JP4423931B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that performs image processing based on image data or a drawing command.

  DTP (Desktop Publishing) is used to create a page layout by creating, processing, and editing an image on a processing device such as a personal computer or a workstation, and to expose a printing plate based on the page layout. A film is created (CEPS), or a printing plate for printing is created by writing directly on a printing plate (CTP: Computer to Plate).

  Also, in DTP, when calibrating prior to actual plate creation or printing using the plate, the WYSIWYG function is used to print the page layout displayed on the monitor using a color printer such as a laser printer. May output.

  On the other hand, in a DTP application, information on an image on a page layout such as a registration mark or a caption may be automatically added. As a result, registration marks and captions are formed at predetermined positions when an image based on the page layout is printed out using a laser printer or the like.

  By the way, in a color printing apparatus such as a laser printer, in addition to a color printing mode in which color printing is performed using four colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black), for example, K color Monochrome (single color) printing mode using only the printer is provided.

  As a result, the black and white print data of the laser printer is required for shortening the print output time and printing compared to when performing color printing by performing print processing using only K color in the single color mode. The cost can be reduced.

Whether or not color print data (color image) is included in the print data when performing print processing based on image data input from an image processing terminal such as a client computer or print data such as a drawing command. There has been proposed a color printing apparatus that automatically determines and performs printing processing by switching to a color printing mode or a monochrome printing mode based on the determination result (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-121788 A

  However, in a DTP application used for creating a page layout or the like in an image processing terminal, an image such as a registration mark or a caption may be added as a color image. For this reason, even if the user creates a monochrome page layout, color printing may occur against the user's intention when trying to print out the page layout using a laser printer or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above fact, when the user forms a single color image such as black and white, also additional objects such as dragonfly and captions is added to the self-operatively by the application, color printing An object of the present invention is to propose an image processing apparatus that prevents printing processing in a mode.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a page layout generated by creating or editing a document or image object in a workable area set on a page layout using a predetermined application. An image processing apparatus that performs image processing based on image data or a drawing command of the page layout when image data or a drawing command is input from an image processing terminal, wherein the image data in the workable area of the page layout Color determination means for determining whether or not a color used in an object is a single color, and a workable area on the page layout that is added when the page layout is created or output from the image processing terminal by the application extraction means for extracting additional object is an object which is disposed outside, before If the color determined by the color determination means is monochromatic, including a conversion means for converting to the determined color by the color determining means the additional objects extracted by said extraction means.

  According to the present invention, when a page layout created by a user is input using an application provided in the image processing terminal, image processing is performed based on the page layout image data or the drawing command.

  Further, when a page layout is created using an application, or when this page layout is output from the image processing terminal, an additional object not created by the user may be added.

Here, the extraction unit, when it contains-added object of this, to extract the additional object, performs the color conversion on the extracted additional objects. At this time, color conversion is performed so that the color determined by the color determination means is obtained.

  For the additional objects, registration colors using all the resist colors of C = 100%, M = 100%, Y = 100%, and K = 100% are often used, but color conversion is performed. Can be converted into a desired color.

As a result, the color of the additional object matches the color of the image in the workable area on the page layout, so that it is not necessary to perform print processing using all the colors C, M, Y, and K. That is, it is possible to perform a printing process that limits the colors to be used.

Accordingly , if the page layout created by the user is a monochrome image using only K colors, monochrome printing is possible, and C, M, and Y monochrome printing is also possible.

Further, when the image of the work can area of the page layout is any two or three colors of the process colors may be performed two-color printing or three-color printing, it requires the use of all process colors Disappear.

In such present invention, the converting means, the color component of the additional object, may perform the color conversion so that only the determined color component by the color determining means.

  As described above, according to the present invention, for example, when a page layout is created in monochrome and printing processing of this page layout is performed, it is reliably prevented from being printed in the color print mode by the additional object, An excellent effect that an efficient printing process is possible is obtained.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a network 10 applied to the present embodiment. In this network 10, a print server 12 provided as an image processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied and a plurality of client terminals 14 provided as image processing terminals are network-connected via a communication line 16. .

  A printer 18 is connected to the print server 12 as a print output device (IOT). Upon receiving a print job output from the client terminal 14, the print server 12 performs image processing and image processing according to the print job. Execute print output.

  Hereinafter, the print server 12 will be described as an example of the image processing apparatus. However, the image processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this, and is provided in various intermediate servers such as a file server connected to the client terminal 14 via a network. Then, image processing may be performed. The processing result of the image processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the printer 18, but a plate setter that directly exposes a photosensitive lithographic printing plate based on image data to create a printing plate for printing, or a photosensitive property. Various output devices such as an exposure device that exposes a film (original film) used for image printing (exposure) on a lithographic printing plate can be connected.

  The print server 12 and the client terminal 14 are provided with network interfaces (network I / F) 20 and 22, and the print server 12 and the client terminal 14 are connected to the communication line 16 via the network interfaces 20 and 22. is doing.

  Further, the print server 12 includes a bidirectional interface (bidirectional I / F) 24, and is connected to the printer 18 via the bidirectional I / F 24. The print server 12 may be a server to which a plurality of printers 18 are connected.

  Such a print server 12 can be configured by adding a PCI board having a predetermined function to a personal computer (PC). The print server 12 is connected to a display device such as a CRT display or a liquid crystal display together with an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and has a WYSIWYG function for processing an image displayed on the display device and printing out the display image. It may be. Further, the print server 12 may be integrated with the printer 18 or may be a separate body.

  The print server 12 includes a print controller 26 that controls the operation of the print server 12 and the printer 18, an HDD 28 that stores various data, and an image processing unit 30. The image processing unit 30 performs RIP processing for generating raster data based on image data input as a job such as a print job (hereinafter referred to as a print job) from the client terminal 14 or job data such as a drawing command. The basic configuration of the print server 12 can be a conventionally known general configuration, and detailed description thereof is omitted in the present embodiment.

  On the other hand, the client terminal 14 is provided with a DTP application (hereinafter referred to as an application) 32. The client terminal 14 uses the application 32 to perform image processing such as creation, processing, and editing of images and documents. Document creation or the like is performed, and print data for printing such as page layout (image data or drawing command) can be created.

  The client terminal 14 is provided with a printer driver (driver software) 34. The client terminal 14 uses the printer driver 34 to output print data created by the application 32 to the print server 12 as a print job. It is possible. At this time, setting of various printing functions and the like is possible by using the printer driver 34.

  The print server 12 includes a print function setting unit 36. When the print server 12 receives a print job transmitted from the client terminal 14, the print server 12 sets various print functions specified in the print job. The print output corresponding to the print job is obtained based on the set print function.

  By the way, in the print server 12, when performing printing processing (printing output) using the printer 18, a color printing mode for printing in full color using each color of C, M, Y, and K, for example, K color (black) ) And the like, it is possible to switch a single color printing mode (limited color printing mode) for performing limited color printing such as single color printing using any one of C, M, Y, and K. Processing time and cost reduction (reduction of printing expenses) when performing monochromatic printing are attempted.

  The print server 12 can perform two-color printing, three-color printing, etc. using any two or three colors from among C, M, Y, K or a special color added thereto.

  On the other hand, some of the applications 32 provided in the client terminal 14 automatically add additional objects such as register marks and captures. As a result, a print job including the additional objects is transmitted to the print server 12. Will be.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the page layout created using the application 32 on the client terminal 14 has images, documents, and the like arranged in virtual lines shown as finished lines 42 when printed on recording paper 40. The That is, the inside of the finish line 42 on the recording paper 40 is a workable area when an image or document is created or processed and edited using the application 32 on the client terminal 14. A user who creates a page layout by using 32 is creating, processing, and editing images and documents in the partition line 42.

  Note that the finish line 42 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 does not normally appear on the recording paper 40.

  The application 32 may automatically add additional objects such as registration marks, captions, and colored balls on the created page layout outside the finish line 42, that is, outside the user's workable area. Also, when specified by the user on the application 32 or the printer driver 34, a color patch, a comment sentence, or the like may be automatically added as an additional object on the page layout.

  Thereby, for example, a registration mark 44, a caption 46, and the like are formed on the recording paper 40 as an additional object 48 together with an image, a document, and the like on a page layout created by the user. When addition of a color patch or comment text is specified, the color patch or comment text is formed as an additional object 48 at a predetermined position outside the finish line 42 of the recording paper 40 (not shown).

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the print server 12 includes an additional object determination unit 50. The additional object determination unit 50 determines whether or not the application 32 has added the additional object 48 to the print job. Further, when the additional object determination unit 50 determines that the additional object 48 has been added, the additional object 48 is extracted.

  The print server 12 is provided with a color conversion unit 52. In the color conversion unit 52, the additional object 48 extracted by the additional object determination unit 50 is converted to a predetermined color.

  Further, the print server 12 is provided with an image color determination unit 54. The image color determination unit 54 determines the color of the image in the finish line 42. That is, whether the image in the finish line 42 is a full-color image formed using all the colors C, M, Y, and K, or a single-color image using only the K color (black). Make a decision.

  The print server 12 can perform two-color printing or three-color printing using any two to three colors or special colors among C, M, Y, and K. In this case, an image color determination unit In 54, the color used in the two-color printing or the three-color printing may be determined.

  Here, in the print server 12 applied to the present embodiment, for example, the color conversion unit 52 performs color conversion on the additional object 48 using the color determined by the image color determination unit 54.

  Thus, in the print server 12, for example, when the image of the print job is a single color image such as black, the additional object 48 is set to the same single color image, and the printing process is executed in the single color print mode.

  Hereinafter, a printing process for a print job in which a color image is formed and a print job in which a monochrome image such as a monochrome image is formed will be described as an operation of the present embodiment.

  When the print server 12 receives the print job transmitted from the client terminal 14, first, the print function designation is read, and the print function is set based on this designation. Thereafter, image processing and RIP processing based on the setting of the print function are performed and output to the printer 18, whereby an image based on each page layout of the print job is formed on the recording paper 40.

  Incidentally, the client terminal 14 provided in the network 10 creates a page layout and the like using the application 32. At this time, on the client terminal 14, the application 32 or the like may add an additional object 48 such as a registration mark 44, a caption 46, or a colored ball at a predetermined position in the page layout.

  In the network 10 in which the print server 12 is provided, when a page layout or the like created using the application 32 is printed on the client terminal 14, the page layout or the like is transmitted to the print server 12 as a print job. Is done. At this time, by specifying a color chart or comment text, the color chart or comment text is added as an additional object 48 on each page layout in the print job.

  That is, an image different from the image created by the user may be added as the additional object 48 on the page layout transmitted from the client terminal 14.

  The print server 12 can use the printer 18 to perform print processing in the color print mode and print processing in the single color print mode as one of the limited color print modes. It is determined whether an object such as an image on each page is a color or a single color, and based on the determination result, the color print mode or the single color print mode is switched to execute the printing process.

  FIG. 3 shows an outline of print processing using the print server 12. In this flowchart, when a print job transmitted from the client terminal 14 is received, the received print job is sequentially executed. In the first step 100, predetermined processing is performed on the image data of the received print job. Apply. In step 102, it is confirmed whether image processing for one page of the print job has been completed. That is, the image processing based on the setting of the print function or the like is sequentially performed over all pages one page at a time.

  When the image processing is completed and an affirmative determination is made at step 102, the routine proceeds to step 104. In step 104, the image color of the image created by the user arranged in the finish line 42 is extracted. In step 106, whether all the image colors are limited color images such as black (monochrome) single color images. Determine whether or not.

  Here, when a color image is included in the image created by the user, a negative determination is made in step 106 and the process proceeds to step 108 to execute a printing process in the color printing mode.

  Note that some printer drivers 34 provided in the client terminal 14 can be set for monochrome printing such as monochrome. In this case, it is first determined whether or not monochrome printing is designated. preferable.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the image is a limited color image such as a monochrome image such as monochrome, an affirmative determination is made in step 106, and the additional object 48 added by the application 32 or the printer driver (driver software) 34 outside the finish line 42. It is determined whether or not there is. At this time, the additional object 48 is extracted in step 110, and it is confirmed in step 112 whether or not the additional object 48 has been extracted. Note that the position of the finish line 42 may be set on the client terminal 14 or the print server 12.

  By clarifying the position of the finish line 42 by setting it in advance, it is possible to clearly determine whether the position of each image (object) on the drawing data is inside or outside the finish line 42. Thus, the object outside the finish line 42 can be determined as the additional object 48.

  Here, if the additional object 48 is not added and a negative determination is made in step 112, since all the images are single color images of the same color, the process proceeds to step 114 and the single color printing mode (limited color printing mode) is reached. Execute print processing in.

  On the other hand, for example, when it is determined that the additional object 48 such as the registration mark 44 or the caption 46 is added, an affirmative determination is made in step 112 and the process proceeds to step 116.

  In this step 116, color conversion is performed on all the additional objects 48. As the conversion color at this time, the color of the image extracted by the image color determination unit 54 is used. Thus, for example, when the image color is a black and white monochrome image, color conversion is performed so that the additional object 48 is also black (limited color).

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 114, and the printing process in the single color printing mode (limited color printing mode) is executed.

  In general, the additional object 48 added outside the finish line 42 by the application 34 or the like is often drawn with a registration color of C = 100%, M = 100%, Y = 100%, and K = 100%. .

  Therefore, when the color print mode and the single color print mode are switched from the image of the entire page including the additional object 48, even if the image arranged in the finish line 42 is a monochrome image such as a monochrome image, the color print mode is used. It will be printed.

  On the other hand, the print server 12 determines the color of the image arranged in the finish line 42, and when the image at this time is a monochrome image such as monochrome, the additional object 48 is added to the color of this image. Match the colors of the images.

  Thereby, even if the additional object 48 is added, if the image in the finish line 42 is a single color image, the printing process in the single color printing mode can be executed.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the printing process from taking a long time by printing the monochrome image in the color printing mode, and for example, C, M, Y, etc. are specified for the monochrome image. Unnecessary consumption of consumables due to the use of a color other than the selected color can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, in the above description, the image outside the finish line 42 is extracted as the additional object 48, but the method of extracting the additional object 48 is not limited to this.

  Although the additional object 48 differs for each object, the additional object 48 is often drawn with a drawing code of a certain pattern. From here, a drawing code indicating the additional object 48 can be registered in the print server 12 in advance, and the additional object 48 can be extracted from whether or not there is a corresponding drawing pattern (drawing code).

  As described above, the additional object 48 is often drawn with registration colors of C = 100%, M = 100%, Y = 100%, and K = 100%. , M, Y, and K)), it can be determined whether the object is the additional object 48 or not.

  On the other hand, when the additional object 48 is drawn in the registration color, the processing shown in FIG. 4 can be used when the monochrome printing is limited to monochrome printing, for example. In FIG. 4, the step numbers in FIG. 3 are used or indicated for the same processing as in FIG. 3.

  In this flowchart, when image processing is performed on the received image data (steps 100 and 102), in step 120, the additional object 48 is extracted. In step 122, it is confirmed whether or not the additional object 48 has been extracted.

  Here, the additional object 48 is extracted, and when an affirmative determination is made at step 122, the routine proceeds to step 124. In this step 124, the extracted additional object 48 is converted into a single color (K color).

  For color conversion at this time, for example, a drawing code shown in FIG. As a result, the additional object 48 is converted to be drawn in black.

  That is, the overprint mode is set. After this, if color setting is performed with color values of C = 0.001, M = 0.001, Y = 0.001, and K = 0, the color value is set to 0 because it is an overprint mode. The colors are not knocked out, and the C, M, and Y colors set to 0.001 are knocked out and drawn with a color value of 0.001. At this time, the color density corresponding to 0.001 is set to “0” in the last look-up table.

  Therefore, the additional object 48 is a K color image.

  When the print server 12 can set a lookup table for each object, the drawing code shown in FIG. 5B can be used for color conversion of the additional object 48.

  In the next step 126 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, it is confirmed whether or not the image data on the page layout is monochrome (monochrome) data. If it is not monochrome data, a negative determination is made in step 126 and the process proceeds to step 128. Then, the printing process is executed in the color printing mode.

  On the other hand, if it is monochrome image data, an affirmative determination is made in step 126 and the process proceeds to step 130 to execute a printing process in the single color printing mode (monochrome printing mode).

  At this time, since the additional object 48 is converted into a monochrome image, it can be accurately determined in step 126 whether the data is monochrome data. In addition, when the printing process is executed in the color printing mode, the additional object 48 can be accurately formed in the K color.

  6 and 7 show application examples of processing using black as the limited color. These flowcharts are executed when a job (print job) transmitted from the client terminal 14 is received and this print job is processed.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the additional object 48 is extracted from the image data for one page in the first step 140, and in step 142, it is confirmed whether or not the additional object 48 has been extracted.

  If the additional object 48 is extracted, an affirmative determination is made in step 142 and the process proceeds to step 144 where the extracted additional object 48 is converted into a black single-color image set as a limited color.

  That is, the additional object 48 is converted into a black single-color image prior to image data processing (drawing processing). At this time, for example, the C, M, Y, and K values set in the additional object 48 are read, and the C, M, and Y values are set to “0”, respectively.

  In the next step 146, image processing is executed on the received image data, and in step 148, it is confirmed whether or not processing for all pages in the job has been completed.

  As a result, when the image processing is completed, an affirmative determination is made in step 148 and the process proceeds to step 150. In this step 150, it is confirmed whether or not the image data is black and white data set as a limited color. For example, when a full color image is included, a negative determination is made in step 150 and the process proceeds to step 152, where the color printing mode is set. Execute print processing in.

  On the other hand, if the image is a black and white image, an affirmative determination is made in step 150 and the process proceeds to step 154 to execute print processing in the monochrome single-color print mode. In this flowchart, the end of the job is confirmed in step 158 and the process ends.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, when the additional object 48 is extracted and an affirmative determination is made in step 142, the process proceeds to step 160.

  In step 160, an overprint object (the same image as the additional object 48) is drawn on the extracted additional object 48. The object at this time has a color (C, M, Y) other than black (K) “0”.

  As a result, the additional object 48 can be drawn leaving only the K color. If the other image is a monochrome image (monochrome data), an affirmative determination is made in step 150 and printing in the monochrome print mode is performed. Processing is performed (step 154).

  In addition, this Embodiment demonstrated above does not limit the structure of this invention. For example, in the present embodiment, monochrome printing in which an image is mainly formed with K color has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, the image in the finish line 42 may be any one of C, M, and Y. At this time, the color may be determined and set to the color of the additional object 48.

  Further, the image in the finish line 42 may be formed by two-color printing or three-color printing. At this time, the additional object 48 may be set to be drawn using one of the colors or a composite color.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the print server 12 provided in the network 10 and can be applied to an image processing apparatus having an arbitrary configuration.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a print server and a network provided with a print server applied to the present embodiment. It is the schematic which shows an example of the recording paper in which the image was formed. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of image processing in a print server. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of image processing in the print server. (A) And (B) is the schematic which shows an example of the drawing code which performs color conversion of an additional object using overprint. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of image processing in the print server. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another example of image processing in the print server.

Explanation of symbols

10 Network 12 Print Server (Image Processing Device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Client terminal 18 Printer 26 Print controller 30 Image processing part 32 Application 34 Printer driver 40 Recording paper 42 Finish line 44 Registration mark 46 Caption 48 Additional object 50 Additional object determination part (determination means)
52 color converter (conversion means)
54 Image color determination unit (setting means)

Claims (2)

Page layout image data or drawing commands generated by creating or editing a document or image object within the workable area set on the page layout using a predetermined application are input from the image processing terminal. An image processing apparatus that performs image processing based on image data of the page layout or a drawing command,
Color determination means for determining whether or not a color used in the object in the workable area of the page layout is a single color;
Extracting means for extracting an additional object that is an object that is added at the time of creation of the page layout by the application or output from the image processing terminal and is arranged outside the workable area on the page layout;
If the color is determined by the color determining means is monochromatic, a converting means for converting the additional objects extracted by the extraction unit to the color that is determined by the color determining means,
An image processing apparatus.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion unit performs color conversion so that a color component of the additional object is only the color component determined by the color determination unit.

Images