Abstract: A relief manufacturing apparatus includes: a laser beam irradiating device configured to irradiate laser beam on an engraving material; a scanning device configured to move at least one of the engraving material and the laser beam irradiating device; a numerical value acquiring device configured to acquire a numerical value including a first inclination angle indicating inclination of the inclined face of the relief; a control device configured to control the scanning device and the laser beam irradiating device so that the laser beam is irradiated on a surface of the engraving material to form an initial inclined face having a second inclination angle smaller than the first inclination angle and thereafter the laser beam is irradiated on the initial inclined face to enlarge the inclination of the inclined face from the second inclination angle to the first inclination angle.

Abstract: A region of interest extracting section automatically extracts regions of interest from within original images by obtaining the degree by which the features of portions within the original images differ from the features of surrounding portions, based on the colors of the original images, brightnesses of the original images, and the orientations of linear components that appear in the original images. A partial image generating section generates partial images by cutting out images of predetermined sizes that include the regions of interest, which are extracted by the region of interest extracting section, from the original images. The generated partial images are displayed.

Abstract: The plate-making apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an exposure head which engraves a surface of a plate material by emitting a light beam toward the plate material; a scanning device which performs exposure scanning by relatively moving the plate material and the exposure head; a correction profile generation device which generates a correction profile for correcting an emission amount of the light beam emitted by the exposure head according to a characteristic difference of the plate material; and an exposure control device which, when a correction profile for a plate material to be used is generated by the correction profile generation device, uses the correction profile for the plate material to be used to control the emission amount of the light beam.

Abstract: The image layout device configured to enable users to lay out images includes a layout data storing unit configured to store layout data sets that specify image arrangement regions for laying out the images, a layout selecting unit configured to automatically select the layout data set from the layout data storing unit based on a number of the users, an image storing unit configured to store images, one or more position instructing unit configured to select an image to be arranged based on the selected layout data set from stored images, and provide an instruction regarding an arrangement location with respect to the layout data set for the selected image and a layout processing unit configured to determine whether or not an instruction from the instructing unit is executable and, if it is executable, arrange the selected image in accordance with the selected layout data set.

Abstract: In a relief printing plate according to an aspect of the present invention, the relief can be formed to have resistance to pressure applied to the apex thereof thanks to the depth (d) and the ridge tilt angle (x). In particular, the resistance to pressure against a relief serving as a highlight halftone dot can be improved to prevent the relief from falling over by the pressure applied to the apex of the relief. Thereby, the relief serving as a highlight halftone dot can be made not to be dipped in a cell of the ink roller (e.g., anilox roller).

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, on the relief printing plate where a relief serving as a halftone dot is formed on a surface of a plate material, an elliptical frustoconical relief is formed as the relief as well as the minor direction of the elliptical frustum matches the printing direction so that the longitudinal section of the relief in the same direction as in the printing direction is smaller than the longitudinal section of the relief in a direction orthogonal to the printing direction. Thereby, the relief having the aforementioned sectional shape has resistance to pressure as a whole of the relief as well as flexibility in the printing direction.

Abstract: A relief manufacturing apparatus includes: a laser beam irradiating device configured to irradiate laser beam on an engraving material; a scanning device configured to move at least one of the engraving material and the laser beam irradiating device; a numerical value acquiring device configured to acquire a numerical value including a first inclination angle indicating inclination of the inclined face of the relief; a control device configured to control the scanning device and the laser beam irradiating device so that the laser beam is irradiated on a surface of the engraving material to form an initial inclined face having a second inclination angle smaller than the first inclination angle and thereafter the laser beam is irradiated on the initial inclined face to enlarge the inclination of the inclined face from the second inclination angle to the first inclination angle.

Abstract: A printing plate mounting apparatus includes a mounting mark information acquiring device which acquires mounting mark information formed on each of a plate-making drum provided in a plate-making apparatus, and a printing drum provided in a printing apparatus that prints an image on an object to be printed; an image creating device which creates an image of each color; a first calculating device which respectively calculates a size of each printing plate corresponding to the color image and a mounting position of the printing plate on each of the plate-making drum and the printing drum; a second calculating device which calculates a position of a plate-making positioning mark according to the mounting mark, and also calculates a position of a printing positioning mark according to the mounting mark; and a printing device which prints the plate-making positioning mark and the printing positioning mark on a printing plate support.

Abstract: The plate-making apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an exposure head which engraves a surface of a plate material by emitting a light beam toward the plate material; a scanning device which performs exposure scanning by relatively moving the plate material and the exposure head; a correction profile generation device which generates a correction profile for correcting an emission amount of the light beam emitted by the exposure head according to a characteristic difference of the plate material; and an exposure control device which, when a correction profile for a plate material to be used is generated by the correction profile generation device, uses the correction profile for the plate material to be used to control the emission amount of the light beam.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides an object processing apparatus, comprising: a connecting unit which connects to one or more external information terminals; an input unit which accepts input of a desired object manipulation among predetermined one or more kinds of object manipulations corresponding to a particular object from an information terminal connected via the connecting unit; a processing unit which processes a desired object based on a kind of an object manipulation accepted by the input unit; a usage environment identifying unit which identifies a usage environment of an information terminal connected via the connecting unit; and an input control unit which restricts, in accordance with a usage environment of an information terminal identified by the usage environment identifying unit, a kind of an object manipulation that the input unit can accept from the information terminal.

Abstract: The image layout device configured to enable users to lay out images includes a layout data storing unit configured to store layout data sets that specify image arrangement regions for laying out the images, a layout selecting unit configured to automatically select the layout data set from the layout data storing unit based on a number of the users, an image storing unit configured to store images, one or more position instructing unit configured to select an image to be arranged based on the selected layout data set from stored images, and provide an instruction regarding an arrangement location with respect to the layout data set for the selected image and a layout processing unit configured to determine whether or not an instruction from the instructing unit is executable and, if it is executable, arrange the selected image in accordance with the selected layout data set.

Abstract: A region of interest extracting section automatically extracts regions of interest from within original images by obtaining the degree by which the features of portions within the original images differ from the features of surrounding portions, based on the colors of the original images, brightnesses of the original images, and the orientations of linear components that appear in the original images. A partial image generating section generates partial images by cutting out images of predetermined sizes that include the regions of interest, which are extracted by the region of interest extracting section, from the original images. The generated partial images are displayed.

Abstract: The image processing method and apparatus calculate and store gradients representing directions and intensities of a pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels from pixel values of the pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels of image composed of the color image signals that are to be subjected to image processing, calculate connectivity of the pixel of interest with its surrounding pixels from the directions of the stored gradients, calculate directivities of respective R, G and B of the pixel of interest by calculating gradients of respective R, G and B channels of the pixel of interest and decide whether the pixel of interest is an edge portion or not from the calculated connectivity and directivities of respective R, G and B to extract the edge portion. As a result, the method and the apparatus can raise extraction precision of the edge portion, accurately perform the edge portion extraction and increase image quality.

Abstract: The image processing method acquires image data from an image data supply source, subjects the thus acquired image data to a first image structure processing scheme that has been set in accordance with characteristics of the image data supply source and thereafter subjects the thus subjected image data to a second image structure processing scheme that has been set in accordance with characteristics of an output site to which said image data subjected to the second image structure processing scheme is delivered. The image processing apparatus and image processing program implement the image processing method.

Abstract: The image processing method and apparatus calculate and store gradients representing directions and intensities of a pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels from pixel values of the pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels of image composed of the color image signals that are to be subjected to image processing, calculate connectivity of the pixel of interest with its surrounding pixels from the directions of the stored gradients, calculate directivities of respective R, G and B of the pixel of interest by calculating gradients of respective R, G and B channels of the pixel of interest and decide whether the pixel of interest is an edge portion or not from the calculated connectivity and directivities of respective R, G and B to extract the edge portion. As a result, the method and the apparatus can raise extraction precision of the edge portion, accurately perform the edge portion extraction and increase image quality.

Abstract: The image processing method and apparatus calculate and store gradients representing directions and intensities of a pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels from pixel values of the pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels of image composed of the color image signals that are to be subjected to image processing, calculate connectivity of the pixel of interest with its surrounding pixels from the directions of the stored gradients, calculate directivities of respective R, G and B of the pixel of interest by calculating gradients of respective R, G and B channels of the pixel of interest and decide whether the pixel of interest is an edge portion or not from the calculated connectivity and directivities of respective R, G and B to extract the edge portion. As a result, the method and the apparatus can raise extraction precision of the edge portion, accurately perform the edge portion extraction and increase image quality.