Abstract: Force K processing is presented to replace gray color values of input data with only levels of black ink/toner when color management is not specified in the print job. A system converts input data of a print job to a CMYK color space of a printer by processing a lookup table of color values for the color space of the input data based on a detected color space of the input data to identify gray color values of the lookup table. The system also determines that these gray color values produce an output in the CMYK color space of the printer that includes one or more of cyan, magenta, and yellow color components. The system replaces the gray color values with black color values and corresponds the black color values of the lookup table with gray color values of the input data for conversion of the input data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for color conversion from one CMYK color space to another CMYK color space. The system receives a color defined by a first coordinate in the first CMYK color space. The system converts the color to a second coordinate for the second CMYK color space, and determines a location in a perceptual color space for each of the first coordinate and the second coordinate. The system further identifies a distance between the locations in the perceptual color space, and reduces the distance in the perceptual color space between the two locations by iteratively revising the second coordinate in the second CMYK color space while holding the black level of the second coordinate constant.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for CMYK color conversion of input image data while preserving K color values during the conversion process. A color management module is operable to convert input image data from one color space to a CMYK color space. For example, the color management module may convert the image data of one device operating in a CMYK color space to a CMYK color space of another device. In doing so, the color management module preserves or maintains the K color values of the input image data during the CMYK to CMYK color conversion. The color management module may implement such by modifying input and output ICC profiles and interpolating the perceptual lightness values of the input ICC profile within the output lookup table.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for the color conversion of image data with various levels of gray values, such as text. Such color conversion includes generating a CMYK conversion model by defining a gray region in the perceptual color space of the image data to convert the gray values of the gray region to a range of K values during CMYK color conversion of the image data and segmenting chroma values in a color lookup table that maps perceptual color values to CMYK color values. Lightness values in the color lookup table are adjusted using a perceptual model (e.g., a Heimholtz-Kohlrausch Effect model) based on the segmented chroma values to substantially maintain a lightness relationship between the gray values of the image data and the remaining color values of the image data. The image data is the converted to a CMYK color space using the generated CMYK conversion model.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving color data for an object to be printed and performing post color processing for each pixel in the object if the object is a graphics/text object, while no processing is performed if the object is an image object. Post color processing is performed by determining if a pixel is black or gray and converting the pixel to K only black color if the pixel is black or gray.

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for color conversion in production printing systems. The color conversion system includes a processor operable to receive a print job and convert the print job into a full sheetside bitmap comprised of an array of color pixels. The full sheetside bitmap is destined for color conversion via an ink limitation algorithm. The color conversion system also includes an image identification module operable to identify a portion of the print job for a level of color accuracy and to designate that portion of the print job for color conversion via a color accuracy algorithm. The processor is operable to convert a color value of the identified portion of the print job using the color accuracy algorithm. The processor also converts color values of the remainder of the print job using the ink limitation algorithm.

Abstract: Force K processing is presented to replace gray color values of input data with only levels of black ink/toner when color management is not specified in the print job. A system converts input data of a print job to a CMYK color space of a printer by processing a lookup table of color values for the color space of the input data based on a detected color space of the input data to identify gray color values of the lookup table. The system also determines that these gray color values produce an output in the CMYK color space of the printer that includes one or more of cyan, magenta, and yellow color components. The system replaces the gray color values with black color values and corresponds the black color values of the lookup table with gray color values of the input data for conversion of the input data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for color conversion from one CMYK color space to another CMYK color space. The system receives a color defined by a first coordinate in the first CMYK color space. The system converts the color to a second coordinate for the second CMYK color space, and determines a location in a perceptual color space for each of the first coordinate and the second coordinate. The system further identifies a distance between the locations in the perceptual color space, and reduces the distance in the perceptual color space between the two locations by iteratively revising the second coordinate in the second CMYK color space while holding the black level of the second coordinate constant.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for improved dispatching of sheetsides in a high-speed (e.g., continuous form) printing environment using multiple, clustered processors in a print controller. Features and aspects hereof utilize a stochastic mathematical model of multiple processors (compute nodes) each adapted to RIP (rasterize) raw sheetside data provided to it. The model utilizes stochastic estimates of the probability of RIP execution time to select a preferred processor of the controller and dispatches the sheetside to the preferred compute node identified as providing best probability of meeting required deadlines for RIP completion time of a raw sheetside.

Abstract: An International Color Consortium (ICC) profile making tool includes a regression module to establish a dependency between a profile connection space (PCS) and a device color space and an optimization module to generate a first output profile based on an ink minimization mode and a second output profile based on a high accuracy mode.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a color image recording device to measure a spot color on a medium and a color matching module to determine a perceptual color difference between the measured spot color and a reproduction color as a function of color values in a color space and to optimize the function to establish a minima.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving color data for an object to be printed and performing post color processing for each pixel in the object if the object is a graphics/text object, while no processing is performed if the object is an image object. Post color processing is performed by determining if a pixel is black or gray and converting the pixel to K only black color if the pixel is black or gray.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for CMYK color conversion of input image data while preserving K color values during the conversion process. A color management module is operable to convert input image data from one color space to a CMYK color space. For example, the color management module may convert the image data of one device operating in a CMYK color space to a CMYK color space of another device. In doing so, the color management module preserves or maintains the K color values of the input image data during the CMYK to CMYK color conversion. The color management module may implement such by modifying input and output ICC profiles and interpolating the perceptual lightness values of the input ICC profile within the output lookup table.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for the color conversion of image data with various levels of gray values, such as text. Such color conversion includes generating a CMYK conversion model by defining a gray region in the perceptual color space of the image data to convert the gray values of the gray region to a range of K values during CMYK color conversion of the image data and segmenting chroma values in a color lookup table that maps perceptual color values to CMYK color values. Lightness values in the color lookup table are adjusted using a perceptual model (e.g., a Heimholtz-Kohlrausch Effect model) based on the segmented chroma values to substantially maintain a lightness relationship between the gray values of the image data and the remaining color values of the image data. The image data is the converted to a CMYK color space using the generated CMYK conversion model.

Abstract: An International Color Consortium (ICC) profile making tool includes a regression module to establish a dependency between a profile connection space (PCS) and a device color space and an optimization module to generate a first output profile based on an ink minimization mode and a second output profile based on a high accuracy mode.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for improved dispatching of sheetsides in a high-speed (e.g., continuous form) printing environment using multiple, clustered processors in a print controller. Features and aspects hereof utilize a stochastic mathematical model of multiple processors (compute nodes) each adapted to RIP (rasterize) raw sheetside data provided to it. The model utilizes stochastic estimates of the probability of RIP execution time to select a preferred processor of the controller and dispatches the sheetside to the preferred compute node identified as providing best probability of meeting required deadlines for RIP completion time of a raw sheetside.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for improved dispatching of sheetsides in a high-speed (e.g., continuous form) printing environment using multiple, clustered processors in a print controller. Features and aspects hereof generate, update, and utilize a mathematical model of multiple processors (compute nodes) each adapted to RIP (rasterize) raw sheetside data provided to it. A head node or control processor receives the raw sheetside files from an attached host or server, determines current processing capacity of each of the multiple compute nodes to RIP the next sheetside, and dispatches the sheetside to the compute node identified as providing the minimum RIP completion time. Various conditions may invalidate a compute node from further consideration in dispatch of a particular sheetside. Thus a valid compute node is selected based on the minimum RIP completion time.