Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen

Nikolaus Pfeiffer

Martin Mayer

Manfred Schneider

Peter Elter

Stefan Bollmann

Hans Ott

Axel Hauck

Bernhard Roskosch

Alexander Knabe

Bernd Kistler

Helmut Siegeritz

Stefan Schenk

Petra Svoboda

Joerg Schmitt

Bernhard Buck

Wolfgang Schönberger

Steffen Neeb

Michael Kaiser

Hans Koehler

Rolf Mueller

Franz Haaf

Rolf Müller

Michael Hansen

Jörg Heuschkel

Gerhard Loeffler

Wolfgang Schoenberger

Roland Stenzel

Werner Anweiler

Bernd Utter

Hauke Thomsen

Harald Ammeter

Nicolas Martin

Sebastian Eggert

Uwe Stang

Franz Woellert

Stephan Erhardt

Sabine Roehl

Sepideh Samadzadegan

Annika Kamper

Holger Dick

Jörg Schmitt

Sabine Röhl

A printing method includes determining a master machine setting by using a master substrate, printing a first test print including test fields, and using a first combination of printing fluid and master substrate, recording test fields of the first test print, and computationally determining and storing a first setting value for a first machine setting as the master setting. Printing a print job is prepared by changing the substrate to a second combination of printing fluid and substrate, printing a second test print including test fields, and using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and master setting, recording the test fields of the second test print, and computationally determining and storing a second setting value for a second machine setting, the second setting value defined relative to the master setting. The print job is printed by using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and second machine setting.

Method for printing a print job with a printing machine

A method of adapting a Lab setpoint color value of multicolored printed products, wherein a special color is replaced by process colors using an ICC color profile. A measurement point that is assigned to the replaced special color on the printed product is metrologically acquired using a color measuring system and a Lab actual color value of the measurement point is calculated. The ICC color profile or a standardized ICC color profile is used for computing the color composition of the Lab setpoint color value from the participating process colors. Changes of the layer thicknesses of the participating process colors are ascertained to achieve a predetermined Lab setpoint color value of the measurement point using a digital tool or a digital model. The participating process colors are adapted using the ascertained changes of their layer thicknesses.

Method for adapting a lab setpoint color value of multicolored printed products

A method of processing print jobs on a printing substrate processing machine by using a computer, includes creating a data model for the computer with parameters for an unusable print/set-up time prediction on the basis of global print jobs and printing machine data, training the data model on the basis of global and/or local print jobs and printing machine data by using the computer, and defining ease-of-use criteria by an operator. The trained data model for the computer is used to predict the number of unusable prints during set up and set-up time of the printing substrate processing machine. The order of the processing of the print jobs is optimized on the basis of the predicted number of unusable prints during set-up and the predicted set-up time by using the computer.

Method of processing print jobs with an unusable prints prediction

A method includes the steps of: a) printing a first print job on a printing machine using a printing fluid, a substrate, a specified ICC profile, and a first machine setting; b) preparing the printing operation of a second print job involving a change of the printing fluid and/or of the substrate; and c) printing the second print job using a second combination of printing fluid and substrate. Step b) includes: b1) printing a test print having a plurality of test fields; b2) recording the test fields; b3) computationally determining and saving a quality value based on the test fields; b4) determining and saving an adjustment value for a machine setting; and b5) selectively changing a printing machine setting from the first machine setting to a second machine setting using the adjustment value or keeping the first printing machine setting, and the making a choice based on a quality value.

Method of printing at least two print jobs on one printing machine

A method for closed-loop color control in printing machines using a computer includes initially coating a printing substrate with opaque white to set up closed-loop color control in the course of a print job, subsequently applying process colors and, in the process, color measurement strips onto the opaque white, recording the opaque white and the color measurement strips using a measuring device, and, based on data recorded by the measuring device, performing closed-loop color control for process colors and opaque white using the computer. The measuring device is an inline measuring device and is initially calibrated at a fixed position of the printing substrate, then the application of opaque white is adjusted and, when a deviation stays below a maximum deviation, closed-loop control of both the opaque white and the process colors is done using the computer by taking measurements in the color control strip.

Method for inline opaque white control in printing machines

A method performs color control in a printing operation on a printing machine by use of a computer. The computer uses an input profile to transform print image data from a first color space to a device-independent color space, subsequently uses an output profile to transform the print image data into a second color space dependent on the printing machine. The computer compares measurement conditions of the used input profile and of the output profile to be generated, and, if there are differences between the respective measurement conditions, adapts the print image data in the device-independent color space to deviating measurement conditions of the output profile. The printing machine subsequently executes the printing operation using the print image data, and wherein UV light excitation is used for the measurement conditions of the output profile.

Color control in a printing press by adapting the print image data in the device-independent color space to deviating measurement conditions of the output profile using UV light excitation

A method compensates for position-dependent density fluctuations of print nozzles in an inkjet printing machine by use of a computer. The computer produces compensation profiles for the position-dependent density fluctuations over all the print heads for all print substrates used, calculates an mean profile from these, and applies the mean profile to compensate for the position-dependent density fluctuations in the inkjet printing machine. When one or more print heads of the inkjet printing machine are replaced, the computer calculates a new compensation profile for only one print substrate. The computer derives a new mean profile from this, and the computer calculates and applies the new mean profile using the old compensation profiles for the remaining print substrates.

Density fluctuation compensation during print head replacement

A method for printing on an inkjet printing machine including color space transformation between target and process color spaces using a computer, includes calibrating the machine by printing and colorimetrically measuring a process color space test chart for printing in the target color space including printing-operation-related limitations in the applied ink amount. The generated measured values correspond to sampling points in the measured target color space. The sampling points are interpolated to define further sampling points. The color space transformation uses sampling points in the target color space and input values from the chart in the process color space corresponding to sampling points in the target color space. The physical variable of ink drop volume is directly used for ink application limitations and input values in the process color space. The calibration of the machine is adapted and the printing operation is carried out.

Method for carrying out a printing operation on an inkjet printing machine

A method for automated process control of a printing machine system by using a computer includes the steps of applying a set of rules including process parameters to be examined by the computer to detect whether and when process control is required. The values of the process parameters are made available to the computer by respective responsible components of the printing machine system. The computer is used to implement process control and the computer is used to evaluate process control results. The computer is used to implement actions that are deemed necessary based on the evaluation of the results and the computer is used to save the established data of the implemented process control.

Method for automated process control of a digital printing machine

A method for setting up and carrying out a print job on an inkjet printing machine having print heads and a thermal dryer includes printing onto a substrate using water-based black and chromatic inks. First test prints of a first test chart with different area coverage test patches are generated on the substrate using black ink, thermally drying the first test prints at different temperatures and evaluating dried first test prints to determine a dryer operating temperature during the print job. A second test print of a second test chart with different ink amount test patches is generated on the substrate using chromatic inks, thermally drying the second test print at the temperature, and evaluating the dried second test print to determine a total ink amount for operating the print heads during the print job. The machine receives temperature and total ink amount and prints the print job.

Method for setting up and operating an inkjet printing machine for a print job

A method monitors a color standard for a machine for processing printing material. The color standard results from various parameters of the printing operation and correspondingly associated set points. The color standard may be modified and individually adapted to every machine. The machine is equipped such that current values of the parameters of the color standard are measured and forwarded to a computer. The computer compares these values and predefined set points of the color standard, and based on this information, makes an assessment of the color and quality level achieved in the printing operation. The computer outputs control signals based on the monitoring. The control signals influence the machine control and/or the determining of the current values of the parameters of the color standard in a feedback loop. The color standard is modifiable by the operator by a different selection and weighting of the parameters and the set points.

Method for monitoring a color standard in a printing machine

A digital printing machine color control method includes printing test images onto substrates, measuring substrates using a measuring device, comparing actual color values on substrates and saved color setpoints of test images using a controller, calculating differences between color setpoints and actual color values on substrates using the controller, upon exceeding acceptable deviations between color setpoints and actual color values, modifying solid or halftone values by a factor using the controller, repeating printing test images using test image halftone values corrected by the factor and measuring new actual color values using the measuring device, comparing actual color values newly printed using corrected values and saved color setpoints of test images using the controller, calculating differences between newly printed actual color values and saved color setpoints of test images using the controller, and printing print jobs if differences between new actual color values and color setpoints are below acceptable deviations.

Method for correction of color deviations in digital printing machines

A method for controlling the inking in a printing press includes compensation of an ink requirement in an inking unit and/or compensation of a dampening solution requirement in a dampening unit of the printing press in the event of a change in the printing speed. The printing speed profile or machine state prevailing before the instant of the change in the printing speed is taken into consideration in the compensation of the metering of ink or dampening solution.

Method for controlling inking in a printing press with machine-dependent compensation in inking and dampening units

A method for controlling an amount of dampening solution in a printing unit of a printing press using a computer and a measuring device, includes setting an amount of dampening solution in the printing unit based on data of a current print job, reducing the amount of dampening solution towards a smearing threshold with the computer, recording color measurement values with the measuring device in at least one full tone area with low area coverage and in at least one halftone area with high area coverage on a printing material of the current print job, and stopping the reduction of the amount of dampening solution with the computer when a dot gain of the halftone in areas with high area coverage increases significantly and a density of the full tone in areas with low area coverage increases significantly.

Method for controlling the amount of dampening solution in a printing unit of a printing press

A method for controlling an inking unit of a printing press, includes resetting an ink metering element from first to second metered quantities for an intended inking level. The metering element is set to a temporary, third metered ink quantity by a control unit, for a time interval, during a non-steady phase of the inking unit before reaching the intended level. A value of a variable characterizing the inking state of printing material is determined and a plurality of sets of values for the variable are predefined, into which the determined value can be grouped. The temporary metering quantity is carried out: at a first rate and/or during a first time period if the value of the variable lies in a first set of values, and at a second rate and/or in a second time period if the value of the variable lies in a second, different set of values.

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Heidelberg, Germany

Nikolaus Pfeiffer