Claims
- 1. A method, for use in a packaging design system, for evaluating compliance of a graphic element within a packaging image, the method comprising the steps of:
(i) generating a digital file defining the packaging image, said digital file including commands geometrically defining the graphic element; (ii) testing said commands to determine the compliance of said graphic element with at least one geometric condition, thereby producing test results; and (iii) writing said test results to said digital file.
- 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of testing includes calculating a copy safe area, calculating the area of said graphic element, determining a proportion of said copy safe area occupied by said graphic element, and comparing said proportion with a value, said value being said geometric condition.
- 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of generating includes placing at least one shape within said packaging image and adjusting the geometry of said at least one shape to define a copy safe area within said packaging image.
- 4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said step of testing includes calculating the area of said at least one shape, calculating the area of said graphic element, and comparing a ratio of said areas with a limit condition.
- 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one shape includes at least one positive display surface shape and at least one negative cutout shape, and said step of calculating the area includes totaling the area of said at least one positive display surface shape and subtracting the area of said at least one negative cutout shape.
- 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said commands alter a transformation matrix, and wherein said step of testing includes testing said transformation matrix.
- 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said graphic element includes a nutrition facts table image.
- 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said graphic element includes a barcode image.
- 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of writing includes incorporating said results into a checklist image, said checklist image being included in said packaging image.
- 10. A self-checking module, for use in a packaging design system, for evaluating compliance of a graphic element within a packaging image, the packaging design system including a digital file defining the packaging image, the digital file including commands geometrically defining the graphic element, the self-checking module comprising:
(i) code means defining at least one geometric condition; (ii) code means for testing said commands to determine the compliance of said graphic element with said at least one geometric condition, thereby producing test results; and (iii) code means for writing said test results to said digital file.
- 11. The module as claimed in claim 10, wherein said code means for testing includes code means for calculating a copy safe area, code means for calculating the area of said graphic element, code means for determining a proportion of said copy safe area occupied by said graphic element, and code means for comparing said proportion with a value, said value being said geometric condition.
- 12. The module as claimed in claim 10, wherein said digital file includes at least one shape within said packaging image geometrically arranged to define a copy safe area within said packaging image, and wherein said code means for testing includes codes means for calculating the area of said at least one shape, code means for calculating the area of said graphic element, and code means for comparing a ratio of said areas with a value, said value being said geometric condition.
- 13. The module as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one shape includes at least one positive display surface shape and at least one negative cutout shape, and said code means for calculating the area includes code means for totaling the area of said at least one positive display surface shape and subtracting the area of said at least one negative cutout shape.
- 14. The module as claimed in claim 10, wherein said system includes a transformation matrix, said transformation matrix being responsive to said commands, and wherein said code means for testing includes code means for testing said transformation matrix.
- 15. The module as claimed in claim 10, wherein said graphic element includes a nutrition facts table.
- 16. The module as claimed in claim 10, wherein said graphic element includes a barcode.
- 17. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said code means for writing includes code means for incorporating said results into a checklist image, said checklist image being included in said packaging image.
- 18. A packaging design system for evaluating compliance of a graphic element within a packaging image, said system comprising:
(b) a raster image processor; (c) a digital file including commands geometrically defining the graphic element; and (b) a self-checking module for execution by said raster image processor, the self-checking module including:
code means defining at least one geometric condition; code means for testing said commands to determine the compliance of said graphic element with said at least one geometric condition, thereby producing test results; and code means for writing said test results to said digital file.
- 19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said code means for testing includes code means for calculating a copy safe area, code means for calculating the area of said graphic element, code means for determining a proportion of said copy safe area occupied by said graphic element, and code means for comparing said proportion with a value, said value being said geometric condition.
- 20. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said raster image processor includes a transformation matrix, said transformation matrix being responsive to said commands, and wherein said code means for testing includes code means for testing said transformation matrix.
CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/321,528 filed May 28, 1999.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09321528 |
May 1999 |
US |
Child |
10388460 |
Mar 2003 |
US |