METHOD FOR PRINTING A PRINT JOB WITH A PRINTING MACHINE

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for printing a print job with a printing machine, the method comprising: a) determining a master setting for the printing machine by: a1) providing a substrate as a master substrate; a2) printing a first test print including a multiplicity of test fields, with the printing machine, and using a first combination of a printing fluid and the master substrate; a3) recording all or at least a selection of the test fields of the first test print by using a recording device; and a4) computationally determining and storing at least one first setting value for a first machine setting of the printing machine as the master setting; or a1) providing a substrate as a master substrate; and a4′) computationally determining and storing at least one first setting value for a first machine setting of the printing machine as a master setting and for a first combination of a printing fluid and the master substrate, and carrying out the computational determination based on a computer-implemented mathematical model including a mathematical representation of the printing machine, of the printing fluid and of the substrate, or based on an artificial intelligence trained with stored data relating to at least one of printing machines or substrates; b) preparing printing of a print job with the printing machine by: b1) changing the substrate to a second combination of printing fluid and substrate; b2) printing a second test print including a multiplicity of test fields, with the printing machine, and using the second combination of printing fluid and substrate and the master setting; b3) recording all or at least a selection of the test fields of the second test print by using a recording device; and b4) computationally determining and storing at least one second setting value for a second machine setting, and defining the second setting value as a value relative to the master setting; and c) printing the print job with the printing machine, and using the second combination of printing fluid and substrate and the second machine setting.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the second machine setting with a variation of an amount of printing ink or an amount of at least one printing ink of a set of printing inks in relation to the first machine setting, and using the second setting value during the variation.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out step b) by additionally b5a) producing a second printing forme or a set of second printing formes in step b).

4. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises producing the second printing forme or the set of second printing formes for transferring a modified amount of the printing ink onto the substrate.

5. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises carrying out an exposure in the production, and using the second setting value or a value corresponding to the second setting value or a value calculated from the second setting value.

6. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises carrying out step c) by using the second printing forme or the set of second printing formes.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the second machine setting with a variation of an amount of inkjet ink or an amount of at least one inkjet ink of a set of inkjet inks in relation to the first machine setting, and using the second setting value during the variation.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out step b) by additionally b5b) varying a calibration of printing heads of the printing machine.

9. A method for printing a print job with a printing machine, the method comprising: before printing, determining a first machine setting for the printing machine as a master setting by using a first substrate as a master substrate; and using a second machine setting defined relative to the master setting during printing, by using a second substrate being different from the first substrate.

10. The method according to claim 9, which further comprises relatively defining an ink presetting or a setting for at least one of Density Unevenness Compensation or Missing/Malfunctioning Nozzle Compensation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0056] FIGS. 1 to 4 show preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention and of the refinements thereof. Features that correspond to one another are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures. Reference symbols that recur have sometimes been omitted in the figures for the sake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly and respectively to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 3 thereof, there are seen details of a preferred exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for printing at least two print jobs with a printing machine, in which: FIG. 1 shows method steps a to c, FIG. 2A shows method steps a1 to a4, FIG. 2B shows the alternative method steps a1 and a4′ to FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3 shows method steps b1 to b4 and optionally to b5a or b5b.

[0058] Step a): determining (a) a master setting for the printing machine 1 (compare also FIG. 4).

[0059] Step a includes the substeps a1 to a4:

[0060] Substep a1) providing a1 a substrate as a so-called master substrate MS. In the example shown, the substrate is a first substrate S1, for example a paper.

[0061] Substep a2): printing a2 a first test print 4a, which includes a multiplicity of test fields 5, with the printing machine 1, in which a first combination K1 of a printing fluid and the master substrate MS, that is to say in the example shown S1, is used. The printing fluid is a first printing fluid F1 in the example shown. The machine setting may be a setting M0, for example a machine default setting or a machine setting from a previous print job. Optionally, an ICC profile is used. The first test print 4a may include a media wedge 11, for example a Fogra media wedge.

[0062] Substep a3): recording a3 all or at least a selection of the test fields 5 (and/or of the media wedge 11) of the first test print 4a by using a recording device 6, for example a camera or a spectrometer. The recorded result, for example a camera image, is preferably transmitted to a digital computer 7.

[0063] Substep a4): computational determination and storage a4 of at least one first setting value (EW1) from the recorded test fields 5 (and/or the media wedge 11) for a first machine setting M1 of the printing machine 1 as the master setting ME. In this case, the digital computer 7 (or alternatively: a further digital computer) may be used.

[0064] Alternatively, step a includes the substeps al and a4′:

[0065] Substep a1): providing al a substrate as a so-called master substrate MS. In the example shown, the substrate is a first substrate S1, for example a paper.

[0066] Substep a4′): computational determination and storage a4′ of at least one first setting value (EW1) for a first machine setting M1 of the printing machine 1 as the master setting ME and for a first combination K1 of a printing fluid and the master substrate MS, that is to say in the example shown S1, the computational determination being carried out on the basis of a computer-implemented mathematical model 13 which includes a mathematical representation of the printing machine, of the printing fluid and of the substrate, or on the basis of an AI 13-trained with stored data relating to printing machines and/or substrates. The printing fluid is a first printing fluid F1 in the example shown. The machine setting may be a setting M0, for example a machine default setting or a machine setting from a previous print job. Optionally, an ICC profile is used.

[0067] Step b) preparing b the printing of a print job 3 with the printing machine 1.

[0068] Step b includes the substeps b1 to b4, but optionally to b5a or b5b.

[0069] Substep b1): changing W the substrate to a second combination K2 of printing fluid and substrate (and/or raster). In the example shown, the printing fluid remains the first printing fluid F1 and the substrate changes to a second substrate S2, for example different paper. Alternatively, other changes may be carried out, for example F1 to F2 with S1 to S2. More than just two printing fluids or two substrates may also be available for the change W: in general there are n different printing fluids and m different substrates (with n>1 and m>1).

[0070] Substep b2): printing b2 a second test print 4b, which includes a multiplicity of test fields 5, with the printing machine 1, in which the second combination K2 of printing fluid and substrate and the master setting ME are used.

[0071] Substep b3): recording b3 all or at least a selection of the test fields 5 (and/or the media wedge 11) of the second test print 4b by using a recording device 6, for example a camera or a spectrometer. The recorded result, for example a camera image, is preferably transmitted to a digital computer 7.

[0072] Substep b4): computational determination and storage b4 of at least one second setting value EW2 for a second machine setting M2, the second setting value being defined as a value relative to the master setting ME. In the example shown, M2=ME*R, where R is a relative value. In this case, the digital computer 7 (or alternatively: a further digital computer) may be used.

[0073] The second machine setting M2 may include a variation of the amount of printing ink or the amount of at least one printing ink of the set of printing inks in relation to the first machine setting M1, with the second setting value EW2 being used during the variation. The second setting value may, for example, be the value of the variation (that is to say relative) or of the value newly to be set (that is to say absolute).

[0074] Optional substep b5a (in the case of a printing machine with printing formes, for example offset printing): producing a second printing forme 8 or a set of second printing formes 8. In this case, the second printing forme or the set of second printing formes can be produced in such a way that the modified amount of the printing ink is thereby transferred onto the substrate. The production may include exposure with an exposure unit 9, with the second setting value EW2 or a value corresponding thereto being used.

[0075] Optional substep b5b (in the case of a printing machine with printing heads, for example inkjet printing): varying the calibration of the printing heads 10 of the printing machine 1.

[0076] Step c): printing c the print job 3 with the printing machine 1, with the second combination K2 of printing fluid and substrate and the second machine setting M2 being used. Optionally, an ICC profile is used.

[0077] FIG. 4 shows a device which is used when carrying out a preferred exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. In this case, a printing machine 1 is used: either a printing machine with printing formes 8—preferably exposed by an exposure unit or imager 9—(represented in the lower figure: for example an offset printing machine) or a printing machine with printing heads 10 (represented in the upper figure: for example an inkjet printing machine). The control of the printing machine 1 is carried out by the digital computer 7 or a further digital computer 7. The printing machine delivers (as indicated by the arrow) and processes a substrate 12. In the example shown, the substrates are in the form of sheets from a stack; alternatively, the substrates can be in the form of a web from a roll.

[0078] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0079] 1 printing machine [0080] 2 determining a master setting, in particular the first test print [0081] 3 print job [0082] 4a first test print [0083] 4b second test print [0084] 5 multiplicity of test fields [0085] 6 recording device, in particular camera or spectrometer [0086] 7 digital computer [0087] 8 printing formes [0088] 9 exposure unit [0089] 10 printing heads [0090] 11 media wedge [0091] 12 substrate [0092] 13 mathematical model or AI [0093] F1 first printing fluid, in particular printing ink or inkjet ink [0094] F2 second printing fluid, in particular printing ink or inkjet ink [0095] S1 first substrate, in particular sheet [0096] S2 second substrate, in particular sheet [0097] MS master substrate [0098] K1 first combination of printing fluid and substrate [0099] W change of the printing fluid and/or substrate [0100] K2 second combination of printing fluid and substrate [0101] ICC predetermined ICC profile [0102] M0 machine default setting/previous machine setting [0103] M1 first machine setting [0104] M2 second machine setting [0105] ME master machine setting [0106] R relative value [0107] EW1 first setting value [0108] A determining a master setting [0109] a1 provision [0110] a2 printing a test print [0111] a3 recording all or at least a selection of the test fields [0112] a4 computational determination and storage of at least one first setting value [0113] a4′ computational determination and storage of at least one first setting value [0114] b preparing the printing of a print job [0115] b2 printing the test print [0116] b3 recording all or at least a selection of the test fields [0117] b4 computational determination and storage of at least one second setting value [0118] b5a producing a second printing forme or a set of second printing formes [0119] b5b varying the calibration of the printing heads [0120] c printing the print job