Abstract: A method of printing a graphical work on a medium includes providing a file comprising the graphical work and at least one boundary associated with the graphical work. The graphical work and an indication of at least one of the boundaries are printed onto the medium.

Abstract: A system and method for computing a run-length encoded raster in which spans are successively added to a raster or overlapping spans are flattened. Spans are temporarily expanded into a pixel array representing part of the raster, where entries in the pixel array are references to color values and other property data. Successive spans modify the pixel array. References in the array are then compared to run-length encode the partial raster. Remaining parts of the raster are processed similarly. In one embodiment, the array contains pointers referencing color and property information. In another embodiment, the array contains small indexes referencing a color palette.

Abstract: A system and method for handling overprinting in generating a raster page for continuous tone or halftone printing. A color transformation is used to generate tints for each of the colorants for each of the colored shapes. When rendering a shape that is set for overprinting, the tints of colorant for each pixel is determined by comparing the colorant tints determined by the color transformation of the foreground shape with the colorant tints previously determined for the pixel according to the background. The pixel colorant tints are reset with the colorant tints of the foreground shape when the tints of the foreground shape are darker than the tints of the background. Where the tints of the foreground shape are lighter than the background, the background tints are left unchanged producing a transparency effect. The system and method are adaptable to colored shapes comprising a vignette. The system and method are also applicable to negative image production.

Abstract: Method and system for determination of a reference printer state using recursive tone scale matching. The present invention determines the ink values for the primary colorants necessary to produce a desired reference printer state that includes a desired tone reproduction curve and a desired neutral response. The amount of ink for each colorant necessary to produce the desired printer response is initially estimated and then recursively adjusted. Upon each adjustment, a color print is produced with patches of the various combinations of colorants. The actual color of the printed color patches are then determined. If the actual colors match the desired print response, then the process ends and the reference printer state has been determined. If the printer response does not match the desired printer response, then the ink values for the colorants are adjusted and the processes it repeated.

Abstract: A method of the present invention arranges a prepress workflow by loading a prepress memory manager on a local computer as a result of user input. A graphical user interface is displayed and includes a prepress system design palette having interlinked module icons representative of different prepress hardware and/or software distributed object modules wherein a scan module icon is a first module icon among the interlinked module icons representative of a distributed object scan module that initially receives data for the prepress workflow. The workflow is directed among the prepress hardware and/or software distributed object modules based on the type of data entering the distributed object scan module.

Abstract: Method and system for determination of a reference printer state using recursive tone scale matching. The present invention determines the ink values for the primary colorants necessary to produce a desired reference printer state that includes a desired tone reproduction curve and a desired neutral response. The amount of ink for each colorant necessary to produce the desired printer response is initially estimated and then recursively adjusted. Upon each adjustment, a color print is produced with patches of the various combinations of colorants. The actual color of the printed color patches are then determined. If the actual colors match the desired print response, then the process ends and the reference printer state has been determined. If the printer response does not match the desired printer response, then the ink values for the colorants are adjusted and the processes it repeated.

Abstract: A method of configuring a prepress workflow that includes a raster image processor (RIP) is disclosed, together with a graphical user interface. A prepress memory manager is loaded on a local computer as a result of user input such that a graphical user interface is displayed on a computer screen and includes a prepress system design palette and a raster image processor (RIP) module icon that represents a raster image processor distributed object module that is used in a prepress workflow operation. The RIP distributed object module can be configured by user interfacing with the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A system and computer program configures a prepress workflow. A prepress memory manager is loaded on a local computer as a result of a user input such that a graphical user interface is displayed. A prepress system design palette and modules toolbar have module icons representing different prepress hardware and/or software distributed object modules that can be potentially used in a prepress workflow operation. Module icons are dragged and represent the desired prepress hardware and/or software distributed object modules to be used in a prepress workflow from the module toolbar into the prepress system design palette and then linked based on user input in the order which represents how the prepress workflow proceeds along the selected hardware and/or distributed object modules.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for addressing the problem of combining a plurality of Page Description Language (PDL) separation color files to create a display list of objects that represents the composite or combined output image as described by the PDL separation files. Furthermore, any conflicts about the z-order of the display list is resolved by correctly ordering the objects in the display list to the extent that the ordering is significant. The need to produce a display list of objects that represents the composite or combined output image arises from digital preproofing, a technique of proofing and editing the output color image for production from images obtained from a proofing device other than the actual production printer.