Abstract: A method for an automated production of printing substrates on at least one printing machine having at least one computer, includes feeding print jobs to the computer in a printer job queue. The computer analyzes the print jobs in the printer queue in terms of defined minimum numbers before the print jobs are processed and the print jobs are not processed on the printing machine until a threshold of a defined minimum number is attained.

Abstract: A method for inspecting printed products of a machine for processing printing substrates includes recording and digitizing produced printed products by using at least one image sensor and analyzing the printed products by using a computer to find potential defects. Defects in the printed products are detected by the computer by comparing the recorded and digitized printed image with a digital reference image, analyzing occurring deviations, and marking defective printed products in a manner suitable for removal. The computer spatially subdivides every digitized printed image into regions with deviations, calculates the time required to analyze every one of the regions, and terminates the analysis of a digitized printed image when the time required to analyze the regions exceeds a predefined value of time per digitized printed image.

Abstract: A device for supplying liquid ink to an ink print head in an ink printing machine includes an ink reservoir, a line for guiding the ink from the reservoir to the print head, a line for guiding the ink from the print head to the reservoir, and a damper for damping pressure fluctuations in the liquid ink. The damper has a movable and/or deformable membrane with a given thickness. In a position of repose, the membrane has a length L and a width W, and the length L is at least twice as long as the width W. The device renders possible in a simple and cost-efficient way to reliably avoid even large pressure fluctuations, in particular high pressure peaks in the liquid ink.

Abstract: A method performs color control in a printing operation on a printing machine by use of a computer. The computer uses an input profile to transform print image data from a first color space to a device-independent color space, subsequently uses an output profile to transform the print image data into a second color space dependent on the printing machine. The computer compares measurement conditions of the used input profile and of the output profile to be generated, and, if there are differences between the respective measurement conditions, adapts the print image data in the device-independent color space to deviating measurement conditions of the output profile. The printing machine subsequently executes the printing operation using the print image data, and wherein UV light excitation is used for the measurement conditions of the output profile.

Abstract: A method for image inspection on printed products in a printing material processing machine. Printed products are recorded and digitizing and the recorded images are compared with a digital reference image to find image areas with distorted regions. Suitable rectification factors are calculated and the digital reference image is rectified with suitable rectification factors for the distorted image areas. The modified digital reference image is then compared to images recorded during the production run. If deviations are found, the printed products are found defective and removed. The computer also identifies image areas in the reference image that do not have enough edges for calculating suitable rectification factors and inserts anchors into the image areas. The anchors are printed, recorded and digitized, as they become part of the recorded digital printed image. In that case, the computer calculates the local rectification factors by way of the anchors.

Abstract: A device for controlling the printing operation in an inkjet printing machine includes at least one inkjet print head disposed at an adjustable distance from a substrate to be printed on. A device receives a print job and a bad sheet sensor has a trigger threshold. A machine control unit adjusts the distance between the inkjet print head and the substrate to be printed on as well as the trigger threshold of the bad sheet sensor before or after the printing operation as a function of a received print job.

Abstract: A method for inspecting images on print products in a printing material processing machine includes recording and digitizing produced print products using at least one image sensor in an image inspection process of a print job using an image inspection system. The recorded digital prints that have been created are compared to a digital reference image by using a computer and, if deviations are found between the recorded digital prints and the digital reference image, print products found to be defective are removed. The image sensor records the produced print products from at least two different viewing angles and/or viewing distances and the computer evaluates the at least two recorded digital prints as a function of the at least two viewing angles and/or viewing distances and assesses them in terms of deviations. A device for inspecting images on print products is also provided.

Abstract: A method for assessing the condition and improving the printing quality of printing nozzles in printheads of an inkjet printing machine includes printing a nozzle test chart formed of a specific number of horizontal rows of equidistant vertical lines printed periodically underneath one another, with only every nth printing nozzle contributing to the test chart in every row of the test chart and n corresponding to a different number between one and the specific number of horizontal rows, recording and digitizing the test chart and analyzing the test chart regarding the condition of the contributing nozzles by using a computer. The nozzles printing horizontal lines between the horizontal rows complementing the equidistant vertical lines to form quadrangular objects used by the computer to analyze the condition of the contributing nozzles. Measures are taken to improve the printing quality of the nozzles depending on the condition of the contributing nozzles.

Abstract: A method and device change printing plates on a cylinder. The method includes opening a first clamping device and releasing a leading edge of a first printing plate and opening a second clamping device and releasing a trailing edge of the first printing plate. The first and second clamping devices are both opened before a first rotation process of a cylinder. The cylinder is rotated during the first rotation process in a first direction to dismount the first printing plate from a circumferential surface of the cylinder. The cylinder is rotated in a second rotation process in an opposite second direction to mount a second printing plate replacing the first printing plate to the circumferential surface of the cylinder. Because the first clamping device and the second clamping device are both opened before the first rotation of the cylinder, the set-up period required for a printing plate change is reduced.

Abstract: A method for verifying the authenticity of printed printing materials includes applying a random pattern to a printing material during a printing procedure in a first step. The printed printing materials are captured by a first electronic reading device during a production run, the captured data are transmitted to a computer and encrypted data are generated in the computer from the captured data of the applied random pattern. In a second step the printed printing material is at least partly scanned by using a second electronic reader and the authenticity of the printed printing material is ascertained from the scanned image data by a comparison with the encrypted data of the random pattern. A dynamically generated mask is used in the computer for selecting the random pattern when generating the encrypted data of the random pattern on the printed printing material.

Abstract: A device for inserting a web of printing material into a flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine includes a compensator for converting a continuous movement of the web of printing material into an iterative movement of the web of printing material. A clamping unit clamps the web of printing material, a cutting unit carries out a cross cut through the web of printing material, and an inserting unit transports the web of printing material into the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. The device advantageously allows the web of printing material to be automatically clamped, cut and fed to the flat-bed die-cutting and/or embossing machine. As a result, no further stopping of an upstream printing press is required and the amount of waste is reduced. A manufacturing system for producing packages and a method for feeding a web of printing material are also provided.

Abstract: A method for printing on the surface of an object uses a print head generating ink drops to print at least a first swath and subsequently a second swath of ink onto the surface in such a way that the swaths are mutually adjacent and overlap in a strip. The first and second swaths are printed as solid areas and the swaths are XY stitched in the strip. In the strip, at least one of the two swaths is additionally stitched by using a function of an ink amount profile in a Y direction. High-quality or even highest-quality printed products can therefore be produced, in particular avoiding defects that are visible to the human eye in a region of overlap or a strip between swaths that are printed next to one another.

Abstract: A method for inspecting images on printed products in a machine for processing printing substrates includes recording and digitizing the produced printed products by using at least one image sensor in an image recording system, comparing the recorded digital printed images having been created in this way with a digital reference image by using the computer, digitally eliminating distortion in the recorded digital printed images beforehand by using the computer and, if the recorded digital distortion-free printed images deviate from the digital reference image, removing printed products having been found to have a defect. For the purpose of digitally eliminating the distortions, the computer divides the print and reference images into respective image parts and adapts the printed image parts pixel by pixel in terms of their positions in the printed image to minimize the difference between the printed image parts and the respective reference image parts.

Abstract: A sheet-fed printing machine contains a printing unit, a drier, and a sheet handling device for transporting or guiding print sheets. The sheet handling device has an opening disposed downstream of the drier in the direction of transport. A humidification device for rehumidifying the print sheets is disposed in such a way that it rehumidifies the print sheets through the opening. The sheet handling device may contain a guide plate or several guide plates.

Abstract: A method for printing an image with improved printing quality using liquid ink includes using a pump to pump ink to a print head for printing rows of the image onto a moving printing substrate. A respective value correlated with the amount of ink required to print the rows is calculated for a plurality of individual rows or a plurality of grouped rows of the image. The pump receives a preemptive control signal based on the calculated values.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing on a web of printing material includes a plurality of in-line flexographic printing units disposed in a plane that is accessible to a machine operator. Every two flexographic printing units of the plurality of flexographic printing units together form a double printing station and the two flexographic printing units of a respective double printing station have a common impression cylinder. A method of operating a printing machine is also provided.

Abstract: A method for compensating for position-dependent density fluctuations of print nozzles in any inkjet printer by a computer. The computer produces, for all substrates used, compensation profiles for the position-dependent density fluctuations over all print heads of the inkjet printer and applies the compensation profiles to compensate for the position-dependent density fluctuations in the inkjet printer. The computer determines in each case printer-specific or print head-specific influences and print substrate-specific influence factors with a generic reference print substrate, from which a reference compensation profile is produced which depends on the surface coverage and location. From this the computer produces a total compensation profile which is used to compensate for position-dependent density fluctuations.

Abstract: A method compensates for position-dependent density fluctuations of print nozzles in an inkjet printing machine by use of a computer. The computer produces compensation profiles for the position-dependent density fluctuations over all the print heads for all print substrates used, calculates an mean profile from these, and applies the mean profile to compensate for the position-dependent density fluctuations in the inkjet printing machine. When one or more print heads of the inkjet printing machine are replaced, the computer calculates a new compensation profile for only one print substrate. The computer derives a new mean profile from this, and the computer calculates and applies the new mean profile using the old compensation profiles for the remaining print substrates.

Abstract: A method prints and dries a substrate where ink containing water and pigment is printed onto the substrate in an inkjet printing process. The substrate has an initial moisture content and absorbs at least water of the ink, causing the moisture content of the substrate to rise. Radiation selectively acting on the water molecules is applied in a first drying step and then radiation selectively acting on the pigment is applied in a second drying step in such a way that after completion of the two drying steps, the water of the applied ink has essentially completely evaporated and the substrate has essentially reattained its initial moisture content. In this manner optimum drying of substrates to which ink has been applied occurs.

Abstract: A method for compensating for position-dependent density fluctuations in an inkjet printing machine includes the steps of assigning, by using a look-up table, specific halftone patterns to specific gray values of a color separation to be screened of an image in the course of the calibration of a raster image processor of the inkjet printing machine, using the halftone patterns in the image screening process by using the computer and printing the halftone image on the inkjet printing machine. The look-up table contains the position of every printing nozzle of the print heads in the inkjet printing machine as an additional variable and the computer enters a complete set of gray values with associated adapted halftone patterns into the look-up table for every position of a printing nozzle.