Apparatus for and method of outputting image

• US 7,057,766 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VINH THI
• Application Number:
  US09/686,618
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.18, 358/521, 358/519, 358/523, 358/520, 358/518, 430/359, 430/502, 430/30, 382/169, 382/167, 355/71
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6027 Correction or control of colour gradation or colour contrast H04N1/6058 takes precedence

Abstract

In a digital printing process employing a CTP device 14, hues can easily be changed in a process of generating printing plates without going back to a prior process. A plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other, which are stored in a gradation conversion curve saving unit 22, are displayed on a display unit 36. The user selects a desired of the displayed gradation conversion curves with respect to at least one color element with a keyboard/mouse 34. The selected gradation conversion curve is set in an LUT converter 26. Input image data G can easily be converted into output image data Ga by converting the gradations of the input image data G according to the gradation conversion curve set in the LUT converter 26. The image data Ga is converted by a binarizing unit 30 into binary image data H, which is supplied to the CTP device 14. The CTP device 14 outputs printing plates each bearing a binary image represented by the binary image data H.

Claims

1. An apparatus for outputting an image by generating at least one of a print, a print proof, a printing plate, and a platemaking film directly from image data including at least one color element, comprising:

preparing means for preparing a plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other;

selecting means for selecting one of said gradation conversion curves with respect to at least one color element; and

gradation converting means for being supplied with image data, converting gradations of the supplied image data according to the selected gradation conversion curve, and outputting image data represented by the image data with the corrected gradations.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said preparing means comprises storing means for storing the gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

gradation conversion curve generating/correcting means for newly generating or correcting said gradation conversion curves.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said preparing means comprises generating means for generating the gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves has gradation changes which correspond to exposure levels in a contact exposure process for producing printing plates.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves which has the gradation changes which correspond to said exposure levels is indicated by a title corresponding to one of the exposure levels.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other comprise a plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other only in a highlight area, a middle-tone area, or a shadow area.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means for simultaneously displaying said gradation conversion curves.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the gradation conversion curves is expressed by a fourth-order polynomial.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein stepwise difference is the difference between two adjacent gradation conversion curves based a difference in a constant in the fourth-order polynomial.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the gradation conversion curves is expressed by a fourth-order polynomial.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein stepwise difference is the difference between two adjacent gradation conversion curves based a difference in a constant in the fourth-order polynomial.

11. A method of outputting an image by generating at least one of a print, a print proof, a printing plate, and a platemaking film directly from image data including at least one color element, comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other;

selecting one of said gradation conversion curves with respect to at least one color element; and

converting gradations of supplied image data according to the selected gradation conversion curve, and outputting image data represented by the image data with the corrected gradations.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of preparing comprises the step of:

storing the gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of preparing comprises the step of:

generating the gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves has gradation changes which correspond to exposure levels in a contact exposure process for producing printing plates.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves which has the gradation changes which correspond to said exposure levels is indicated by a title corresponding to one of the exposure levels.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other comprise a plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other only in a highlight area, a middle-tone area, or a shadow area.

19. An apparatus for outputting an image by generating at least one of a print, a print proof, a printing plate, and a platemaking film directly from image data including at least one color element, comprising:

a preparing unit preparing a plurality of gradation conversion curves whose gradation characteristics are different stepwise from each other;

a selecting unit selecting one of said gradation conversion curves with respect to at least one color element;

a gradation converting unit being supplied with image data, converting gradations of the supplied image data according to the selected gradation conversion curve; and

an output device outputting image data represented by the image data with the corrected gradations.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said preparing unit comprises a storing device for storing the gradation conversion curves.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a gradation conversion curve generating/correcting device for newly generating or correcting said gradation conversion curves.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said preparing unit comprises generating device for generating the gradation conversion curves.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves has gradation changes which correspond to exposure levels in a contact exposure process for producing printing plates.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each of said gradation conversion curves which has the gradation changes which correspond to said exposure levels is indicated by a title corresponding to one of the exposure levels.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said gradation conversion curves are different stepwise from each other only in a highlight area, a middle-tone area, or a shadow area.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a display device simultaneously displaying said gradation conversion curves.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the gradation conversion curves is expressed by a fourth-order polynomial.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein stepwise difference is the difference between two adjacent gradation conversion curves based a difference in a constant in the fourth-order polynomial.