A measurement apparatus for measuring values for color adjustments in a print technique includes a measurement instrument including a measurement value detecting device at an arbitrary measurement point, a movement device, a reference coordinate calculation device, a measurement coordinate calculation device, and a computation device. The reference coordinate calculation device calculates a measurement point reference coordinate value. The measurement coordinate calculation device compares both origins to calculate a corrected value relative to the coordinate system of the reference-image, and corrects the position of the measurement origin based on the corrected value to correct the reference coordinate value and calculates a measurement coordinate value in the coordinate system of the measurement-image corresponding to the measurement point of the reference-image. The computation device calculates information for comparing and evaluating the measurement value acquired at the measurement point of the reference-image and the measurement value acquired at the measurement point of the measurement-image.

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods to measure characteristics of line width and density of printed test patterns. By printing the test patterns and capturing with an in-line scanner or optical device, the analytical results of these test patterns can be used as feedback to a control system that adjusts both impression and inking levels without the need of a skilled operator.

A method for the automated generation of reference color values for color control purposes in a printing machine by using a computer includes, within a process of setting up the printing machine for a print job, initially carrying out printing operations and using a spectrophotometer to determine coloration values for every process color used in the print job. For every process color that is used in the print job, the computer automatically selects that coloration value of a process color that has the smallest deviation from a color set point that has been established at the beginning of the job and saves this coloration value as a new reference value for this process color.

A printing system for printing on a material has an ink formulation module (18) for providing an ink recipe, a printing unit (12), a sensor for generating color measurement data (CMD), and a control module (16) being connected to the sensor (14) and to the printing unit (12). The color measurement data (CMD) comprises at least one actual ink color value and the control module (16) is configured to receive at least one unit parameter (UP) from the printing unit (12), to receive the color measurement data (CMD) from the sensor (14) and to transmit the at least one unit parameter (UP) and the color measurement data (CMD) to the ink formulation module (18). Moreover, the ink formulation module (18) is configured to create at least one adjusted recipe (AR). Furthermore, a method for adjusting an ink recipe of a printing system (10) is provided.

A method is provided for setting a layer thickness of a covering coating material to be applied to a substrate by an application device. The coating material is applied to the substrate in a printing machine or in a paper-processing machine. The coating material is applied at various points on the substrate by the use of the application device in a machine process. At each of at least one first point on the substrate, the coating material is applied in a grid having a plurality of grid points, and at each of at least one other second point on the substrate, the coating material is applied over the full area. Each first point on the substrate forms a grid zone and each second point on the substrate forms a solid zone. A control unit connected to a sensing device determines respective values of the optical density of the layer of the coating material applied on the points on the substrate using data captured by the sensing device at the first and second points on the substrate. The control unit defines the layer thickness of the coating material currently applied to the substrate by the application device in an ongoing machine process. At the defined thickness, the value of the optical density determined in a grid zone corresponds to the value of the optical density determined in a solid zone, as the layer thickness of the coating material having an opacity of 100%.

The present invention provides a fully integrated digital workflow for the designing and production of packaging. A designer creates a package design with a special effect ink digitally, using a computer connected to a color database and a special effect ink database.

Advantageously, the present workflow minimizes the complexity of the workflow by using transparent color layers printed over plain special effect additive ink layers to develop the special effect inks to be used on press. The present workflow advantageously can also be used to assess match of polychromatic inks.

A method of producing a printed product includes creating a project specification and storing the it on a server, the project specification including a palette of selected master colors, a printing substrate, a printing technique, and an ink base for a printed product; determining whether a quality assurance color is available for each master color, for master colors having an associated quality assurance color, automatically associating quality assurance color information with the master colors; generating a quality assurance package corresponding to the project specification, the quality assurance package including the quality assurance color information; providing a converter with access to the project specification and the quality assurance package; the converter producing the printed product according to the project specification and scoring the printed product against the quality assurance package; and receiving from the converter a score indicative of the printed product's appearance measured against the quality assurance color information.

The present invention provides a fully integrated digital workflow for the designing and production of packaging. A designer creates a package design with a special effect ink digitally, using a computer connected to a color database and a special effect ink database. Advantageously, the present workflow minimizes the complexity of the workflow by using transparent color layers printed over plain special effect additive ink layers to develop the special effect inks to be used on press. The present workflow advantageously can also be used to assess match of polychromatic inks.

A method includes the steps of: a) printing a first print job on a printing machine using a printing fluid, a substrate, a specified ICC profile, and a first machine setting; b) preparing the printing operation of a second print job involving a change of the printing fluid and/or of the substrate; and c) printing the second print job using a second combination of printing fluid and substrate. Step b) includes: b1) printing a test print having a plurality of test fields; b2) recording the test fields; b3) computationally determining and saving a quality value based on the test fields; b4) determining and saving an adjustment value for a machine setting; and b5) selectively changing a printing machine setting from the first machine setting to a second machine setting using the adjustment value or keeping the first printing machine setting, and the making a choice based on a quality value.

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods to measure characteristics of line width and density of printed test patterns. By printing the test patterns and capturing with an in-line scanner or optical device, the analytical results of these test patterns can be used as feedback to a control system that adjusts both impression and inking levels without the need of a skilled operator.