JPH0449934B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to an automatic trimming layout method for printing plate making, and more particularly to a method for trimming image data read from a document and laying it out at a desired position.

(Technical Background of the Invention and Problems thereof) In recent years, layout apparatuses that use computers to perform layout work necessary for printing plate making have come into widespread use. In this device, a document is generally mounted on a rotating drum type scanner, the document surface is scanned, and the image data read is temporarily stored in a memory such as a magnetic disk, and the stored contents are used for subsequent layout processing. I'm starting to do it. That is, first, the image data that has been imported into memory in advance is read out and displayed on the display screen, and the cursor image representing the trimming range and the image of the document are arbitrarily moved on this screen to the position specified on the layout sheet. The patterns of a predetermined manuscript are inserted one after another. As a result, the necessary range of the original image is trimmed, and this is allocated to a designated position on the image plane of one page.

However, with this method, specifying the position on the display screen is difficult and requires skill and time.
Furthermore, positional errors are likely to occur. Therefore, accurate layout is difficult, and a display device having special functions for layout is required, resulting in an expensive device.

In addition to the above method, there is also a method in which, when reading a document pattern with a scanner, the size data of the portion of the document to be trimmed and the position to be trimmed on the scanner are specified in advance using a keyboard, etc., and the image data is read. Are known. However, this method also had the problem that it required a great deal of skill and time to measure dimensions and specify positions.

(Object of the Invention) This invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide automatic trimming that allows easy and accurate layout in a short time without requiring a special layout display. The purpose is to provide a layout method.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention relates to an automatic trimming layout method for printing plate making, in which layout position data generated by a layout position data generating means for generating layout position data of an image on a layout board is
A first mask plate that is input to the mask plate creation device and specifies the range to be read by the image data input means, and a second mask plate that specifies the trimming range of the image data.
The trimming range of the image data is specified by creating a mask version, overlapping the first and second mask versions that are superimposed on each other on the original, and inputting the trimmed image data directly from the original. This means that layout can be performed according to the designation of the above-mentioned layout position data.

(Embodiment of the Invention) FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration for implementing the method of the invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a scanner as image data input means, which sets an original 2 on its scanning drum and captures image data. A rotary encoder 3 is attached to the scanning drum. A linear encoder 4 for forming axial position data of the scanning drum is connected to the scanning head 1 of the scanner 1.
3, and the rotary encoder 3
and a linear encoder 4 make it possible to retrieve scanning head position data on the scanning drum. This position data is given to the control device 5 together with the image data from the original. Connected to the control device 5 are the scanner's other memory 6, a data tablet 7, and a mask cutter 11 as a mask plate making device. The image data extracted by the scanner 1 is stored in the memory 6. Further, a layout mount 8 is set on the data tablet 7 serving as a layout position data generating means, and the layout position data on the layout mount is input using the cursor 9, while the scaling factor is input using the numerical data input element in the menu area 10. and is given to the control device 5. Further, a mask original plate 12 is set in the mask cutter 11, and cutting is performed based on data from the control device 5 to create the mask plate 12. Here, the signal that the control device 5 gives to the mask cutter 11 is formed based on the input from the data tablet 7 using the cursor 9 and the layout information containing the position data and the magnification ratio input by the numeric data input element. be done.

FIG. 2 shows the pictures laid out on the layout mount 21. As shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the trimming range 15 of the mask plate 26 and the range of reading the original 14 from the scanner, and FIGS.
The first mask plate 22 indicates the actual trimming range 25, and the second mask plate 23 indicates the actual trimming range 25. Figures C and D show the two mask plates 22 and 23 superimposed. It shows.

Next, a method of the present invention implemented using the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, the layout paper 8 is set at a predetermined position on the data tablet 7 at a predetermined angle. Then, move the cursor 9 to the layout mount 8.
The position data of the above predetermined point is input to the control device 5. Here, first, a reference point that serves as a reference for dimensions is input. For example, if the document is to be trimmed into a rectangle, position data is input for two points, the upper left corner and the lower right corner of this rectangle. Thereafter, the magnification ratio is input using the numerical data input element in the menu area 10. These input data are given to the control device 5 and stored, and after being subjected to arithmetic processing, are given to the mask cutter 11, which cuts the mask film set in the mask cutter 11 and trims the mask film input by the data tablet 7. A mask version 12 is created in which the range is cut out. At this time, it is also possible to cut a plurality of masks onto one mask film. Alternatively, a mask plate may be created by plotting the trimming range on a transparent film plate using a plotter instead of the mask cutter 11. This mask version 12
A manuscript such as a photographic film is pasted thereon while referring to the layout mount 8. Alternatively, a method may be used in which the mask plate 12 is placed over the document that has been pasted on the drum in advance.

Here, to explain how to specify the trimming range, the trimming range 1 is displayed on the mask plate 26.
By specifying 5, the capture position from the scanner is specified. In this case, the range captured by the scanner is the same as the trimming range 15. If the trimming range shown on the layout mount 21 is not rectangular, two trimming ranges 25 and a rectangular range 24 circumscribing this trimming range 25 are specified. And these two ranges 2
Mask plates 22 and 23 having numbers 4 and 25 are respectively prepared and superimposed on each other with mask plate 22 facing upward and reference points 20B and 20C matching, as shown in FIG. 4C. Here, if the mask plate 22 is a transparent film, it is drawn with a mask plotter,
If an opaque material such as paper is cut out with a mask cutter, the trimming range 25 on the mask plate 23 located below the mask plate 22 will be visible. In other words, the mask version 27 looks like D in the same figure.
The original is attached while referring to the layout sheet 21. Here, since the scanner usually has a structure in which input is made in the form of a rectangle, the range actually captured by the scanner is 24 ranges. If you do this,
Even a trimming range of a complex shape such as a circle can be handled in the same way as a rectangle, and the trimming range can be easily determined. Although the mask plates 22 and 23 for which the trimming range has been designated are one original document, a plurality of original documents may be attached as shown in the mask plate 12.

The mask plate with the original pasted as described above is pasted on the scanning drum of the scanner 1. At this time, mask version 1
Needless to say, be careful about the direction of number 2. In this state, the reference point 20 is set by the rotary encoder 3 and linear encoder 4 provided in the scanner 1.
By determining B and 20C in advance, they match the reference point 20A on the layout mount 21, and the layout position on the layout mount 21 and the positional relationship with the document on the scanning drum can be matched, and the specified trimming can be performed. You can find the range. Then, the scanner 1 scans the original 2 pasted on the mask plate 12, and reads image data only when scanning within the trimming range. This allows the trimmed original image data to be imported.

This image data is stored in the memory 6, layout is performed in the control device 5 according to the layout designation information also stored in the memory 6, and the result is stored in the memory 6. At this time, if you specify the range 24 that the scanner captures to be slightly larger than the trimming range 25, taking into account the margin, if you want to correct the trimming range because the original was pasted incorrectly, you can The position can be finely adjusted during this layout without having to reattach.

By using the contents of the memory 6 stored in this manner, automatic plate making can be performed.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, there are no problems such as the need for a special display or the need for a great deal of skill, and it is possible to easily create a trimming layout. Also, when pasting the original on the mask board,
To provide an automatic trimming layout method for printing plate making that is inexpensive, easy to use, and greatly improves productivity since the trimming range can be easily determined and fine adjustments can be made during layout even if the position is slightly off. be able to.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a layout mount, and Fig. 3
The figure and FIGS. 4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining the trimming range of the mask plate. 1... Sukiyana, 2 and 14... Manuscript, 3...
Rotary encoder, 4...linear encoder,
5... Control device, 6... Memory, 7... Data tablet, 8... Layout mount, 9... Cursor, 1
0... Menu area, 11... Mask cutter (blotter), 12, 22, 23, 26, 27... Mask plate, 13... Original scanning head, 24... Range to be imported from scanner, 15, 25... Trimming range.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first controller for inputting the layout position data generated by the layout position data generation means for generating layout position data of the image on the layout mount into the mask plate making device and instructing the range to be read by the image data input means. A mask version and a second mask version that designates the trimming range of the image data are created, and the first and second mask versions that are superimposed on each other are superimposed on the document to specify the trimming range of the image data. . An automatic trimming layout method for printing plate making, characterized in that the trimmed image data is laid out directly from the original by image data input means according to the designation of the layout position data.