A method of inspecting images on printed products by a computer in a printing machine. Printed products are recorded and digitized by an image sensor of an image inspection system in the course of the image inspection process, and the computer compares them to a digital reference image. If deviations are found, the defective printed products are removed. The computer analyzes the deviations found in the course of the image inspection process together with further data from other system parts and from the machine, determines specific defect classes and the causes thereof based on the defects by machine learning processes, assigns the defects found in the image inspection process to the defect classes in a corresponding way, and displays the classified detected defects with their defect classes and causes to an operator of the machine so that the operator can initiate specific measures to eliminate the defect causes.

Techniques for manufacturing a light field print using a printing press. The techniques include: identifying at least one characteristic of the printing press at least in part by printing at least one calibration pattern; obtaining content to be rendered using the light field print, the content comprising multiple scene views; generating, based at least in part on the content and the at least one characteristic of the printing press, a front target pattern and a back target pattern; and using the printing press to: print the front target pattern on a first side of a substrate; and print the back target pattern on a second side of the substrate.

A first surface of a first sheet has a second image formed in advance. An image forming system generates reference data based on a result of reading an image on the first surface of the first sheet on which a first image is not formed, generates first image data that represents a result of reading an image on the first surface of the first sheet having the first image formed on the first surface, and determines, based on the reference data and the first image data, a relative position between the first image and the second image on the first surface of the first sheet.

A can decorator comprising a spindle disc, a blanket drum, a transfer wheel, a pin chain drive, and a controller. The spindle disc is adapted for (i) receiving beverage cans from an infeed and (ii) carrying and rotating each can body on a corresponding spindle. The blanket drum is adapted for (i) applying ink to printing cylinders and (ii) rotating the print cylinders in registration with beverage cans on the spindle disc to decorate the cans. The transfer wheel is adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum. The pin chain drive is adapted for receiving cans from the transfer wheel and transporting the cans on a chain through an oven. The controller adapted for receiving encoder information and matching or adjusting speeds of a spindle disc motor, a blanket drum motor, a transfer wheel motor, and a pin chain drive motor.

A screen mask inspection device inspects a screen mask including a screen opening that forms a printing pattern, and includes: an inspection control device that detects solder position information of a solder paste printed on a substrate via the screen opening, and based on the solder position information, determines whether a quality of printing using the screen mask is good or bad, the solder position information being based on an amount of positional misalignment of the solder paste actually printed on the substrate relative to a predetermined reference position.

The invention relates to a method for online quality control of decorative prints on substrate materials, including similarity comparisons of actual and target images and adjusting decorative prints if deviations of color values are detected. The method may include the steps of: a) producing a hyperspectral digital image of a print decoration; b) calibrating the print decoration via a hyperspectral digital image; c) producing and storing a digital target image of the print decoration; d) creating a first print decoration on a first substrate material; e) producing and storing a digital actual image of the printed decoration on the first substrate material; f) determining color deviations between the digital target image and the digital actual image via a computer program; and g) printing on at least one side of substrate materials so as to form a decorative layer. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.

In an example of the disclosure, first and second print jobs are received at a printer. The first and second print jobs each include production frames. The first and second print jobs are printed with a media roll change occurring during printing. A first finishing device information nonproduction (“FDIN”) frame and a second FDIN frame are printed. The first and second FDIN frames include coded information regarding the first print job and the second print job, respectively. The coded information is for reading by a scanner at a finishing device. A press calibration nonproduction (“PCN”) frame that includes a printer calibration diagnostic is printed. A scanner at the printer is caused to capture the printer calibration diagnostic. A calibration operation is performed at the printer utilizing data or attributes captured from the printer calibration diagnostic.

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.

For determining a match factor regarding color match of a printed product with target values for colors, measuring fields of a printout are spectrally measured and actual measured values of the printout recorded. The target values are compared with actual measured values by determining for the printed product a color value axis from a unique color value as a start point to a second unique color value as end point and interpolation points between the first and second unique color values; determining target values for start and end points and interpolation points; determining actual measured values for start and end points and interpolation points of the printout from the actual measured values; determining a distance value representing the distance between target value and actual measured value for each start point, end point, and interpolation point; and calculating and outputting the match factor as statistical average of the distance values.

A device for storing a sheet pile in a converting machine (10) comprises a transfer mechanism (28) for delivering sheets (22) into a piling area (26) of the device (22), and a sampling plate (44) which is adjustable between a sampling position and an access position, wherein the top of the piling area (26) is covered by the sampling plate (44) when the sampling plate (44) is in the sampling position and the top of the piling area (26) is free when the sampling plate (44) is in the access position.