A gravure printing unit is provided by which substrate can be printed according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit by which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder can be at least partially inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder, which has, in the region of its lateral surface, recesses that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which is to be partially inked by the first inking unit cylinder. To produce an image element to be used for checking a relative position between the forme cylinder and the first inking unit cylinder, the forme cylinder has, within the printing width but preferably outside of an image-forming pattern of recesses that supplies the print image of one or more N-up copies, and lying in a circumferential region, at least one first recess, which overlaps on the forme cylinder only partially with a projection, which is obtained on the forme cylinder by the rolling off, in pairs in each case, of the inking unit cylinders that are involved in the ink transport, of a recess, which is provided in a defined position and location on the circumference of the first inking unit cylinder for the purpose of checking the relative position. A substrate section and a method for checking and/or adjusting and/or correcting a relative position between the first inking unit cylinder and the forme cylinder are also disclosed.

A print control strip for printing onto a substrate, which moves in a printing direction X during a printing process, with a substrate width B, which extends perpendicularly to the printing direction X, wherein the print control strip extends at least over a portion of the substrate width B, wherein the print control strip has at least one row in the printing direction X, and wherein one or each row has a plurality of measuring fields arranged next to one another perpendicularly to the printing direction X, and wherein each measuring field has a center of area and a leading edge in the printing direction X. The center of area or the leading edge of at least one measuring field is arranged to be offset in or opposite to the printing direction X to the center of area or leading edge of an adjacent measuring field of the same row.

A gravure printing unit is provided by which substrate can be printed according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit by which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder can be at least partially inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder, which has, in the region of its lateral surface, recesses that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which is to be partially inked by the first inking unit cylinder. To produce an image element to be used for checking a relative position between the forme cylinder and the first inking unit cylinder, the forme cylinder has, within the printing width but preferably outside of an image-forming pattern of recesses that supplies the print image of one or more N-up copies, and lying in a circumferential region, at least one first recess, which overlaps on the forme cylinder only partially with a projection, which is obtained on the forme cylinder by the rolling off, in pairs in each case, of the inking unit cylinders that are involved in the ink transport, of a recess, which is provided in a defined position and location on the circumference of the first inking unit cylinder for the purpose of checking the relative position. A substrate section and a method for checking and/or adjusting and/or correcting a relative position between the first inking unit cylinder and the forme cylinder are also disclosed.

In a register error detection device, an image capturing unit captures an image of two first register marks of a first color printed on a substrate by a first plate cylinder of a rotary printing press and a second register mark of a second color printed on the substrate by a second plate cylinder of the rotary printing press. A calculation unit calculates a register error based on the number of pixels between a reference position located between the two first register marks and a comparison position that is based on the second register mark in the image captured by the image capturing unit.

Apparatus for the detection of print marks with a sensor arrangement which has at least one contrast sensor, which for generation of a cyclical sensor signal is disposed above the area of printed material containing the print mark which is passed below the contrast sensor, said apparatus also having a signal conditioning unit. The signal conditioning unit has at least one filter unit with a first filter for determination of the first derivation of the sensor signal, and on the basis of an evaluation of at least the first derivation of the sensor signal the filter unit generates at least one output value which is representative of print marks.

A rotary screen transfer printing machine and a control system thereof. The rotary screen transfer printing machine having a feeding unit, a printing unit, a drying unit, and a receiving unit; the printing unit has at least one rotary screen transfer printing assembly and a guide belt assembly; each rotary screen transfer printing assembly has a rotary screen plate roller and a transfer roller; the rotary screen plate roller is close to the transfer roller; the transfer roller is seamlessly coated with rubber or a resin having good affinity for a water-based ink. A control system includes: a motion controller; a conveying synchronization module, used for controlling the feeding unit, the printing unit, the drying unit, and the receiving unit to synchronize the conveying speeds of the four units; and a rotary screen transfer printing synchronization module.

Apparatus for the detection of print marks with a sensor arrangement which has at least one contrast sensor, which for generation of a cyclical sensor signal is disposed above the area of printed material containing the print mark which is passed below the contrast sensor, said apparatus also having a signal conditioning unit. The signal conditioning unit has at least one filter unit with a first filter for determination of the first derivation of the sensor signal, and on the basis of an evaluation of at least the first derivation of the sensor signal the filter unit generates at least one output value which is representative of print marks.

A method for detection of print marks by evaluation of a cyclical sensor signal (S) from at least one contrast sensor, which senses an area of printed material containing a print mark that passes below the contrast sensor. The method includes forming a first derivation (S) of the cyclical sensor signal (S); determining a first edge region in a region where the first derivation (S) falls below a lower threshold value; determining a second edge region in a region where the first derivation (S) exceeds an upper threshold value; determining characteristic values for the first edge region and the second edge region; associating a print mark detection between the first edge region and the second edge region based on the determined characteristic values; and generating at least one output value which is representative of the print marks.

Provided is a method of correcting printing misalignment in a printing apparatus that performs registration by using a printing misalignment inspection mark. This method is capable of improving registration accuracy and is capable of correcting the printing misalignment with higher accuracy. An image processor has printing misalignment value measurement means that measures a misalignment value with respect to a set position of the printing misalignment inspection mark that has been printed on an object. A printing misalignment inspection mark A is a hollow circle that is white inside, and the printing misalignment value measurement means measures the misalignment value with respect to the set position by using a white portion W of the printing misalignment inspection mark A.

A can inspection device includes a rotation device rotating cans, an imaging device taking images of rotating cans, and an image processor processing taken images. The imaging device includes a first camera taking an image of an entire can and a second camera taking an image of an opening-side end portion of the can. The image processor includes an image inspection means for inspecting whether printing is performed properly as compared with a master image by using the image taken by the first camera, a density measurement means for measuring densities in designated positions for respective colors by using the image taken by the first camera, and a printing misalignment value measurement means for measuring misalignment values with respect to set positions of printing misalignment inspection marks printed on the opening-side end portion of the can for respective colors by using the image taken by the second camera.