Abstract: The teachings as provided herein relate to a watermark embedded in an image that has the property of being relatively indecipherable under normal light, and yet decipherable under infrared illumination when viewed by a suitable infrared sensitive device. This infrared mark entails, a substrate reflective to infrared radiation, and a first colorant mixture and second colorant mixture printed as an image upon the substrate. The first colorant mixture layer in connection with the substrate has a property of strongly reflecting infrared illumination, as well as a property of low contrast under normal illumination against a second colorant mixture as printed in close spatial proximity to the first colorant mixture pattern, such that the resultant image rendered substrate suitably exposed to an infrared illumination, will yield a discernable image evident as a infrared mark to a suitable infrared sensitive device.

Abstract: A system/method of color match assessment for electronic documents includes receiving digital data defining a composite electronic document including a raster image object having an edge and a color graphics object bordering the edge of the raster image object. The pixel color values defining the edge of the raster image object are processed to estimate a local color variance of the pixel color values. The local color variance is used to determine if the edge can be color matched to the bordering color graphics object. If the edge can be color matched, a match color for the edge is derived. The match color is associated with the digital data defining the electronic document so that a downstream object color match system can use the match color as needed.

Abstract: The teachings as provided herein relate to a watermark embedded in an image that has the property of being relatively indecipherable under normal light, and yet decipherable under infrared illumination when viewed by a suitable infrared sensitive device. This infrared mark entails in combination with at least one distraction pattern, a substrate reflective to infrared radiation, and a first colorant mixture and second colorant mixture printed as an image upon the substrate. The first colorant mixture layer in connection with the substrate has a property of strongly reflecting infrared illumination, as well as a property of low contrast under normal illumination against a second colorant mixture as printed in close spatial proximity to the first colorant mixture pattern, such that the resultant image rendered substrate suitably exposed to an infrared illumination, will yield a discernable image evident as a infrared mark to a suitable infrared sensitive device.

Abstract: A method for providing a double layer GlossMark™ image includes providing a first layer text string for generating a patternink. The method further includes providing a second layer text string through the patternink. The first layer text string is visible as gloss variation between first character and background fields and the second layer text string is visible as a color difference between second character and background fields.

Abstract: A method of defining a glyph font character representing an input binary code includes defining a first portion of a matrix using an input binary code including a plurality of input bits. A second portion of the matrix is defined by performing a transformation on the input binary code so that the second portion of the matrix includes a plurality of transformed bits. A glyph character is derived that corresponds to the matrix. The glyph character is defined by a plurality of components corresponding in location to said bits of said matrix, wherein the components of the glyph character comprise a first component (e.g. a forward slash /) that corresponds to and represents a “1” bit of the matrix and second component (e.g., a backslash \) that corresponds to and represents a “0” bit of the matrix. The transformation operation includes a NOT operation or other logic operation, and includes a shift operation.

Abstract: A method for creating a pattern color space for use during print job processing may include: a) defining a variable portion of the pattern color space, b) defining a fixed portion of the pattern color space, c) defining a bounding shape for the pattern color space, d) defining a procedure for painting the variable and fixed portions within the bounding shape, and e) at least temporarily, saving the pattern color space to a storage device. The variable portion of the pattern color space may be based on variable data associated with the print job and an object within the print job may identify the pattern color space for a color parameter. A system using this method may include a storage device, a digital front end, a print controller, and a print engine. Various methods for using the pattern color space during print job processing are also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for including a double layer security mark in digital document data defining an image of a document to be printed and in the printed document. A fluorescence mark region including a fluorescence mark is defined using first and second metameric colorant mixtures. Variation in colorant spatial coverage between the first and second metameric colorant mixtures results in colorant-free areas that define the fluorescence mark due to substrate fluorescence under UV illumination. The fluorescence mark region is modified to define a double layer fluorescence mark region including the fluorescence mark and also including at least one visible light object defined by a third colorant mixture. The third colorant mixture is added to the fluorescence mark region by masking the colorant-free areas of the fluorescence mark region to prevent writing of the third colorant mixture data to the colorant-free areas to avoid disturbing the colorant-free areas.

Abstract: A scratch-off document may include a substrate bearing a toner image and a scratch-off layer covering the printed content. The scratch-off layer may include a mass of a first solid ink and a mass of a second solid ink printed over the first solid ink in a distraction pattern. The toner image is formed of a toner that adheres to the substrate, while the scratch-off layer is made of a wax-based or other solid ink that may be removed from the substrate by scratching without removing the toner image. The distraction pattern includes varying pile heights that distract a viewer from any pile height variations that may exist in the toner image.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods/systems to embed a watermark into a contone image. Specifically, the disclosed methods and systems spatially modulate a contone image substantially adjacent a watermark area according to a first polarization and spatially modulate the contone image substantially within the watermark area according to a second polarization. These spatially modulated images may then be subsequently processed, stored, communicated and/or rendered.

Abstract: A relevance based print integrity method includes comparing current raster image data that define a document to be printed with golden raster image data that define a previous version of said document with a known (perfect) quality. A plurality of differences between said current raster image data and said golden raster image data are calculated, and each of the differences is processed to determine a relevance value of the difference and to assign the relevance value to the difference. The method includes generating and storing a list of the differences, wherein the list is ordered in terms of the relevance value assigned to each difference. The difference list is presented to a user textually or graphically and/or is used to control or interrupt printing operations.

Abstract: A method for defining a gloss effect in a printed document includes printing a document region with first and second colorant combinations. The first colorant combination defines a first colorant stack height and said second colorant combination defines a second colorant stack height that differs from the first colorant stack height. As such, the document region has a first appearance when viewed straight-on and a second appearance when viewed at an angle. In one example, the first colorant combination is black (K) colorant that results in a one-level stack height and the second colorant combination is cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY) colorants that result in a three-level stack height. In another example, the second colorant combination can be cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) colorants that define a four-level stack height.

Abstract: The teachings as provided herein relate to a watermark embedded in an image that has the property of being relatively indecipherable under normal light, and yet decipherable under UV light. This fluorescent mark comprises a substrate containing optical brightening agents, and a first colorant mixture pattern printed as an image upon the substrate. The colorant mixture pattern layer has as characteristics a property of strongly suppressing substrate fluorescence, as well as a property of low contrast under normal illumination against the substrate or a second colorant mixture pattern printed in close spatial proximity to the first colorant mixture pattern. The second colorant mixture pattern having a property of providing a differing level of substrate fluorescence suppression from the first such that the resultant image rendered substrate suitably exposed to an ultra-violet light source, will yield a discernable image evident as a fluorescent mark.

Abstract: The teachings as provided herein relate to a watermark embedded in an image that has the property of being relatively indecipherable under normal light, and yet decipherable under UV light. This fluorescent mark comprises a substrate containing optical brightening agents, and a first colorant mixture printed as an image upon the substrate. The colorant mixture layer has as characteristics a property of strongly suppressing substrate fluorescence, as well as a property of low contrast under normal illumination against the substrate or a second colorant mixture printed in close spatial proximity to the first colorant mixture, such that the resultant image rendered substrate suitably exposed to an ultra-violet light source, will yield a discernable image evident as a fluorescent mark.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of processing work flow associated with a print job including Specialty Imaging such as UV and/or IR encoding. According to one exemplary embodiment, a printing system controller accesses a spatially structured ink composed of a plurality of non-overlapping primitive spot colors to render Specialty Imaging effects along with other images and text associated with the print job.

Abstract: A toner set includes a plurality of toners, at least one toner but less than all toners of the toner set including binder, colorant and fluorescence agent and remaining additional toners including binder, colorant and free of fluorescence agent. At least a first toner grouping and a second toner grouping of the toner set form a combination, the first and second groupings of the combination exhibiting a substantially same color under ambient light conditions upon image formation. The first toner grouping and the second toner grouping of the combination contain a different amount of the fluorescence agent, wherein upon exposure to activating energy, the fluorescence agent fluoresces to cause a visible change in the color of a pattern formed in an image by the first toner grouping as compared to the second toner grouping.

Abstract: A document printing method includes receiving a print job of electronic document data representing a document including a security character string with at least one character defined in the electronic document data in terms of a security mark creation font. The security mark creation font is a scalable outline based font, wherein the security character string is defined with a selected security effect, and wherein the security mark creation font provides an indication of the selected security effect without implementing the security effect. An SI Font is selected that corresponds to the security mark creation font of the at least one character of the security character string. The SI Font includes a bitmap representation of the at least one character of the security character string. The SI Font is suitable for printing the security character string with the selected security effect.

Abstract: A system reveals a 2D barcode in a document. A 2D barcode generator selects the placement and at least one colorant combination of an image and at least one colorant combination for a 2D barcode on a document, where the at least one colorant combination of the image and the 2D barcode form a metameric pair. A print system receives data from the 2D barcode generator and places the image and the 2D barcode on the document. A light source selected or tuned to a wavelength corresponding to the colorant combinations utilized by the print system reveals the 2D barcode placed thereon. A decoding element decodes and extracts data from the revealed 2D barcode.

Abstract: A toner set includes a plurality of toners, at least one toner but less than all toners of the toner set including binder, colorant and fluorescence agent and remaining additional toners including binder, colorant and free of fluorescence agent. At least a first toner grouping and a second toner grouping of the toner set form a combination, the first and second groupings of the combination exhibiting a substantially same color under ambient light conditions upon image formation. The first toner grouping and the second toner grouping of the combination contain a different amount of the fluorescence agent, wherein upon exposure to activating energy, the fluorescence agent fluoresces to cause a visible change in the color of a pattern formed in an image by the first toner grouping as compared to the second toner grouping.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of printing an image encoded with an IR watermark on a substrate. According to an exemplary method, an effective gamut is used to render the image, wherein the effective gamut is formed by the intersection of a first and second gamut associated with producing a constant IR response.

Abstract: A method for creating a differential gloss image includes providing first and second anisotropic halftone structures. The first and second anisotropic structures have different orientations. One of the first and second anisotropic structures is applied to image data in a first region of an image to be halftoned. The other of the first and second anisotropic structures may be applied to image data in a second region of an image to be halftoned. A mixture of the first and second anisotropic structures is applied to image data in a third region of the image to be halftoned, whereby when printed, the three regions each have a gloss characteristic which differs from that of the other two regions.