Abstract: A networked imaging system, includes first and second communications networks, and first and second storage devices respectively interconnected to the first and second networks. A first image processor, interconnected to the first network, generates first image data representing a first image and writes the first image data to the first storage device. A second image processor, interconnected to the second network, generates second image data representing a second image. A first print driver, interconnected to the first and the second networks, writes the second image data to the second storage device and generates first drive instructions corresponding to the written first image data. A second print driver, interconnected to the second network, generates second drive instructions corresponding to the written second image data. First and second image makers respectively generate a representation of the first and second images according to the first and second drive instructions.

Abstract: A visual sensor has a first portion and a second portion. The sensor is able to detect the state of one or more imaging parameters such as exposure setting, pulse width modulation, focus, balance, spot ellipticity, sidelobe size, shape, and intensity, media gamma, edge sharpness, dot gain, uniformity, ink receptivity, physical changes in the media, pattern dependent effects such as dot gain or tone resolution compared to the type of halftone used, and sensitivity to calibrated position or exposure errors. The first image portion has a first imaging characteristic, and the second image portion has a second imaging characteristic. Imaging characteristics are characteristics of an image, including, but not limited to apparent density level, tint, color, reflectivity, absorption, granularity or microstructure, size, shape, distribution, degree of randomness, structure, edge sharpness, and depth or dimension.

Abstract: A print drive that is placed in a prepress workflow between a raster image processor and an output device receives first and second raster data corresponding to first and second image data, and processed by the raster image processor. The print drive uses the second raster data to modify the first raster data. In one embodiment, the first raster data is digitally combined with the second raster data using a digital doubleburner. In another embodiment, a digital masker uses the second raster data as a mask to selectively delete a portion of the first raster data. When used in succession, the digital masker and the digital doubleburner permit the editing of raster data which is rendered through the output device as a modified printed image.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention features a system and method for displaying an image on an output device. The method includes creating an image having one or more separations with an imaging application thereby forming a description of the image in a page description language. The method includes processing the description of the image in the page description language thereby creating a raster for each color separation associated with the image. The method also includes selecting a subset of the rasters for proofing. The method includes creating a second page description language file including each of the selected subset of the rasters for proofing and imaging the second page description language file with an output device. The system includes a raster image processor for processing the description of the image in the page description language thereby creating a raster for each color separation associated with the image.