Patent Grant
7212772
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/062,417, filed on even date herewith by Ng et al., entitled: “Profile Creation for Texture Simulation With Clear Toner”.
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for using clear toner to impart texture to a printed image in a digital printing process.
a shows a prior art electrophotographic (EP) printer 10, such as the NexPress® 2100. The electrophotographic (EP) printer 10 includes five imaging units (also referred to as development stations or electrostatographic image-forming modules) 20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X. These stations are generally arranged in tandem and are shown in
The imaging units 20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X generally are in contact with a transport device, such as the shown endless belt or web 38, which can include receiver members adhered thereto for receipt of the paper or other media 15 that is to receive the image. In the alternative, the belt or web provided should not be restricted to the belt or web shown in
As shown in
Although not shown, appropriate sensors of any well-known type, such as mechanical, electrical, or optical sensors, for example, generally are utilized in the printer to provide control signals for the printer. Such sensors may be located along the paper travel path, including along the belt 38, between the paper supply, and through the imaging units and the fusing station. Additional sensors may be associated with the photoconductive drums, the intermediate drums, any transferring mechanisms, and any of the image processing stations. Accordingly, the sensors can be provided to detect the location of the paper through its travel path in relation to each of the imaging units and can transmit appropriate signals indicative of the paper location. Such signals are input into a logic and control unit (not shown), which can include a microprocessor. Based on such signals and on the microprocessor, the control unit can output signals to the printer to control the timing operations of the various development stations or imaging units to process images and to control a motor (not shown) that drives the various drums and belts.
An electrophotographic system may include a front-end station 150 that is coupled either by wired, or wireless, connection, to the electrophotographic (EP) printer 10. As seen in
The present invention addresses the problem of how to apply a three-dimensional texture to an electrophotographic image using an electrophotographic (EP) printer.
The present invention makes use of at least one imaging unit of an electrophotographic (EP) printer to impart three-dimensional texture to a substrate. The texture is imparted by causing the least one imaging unit to apply clear toner to the substrate, as dictated by textural data representing information as to where on the substrate the image texture is to be printed.
In one embodiment, the texture is applied to the entire substrate, including areas where no image is present at the time the substrate encounters the at least one imaging unit. In another embodiment, the texture is applied to only certain portions of the substrate. These certain portions may correspond to selected regions where objects are present on the finished print product.
In another aspect, the present invention is also directed to an electrophotographic (EP) printing system having a front-end station and an electrophotographic (EP) printer including a plurality of imaging units, at least one of which is configured to apply clear toner to a substrate. The front-end station is configured to scan a document and permit an operator to add texture before the document is sent to the electrophotographic (EP) printer.
In still another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of applying a three dimensional texture to a substrate. The method includes providing an electrophotographic (EP) printer having a single imaging unit configured to apply clear toner to the substrate, sending digital information to the electrophotographic (EP) printer, the digital information including textural data sufficient to cause the single imaging unit to apply clear toner onto the substrate in sufficient quantity and with sufficient spatial distribution so as to form a visually and tactilely detectable three dimensional texture on the substrate, and applying clear toner to the substrate at the single imaging unit as dictated by the textural data to thereby create a three-dimensional texture.
An advantageous technical effect of the present invention is that textural information may be included in an image data file for an electrophotographic (EP) printer, to determine where a three-dimensional texture is to appear on a printed substrate.
a shows a prior art electrophotographic (EP) printer with five imaging units;
b shows a prior art front-end station for use with an electrophotographic (EP) printer;
The present invention is described with reference to an electrophotographic (EP) printer having a plurality of imaging units of the sort discussed above with references to
In one embodiment, the textural data may be added to an existing image file. This can be done by either creating an additional image layer, or modifying a pre-existing layer, using an application such as Adobe Photoshop®. This additional image layer would contain the clear imaging data. For example, in an image file having layers corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, a fifth image layer corresponding to clear texture, may be added. Alternatively, where a fifth image layer of clear toner already exists, this fifth layer may be modified to include the textural data. The electrophotographic (EP) printer software would then interpret the additional/modified layer and apply the clear toner, in due course.
In step 202, an image file comprising print content is received at a pre-processing computer. The pre-processing computer preferably is a personal computer running one or more applications, such as the aforementioned Adobe Photoshop®, enhanced by a “texture plug-in” to facilitate use of the present invention.
In step 204, a first page of the print content is displayed on this computer. It is understood here that the original “CMYK” format is converted through known methods into RGB format for display. In step 206, the pre-processing computer receives input from an operator to select a first designated portion of the page where a first texture is to be added. In step 208, the computer displays a menu of textures from a tool bar or the like, permitting the operator to choose which “stock” texture to apply to the selected portion. Alternatively, the operator may be provided with the option of either using the underlying CMYK image data to providing the textural information (a “data driven texture”) or creating an entirely new texture. In either case, the height of the textural features in the final print product may also be specified and received by the pre-processing computer. In step 210, the pre-processing computer displays the image with the textural pattern overlaying the designated portion.
As depicted by step 212, the operator is permitted to select additional designated portions and repeat steps 206, 208, and 210, it being understood that different features or portions of the same page may be provided with different textures. At step 214, the information in the image file is updated to reflect the changes to that page. As depicted by step 216, the operator is permitted to select another page and repeat the process until no additional texture remains to be added. The image file is then updated to include the textural data in the new/modified clear layer and is closed. The thus-modified image file may then be subjected to further editing prior to printing.
In a second embodiment, the textural information may be added at the printer level in a manner that is independent of the image file. If, for example, the printer has five modules, of which the first four are for applying the standard CMYK colors and the fifth is designated a “spot color” module, the texture may be added at a scanning station.
In one embodiment, an operator is given the option of selecting from among a plurality of candidate textures, but chooses to create an entirely new textural pattern instead. For this, the menu of candidate texture patterns includes options to “create a new texture” or “import a new texture file”. When the “create a new texture” option is selected, the display goes into a drawing mode, and the operator is allowed to draw a new texture. The newly draw texture can be applied to any portion of the image, as determined by the operator. A further option allows the operator to save the new textural pattern and add it to the list of candidate textures for subsequent use. When the “import a new texture file” option is selected, the operator is allowed to identify a file, either on the local computer, a remote computer, and perhaps even specify a URL to import a texture file. Such an imported textural pattern may be saved and added to the list of candidate textures for subsequent use.
In one embodiment that uses an electrophotographic (EP) printer having at least five imaging units, four differently colored toners, e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (not necessarily in that order), are first applied to a first side of the substrate using four of the imaging units in accordance with digital information applied to the printer for those corresponding colors. The substrate then enters a fifth imaging unit, which is configured to apply clear toner to the first side of the substrate in accordance with the textural data in the fifth layer within the image file. After clear toner is applied to the first side of the substrate, the substrate is presented to a fusing unit for fusing the four colors and clear toner on the first side of the substrate, all at the same time.
In another embodiment that uses an electrophotographic (EP) printer having at least five imaging units, on a first pass of the substrate through the printer, four or five differently colored toners, e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and blue (when present) (and not necessarily in that order), are first applied to the first side of the substrate in accordance with digital information sent to the imaging unit for each corresponding color. On a second pass of the substrate through the printer, one of the five imaging units is replaced, modified, etc. to apply clear toner to the first side of the substrate. During this second pass, null data may be sent to the other four imaging units so that no additional colored toner is applied. After the second pass, the colored and clear toners on the first side of the substrate are subject to fusing. Alternatively, a first fusing operation may be performed after the first pass, and a second fusing may be performed after the second pass.
In yet another embodiment, the clear toner is applied to a first side of the substrate during a first pass of the substrate through the printer, with the remaining imaging units being presented with null data so that no color is printed. In a second pass, four or five colored toners are applied to the same first side of the substrate, thereby imparting image(s) and/or text to the substrate.
In yet another embodiment, only a single color, e.g., black, is applied, and the clear toner is applied on top of the single color. The texture can thus be applied using a electrophotographic (EP) printer having only two imaging units. The single color and the clear toner are then fused, as described above, thereby forming textural patterns on a monochrome image.
The second side of a substrate may also be printed on during additional pass(es) and so three-dimensional textural information may thus be provided on both sides of the substrate.
In all of the foregoing embodiments, the fusing is preferably done with one or more components having smooth surfaces so that they do not impart their own texture to the substrate.
The locations on the substrate at which the texture is applied depends on the texture data. Generally speaking, however, the textural pattern may be applied to the entire printable area of the substrate, or only on a portion of the substrate. As to the latter, the clear toner may be applied only to those image regions of the substrate at which one or more of cyan, yellow, magenta, and black are to be applied (in case the clear toner is applied first), or have already been applied (in case the clear toner is applied last). Alternatively, the clear toner may be applied only to some, but not all, image regions on the substrate. Another alternative is to apply the clear toner texture only to those non-image regions where none of CMYK, have been applied.
Furthermore, the texture data may call for different clear toner textures to be applied to different portions of the substrate. Thus, a first image region on the substrate may receive a first textural pattern, while a second image region on the same substrate may receive a second textural pattern. This allows one to produce a substrate bearing textures of different types on various portions thereof. Thus, for example, one image on the substrate's first side may bear a first texture while a second image on the same side of the substrate may bear a second texture.
The amount of toner applied, and the textural pattern, helps determine the height of the texture features, which, in turn, helps determine the “feel” of the texture. To be both visible and tactilely detectable, sufficient clear toner should be applied when creating a three-dimensional texture. Testing has shown that clear toner quantities on the order of at least 0.5 mg/cm2 are sufficient for this. The upper quantity limit is determined by the capabilities of the electrophotographic (EP) printer imaging unit and the fusing unit. Generally, however, the clear toner quantity should be less than 5 mg/cm2, and more preferably less than 1 mg/cm2.
To ensure that the textural features are both visible and tactilely detectable, the textural features preferably have a spatial frequency of approximately 50–75 lines/inch, for a “ribbed” or “checkered” pattern. In addition, the textural features preferably have a post-fusing height of at least 0.001 mm relative to the surrounding area, so that they can be felt, upon running a finger over the surface. More preferably, however, this post-fusing height is between 0.003 and 0.010 mm.
It is further noted that texture may also be applied with less than 100% clear toner coverage on a pixel-by-pixel basis to create the textural features. This allows one to create textural formations having varying height. One example of this is when the clear toner is applied in an amount that is data driven. For example, in the embodiment of
While the foregoing parameters are sufficient for visual appreciation of the texture, it is understood that factors such as substrate roughness, lighting, and distance from the printed product also influence the ability of a viewer to see the texture.
It is further understood that three-dimensional texture may be applied with clear toner using devices other than the electrophotographic (EP) printer 10 of
While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5234783 | Ng | Aug 1993 | A |
| 20060187505 | Ng et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060188295 A1 | Aug 2006 | US |
