable face having a periphery including first, second, third, and fourth edges. The first and third edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, and the second and fourth edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face. The first face has properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment. Each sheet also includes a second face sharing the periphery and the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the first printable face, and a first machine-readable mark located on one of the first and second faces and including a plurality of data areas of different densities, with the combination of densities in the data areas being unique to each sheet.

Claims

1. A set of ink-jet printable proofing sheets, comprising:

a plurality of at least five sheets, each comprising;

a first printable face having a periphery including first, second, third, and fourth edges, wherein the first and third edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, wherein the second and fourth edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, and wherein the first face has properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment,

a second face sharing the periphery and the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the first printable face, and

a first machine-readable mark located on one of the first and second faces and including a plurality of data areas of different densities, wherein the combination of densities in the data areas are unique to each sheet in the plurality of sheets.

2. The set of claim 1 wherein the first printable face includes an added deposited ink drop print-enhancing composition.

3. The set of claim 1 wherein the first mark on each sheet includes a plurality of fields and wherein the marks are encrypted using a public-key encryption sheet.

4. The set of claim 1 wherein the combination of at least some of the density differences in the marks on each of the sheets uniquely identify a type for the sheet on which they are located.

5. The set of claim 1 wherein the combination of at least some of the density differences in the marks on each of the sheets uniquely identify a size for the sheet on which they are located.

6. The set of claim 1 wherein the combination of at least some of the density differences in the marks on each of the sheets uniquely identify a lot for the sheet on which they are located.

7. The set of claim 1 wherein the combination of at least some of the density differences in the marks on each of the sheets define an error-correcting code for the sheet on which they are located.

8. The set of claim 1 wherein the first mark on each sheet includes at least one registration marking in addition to the data areas.

9. The set of claim 8 wherein the first mark on each sheet includes at least three registration markings in addition to the data areas.

10. The set of claim 8 wherein the first mark on each sheet includes a plurality of triangular data markings.

11. The set of claim 1 wherein the first mark is printed in cyan ink.

12. The set of claim 1 wherein the first mark is printed with an invisible ink.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first machine-readable mark has a chroma of at least about 20 in L′

a′

b′

space.

14. The set of claim 1 wherein each sheet further includes a second machine-readable mark located on a same one of the first and second faces and including a plurality of data areas of different densities, wherein the combination of densities in the data areas are unique to each sheet in the plurality of sheets.

15. The set of claim 14 wherein the first and second marks on each sheet include at least one registration marking in addition to the data areas.

16. The set of claim 14 wherein the first and second marks on each sheet include at least three registration markings in addition to the data areas.

17. The set of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sheets includes at least 25 sheets.

18. The set of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sheets are at least about 70% blank.

19. The set of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sheets is packaged in a wrapper.

20. The set of claim 1 wherein a plurality of subsets of the plurality of sheets are each packaged in a wrapper.

21. The set of claim 1 further including a rigid packaging element for providing support to the first and second faces, wherein the rigid packaging element is more rigid than the plurality of sheets.

22. The set of claim 21 wherein the plurality of sheets and the rigid packaging element are packaged in a wrapper.

23. The set of claim 22 wherein the rigid packaging element forms part of a wrapper that packages the sheets.

24. The set of claim 1 wherein the data areas of different densities employ an encoding method capable of uniquely identifying at least about 10,000,000 sheets.

25. The set of claim 1 wherein the data areas of different densities employ an encoding method capable of uniquely identifying at least about 2⁴⁰ sheets.

26. The set of claim 1 wherein the first and second faces are a least 11 inches by 18 inches.

27. The set of claim 1 wherein the first and second faces are a least 20 inches by 28 inches.

28. The set of claim 1 wherein the machine readable mark is located in a margin area proximate one of the edges of one of the first and second faces.

29. The set of claim 1 further including a second machine-readable mark on each sheet, wherein the first and second machine-readable marks are aligned in a direction parallel to the first edge.

30. The set of claim 29 wherein the first machine readable mark is located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and second edges and wherein the second machine readable mark is located in a margin area proximate a corner between the second and third edges of one of the first and second faces.

31. The set of claim 30 wherein the first and second marks include the same combination of densities in the data areas.

32. The set of claim 1 wherein each sheet further includes a second machine-readable mark, a third machine-readable mark, and a fourth machine-readable mark, wherein the first and second machine-readable marks are aligned in a direction parallel to the first edges of each sheet, and wherein the third and fourth machine-readable marks are also aligned in a direction parallel to the first edges of each sheet.

33. The set of claim 32 wherein the first machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and second edges of each sheet, wherein the second machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the second and third edges of one of the first and second faces or each sheet, wherein the third machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the third and fourth edges of each sheet, and wherein the fourth machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and fourth edges of one of the first and second faces of each sheet.

34. The set of claim 33 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth marks include the same combination of densities in the data areas.

35. The set of claim 34 wherein the sheets are at least about 4.5 thousandths of an inch thick.

36. The set of claim 35 wherein the sheets are at least about 7 thousandths of an inch thick.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of marking employs a machine-readable marking code having a capability of producing at least about 10,000 marks.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of marking employs a machine-readable marking code having a checksum capability.

39. The method of claim 38 further including the step of stacking the assembled sheets.

40. The method of claim 38 further including the step of packaging the assembled sheets.

41. The method of claim 38 further including the step of packaging the assembled sheets, and further including repeating the steps of providing, cutting, marking, assembling, and packaging to create a plurality of sets of packaged sheets.

42. The method of claim 41 further including the step of distributing the sets of packaged sheets to different locations.

43. A set of ink-jet printable proofing sheets, comprising:

a plurality of at least five sheets, each comprising;

a first printable face having a periphery including first, second, third, and fourth edges, wherein the first and third edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, wherein the second and fourth edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, and wherein the first face has properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment,

a second face sharing the periphery and the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the first printable face,

a first machine-readable mark located on one of the first and second faces and including plurality of data areas of different densities, and

a second machine-readable mark, wherein the first and second machine-readable marks are aligned in a direction parallel to the first edge.

44. The set of claim 43 wherein the first machine readable mark is located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and second edges and wherein the second machine readable mark is located in a margin area proximate a corner between the second and third edges of one of the first and second faces.

45. The set of claim 44 wherein the first and second marks include the same combination of densities in the data areas.

46. The set of claim 43 wherein each sheet further includes a second machine-readable mark, a third machine-readable mark, and a fourth machine-readable mark, wherein the first and second machine-readable marks are aligned in a direction parallel to the first edges of each sheet, and wherein the third and fourth machine-readable marks are also aligned in a direction parallel to the first edges of each sheet.

47. The set of claim 46 wherein the first machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and second edges of each sheet, wherein the second machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the second and third edges of one of the first and second faces or each sheet, wherein the third machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the third and fourth edges of each sheet, and wherein the fourth machine readable marks are located in a margin area proximate a corner between the first and fourth edges of one of the first and second faces of each sheet.

48. The set of claim 47 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth marks include the same combination of densities in the data areas.