A method produces a printed product. The method includes transferring a first Fluid onto at least one section of printing stock, applying a second fluid, having a dewetting effect on the first fluid, onto a form configured as a relief printing form or embossing form, and transferring the second fluid to at least some points of the section. In this manner printed products of high quality can be produced.

A method of reproducing a continuous-tone image with a printing press comprises the step of making a printing plate having a halftone raster image comprising regularly tiled halftone cells which consist of a grid of image pixels and non-image pixels; the halftone cells are obtained by digital halftoning with a single threshold array and at least a portion of the halftone cells in the raster image comprise multiple image clusters, image clusters being defined as mutually separated groups of more than 4 adjacent image pixels; the image clusters allow to obtain a printed image of the same image density with less ink than with conventional screens wherein the image pixels are grouped into a single cluster.

A method of reproducing a continuous-tone image with a printing press comprises the step of making a printing plate having a halftone raster image comprising regularly tiled halftone cells which consist of a grid of image pixels and non-image pixels; the halftone cells are obtained by digital halftoning with a single threshold array and at least a portion of the halftone cells in the raster image comprise multiple image clusters, image clusters being defined as mutually separated groups of more than 4 adjacent image pixels; the image clusters allow to obtain a printed image of the same image density with less ink than with conventional screens wherein the image pixels are grouped into a single cluster.

Functionality is disclosed herein for producing articles with multiple color inks. A method of decorating, printing, or otherwise producing articles with multiple color inks includes continuously refilling an ink reservoir with multiple color inks in a sequential manner, and continuously applying the multiple color inks from the ink reservoir onto articles of manufacture to create decorated articles of manufacture.

Functionality is disclosed herein for producing articles with multiple color inks. A method of decorating, printing, or otherwise producing articles with multiple color inks includes continuously refilling an ink reservoir with multiple color inks in a sequential manner, and continuously applying the multiple color inks from the ink reservoir onto articles of manufacture to create decorated articles of manufacture.

A halftone raster image, suitable for rendering a continuous-tone image, which comprises a plurality of dots, arranged according a screen ruling and screen angle. Said dots comprise (i) image pixels arranged as a first arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a first spiral, and (ii) non-image pixels arranged as a second arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a second spiral. Small displacements of the feed point of said dots away from the theoretical centre of a halftone dot, defined by said screen ruling and screen angle, enable a higher image quality and less patterns in said halftone raster image.

A printing method according to the invention comprises forming a printing pattern of ink on a surface of an intermediate transfer member, transferring the printing pattern by causing the printing target surface to abut on the surface of the intermediate transfer member while supporting the printing target material by making a backup member abut on the printing target surface, increasing viscosity of the ink to predetermined viscosity by irradiating the printing pattern transferred to the printing target surface with first light, and curing the ink by irradiating the printing pattern with second light. The first light is applied to a region, out of the printing target surface, in a state that after departing from the intermediate transfer member and before abutting on the backup member. The second light is applied while the printing target material is separated from the intermediate transfer member.

A printing method according to the invention comprises forming a printing pattern of ink on a surface of an intermediate transfer member, transferring the printing pattern by causing the printing target surface to abut on the surface of the intermediate transfer member while supporting the printing target material by making a backup member abut on the printing target surface, increasing viscosity of the ink to predetermined viscosity by irradiating the printing pattern transferred to the printing target surface with first light, and curing the ink by irradiating the printing pattern with second light. The first light is applied to a region, out of the printing target surface, in a state that after departing from the intermediate transfer member and before abutting on the backup member. The second light is applied while the printing target material is separated from the intermediate transfer member.

A method of color separation of a digital image into two color and black inks for four or more color printing, in which an original digital image is converted into coordinates of an opponent color space of a print according to base vectors of a paper and of the colored inks, and vectors of the relative application of said inks to the print. In the opponent color space, the color coordinates of base vectors of the paired application of two adjacent colored inks are determined on a CaS chromaticity diagram of the color characteristics of N colored printing inks. The colors that fall in the color gamut of the printing inks are separated into N sectors each group of colors of the image of the original is separated into two colored inks, which correspond on the CaS chromaticity diagram to a selected sector of the colors of paired application of these inks, and a third black ink, and N color-separation image channels for the colored inks and a single common separated image channel for the black ink are formed for all of the colors of the image of the original.

An apparatus and methods of monitoring and adjusting a decorator for metallic containers are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration on a predetermined portion of a metallic container body. The decorator includes a sensor that senses decorations on metallic containers. A control system receives information related to the sensed decorations from the sensor and then determines if the decorations at least meet predetermined color, density, thickness, orientation, and consistency targets. The control system can optionally automatically adjust elements of the decorator to correct a deficient decoration. In one embodiment, the control system can automatically send a signal to the decorator to adjust the color, density, orientation, positioning, and consistency of decorations transferred to the metallic containers. In another embodiment, the control system can send a signal to adjust a position of an inking assembly, an ink roller, a ductor roller a plate cylinder, a printing plate, a blanket cylinder, and a transfer blanket of the decorator.