JPH0577229B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a layout device for printing plate making, and more particularly to a device that performs layout according to the contents of a layout board.

(Prior Art) In recent years, what is called a layout computer has come to be used for layout work in printing plate making, and is used together with a scanner, for example.
FIG. 12a shows a structure in which this scanner is used to take in image data and print it onto a film, and FIG. 12b shows a structure in which a layout computer performs layout work.

Layout work using these is performed as follows. First, an original is pasted on the input drum 101 of the scanner 100, and the image data of the original is taken into the input computer 106 via the interface 105 and stored in the memory 107. Image data is captured for an appropriate range of the document based on a layout board (not shown), and later trimmed by the layout computer 121.

The memory 107 in which image data has been written is separated from the input computer 106 and connected to the layout computer 121. As a result, the image data written in the memory 107 is displayed on the display 123. The operator observes this displayed image and operates the joy stick 124 to move the cursor while referring to a layout board (not shown) to designate the trimming range, the position of the screen cover, etc. The keyboard 122 is used to specify the magnification, plate color, and halftone percentage.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) These data are written to the memory 110, so after the writing is completed, the memory 110 is disconnected from the layout computer 121 and connected to the output computer 109. As a result, the data in the memory 110 is retrieved via the output computer 109 and the interface 108, and the data is transferred to the scanner 100.
The trimmed and laid out image is printed onto the film set on the output drum 102 of the printer.

Although layout work can be performed using a layout computer in this way, this work cannot necessarily be performed with high efficiency. Since the layout work is performed on the display of the layout computer, the position of the trimming range is likely to be inaccurate, and on the other hand, this means that the work requires skill. Layout work while looking at the display requires the use of a layout computer for a long time, and an expensive layout computer cannot necessarily be used effectively. Taking this point into consideration, the applicant has filed a patent application.
No. 59-213099 provided a layout device for printing plate making that does not require layout work using the display of a layout computer (FIG. 13). However, in the invention according to this application, input of a specific point on a document is performed using a scanner function, so that the scanner cannot be used effectively.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that can input various data and document position data given by a layout board without using a scanner, and can perform layout processing based on this input data.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a layout board is set in a drawing machine, various data necessary for page layout are taken out and written on a recording medium, and the data in this recording medium is The present invention provides an apparatus for layout processing of data captured by a scanner using the following.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which A is a drawing machine and B is a device that performs a trimming layout using the drawing results of the drawing machine A.

The drawing machine A includes a tablet digitizer 10,
CPU that works with this double digitizer 10
1 and other elements. The tablet digitizer 10 includes a cursor 11 and an input surface 12, and the input surface 12 has a mount area 13, a first menu area 14, and a second menu area 15 set therein. A floppy disk device 2, a plotter 3, and a mask cutter 4 are combined with the CPU 1.

The trimming layout device B has an input drum 2.
1. Scanner 20 with output drum 22, keyboard 23 with display, interfaces 25, 26, input/output computer 27, layout computer 29, fixed disk 28, connection switching device 33, and floppy disk device 2
Consisting of: layout computer 2
9 is combined with a keyboard 30 with a display, a mouse 31 and a display 32.

Next, the general operations of the drawing machine A and the trimming layout apparatus B will be explained.

First, for the drawing machine A, a layout sheet is set on the double digitizer 10. The layout mount corresponds to the mount area 13 in the figure, and both the mount area and the layout mount are indicated by the reference numeral 13 in the figure. On this layout board 13, ruled lines indicating the range to be trimmed of the document and simple figures indicating the outline of the picture are drawn.

Then, position data is input by aligning the cursor 11 with the ruled line of the trimming range. However, if the trimming range is one of several predetermined shapes, for example a rectangle, a simple position data input method can be used. For example, the user selects "Rectangle" in the first menu area 14 with the cursor 11, and inputs only the two vertices of the rectangle, the upper left corner and the lower right corner, regarding the position.

Next, input is performed using the second menu area 15. The input through the second menu area 15 is data (for example, original number, magnification, halftone coverage, etc.) that will be used by the trimming layout apparatus B later.

Input using tablet digitizer 10
It is recorded on the floppy disk 2 via the CPU 1. This floppy disk 2 is transferred to the trimming layout device B, and its recorded contents are used. The recorded contents are also provided to the plotter 3 and the mask cutter 4 and used for photographing and printing characters, but since the characters are not particularly related to the trimming layout in the present invention, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the trimming layout apparatus B, the input/output computer 27 and the layout computer 29 receive the position data and layout data recorded on the floppy disk 2 transferred from the drawing machine A, and proceed with the layout work.

A document is set on the input drum 21 of the scanner 20, and the captured data is sent to the interface 2.
5. Stored in the memory 28 via the input/output computer 27 and the connection switching device 33. The data in this memory 28 is given to a layout computer 29 via a connection switching device 33, and various processing is performed by this layout computer 29. The processed data is then stored again in the memory 28 and further transferred to the input/output computer 2.
7 and interface 26 to output drum 22 of scanner 20, film exposure is performed, and plate making is performed.

During this operation, the input/output computer 2
7 and a layout computer 29 perform data processing using various data from the floppy disk 2.

The data recorded on this floppy disk 2 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the menu setting operation performed prior to setting the layout board and importing data. As shown in FIG. 2, this operation first sets a menu area (S1), then divides the menu area and assigns menu items to each divided area (S2). FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the input surface 12 of the double digitizer.

A mount area 13, a first menu area 14, and a second menu area 15 are set on this input surface. The mount area 13 is set by inputting three points A1, A2, and A3 using a cursor in accordance with a layout mount (not shown). The layout board itself is used to input position data. The first menu area 14 lists graphics frequently used in tablet digitizers as items. Here, the items are rectangles, circles, polygons, straight lines, etc., and are generally set at positions as shown in the figure. Above mount area 13
And the first menu area 14 is provided in a typical tablet digitizer.

In contrast, the second menu area 15 is newly introduced in the present invention. However, since the numerical input has been conventionally used, the part excluding the numerical area has been added according to the present invention. And the menu item is
Layout items such as pattern number, magnification ratio (%), halftone → halftone %, living line color, plate color, specific point, terminator, operational items after completion, and color items C, Y, M, It is K. These show 0 to 9, decimal point, and number separator for numerical input.
In order to provide 24 areas including TAB, points B1 and B
The second menu area 15 is set by 2 and B3, divided into 24 areas, and each of the above items is assigned to each divided area.

Through this menu setting operation, the layout device according to the present invention becomes a tablet digitizer having the necessary functions.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a drawing operation performed using a tablet digitizer in which such a menu is set and operations based thereon, and the explanation will be made accordingly.

First, input the plate surface coordinates (S11). The plate surface coordinates refer to the coordinates of the mount area, and in Figure 3, A1~
Points to A3. Input these three points using a cursor. Next, input the plate color (S12). Here, an example of cyan C is shown, and the plate color is cyan 10%.
shall be. In this case, move the cursor to select "Print color", "C", "1", "0", "TAB" in the second menu area.
Specify sequentially.

After inputting the plate color, input the figure (S14). A figure refers to a figure indicating a trimming range and other figures drawn on the layout board, and is assumed to be a rectangle here. Therefore, following "Rectangle" in the first menu area, the two vertices at the upper right and lower right of the rectangular trimming range on the mount are input using the cursor.

This figure can be either a picture or a mesh. In the case of a picture, image data will be imported from the original later, and in the case of halftone dots, it will be filled in with a specified color. Then, it is determined whether or not the net is closed (S15), and an operation is performed accordingly. If it is not halftone, it is a picture, and in this case, the picture number is input (S16), the magnification is input (S17), and the specific point is input (S18). To input the pattern number, enter "Picture number",
Perform the operations "1" and "TAB" (in the case of picture number 1). In addition, the variable magnification input is "variable magnification", "1",
Operate "2", "0", "TAB" (magnification rate 120%)
in the case of). The specific point input indicates the "specific point" followed by the "predetermined point on the mount."

In addition, the color of the screen cover is input in the case of screen cover (S19). This is "Net Fuse", "C", "1", "0"
,
Perform "TAB", "Y", "2", "0", "TAB" (in the case of C10%, Y20%) After this, determine the presence or absence of living lines (frames for pictures, etc.) (S20) , if there is a live rule, input the color of the live rule (S21). This is "living ruled color", "M",
Press "5", "0", and "TAB" (for live ruled color M50).

Subsequently, by instructing the "terminator" (S22), the flow returns to the repetition point. The above-described operations can be performed on a new figure unless an instruction is given to "end". Further, when "end" is instructed, the operation of the drawing machine ends.

And all drawing data is floppy disk 2
(Figure 1). This floppy disk is transferred to the trimming and layout device as described above, and image data is taken in and a film original is created.

The arrangement order of each step in the above flowchart is an example, and the order can of course be changed.

5A and 5B show examples of images displayed on the display 32 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. The data is thinned out and displayed to fit the data. Then, the four points P _S , P〓, P〓, P〓 on this whole pixel
The area specified by is divided and displayed as shown in FIG. This split display image shows the data processing contents of the layout computer 29.
The recorded contents of the floppy disk 2 explained with the figures are used.

This display image is divided into four quadrants by boundaries drawn in the center both horizontally and vertically, and the quadrants are named counterclockwise from the upper right quadrant. A specific point P _S (x _p , y _p ) in the fourth quadrant of each of these quadrants.
In other words, the pixel data in the memory is transferred to the display 32 without thinning out the image data.
It is displayed in a one-to-one correspondence relationship. In the fourth quadrant, the corners of the image are also displayed without being thinned out.

6 to 8 show the relationship between the display screen on the disk player 32 shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b and the position data among the data recorded on the floppy disk 2. FIGS.

First, in Figure 6, the tablet digitizer 1
In the mount area 13 at 0, a rectangular trimming range is specified by two points indicated by coordinates (x ₁ , y ₁ ) and (x ₂ , y ₂ ) with respect to the origin (0, 0), and A specific point P _S (x _p , y _p ) is also specified.

Further, FIG. 7 conceptually shows the stored data in the memory 28, and a specific point in this figure
The coordinates (x _i , y _i ) of P _S are the coordinates that should be specified by the operator with the mouse 31 when this image data is displayed on the display 32 in a later operation. recorded on disk.

FIG. 8 shows an image displayed on the display 32 in relation to FIGS. 6 and 7. This display image is based on thinned-out data as described above, and (x ₂ −x ₁ ) and (y ₂
−y ₁ ) is the trimming range,
The entire image is displayed in the entire image display area indicated by the coordinates (0, 0) and (x, y) at the thinning ratio obtained by calculation. Therefore, x _i ′, y _i ′ are the seventh
In the figure, x _i and y _i are multiplied by the thinning ratio, and (x _p −x ₁ )′(y _p −y ₁ )′ is (x _p −x ₁ ), (y _p −y ₁ )
The pixel size and thinning ratio are taken into account.

FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 a to g show the contents of data processing by the layout computer 29, and as a result of this processing, the memory 2
Image positioning is performed using the image data captured in 8. The explanation will be given below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

First, in step S31, the operator selects keyboard 3.
1 indicates the number of the image to be positioned.
As a result, the image with the number designated in step S32 is displayed on the display 32 as a whole image with an appropriate thinning ratio. At this time, various modes are displayed on the screen of the display 32, so
This is selected by operating the mouse 31.

FIG. 10 shows the contents of the menu that can be selected using the mouse 31. That is, there are nine types of menu contents, M1 to M9.

In step S33, M1 mode is set. This mode is a menu for specifying a specific point on the display 32, and in this mode it is possible to specify a specific point using the mouse 31.

At this stage, a determination is made in step S34.
This judgment is made by checking the state of the flag recorded in the floppy disk 2 to determine whether or not the positioning of the image is complete. When the positioning is complete, that is, the specific point has been designated on the display 32, the trimming range on the display 32 is calculated based on this specific point in step S35. If the positioning has not yet been determined, the trimming range on the display 32 is calculated so as to be in the center of the entire image displayed, and a specific point is calculated based on this in step S36.

Once the specific point and trimming range are determined, these are displayed on the display 32, superimposed on the entire image. After displaying in this state, the process moves to the next step S38, and an operation according to the input using the mouse 31 is performed.

Here, the input by the mouse 31 is sometimes inside the image and sometimes outside the image, and when it is inside the image, it is input by the step.
When the specific point movement mode in S39 is outside the image, one of modes M2 to M7 is selected.

The contents of each of these modes will be explained with reference to FIGS. 11a to 11g.

FIG. 11a shows the specific point movement mode, in which when a point in the image is designated with the mouse, that point becomes a new specific point, and the specific point has been moved (step S40). Then, in step S41, a new trimming range is calculated based on this new specific point, and the process returns to step S37.

Figure 11b is a split display menu;
An image is displayed without thinning out in the second quadrant in the figure.

This is done by specifying the center point of the image range you want to display in the entire image using the mouse 31 (step S51).
Enter 3 points for each quadrant. As a result, a maximum of four points including the specific point are specified, and an image centered on these points without thinning is displayed in each quadrant on the display 32 (step
S52).

Next, in step S53, a specific point and a trimming range on the divided display 32 are calculated. The specific point and trimming range obtained through this calculation are displayed superimposed on the split display image on the display 32 (step
S54). Then, the process moves to step S55 to enter the M1 mode, that is, a menu for specifying a specific point on the display 32, and enters a state in which input from the mouse 31 is accepted in step S56.

If the input by the mouse 31 is a coordinate within the image, the specific point is moved in step S57, a new trimming range is calculated in step S58, and the process returns to step S54.

On the other hand, mode M in which input by the mouse 31 is outside the image
If any one of M7 out of 3 is selected, those operations are performed.

FIG. 11c shows the dot % measurement mode M3, and when this mode is selected using the mouse 31, coordinates are input using the mouse 31 in step S61.

If the input coordinates are coordinates within the image, the average value of nine points around the point P _M designated by the mouse 31 is determined in step S62, and the halftone percentage of each color of C, M, Y, and K is displayed on the display 32. Then, the process returns to step S61.

If there is no instruction for coordinates in the image, step S63 causes step S38 in FIG. 9 or step b in FIG. 11 to be executed.
The process moves to step S56, and an input is made using the mouse 31, or an operation is performed by selecting a mode using the mouse 31. It goes without saying that the split display mode of mode M2 is valid only when the entire image is being displayed, and the mode of returning to the whole image of mode M5 is valid only when the split display is being performed.

Next, FIG. 11d shows a menu for measuring the coordinates on the mount of a point designated on the display 32, and an operation mode is selected according to the input using the mouse 31 (S71).

If the point P _M designated by the mouse is an in-image coordinate, the coordinates of this point P _M on the mount 13 are determined and displayed on the display 32 in step S72. That is, since the coordinates on the image data corresponding to _the specific point P _S (x _p , _{y p} ) are already known as a result of positioning in steps S31 to S37 in FIG. _a ) is calculated and displayed.

is requested and displayed.

Further, FIG. 11e shows a menu for returning the divided display image to the whole image. After displaying the whole image (step S81), the process moves to step S82 and the ninth screen is displayed in preparation for specifying a specific point on the display 32. Return to step S37 in the figure.

FIG. 11f is a menu for ending the currently displayed image and proceeding to image processing for the next document number.In step S91, the next display of the currently displayed document number is displayed using the data stored in the floppy disk. Then, the number of the next positioning image is searched and the process returns to step S32 in FIG.

Finally, FIG. 11g is an exit menu, which ends the currently displayed image and transfers processing to the console side.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention combines means for writing captured data onto a storage medium with a drawing machine, extracts data necessary for a layout from a layout board set in the drawing machine, writes it onto the recording medium, and writes the data onto the recording medium. Because the data imported from the manuscript was processed using the scanner, the data was used to layout the data.
The scanner can be used exclusively for inputting and outputting image data and does not need to be used for processing that does not need to be performed by the scanner, improving utilization efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the menu setting operation of the drawing machine in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and an explanation of the drawing machine input screen. 4 is a flowchart showing the drawing operation by the same drawing machine and the operation based thereon, FIGS. to Figure 8 are Figure 5a,
An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the displayed image on the display 32 shown in FIG. 1b and the position data among the data recorded on the floppy disk 2, FIGS. A flowchart showing the operation of the layout computer in the embodiment, FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of possible operation modes of the computer, FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional device. A...Drawing machine, B...Trimming layout device. 2... Floppy disk device, 3... Printer, 4... Mask cutter, 10... Tablet digitizer, 11... Cursor, 12... Input surface, 13... Mount area, 14, 15... Menu area , 20...Scanner, 21,101...Input drum, 22,102...Output drum, 23,3
0,122...Keyboard, 28,107,11
0...Memory, 31...Mouse, 32...Display.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A layout device for printing plate making, comprising the following (A) and (B). (A) Input the layout data including the mount area where the layout mount is set and the position data of the trimming range is to be input, as well as the typical shape, pattern number, and magnification of the trimming range specified by the layout mount. means having a menu area for recording the various data on a recording medium; (B) A means for reading recorded data on the recording medium, an input drum on which a manuscript is set and takes in its image data, an output drum for receiving laid-out image data and outputting it for plate making, a coordinate indicating means, and a display for interaction. The layout computer is equipped with a layout computer capable of processing data according to the method, reads the image data input from the input drum based on the recorded data of the recording medium, displays the image data along with the trimming range on the display, and processes the data according to the input from the coordinate indicating means. means for performing layout processing on the image data displayed based on the image data and applying the layout-processed image data to the output drum.