Closed loop ceps-press control system

Abstract

An integrated computerized system for use in color printing having at least one digital representation of a color characteristic of at least one page to be printed and a digital storage memory for storing the digital representation. An imposition apparatus is connected to the storage memory to receive the digital representation and arrange the digital representation in accordance with a desired plate layout, thereby to define a plate image. A press set-up device extracts from the plate image the color characteristic and provides ink flow set-up data to a printing press in accordance with the extracted color characteristic.

1 . An integrated computerized system for use in printing and comprising: 
 means for providing at least one digital representation of at least one page;    digital storage means for storing said at least one digital representation of at least one page;    imposition means for receiving said at least one digital representation of at least one page and arranging said at least one digital representation of at least one page in accordance with a desired plate layout, thereby to define a plate image; and    press control means for automatically monitoring the printed output of the printing press and automatically providing adjustments to printing press registration and ink flow controls in accordance therewith.    
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  and wherein said at least one digital representation of at least one page comprises a plurality of digital representations of a corresponding plurality of pages.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  and wherein said at least one digital representation of at least one page comprises at least one digital representation of a signature marking.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 3  and wherein said at least one digital representation of a signature marking comprises a digital representation of a control strip.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  and wherein said means for providing comprises editing means for receiving at least one of text and graphics and providing an edited page layout.  
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 5  and wherein said editing means comprises at least one of the following group: 
 a scanner;  
 a workstation receiving an input from a scanner and operator inputs and being operative to provide a digitally storable page layout.  
 
     
     
         7 . An image reproduction method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a representation of an image, said representation comprising a digital indication of at least one location whose appearance is to be maintained;    reproducing said image so as to automatically maintain the appearance of said location.    
     
     
         8 . An image reproduction method according to  claim 7  wherein said representation of the image comprises a digital representation of the image and wherein said step of reproducing comprises the step of providing the digital representation of said location to apparatus for reproducing the image.