Correction values (1-n) according to image area ratios in ranges of a printing plate of a preceding print job corresponding to ink fountain keys (4-1-4-n) are obtained. Opening amounts (1b-nb) of the ink fountain keys (4-1-4-n) corresponding to the image of the printing plate (7) of a next print job are corrected by correction values (1-n) to obtain corrected opening amounts (1b-nb). In a state in which ink in an ink roller group (6) has been decreased by scraping and removing it by an ink scraper blade (15) and in a state in which the opening amounts of the ink fountain keys (4-1-4-n ) have been set to the corrected opening amounts (1b-nb), an ink film thickness distribution corresponding to the image of the printing plate of the next print job is formed on the ink roller group (6).

A printing machine for printing on a printing substrate web includes a plurality of inline flexographic printing units which are disposed in a plane accessible to an operator of the machine. Each one of the two flexographic printing units of a respective duplex printing station includes a respective impression cylinder and a dryer disposed between the two impression cylinders along a path of web travel of the web of printing substrate. A method of operating the printing machine is also provided.

An image processing apparatus controls an operation of a printer apparatus that prints an image on a sheet being attachable to skin. The image processing apparatus includes: an image acquirer that acquires a skin image; an image analyzer that extracts, from the skin image, a discolored region differing in color from surrounding skin by at least a predetermined level, and color of the surrounding skin; a print type determiner that determines, based on at least one of color and size of the discolored region, a print type that includes at least one of use/nonuse of a base material containing a white pigment, a particle shape of a print material used in the printing, a scheme of the printing, and use/nonuse of lam powder; and a printing controller that outputs, to the printer apparatus, image data having a content of printing a print material in the surrounding color, on a region corresponding to the discolored region in the sheet, and controls an operation of the printer apparatus according to the determined print type.

The present invention discloses a digital ink duct for a printing press, comprising an ink tank for storing ink, a main ink pipe that communicates with the ink tank, at least one metering-type ink delivery device, ink delivery pipes, a controller and a signal acquisition device. In the present invention, high-accuracy, metering-type ink delivery devices are arranged in a queue to form a digital ink duct which replaces the traditional ink duct and supplies ink for the ink zones. The present invention can perform accurate adjustment in real time, is high in automation and digitalization degree, and can realize one-way ink delivery and avoid ink return.

A device for measuring elevations of a surface of a rotary body embodied as a cylinder, roller, sleeve, plate or flexographic printing plate for graphic industry machines includes a first motor for rotating the rotary body about an axis of rotation and a measuring device for contactless measurement which is part of or integrated into a mounter for printing plates. The measuring device allows the printing forme to be measured and analyzed to check mounting quality and to detect diameter differences. The measuring device preferably further includes a reference object, such as a wire tautened in an axially parallel direction, a second motor and, if desired, a further second motor for adjusting the measuring device and/or the reference object in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The device provides a fast way of measuring the elevations, such as flexographic print dots, with great accuracy.

A printing method includes determining a master machine setting by using a master substrate, printing a first test print including test fields, and using a first combination of printing fluid and master substrate, recording test fields of the first test print, and computationally determining and storing a first setting value for a first machine setting as the master setting. Printing a print job is prepared by changing the substrate to a second combination of printing fluid and substrate, printing a second test print including test fields, and using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and master setting, recording the test fields of the second test print, and computationally determining and storing a second setting value for a second machine setting, the second setting value defined relative to the master setting. The print job is printed by using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and second machine setting.

A printing apparatus applies ink to a surface of a printing plate in the shape of a predetermined pattern and then transfers the ink to a substrate. The printing apparatus includes: an image recording section that applies the ink to the surface of the printing plate; a plate surface observation unit that acquires information about the surface of the printing plate; a storage section that stores information about a reference shape serving as a reference of the surface of the printing plate; and a determination section that compares the information about the reference shape stored in the storage section with the information about the surface of the printing plate, which is obtained by the plate surface observation unit, and determines whether or not the surface of the printing plate to which the ink has been applied is present in a predetermined range of the reference shape.

A printing mechanism (10) has a plate cylinder (12) that supports a printing plate (18). A printing plate reference field (100) has a lowest reference field surface (101) lower than the printing plate (18) and a highest reference field surface (105) higher the printing plate in the printing motif region. A control unit can vary a distance between an impression cylinder (28) and the plate cylinder (12) for pressing a printing substrate against the printing plate (18) and can very a distance between an inking roller (20) and the printing plate (18). A first sensor (34) connected to the control unit determines a quality of a printed image of the printing plate reference field (100) on the printing substrate (30) and a second sensor (36) connected to the control unit determines a quality of a negative image of the printing plate reference field (100) on the inking roller (20).

A method sets the inking in a printing press with multiple ink zones in an inking unit of a printing unit. The method includes: printing a test form onto a printing substrate with an intentional pre-defined color deviation from the intended target color; correcting the previously set ink setting and the defined set color deviation with regard to the respective target value in the wet condition of the printing substrate by a color measuring device; and taking color measurements of the dried printing substrate using the color measuring device. The measured color values established in the dry state and the original of the test form in a computer are compared. The ink setting that belongs to the ink zone with the smallest deviation from the intended target color is used as the target ink setting for the printing process.

For determining optimized parameter values of a mask-printing process, a quality value for the substrate is determined in a testing process following the printing operation, and an image of the upper side of the template is generated. A relationship between the parameter, the quality value and the template image are ascertained, and the relationship is used to determine an optimized value for the parameter. In the printing operation, the optimized value is set, and the printing process is monitored by using the respective template image, dispensing with the need for the testing process.