Abstract: A communication process and accompanying apparatus for enabling communication between different areas of the printing process, e.g. between the preliminary printing stage and the printing press, in either direction so that data for regulating the printing press can be obtained from data which does not depend on the type of printing press and the data to be printed which are received from the preliminary printing stage can be influenced by the printing press itself. The apparatus has a communication structure formed by a central main data processing station, with which a plurality of printing units of the printing press are interlinked for joint preparation of a job, and a decentralized data processing substation for each area of the printing process which can be connected in turn with the main data processing station. The connection between the substations and the main station is formed by device-independent interfaces which allow data to be transferred in either direction.

Abstract: A method for detecting diffuse reflections of full-tone and half-tone fields in order to prepare diagnoses on problem factors and/or changes in process parameters, such as blurring, dampness, machine temperature. During printing, the diffuse reflections of the full-tone and half-tone fields are detected with scanners. This is done in such a way that for at least two printed copies, in at least two fields of each copy, the diffuse reflections of full-tone and half-tone areas, or of at least two half-tone fields of different area coverages are compared, and based on the results of this comparison, diagnoses and/or control recommendations are made.

Abstract: Information is received from an image on a moving substrate. Flash exposure is used, defining operating or exposure cycles. The reflection or a representation of the image is subdivided into a matrix having n columns and m rows or lines. The sensor is a charge coupled device (CCD), arranged to have a sensing area (11) with n columns and m rows or lines, and a storage region or section (12), likewise arranged to have storage cells of n and m columns and rows or lines. Information of any one image element, upon sensing, is shifted by a line transfer pulse by one image line. The line transfer pulses are synchronized with web movement of the substrate and operate as shift pulses. The m line, at the first transfer line shift pulse, is shifted into the first line or row of the matrix of the storage portion of the CCD. For each operating cycle, at least one line transfer pulse is used. The information of the image elements can be read out serially from the storage portion (12) at high speed.