The aspect of the embodiments relates to an image processing technique of generating data for forming ink unevenness on recording media.
A conventional method for causing an inkjet printer to form unevenness on recording media has been known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-299058 discusses a technique of forming unevenness on a recording medium by accumulating ink discharged from a recording head of an inkjet printer on the recording medium.
However, since the discharged ink is wet and spread on the recording medium, there is a case where the target unevenness cannot be formed on the recording medium.
According to an aspect of the embodiments, an apparatus generates data for an inkjet printer that includes a head having an ink discharge port to form ink unevenness on a recording medium based on relative movement between the head and the recording medium and ink discharge by the head, the apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire first shape data representing a shape of the ink unevenness, a first determination unit configured to determine a direction of a pattern of the ink unevenness based on the first shape data, a second determination unit configured to determine a rotation angle for changing the direction of the pattern of the ink unevenness based on at least one of a movement direction of the head and a movement direction of the recording medium, and a generation unit configured to generate second shape data representing a shape having a pattern in at least one of the movement direction of the head and the movement direction of the recording medium based on the first shape data and the rotation angle.
Further features of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
<Hardware Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus 1>
A first exemplary embodiment will be described.
<Configuration of Printer 14>
Next, a configuration of the printer 14 will be described with reference to
A head cartridge 301 includes a recording head including a plurality of discharge ports, an ink tank supplying the ink to the recording head, and a connector receiving a signal for driving the discharge ports of the recording head. In the ink tank, five kinds of ink are separately provided. More specifically, the ink tank includes clear (CL) ink for forming an uneven layer and four kinds of colored ink of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) for forming an image layer. These kinds of ink are UV-curable ink, which is cured when receiving UV light. The head cartridge 301 and a UV lamp 315 are replaceably mounted on a carriage 302. The carriage 302 is provided with a connector holder for sending a drive signal or the like to the head cartridge 301 via a connector. The carriage 302 is configured to enable reciprocable movement along a guide shaft 303. More specifically, the carriage 302 uses a main-scanning motor 304 as its drive source and is driven via a drive mechanism formed by a motor pulley 305, a driven pulley 306, a timing belt 307, etc. The position and movement of the carriage 302 are controlled by these components. In the first exemplary embodiment, this movement of the carriage 302 along the guide shaft 303 will be referred to as “main-scanning”, and the direction of the movement will be referred to as a “main-scanning direction”. Recording media 308 to be printed are placed on an auto sheet feeder (ASF) 310. When an uneven layer or an image layer is formed on a recording medium 308, pick-up rollers 312 are rotated as a sheet feed motor 311 drives. As a result, the recording media 308 are separately fed one by one from the ASF 310. As a conveyance roller 309 rotates, the fed recording medium 308 is conveyed to a recording start position that faces a discharge port surface of the head cartridge 301 on the carriage 302. The conveyance roller 309 uses a line feed motor 313 as its drive source and is driven via a gear. Whether a recording medium 308 has been fed and the position of the recording medium 308 if the recording medium 308 has been fed are determined when the recording medium 308 passes by an end sensor 314. The head cartridge 301 mounted on the carriage 302 is held in such a manner that the discharge port surface protrudes downward from the carriage 302 and is parallel to the fed recording medium 308. A control unit 320 includes a CPU, a storage unit, etc. The control unit 320 receives data from the outside and controls operations of various parts based on the received data. In the first exemplary embodiment, the control unit 320 receives dot arrangement data, which is generated by the image processing apparatus 1 after processing described below and represents dot arrangement of ink.
<Operation of Printer 14 for Forming Uneven Layer and Image Layer>
Next, an operation for forming an uneven layer and an image layer that are performed by the parts to be controlled by the control unit 320 will be described. First, when a recording medium 308 is conveyed to the recording start position to form an uneven layer, the carriage 302 is moved over the recording medium 308 along the guide shaft 303. During the movement, the clear ink is discharged from a discharge port of the recording head. Immediately after the discharge, the UV lamp 315 turns on. Accordingly, the ink is cured. When the carriage 302 reaches an end of the guide shaft 303, the conveyance roller 309 conveys the recording medium 308 by a predetermined amount in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the carriage 302. In the first exemplary embodiment, this conveyance of the recording medium 308 will be referred to as “sheet feed” or “sub-scanning”, and the direction of the conveyance will be referred to as a “sheet feed direction” or “sub-scanning direction”. When the recording medium 308 has been conveyed by the predetermined amount in the sub-scanning direction, the carriage 302 moves again along the guide shaft 303. By repeating the scanning operation of the carriage 302 using the recording head, the clear ink can be accumulated on the recording medium 308. By alternately performing the accumulation of the clear ink and the sheet feed, unevenness (an uneven layer) is formed on the recording medium 308. After the uneven layer is formed, the conveyance roller 309 returns the recording medium 308 back to the recording start position. Next, in accordance with a process that is the same as that used for forming the uneven layer, UV-curable ink of various colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) is discharged on the upper layer of the uneven layer, to form a color image (an image layer). The printer 14 may adopt a different operation and recording method other than the above operation and recording method, as long as an uneven layer and an image layer can be formed on a recording medium. While the first exemplary embodiment uses clear ink as the ink for forming an uneven layer, white ink may be used alternatively.
<Deterioration of Reproduction Accuracy of Printer Regarding Unevenness>
Hereinafter, how the reproduction accuracy of a printer regarding unevenness is deteriorated by the difference between the scanning direction of the head and a direction of a pattern of the unevenness to be formed on a recording medium will be described with reference to
It is seen from
Generally, the deterioration of the reproduction accuracy of the printer becomes particularly significant when the line direction of the parallel line pattern is oriented to a direction different from the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction (the direction will be referred to as a diagonal direction). When the line direction of the parallel line pattern is oriented to the diagonal direction, both the deviations of the ink landing position in the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction affect the reproduction accuracy. In addition, in an image in which parallel lines in the diagonal direction are rasterized, an area where neighboring convex portions are close to each other is locally created by jaggies. Thus, when unevenness is formed based on the image, ink drops of convex portions are more easily coupled, compared with parallel lines in the scanning direction. When the diagonal line has an angle closer to the main-scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction, an area where neighboring convex portions are close to each other is less frequently created. Thus, generally, the closer the angle of the diagonal direction is to the main-scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction, the better the CTF will be.
As described above, when unevenness is formed by using a printer, the reproduction accuracy of the printer deteriorates depending on the difference between a direction of a pattern of the unevenness and the scanning direction. As a result, intended texture cannot be reproduced on a recording medium. The deterioration of the reproduction accuracy of the printer regarding the unevenness is not an issue only for a printer such as the printer 14 that forms unevenness by movement of its recording head and the sheet feed. Any printer that controls relative movement between its recording head and a recording medium has the same issue. For example, a printer that forms unevenness by causing a fixed head to discharge ink while moving, separately from the sheet feed, a recording medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the sheet feed has the same issue. In addition, a printer that forms unevenness by moving its recording head having the same width as a recording medium instead of performing sheet feed also has the same issue. Hereinafter, including the “main-scanning direction” of the above printer 14, a scanning direction in which ink is discharged during movement of a head or a recording medium will be also referred to as the main-scanning direction. Including the “sub-scanning direction” of the above printer 14, a scanning direction in which ink is not discharged during movement of a head or a recording medium and which is perpendicular to the main-scanning direction will also be referred to as the sub-scanning direction.
<Functional Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus 1>
<Flow of Processing by Image Processing Apparatus 1>
In step S10, the acquisition unit 201 acquires shape data and image data. The first exemplary embodiment assumes that the data is previously recorded in a predetermined storage device such as the HDD 17. The shape data represents a shape of the unevenness to be reproduced in the form of a height distribution (a height per position). More specifically, the shape data is data in which a pixel value indicating height information is recorded per pixel. The image data represents the image to be reproduced. More specifically, the image data is data in which a pixel value indicating color information is recorded per pixel. The shape data in the first exemplary embodiment is gray-scale image data in tagged image file format (TIFF) in which the height of each pixel is represented by an 8-bit value. The shape data is a data group in which a value from 0 to 2,000 μm that represents the height of an individual pixel from a reference surface has been normalized to an 8-bit (0-255) value. The reference surface in the first exemplary embodiment is a surface of a recording medium. The image data in the first exemplary embodiment is color image data in TIFF in which the color of each pixel is represented by an 8-bit value. The image data is three-channel image data, and the first exemplary embodiment assumes that R, G, and B values are recorded as the color information for each pixel.
To generate the shape data, for example, a stereo method may be used. In the stereo method, image data is captured by two digital cameras disposed side by side, and a shape of the unevenness is acquired from the image data based on the principle of triangulation. Alternatively, to generate the shape data, a user may design unevenness having a desired shape by using commercially available modeling software and render three-dimensional (3D) data representing the shape of the unevenness on a two-dimensional (2D) image data. Likewise, color image data corresponding to the above shape data may be generated by using digital cameras or commercially available software.
The format of the shape data is not limited to the above data format, as long as information for generating unevenness can be obtained. For example, the shape data may hold information about a relative height per pixel. In this case, the acquisition unit 201 converts an 8-bit (0-255) pixel value into a height in a desired range based on the maximum height specified by a user via the input device 13. In addition, as long as the shape data is data representing a height per pixel in the unevenness, data other than gray-scale image data may be used as the shape data. For example, point group data or polygon data described by a group of vertexes in a 3D space may be used. Alternatively, data representing a height distribution in a normal direction of the unevenness may be acquired and converted into the above shape data.
The format of the color image data is not limited to the above data format, as long as information for forming an image can be obtained. For example, the color image data may be ink amount data in which values indicating ink amounts (recording amounts) of the CMYK ink mounted on the printer 14 are recorded per pixel or image data in which a value indicating a CIEL*a*b* value is recorded per pixel.
Next, in step S20, the determination unit 202 determines a correction amount for correcting the shape data acquired in step S10. The correction amount in the first exemplary embodiment is a rotation angle θ of the height distribution of the shape data. The height distribution is rotated by the rotation angle θ so that the direction of the pattern of the unevenness to be reproduced matches the main-scanning direction in which the printer exhibits higher reproduction accuracy (responsiveness). The processing for determining the above correction amount will be described in detail below.
Next, in step S30, the generation unit 203 corrects the shape data acquired in step S10 based on the correction amount determined in step S20. The correction amount in the first exemplary embodiment is the rotation angle θ, as described above. In step S30, assuming that the top left portion of the height distribution of the shape data is the center coordinates (0, 0), a pixel value recorded at coordinates (x1, y1) is recorded at coordinates (x2, y2), which is obtained by rotating the coordinates (x1, y1) by the angle θ around the coordinates (0, 0). Through this processing, second shape data obtained by correcting the shape data is generated. For the transformation of the coordinates by the above rotation, 2D affine transformation illustrated by the following equations (1) is used. In equations (1), (cx, cy) are the center coordinates of the height distribution.
x2=(x1−cx)×cos θ−(y1−cy)×sin θ+cx
y2=(x1−cx)×sin θ+(y1−cy)×cos θ+cy (equation 1)
Through the above rotation of the height distribution, mismatch between the direction of the pattern of the uneven layer and the direction of the pattern of the image layer occurs. In the first exemplary embodiment, the unevenness of an object in which the mismatch does not give viewers a strong feeling of strangeness about the printed product is used as the unevenness to be reproduced, and print processing in which higher priority is given to improvement of the reproduction accuracy of the unevenness over the mismatch is performed.
The second shape data is generated by correcting the shape data in the first exemplary embodiment. However, as long as the same second shape data can be consequently obtained, the second shape data may be generated as new shape data, instead of generating the second shape data by correcting the shape data.
Next, in step S40, the output unit 204 generates dot arrangement data representing the dot arrangement of clear ink based on the second shape data generated by the generation unit 203. In addition, the output unit 204 generates dot arrangement data representing the dot arrangement of colored ink based on the image data acquired in step S10. The output unit 204 generates the dot arrangement data by performing known color separation and halftoning based on a conversion table or a conversion equation stored in the data storage unit 205. The dot arrangement data is binary data in which the dot arrangement of ink is represented by pixels on which ink is discharged (pixel value 1) and pixels on which ink is not discharged (pixel value 0). Finally, the output unit 204 outputs the dot arrangement data generated in step S40 to the printer 14 and ends the present processing. The output unit 204 may first generate dot arrangement data representing the dot arrangement per recording scanning (path) through known path separation and next output the generated dot arrangement data to the printer 14.
<Processing by Determination Unit 202>
The processing (step S20) to be performed by the determination unit 202 will be described in detail with reference to
First, in step S21, the determination unit 202 performs 2D fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the shape data illustrated in
In step S22, the determination unit 202 detects a direction of a pattern of the unevenness having the shape indicated by the shape data. As described above, the direction of the pattern of the unevenness appears as a power spectrum bias at an angle between 0° and 180° from the center on the FFT image data generated in step S21. When the average value of pixel values at each angle between 0° and 180° from the center on the FFT image data is calculated, the angle corresponding to the maximum value (peak) of the calculated average values changes depending on the direction of the pattern of the unevenness. More specifically, when the unevenness having the shape indicated by the shape data has a pattern at an angle θ′, if the FFT is performed on the shape data, the power spectrum in the direction corresponding to θ′+90° on the FFT image data obtained through the FFT is increased. In step S22, the determination unit 202 detects an angle from the center on the FFT image data, the angle corresponding to the maximum average value, and obtains the direction θ′ of the pattern of the unevenness. A dashed line 601 in
In step S23, the determination unit 202 acquires an angle θm corresponding to the main-scanning direction of the printer 14 used when a print product is formed. In the first exemplary embodiment, the X axis direction, i.e., the direction corresponding to 0° to 180°, is considered as the main-scanning direction.
In step S24, the rotation angle θ of the height distribution of the shape data is determined. The rotation angle θ is obtained by calculating a difference value between the main-scanning direction em and the direction θ′ of the pattern of the unevenness to be reproduced. The main-scanning direction em in the first exemplary embodiment corresponds to 0° and 180°, a difference value between 0° and θ′ and a difference value between 180° and θ′ are calculated. Next, a difference value θ′−θm corresponding to the smaller one of the absolute values of the difference values is set as the rotation angle θ. In this way, the difference between the height distribution before the rotation and the height distribution after the rotation can be minimized. A dashed line 602 in
As described above, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment acquires shape data representing a shape of the unevenness to be reproduced and determines a direction of a pattern of the unevenness to be reproduced. In addition, the image processing apparatus 1 determines the rotation angle for changing the direction of the pattern of the unevenness based on the scanning direction of the printer 14 for forming the unevenness to be reproduced on a recording medium. The image processing apparatus 1 generates second shape data representing a shape having a pattern in the scanning direction of the printer 14 based on the determined rotation angle. Through the above processing of the image processing apparatus 1, it is possible to form an uneven layer while causing the direction of the pattern of the evenness to be reproduced to match the main-scanning direction in which the reproduction accuracy of the printer 14 is high regarding the unevenness. Thus, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the reproduction accuracy based on the direction of the pattern of the unevenness and form the target unevenness on a recording medium.
In the first exemplary embodiment, the direction of the patter of the unevenness to be reproduced is detected, and the shape data is corrected so that the detected direction of the pattern matches the main-scanning direction. Next, a second exemplary embodiment will be described by using an example in which the shape data is divided into shape data formed by the high-frequency component of the unevenness and shape data formed by the low-frequency component of the unevenness and in which correction (rotation) processing is applied only to the shape data formed by the high-frequency component. In addition, in the first exemplary embodiment, the main-scanning direction is used as the direction in which the reproduction accuracy of the unevenness is high. As described above, the direction of the pattern of the unevenness matching the sub-scanning direction achieves higher reproduction accuracy regarding the unevenness than the direction of the pattern of the unevenness being a diagonal direction. Thus, in the second exemplary embodiment, an example in which the direction in which the reproduction accuracy of the unevenness is high is set to both the main- and sub-scanning directions and the direction of the pattern of the unevenness is adjusted to match the scanning direction corresponding to an angle θ at which the rotation angle of the height distribution is the minimum will be described. The functional configuration of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the second exemplary embodiment is the same as that according to the first exemplary embodiment, and the acquisition unit 201 to the data storage unit 205 perform the respective processes. Next, processing different from that according to the first exemplary embodiment will be mainly described.
<Flow of Processing by Image Processing Apparatus 1>
As in the first exemplary embodiment, in step S10, the acquisition unit 201 acquires shape data and image data. In addition, in the second exemplary embodiment, the high-frequency component of the unevenness to be reproduced is extracted by applying a high-pass filter to the shape data. In addition, the low-frequency component of the unevenness to be reproduced is extracted by applying a low-pass filter to the shape data. Hereinafter, the shape data formed by the high-frequency component obtained by performing the high-pass filter processing will be referred to as height data H, and the shape data formed by the low-frequency component obtained by performing the low-pass filter processing will be referred to as height data L.
In step S20, the determination unit 202 calculates the rotation angle θ, which is the correction amount of the shape data H. The processing and operation in step S20 will be described in detail below. Next, in step S30, the generation unit 203 rotates the height distribution on the shape data H by the rotation angle θ and adds the individual pixel values of the shape data H after the height distribution is rotated to the individual pixel values of the shape data L. As a result, second shape data is generated. Next, as in the first exemplary embodiment, in step S40, based on the image data and the second height data, the output unit 204 generates dot arrangement data corresponding to the dot arrangement of ink and outputs the generated dot arrangement data to the printer 14.
<Processing by Determination Unit 202>
Next, the processing (S20) to be performed by the determination unit 202 according to the second exemplary embodiment will be described in detail.
In step S21, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the determination unit 202 generates FFT image data H by performing FFT processing on the shape data H. Next, in step S22, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the determination unit 202 detects the direction θ′ of the pattern of the unevenness having the shape represented by the shape data H based on the FFT image data H. Next, in step S23, the determination unit 202 acquires angles θm1 and θm2 corresponding to the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction stored in advance in the data storage unit 205 as the directions in which the reproduction accuracy of the unevenness is high. Finally, in step S24, the determination unit 202 calculates a rotation angle that causes the direction θ′ of the pattern of the unevenness to match the main-scanning direction θm1 and a rotation angle that causes the direction θ′ of the pattern of the unevenness to match the sub-scanning direction θm2. The smaller rotation angle θ′−θm is used as the rotation angle θ. A concept of the rotation angle will be described by using schematic diagrams in
As described above, in the second exemplary embodiment, the correction processing is not performed on the low-frequency component of unevenness whose pattern direction is easily perceived and which does not easily cause deterioration of the reproduction accuracy due to variation in the pattern direction. The correction processing is performed only on the high-frequency component of the unevenness. In this way, it is possible to reduce the difference between the unevenness to be reproduced and the unevenness formed on a recording medium while preventing deterioration of the reproduction accuracy of the high-frequency component of the unevenness whose reproduction accuracy is easily deteriorated. In addition, the direction of the pattern of the unevenness is adjusted to match the scanning direction corresponding to an angle at which the rotation angle of the height distribution in the correction processing is the minimum, between the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. As a result, the difference between the unevenness to be reproduced and the unevenness formed on a recording medium can be further reduced.
According to a third exemplary embodiment, information about the correction processing is presented to the user, and whether to apply the above correction processing to the shape data is determined based on input information representing an instruction from the user. In the third exemplary embodiment, processing different from that according to the first exemplary embodiment will be mainly described.
<Functional Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus 1>
<Flow of Processing by Image Processing Apparatus 1>
In steps S10 to S30, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the acquisition unit 201, the determination unit 202, and the generation unit 203 acquire shape data and image data, determine a correction amount, and correct the shape data.
Next, in step S40′, the display control unit 206 displays a UI for receiving input information specified by the user on the display 15.
The information displayed in the display area 1110 is not limited to the above example. For example, a schematic diagram that qualitatively illustrates the effect obtained through the application of the correction processing may be displayed.
In step S50, the reception unit 207 receives information representing an instruction input by the user and selects one of the shape data and the second shape data based on the instruction. More specifically, when the reception unit 207 receives an instruction for application of the correction processing to the shape data, the reception unit 207 selects the second shape data generated in step S30 as the data (data for forming the unevenness) to be output to the output unit 204. When the reception unit 207 is instructed not to apply the correction processing to the shape data, the reception unit 207 selects the shape data that has not been corrected in step S30, as the data (data for forming the unevenness) to be output to the output unit 204.
Next, in step S60, the output unit 204 generates dot arrangement data representing the dot arrangement of clear ink based on the data selected in step S50. In addition, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the output unit 204 generates dot arrangement data representing the dot arrangement of colored ink based on the image data acquired in step S10. Finally, the output unit 204 outputs the dot arrangement data generated in step S60 to the printer 14 and ends the present processing.
As described above, in the third exemplary embodiment, information about the correction processing is presented to the user via a UI, and whether to apply the correction processing to the shape data is determined based on input information representing a user's instruction. In addition, the effect obtained by the correction processing can be presented to the user. In addition, the uneven layer can be formed in view of the user's intention about whether to apply the correction processing.
While only the shape data is corrected in the above exemplary embodiments, the correction processing including the rotation may also be performed on the color image data. For example, correction processing that is the same as that performed on the shape data may be performed. Alternatively, correction processing different from that performed on the shape data may be performed based on characteristics unique to the color image data, such as a direction of a texture pattern on an image represented by the color image data.
In the above exemplary embodiments, to detect the direction of the pattern of the unevenness, an averaged power spectrum value is calculated per angle from the center on the FFT image. However, a different representative value per angle may be calculated and used. For example, the frequency detection limit at which the observer cannot perceive may be stored in advance, and only an averaged power spectrum value within the detection limit may be calculated and used. Alternatively, only an averaged power spectrum value within the frequency range input by the user via a UI screen displayed on the display 15 may be calculated and used. Alternatively, a weighting coefficient may be set in advance per frequency, and a weighted average value using the weighting coefficient may be calculated and used.
In the above exemplary embodiments, an example in which an uneven layer and an image layer are formed by adopting an ink jet method has been described. However, a different recording method such as an electrophotographic method may be alternatively used.
In the above exemplary embodiments, an example in which an image layer is formed on an uneven layer has been described. However, before an uneven layer is formed, an image layer may be formed on a recording medium, and an uneven layer may be formed on the image layer. In addition, the number of layers to be formed is not limited to 2, which corresponds to an uneven layer and an image layer. For example, a glossy layer for controlling the gloss may be formed as an upper layer, a lower layer, or an intermediate layer.
In the above exemplary embodiments, an uneven layer is formed by using clear ink. However, an uneven layer may be formed by using colored ink such as CMYK. An uneven layer and an image layer may be formed by using ink other than UV-curable ink. For example, A recording material that cures when exposed to light other than UV light or when exposed to heat may be used.
In the above exemplary embodiments, an example has been described in which the output unit 204 outputs the dot arrangement data to the printer 14. However, the second shape data may be directly output to an external apparatus without performing halftoning and the like.
In the above exemplary embodiments, the image processing apparatus 1 is connected to the printer 14 via the serial bus 12. However, the printer 14 may be configured to include the image processing apparatus 1.
In the above exemplary embodiments, an example in which the processing is applied to the entire height distribution on the shape data has been described. However, the processing may be applied only to a part of the height distribution. For example, by generating mask data for indicating an area to which the processing is applied and an area to which the processing is not applied or by acquiring such mask data from the outside, the user can determine whether to apply the processing per area. In addition, the height distribution may be divided into blocks each of which is formed by a plurality of pixels, and the processing may be applied per block. In addition, different correction processing may be applied per block. For example, by applying the calculation of a correction amount in the second exemplary embodiment to each block, correction processing in which a correction amount differs per block can be performed.
In the above exemplary embodiments, the determination unit 202 determines the rotation angle, which is the correction amount, by using a frequency image. However, the rotation angle determination method is not limited to the above example. For example, the rotation angle may be determined in accordance with the following processing procedure. First, known filter processing using a Laplacian filter or the like is performed on the shape data, to detect edges. Next, filter processing is performed again on the shape data on which the filter processing has been performed, by using a group of filters 1 to N corresponding to angles θ illustrated in
In the above exemplary embodiment, the determination unit 202 determines a single direction of a pattern of the unevenness to be reproduced. However, the pattern determination method is not limited to the example. For example, the determination unit 202 may determine a plurality of pattern directions of the unevenness to be reproduced, and the user may be allowed to input information indicating which one of the pattern directions is to match the scanning direction via a UI screen displayed on the display 15. In this case, for example, the directions in which the averaged power spectrum value is the largest, the second largest, and the third largest on the frequency image as described above may be displayed as candidates on the UI screen. The determination unit 202 determines the rotation angle based on information input by the user.
In the above exemplary embodiments, a printer whose main-scanning direction is the direction achieving the highest reproduction accuracy and whose sub-scanning direction is the direction achieving the second highest reproduction accuracy is used. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the example. As described above, the reproduction accuracy of the printer regarding the unevenness varies depending on the control procedure for forming the unevenness, the accuracy in controlling parts, or image processing such as rasterization. Thus, the CTF of an individual unevenness having a parallel line pattern in an individual direction on a recording medium is measured, and the direction of the pattern of the unevenness achieving the highest CTF is stored in advance as device characteristics in the data storage unit 205. The rotation angle may be determined based on the device characteristics.
The unevenness to be reproduced according to the above exemplary embodiments is fine unevenness of the fiber of the denim fabric. The unevenness to be reproduced is not limited to the example. For example, the unevenness to be reproduced may be fine unevenness (wood grain) formed by conducting pipes of wood or unevenness of a surface of plastic formed by injection molding.
According to the aspect of the embodiments, target unevenness can be formed on a recording medium.
Embodiment(s) of the disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Applications No. 2017-125069, filed Jun. 27, 2017, and No. 2018-042442, filed Mar. 8, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017-125069 | Jun 2017 | JP | national |
2018-042442 | Mar 2018 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20060269342 | Yoshida | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20090244150 | Inoue | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20140354727 | Sasayama | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20160305767 | Sano | Oct 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2004-299058 | Oct 2004 | JP |
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20180370246 A1 | Dec 2018 | US |