Spot color pattern system

• US 7,480,070 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiery LLC
• Original Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Falk, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson; James A
• Application Number:
  US09/991,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.12, 358 116- 118, 358/3.13, 358/3.23, 358/1.11
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6052 Matching two or more picture signal generators or two or more picture reproducers

Abstract

A spot color pattern system provides a naming convention that allows the user to name a custom spot color pattern. A Raster Image Processing (RIP) has a database of spot color patterns that are user definable and are patterns which are images of a textile, fabric, metal, etc., that are repeatedly printed across the job. The RIP interprets a spot color pattern name in print job, looks up the spot color in its database, pulls up the image associated with the spot color pattern name, adds Postscript® pattern code to the print job to paint the spot color across the background of the print job, realistically simulating the final print media, and adds other code to perform other tasks, such as mirroring or four-way mirroring to prevent stitches from appearing. A RIP user interface gives the user the ability to create, modify, or delete spot color patterns. The invention also provides a mechanism that allows an application program to access a custom spot color pattern from the RIP.

Claims

1. A process for simulating printing media comprising:

providing a database comprising a spot color name associated with corresponding image data that simulates printing media;

receiving a print job comprising page description language (“

PDL”

) code that includes a reference to the spot color name;

identifying the spot color name in the PDL code;

retrieving from the database the corresponding image data associated with the identified spot color name;

adding PDL code of the print job for painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job, said PostScript pattern comprising a repeating unit;

executing the PDL code in the print job; and

painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the image data are definable by a user.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface that allows a user to create, modify and/or delete the image data and the spot color name in the database.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising adding additional PDL code to the print job to perform other tasks that include mirroring or four-way mirroring to prevent stitches from appearing in printed output.

5. An apparatus for simulating printing media comprising:

a database that comprises a spot color name associated with corresponding image data that simulates printing media;

a module for receiving a print job comprising page description language (“

PDL”

) code that includes a reference to the spot color name in the PDL code;

a module for retrieving from the database the corresponding image data associated with the identified spot color name;

a module for adding PDL code to the print job for painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job, said PostScript pattern comprising a repeating unit;

a module for executing the PDL code in the print job; and

a module for painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the image data are definable by a user.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a module for providing a user interface that allows users to create, modify and/or delete the image data and the spot color name in the database.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a module for adding additional PDL code to the print job to perform other tasks that include mirroring or four-way mirroring to prevent stitches from appearing in printed output.

9. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for simulating media, the steps comprising:

providing a raster image processor (“

RIP”

) that includes a database comprising a spot color name associated with corresponding image data that simulates printing media;

receiving a print job at the RIP, the print job comprising page description language (“

PDL”

) code that includes a reference to the spot color name; and

processing the print job on the RIP by;

(a) identifying the spot color name in the PDL code;

(b) retrieving from the database the corresponding image data associated with the identified spot color name;

(c) adding PDL code to the print job for painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job, said PostScript pattern comprising a repeating unit;

(d) executing the PDL code in the print job; and

(e) painting the retrieved image data as a PostScript pattern in the print job.

10. The program storage medium of claim 9, wherein the image data are definable by a user.

11. The program storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises providing a user interface that allows a user to create, modify and/or delete the image data and the spot color name in the database.

12. The program storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises adding additional PDL code to the print job to perform other tasks that include mirroring or four-way mirroring to prevent stitches from appearing in printed output.