JPH068959B2 - Color-coded color indicator - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a color-coding instruction sheet for a master block used in printing plate making.

[Technical background]

As an original plate for printing a color printed matter, an original plate color-separated into four process colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and BL (black) by scanner is generally used. Then, in the usual printing of the continuous tone pattern, color expression is performed by using overprinting with these four color inks.

On the other hand, printed matter such as soft packaging and cartons used for packaging of instant foods, so-called solid printing is performed as illustrations and background colors.In this case, it is not overprinting with process colors, but with specially specified specific specifications. Use color. Therefore, as an original plate for printing these solid portions, an unnecessary portion is masked based on the original document.

At the time of this master plate creation work, a color instruction sheet that specifies which part of the pattern has what color is used together with the block copy.
For example, if the manuscript 100 is a flower pattern and the flower part is orange and the leaves and stems are solid parts, the flower part and the leaf stem part are specified by specific colors regardless of the combination of process colors. Solid print with ink. Therefore, the flower print mask 10
1 and a leaf stem printing mask 102 are created. The mask is created by knowing which part of the block makes the mask of which color from the color instruction sheet, and by accurately tracing the size and shape of the pattern on the block and cutting the peel film. Based on this mask, orange and green film masters are created.

The color instruction sheet is not permitted to be used for making the above-mentioned mask, and is also used for inspecting for color fading by comparing with a film original plate made on the basis of the mask.

In order to create a color instruction sheet that plays an extremely important role in printing in this way, a block copy document designed with a line drawing is copied and manually specified using a colored pencil or a fluorescent pen. The method of coloring differently is adopted.

However, since such manual work is complicated, it takes a lot of time, and more time is required when the number of colors is large.
In addition, the finished color instruction sheet may be different due to individual differences among workers, and this may cause a difference in interpretation by the plate-making operator.

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an apparatus for quickly producing a color instruction sheet without being affected by the personal characteristics of an operator.

[Outline of Invention]

To achieve this object, in the present invention, the image input device captures image information of a block copy document, and the captured image information is given to an image processing device capable of performing a coloring process for each pattern portion by an interactive method, and after the coloring process is performed. Is provided to a color printer to output a color print of the same size as a block copy document.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a document table, on which a block copy document or a copy 100 of the block copy document is placed and the TV is set.
The camera 2 inputs an image of a document. The image signal taken out by the TV camera 2 is given to the switch 5 as it is as an analog signal, and is digitally converted at a desired slice level preset by the binarizing circuit 3 and then given to the switch 5 and the frame memory 4. To be

The switch 5 is for selecting whether to apply the image signal from the TV camera 2 to the image monitor 6 as an analog signal as it is or to convert it to a 1-bit digital signal and then apply it to the image monitor 6. If an analog signal is selected, the same image as the block copy document is displayed on the image monitor 6, and if a digital signal is selected, a line image having lightness and darkness corresponding to the lightness is displayed. The display on the image monitor 6 is a so-called monochrome image. And this image monitor 6
Are used for adjusting the position of the original 100 on the original table 1, adjusting the image size by adjusting the magnification of the zoom lens of the TV camera 2, and setting the slice level in the binarizing circuit 3. That is, while watching the black-and-white image (either analog or digital) on the image monitor 6, the document table 1
The position and orientation of the upper original 100 is adjusted, and then the zoom lens of the TV camera 2 is operated to obtain an image of a predetermined size. Further, the output of the binarization circuit 3 is given to the image monitor 6, and a volume (not shown) of the binarization circuit 3 is operated to select a slice level.

The output of the binarization circuit 3 after these adjustments are given to the frame memory 4 and stored therein. An image processing device including a control device 7, a display processing device 8, a display device 9 and a light pen 10 based on the stored contents of the frame memory 4.
Image processing is performed by 20, and the processing result is the image processing device.
Output from 20 printers 11.

3 (a), (b), and (c) are flowcharts showing the operation performed by the apparatus of FIG. 2, and the operation will be described based on this flowchart.

When the apparatus is started, a message and a ten key are displayed on the display 9 (S1, S2), the magnification is input by the light pen 10 according to the message (S3), and the image data is taken into the frame memory 4 (S4). Next, the binarized image is displayed on the display device 9 via the control device 7 (S5),
After the image is displayed, the operator judges the quality of the image (S
6) Input the judgment result according to the instruction of the display device 9 (S
7). If the image is good (S8), the process proceeds to the color classification process (S12) of FIG. 3 (b). Various functions necessary for the coloring process are displayed on the display device 9 (S13).
(S14), the process according to the function instruction is performed. As a function, reproduction (S30 to S33): Two screens of the input image are stored in the display processing device 8, one screen of which is stored. Coloring processing is performed using, but if the processing screen disappears due to an erroneous operation, the function to display the initial screen from another screen on the display screen in a rectangular area with two diagonal points, coloring ( (S16 to S29 in FIG. 3 (b)): For coloring, one point is designated in the area surrounded by the closed curve, and one point to fill in the area and a character in a square area with two points diagonally or A function that has two types of two-point painting, a free curve (S34 to S42 in FIG. 3 (b)): A straight line connecting two arbitrarily designated points is displayed on the image displayed on the display device 9. Function, copy (S47 to S50 in Fig. 3 (c)): Input the color image after color coding. Function to print output to the same size as the original, stop (FIG. 3 (S43 to S46 in b)): Cancels the current process, having a device function of returning to the initial state, five functions more.

After the coloring process is completed, the color image of the display device 9 is printed out by the printer 11 by instructing to copy the function. After the copy is completed, enter whether to further copy or not. If it is not copied, the whole process ends.

FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) show the contents displayed on the screen of the display device 9 in the function selecting step and the color selecting step in the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 (a), (b) and (c). First, in the function selection step of FIG. 9A, one function patch in the function menu X appearing on the right side of the screen is selected with the light pen. When the coloring function that is the object of the present invention is selected, the screen in the color selection step of FIG. Therefore, first, the color currently displayed at the place to be painted is designated by the light pen 10 from the color patch Y, and then the corresponding color from the color patch Y is designated by the land pen 10 as well. . Coloring can be performed by pointing the portion or area to be colored with the light pen 10. Do this for each part of the design. For example, when coloring the petals of the flower part, the displayed color is first instructed. Next, perform the operation of pointing to the orange color you want to color and pointing to one of the petals. The colors displayed for leaves and stems,
A light pen 10 is operated to point to a slimy color and any part of the leaf stem. However, if you want to paint with the same color, you can do the coloring only by selecting the color and then specifying the location.

After coloring, point the output function patch in the menu area on the right side of the screen with a light pen. As a result, the control device 7 outputs the image displayed on the display device 9 by the printer 11 as a print. This print is sent to the plate making department and used to make the original film for each color.

Here, a method of instructing coordinates with the light pen will be described. With a conventional light pen, when high resolution is required as in this device, it is much larger than the size of the point pointed by the pen tip of the light pen, and after input, that is, the position of the light pen is displayed to display the light pen. Since the specified coordinates are not reflected on the display device unless it is pressed to the device,
The operator could not previously recognize the point that was instructed.

This apparatus has the structure as shown in FIG. 5 by improving the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The counter 23 counts the horizontal synchronizing signal (pulse signal) of the signals from the display processing device 8 to the display device 21. The counter 22 oscillates a synchronizing pulse obtained by dividing the horizontal synchronizing signal period into the resolution of the display device 9 (in the present embodiment, oscillating a pulse having a period dividing the horizontal synchronizing signal period by 640).
The oscillation signals (pulse signals) of the oscillator 21 are counted. The counter 23 is cleared by the vertical synchronizing signal (pulse signal),
Immediately starts counting, the counter 22 is cleared by the horizontal synchronizing signal (pulse signal), and immediately starts counting. When the light pen 10 approaches the light emitting portion on the display device 21, the light receiving element in the light pen 10 detects light, photoelectrically converts it, and outputs it as an output signal of the light pen 10. This signal stops the counters 23 and 22. The control unit 7 is the counter 2 when stopped
3, read the value of the counter 22, Y coordinate value,
It is converted into an X coordinate value and output to the display processing device 8. The display processing device 9 creates a + type cursor based on the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value, and displays it on the display device 9. Therefore, while the light pen 10 detects light, the cursor indicating the read coordinates is always displayed on the display device 9.

This allows the operator to check the portion pointed by the light pen 10 with the cursor. Move the cursor to the desired position and display the light pen 10 on the display device 9
When pressed down, the pen tip is interlocked with the switch, and the switch operates to send a switch signal to the control device 7.
The control device 7 judges whether the menu is a patch or a position designation from this signal and the X coordinate value and the Y coordinate value at this time, and advances the processing according to a predetermined procedure.

[Modification]

In the above embodiment, the light pen is illustrated as the coordinate pointing device, but any element that can input coordinates to the display device such as a digitizer, a joystick, a trackball, or a mouse may be used. Regarding the input / output device, a TV camera as an input device may be any device capable of inputting image data such as a scan, and an output device other than a printer capable of color output such as a multi-pen XY plotter. If

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the original image is binarized to obtain a line drawing of a pattern, the line drawing is displayed, a required part is colored in a required manner by an interactive method, and the result is printed out. Therefore, an accurate color instruction sheet can be easily created. Therefore, even in the platemaking department, the color arrangement image can be clearly grasped, and the misinterpretation of colors is less likely to occur.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a method of making a mask for making a master block, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 (a), (b) and (c) are A flowchart for explaining the operation of the control device in the embodiment of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 (a),
(b) is an explanatory view of the screen display of the display device in the function selection step and the color selection step in the steps shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a configuration of the display device with a light pen which can be used in the device of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Manuscript stand, 2 ... TV camera, 6 ... Image monitor, 9 ... Display device, 10 ... Light pen, 20 ... Image processing device, 100 ... Manuscript.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image input device for inputting image data from a block copy document, a binarizing circuit for binarizing a signal from the image input device, and a frame memory for storing an output of the binarizing circuit. A display device for displaying image data, a coordinate pointing device for giving a coordinate instruction using a display image on the display device, a display processing device for performing various processes on the display image of the display device, and an output of the display processing device. An output device for creating a corresponding print, and a control device for controlling the display processing device and the output device based on the data from the memory and the instruction content of the coordinate instructing device, and the control device via the display processing device. The image data to be displayed and various menus to be selected are displayed on the display device and selected from the display screen of the display device according to the instruction content from the coordinate instruction device. Perform a desired coloring to a predetermined portion of the image based on the menu, layout paper color indication device provided with an image processing apparatus so as to produce a print by the output device after the coloring process ends.