A method for printing and/or cutting an image

Abstract

 The present invention is related to a method comprising a first step of printing an image (4) on a carrier by a first printing device (1), and at least one further step of inserting said carrier into a second device (2) and performing a second operation on said carrier, both said first and second device being coupled to a computer (3), said second operation being defined by source data stored on said computer,
characterized in that an identifying element (7a,7b) is printed in the vicinity of said image (4), allowing said second device (2) to identify said image and to automatically perform said second operation, on the basis of said source data.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention is related to printing images on a carrier, preferably a sheet or a roll of paper. In particular, the invention is related to a method wherein one or more additional processes are performed on the printed image, such as a cutting operation, or a second printing step.

State of the art

[0002] After printing, a part of the printed image may need to be cut along a predefined cutting path, or a second printing step may need to be undertaken, superimposed on the previously printed image.

[0003] Current technology allows to enter a sheet or a roll of printed paper into a cutter or a second printer, enter manually information about the cutting or re-printing path, and perform the cutting or second printing operation.

[0004] The inventors of the present invention have published information about a technique for printing and subsequent cutting, in the Press Release entitled 'Mutoh launches new range of signcutting plotters', September 17, 2002, published in Sign Update Nov/Dec 2002, ESM (European Sign Magazine) Oct/Nov 2002 and Sign Directions Issue 53 Sept/Oct. 2002. According to this technique, a reference frame is used as a registration mark, in order to allow a friction feed cutting plotter to automatically detect the reference box/frame size & position. The image is printed inside such a reference frame, which is basically a rectangular box with a given line thickness, surrounding the printed image. The cutter, through use of a laser based optical sensor, detects the presence of this frame, and measures the dimensions and position of the frame. An operator then launches the cutting operation on the basis of a source file of printing and cutting data relevant to the image in the detected frame, said data being stored on a computer, which equally calculates the necessary transformation to a given image, to which this image needs to be subjected so that the cutter can perform the cutting operation without errors due to any deformation of the printed image.

[0005] The essential drawback to this system is the need for manual intervention for the identification of the image present inside the detected frame. In the existing system, the cutter will have to be provided manually with a given data file, before the cutting operation can start. For example, when a random sequence of images has been printed on a roll of paper, the roll is entered into the cutter, and an operator needs to supervise the transmission to the cutter of the right print and cut data, for every image on the roll. Therefore, even though the registration of a printed image takes place automatically through the detection of the reference frame, it is still impossible to print and cut a random series of designs, without supervision.

Aims of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a method and a system which can automatically read the cutting or re-printing information from the inserted media.

Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention is related to a method, a system and a computer program such as described in the appended claims.

Short description of the drawings

[0008] Fig. 1 represents a schematic overview of a system for performing the method of the invention.

[0009] Fig. 2 represents a view of one complete image, comprising a reference frame, an image and two barcodes.

[0010] Fig. 3 represents a view of a roll of paper comprising several images, to be treated according to the method of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

[0011] The present invention is related to a method for printing an image, followed by one or more further operations, either printing on top of parts of said images, or cutting out a part of said image along a pre-defined cutting path, or other. The method is performed by a system comprising at least (see fig. 1) :

• a printing/plotting device 1,
• a second device 2, for example for printing or cutting,
• a computer 3, coupled to both said devices 1 and 2.

[0012] A software tool according to the invention runs on the computer 3, and governs the method of the invention, as described hereafter. In the following, a 'job' is defined as a sequence of operations, the first of which is the operation of printing an image by device 1. The initial printing step is performed on the basis of an image file, such as a bitmap, created for example by a known design software.

[0013] According to the invention (see fig.2 & 3), an image 4 is printed on a carrier 5, for example a roll of paper, and a number of features are added to the image per se :

• a reference box 6, i.e. a preferably rectangular box, drawn around the image,
• at least one identifier 7a and/or 7b : this is preferably a bar code, such as a UPC code or a postnet code, readable by a suitable reading device. In the preferred embodiment, two mutually identical identifiers 7a and 7b are printed in the frame, one at the bottom and one at the top, so that the second operation may be performed regardless of the insertion direction of the carrier into the second device 2. The identifiers are preferably placed in the middle of the lower and upper ridge of the frame, although they may equally be placed in the corner. The identifying elements are printed in the vicinity of the image 4, preferably in the vicinity of the frame 6, more preferably inside said frame.

[0014] After the initial printing step of one image on a sheet or a series of images on a roll of paper, the carrier is inserted into the second device 2, for example a cutter. Meanwhile, the invention's software has generated a job specific file for every image. This file is uniquely defined by its name or an ID tag embedded in the data, and by which the file is linked to the identifier 7. This means that reading the identifier, for example scanning the barcode, allows to identify the ID tag and thus the job specific file. This file comprises the data or a link to the source data of the job which is stored on the computer 3 : bitmap data of the printed image, coordinates of the reference frame, information about subsequent operations in the job (e.g. vector path for a cutting operation).

[0015] A communication sequence now starts between the computer 3 and the second device 2. This sequence comprises the following steps :

• the second device 2 detects the position of the reference box 6,
• the second device detects and reads the identifier 7a or 7b, to obtain the ID tag relevant to the printed image 4,
• the second device sends a message to the computer 3, said message comprising the ID tag,
• the relevant source data stored in the computer is identified and output data is sent to the second device,
• the second device performs the second operation, on the basis of said output data.

[0016] The output data may comprise the source data, supplemented by additional data, for example data relevant to the orientation of the image and/or the transformation which is to be applied to the image due to scaling or a deformation during printing. The transformation matrix may be calculated by the central computer, or by a processing means present in the second device 2.

[0017] The second device may be a second printer/plotter, for example when the first printing operation is a white ink or coating printing onto a non-white carrier. Then this first printing step may be followed by a normal inkjet printing step on another printer on top of the white layer. Possibly, this second operation may be followed by a third, for example a position-related lamination, performed through the same sequence of steps described above. In between these operations, process steps may be performed which are unrelated to the image or the position of the reference frame, for example a position-unrelated lamination step.

[0018] Preferably, the identifiers 7 are barcodes, which are read by the same laser based sensor already used in the art to detect the reference frame. Alternatively, the barcode may be scanned by a separate scanner, possibly even a hand-held scanner. Whatever the case may be, the scanning of the identifier reveals the ID tag of the relevant source data, comprising the necessary input to the operation which is to be performed by the second device 2.

[0019] The following describes in detail the way in which the above steps are performed in the exemplary case of a method comprising an initial printing step, yielding an image with reference frame and barcodes, as shown in figure 2, followed by cutting out the image by a friction feed cutting plotter.

• First, the position of the lower corners 10 and 11 is determined by the optical sensor present in the cutting head of the cutter. The corners are found by detecting the position of the vertical sides at two points, for example points 12 and 13, and the position of the lower side at two points, for example points 14 and 15. This allows to scan the barcode 7a along a direction parallel to the lower side. These steps are necessary in case the frame is slightly deformed or tilted.
• Then the barcode 7a is scanned and read,
• The cutter detects whether or not the barcode has been read in its normal position, or rotated over 180°. This capability of detecting whether the code has been read from left-to-right or vice versa is a known feature of bar code detection systems. If the barcode is rotated, this means that the sheet or roll of paper has been inserted the other way round, i.e. not the code 7a at the bottom has been detected, but the code 7b at the top. This is the reason why according to the preferred embodiment, two barcodes 7a and 7b are present on each image, so that the direction in which a roll of images is inserted in the cutter, is of no importance. The cutting operation will be adapted to the orientation of the image. Of course, the invention equally covers a method wherein only one barcode is used, and which requires the roll to be inserted in one particular direction.
• The cutter links the specific barcode to an ID tag, and sends a message to the computer to look up the matching vector file,
• This file is then sent to the cutter,
• From this file, the dimensions of the non-deformed frame are read, allowing a measurement of the actual printed box dimensions, taking into account scaling of the box, rotation, skew or other types of deformation,
• After that, the mapping from the effective measured printout coordinate system to the theoretical vector space is calculated, by a transformation calculation, known in the art. This transformation is applied by the cutter to the theoretical vector data which is stored in the file. According to the preferred embodiment, this calculation is performed by the cutter itself, not by the central computer,
• Finally, the transformed path is cut out.

[0020] It is to be noted that several steps of the above described process are known in the art. For example the measurement of the reference frame dimensions and the calculation of the transformation. Parts of the communication between the cutter and the computer may also take place in a way which is known in the art. Characteristic to the method of the invention is the so-called 'RADAR' functionality, which is similar to the operation of 'plug and play' devices, and defined by the following :

• In the background, the computer 3 continuously listens to the connected devices ( "server" principle ).
• Once the ID is scanned and recognized, it is automatically sent to the computer.
• As the computer receives the ID, the software will start searching for the matching data and eventually send it to the second stage device. If matching data is not found, the user is informed.

[0021] In general, the new and inventive concept of the present invention lies in the fact that an identifier is added to the image, and subsequently read by another device, allowing automatic identification of a particular job. The operations taking place after the computer has sent the necessary output data to the cutter, may be performed according to the method already known and documented. The difference is that according to the invention, it is not an operator who manually transmits the output data to the second device, but it is this device itself which detects the ID of the job, and requests automatic transmittal of the output data.

[0022] In the case of a roll comprising several images, as shown in figure 3, the cutter can move to the next job, detecting automatically the next image, for example by detecting the lower side of the next frame. This way, the cutter can cut out vector trajectories for all printed images on a roll, until the end of the roll is detected.

[0023] The invention is equally related to any system able to perform the method of the invention. One embodiment of such a system is shown in figure 1, even though it may take one other forms. For example, more than two devices might be coupled to the computer 3, for performing a series of consecutive operations. The devices might be coupled to several computers linked together in a network. The second and third devices are equipped with a means for reading the identifying elements. As described above, this preferably takes on the form of a laser based sensor, able to detect the frame 6 and to read the barcodes 7. The device 2 needs to be able to communicate with the computer 3 and needs to be equipped with a means for doing this. The same is true for the computer, which is equipped with a means for communicating with the second device.

[0024] The invention is equally related to the software which is to be run on the computer 3, for governing the method of the invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising a first step of printing an image (4) on a carrier by a first printing device (1), and at least one further step of inserting said carrier into a second device (2) and performing a second operation on said carrier, both said first and second device being coupled to a computer (3), said second operation being defined by source data stored on said computer,
characterized in that an identifying element (7a,7b) is printed in the vicinity of said image (4), allowing said second device (2) to identify said image and to automatically perform said second operation, on the basis of said source data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein :

- said image (4) is printed within a reference frame (6), and at least one identifying element (7a, 7b) is printed in the vicinity of said frame (6),

- upon printing said image, an ID tag is generated and stored in said computer (3), which allows the relevant source data for the second operation to be identified, said ID tag being linked to said identifying element (7a, 7b),

- upon inserting said carrier into said second device (2), the second device detects the position of the reference box (6),

- the second device (2) then detects and reads the identifying element (7a, 7b), to obtain the ID tag relevant to the printed image (4)),

- the second device (2) sends a message to the computer (3), said message comprising the ID tag,

- the relevant source data stored in the computer (3) is identified and output data is automatically sent to the second device (2),

- the second device performs the second operation, on the basis of said output data.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said step of detecting and reading the identifying element (7a,7b) is preceded by a step of detecting the position of the lower corners (10, 11) of said frame.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein two mutually identical identifying elements (7a, 7b) are printed within said frame (6), with the same orientation with respect to said frame (6), one at the bottom of the frame and one at the top, and wherein said step of detecting and reading the identifying element is followed by a step of detecting the orientation of said identifiers.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said identifying element (7a,7b) is a bar code.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second device (2) is a cutting plotter, and wherein said second operation consists of cutting out an image along a predefined path.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said second device (2) is a printing device, and wherein said second operation consists of a second printing operation.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein said step of detecting the position of the frame (6) and said step of detecting and reading said identifying element (7a,7b) are performed by the same laser based sensor.

9. A system for performing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, said system comprising at least :

- a printing device (1)

- a second device (2), equipped with a means for detecting the reference frame (6), and a means for reading said identifying element (7)

- a computer (3), coupled to both said devices (1,2), and equipped with a means for communicating with said devices.

10. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when said program is run on a computer.

11. A computer program comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing the method of claims 1 to 8, when said program is run on a computer.

Drawing