JPH11119954A - Printed result simulation method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To confirm an impression when color images displayed on a color monitor are printed through a monochromatic printer on a color monitor screen by converting arbitrary color image data into monochromatic image data equivalent to a printed result by using a correction coefficient and sending them out to the color monitor. SOLUTION: A CPU 1 executes correction coefficient teaching processings including a test printing processing and then, executes a monochromatic printed result display processing. The execution programs have been stored in an auxiliary storage part 3 beforehand and are made to function through the start of a software. That is, in the state of displaying arbitrary color images on the color monitor 8, the CPU 1 switches a color test pattern to a monochromatic printing color equivalent to the monochromatic printed result by using the correction coefficient. A user confirms the impression printed out by the monochromatic printer at the time on the screen of the color monitor 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for simulating a print result and a storage medium for enabling an impression when a color image displayed on a color monitor is projected by a monochrome printer to be confirmed on a color monitor screen. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for performing weighting corresponding to a monochrome print result on color image data for a test pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in order to print a color image displayed on a color monitor in monochrome using a monochrome printer, analog R, G, and B signals constituting the color image are input to the monochrome printer. Means is provided for generating a monochrome tone signal based on the R, G, and B signals.

[0003] On the other hand, in a color monitor, a color image is displayed on a monitor by color mixing by an additive method in which each color of blue, green, and red, which are representative wavelengths of light, is mixed at a maximum value to produce white. On the other hand, in a monochrome printer, monochrome printing is performed on paper or the like with lightness and darkness based on a subtractive color method in which each color of yellow, cyan, and magenta becomes black when mixed at a maximum value.

[0004]

If there is a difference between the above-mentioned color addition method and color reduction method as described above, the monochrome printer automatically weights when generating a monochrome tone signal.
When a color image displayed on a color monitor is printed out by a monochrome printer, the visual impression between the color image on the color monitor and the printed out result is significantly different. In extreme cases,
To give the user the impression that the specific area in the color image displayed on the color monitor and the specific area in the printed matter printed out by the monochrome printer, which must have the same impression, are completely different. Become.

[0005] In the conventional case, such an inconsistency between the color display and the monochrome print occurs. Therefore, on a color monitor screen, the impression when the color image displayed on the color monitor is projected by the monochrome printer is confirmed. However, there is a problem that hesitation to print a color image displayed on a color monitor in a monochrome printer with a monochrome printer is made especially under a condition in which accuracy is required for a print result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide an impression on a color monitor screen when a color image displayed on a color monitor is projected by a monochrome printer. To be able to confirm.

[0007]

According to the invention described in claim 1 (or claim 3) of the present application, color image data corresponding to a color test pattern prepared in advance is sent to a color monitor for color display. Test print means (step) for sending to a monochrome printer to perform monochrome printing, monochrome tone data taught corresponding to each monochrome tone of a monochrome printed color test pattern, and color tone corresponding to a color test pattern displayed in color Correction coefficient generating means (step) for obtaining a correction coefficient for conversion between the two from the data
Image conversion means (step) for converting arbitrary color image data into monochrome image data corresponding to a print result using the correction coefficient and transmitting the monochrome image data to a color monitor;
And a print result simulating apparatus (method).

Here, the “color test pattern” is
It refers to a known test pattern of, for example, eight colors, twelve colors, or the like that serves as a color sample.

The "correction coefficient" is a coefficient for performing weighting corresponding to a print result on color image data for a test pattern.

According to the invention described in claim 1 (or claim 3) of the present application, the correlation is obtained by using the correlation obtained by the color display and the monochrome printing performed by the test printing means (step). After a correction coefficient for both conversions is obtained by the correction coefficient generation means (step), the correction coefficient obtained by the correction coefficient generation means (step) is used in a state where an arbitrary color image is displayed on the color monitor. The color test pattern can be switched to the monochrome print color corresponding to the monochrome print result by the image conversion means (step), so that the user can confirm the impression printed out by the monochrome printer on the color monitor screen at that time. Like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image processing apparatus, the image conversion means comprises an analog R,
An R, G, B signal normalization circuit that binarizes each of the G and B signals to generate normalized R, G, and B signals corresponding to the white color of a monochrome image; A voltage-controlled variable gain amplifier for multiplying each of the G and B signals by the correction coefficient; an adding circuit for adding outputs of the voltage-controlled variable gain amplifiers to generate a monochrome tone signal; 2. The print result simulation according to claim 1, further comprising a variable gain amplifier that modifies the normalized R, G, B signals to generate R, G, B signals corresponding to a monochrome print result. In the device.

According to the invention described in claim 2 of this application, the normalized R, G, B signals generated by the R, G, B signal normalizing circuit are combined with the monochrome tone signal generated by the adding circuit. The color test pattern can be switched to the monochrome print color corresponding to the monochrome print result by using a hardware configuration in which the R, G, and B signals corresponding to the monochrome print result are generated by the variable gain amplifier. Like.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the teaching of the monochrome tone data is performed by referring to a conversion table for converting the monochrome tone into a digital value. There is a print result simulation method.

According to the invention described in claim 4 of the present application, when an operation of teaching monochrome tone data by designating monochrome tone is performed, a digital value corresponding to monochrome tone is calculated at the time of calculating a correction coefficient. Will be taught, and the calculation for the correction coefficient will be able to be executed immediately.

[0015]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
Shows a hardware configuration of a print result simulation apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
CPU 1, storage unit 2, auxiliary storage unit 3 such as hard disk, image reading device 4 such as scanner, image storage medium 5 such as photo CD, keyboard 6 as input device, mouse 7, display device A color monitor 8 as an output device and a monochrome printer 9 as an output device.
Reference numeral 1 is a control center of the entire system, and functions as a test print unit, a correction coefficient generation unit, and an image conversion unit.

That is, the CPU 1 first executes a correction coefficient teaching process including a test print process and then executes a monochrome print result display process according to a user operation, as described below. Note that these execution programs are
The information can be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 3 in advance, and can be activated by starting up the software.

FIG. 2 shows a processing flow of the correction coefficient teaching processing. Steps 201 to 202 in FIG.
Is a test print processing routine (function of test print means). In the test print processing, color image data corresponding to a color test pattern prepared in advance is sent to the color monitor 8 and the monochrome printer 9, respectively, and, for example, as shown in FIG. The pattern is displayed on the color monitor 8 (step 201), and at the same time, the color test pattern is converted by the monochrome printer 9 into each gradation of B1 to B8 as shown in FIG. Step 202).

The user can know the correlation between each color and the corresponding monochrome gradation by comparing the color test pattern of the color monitor 8 with the test pattern printed by the monochrome printer 9. At this time, FIG.
As shown in (c), a comparison table or the like in which a gradation sample and numerical values Toen1 to Toen specifying the gradation sample are described is used.

Next, an operation is read by inputting a numerical value or the like corresponding to the correlation using the keyboard 6 or the mouse 7 (step 203). Each time this operation is performed (step 204), each monochrome is read. When the tone data of the pattern is captured (step 205) and all the data is captured, the operation of designating the monochrome tone and teaching the monochrome tone data is completed (step 20).
6).

When this operation is completed, a digital value corresponding to a monochrome tone is taught by referring to a conversion table in which digital values described in 1 to 8 are schematically written as shown in FIG. Then, a calculation process (step 207) for obtaining a correction coefficient for both conversion from the monochrome tone data and the color tone data is immediately executed, and the correction coefficient is obtained. The obtained correction coefficient is stored in the storage unit 2 (step 208), and the correction coefficient teaching processing ends. A series of processing in steps 203 to 208 corresponds to a correction coefficient generation unit.

After the completion of the correction coefficient teaching processing,
The monochrome print result display processing can be executed by a routine as shown in FIG. When the display mode is switched to a monochrome printer color in a state where an arbitrary color image is displayed on the color monitor 8 using the image storage medium 5, a schematic diagram shown in FIG. From each of the R, G, and B V-RAMs 1 as shown in FIG.
n (Bn) is read (step 502), and the read pixel value (Rn, Gn, Bn) is multiplied by the correction coefficient read from the storage unit 2 (step 503), and the corrected pixel value (Rn, Gn) is obtained. , Bn) are assigned to the image storage medium 5 as R, G, and R, as schematically shown in FIG.
A series of processing of recording in each V-RAM 2 of B (step 504) is executed.

This series of processing is repeated until the recording of the last pixel is completed (step 505).
When the recording is completed for the last pixel, the recording data of all the pixels, that is, the monochrome image data corresponding to the print result is output to the color monitor 8 from each of the V-RAMs 2. For this reason, the color test pattern can be switched to the monochrome print color corresponding to the print result on the color monitor 8 (that is, this switch corresponds to the image conversion means), and the user can use the monochrome printer 9 at that time. The impression printed out can be confirmed on the screen of the color monitor 8.

Such a monochrome print result display process (image conversion means) can be realized by hardware. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the hardware configuration of the image conversion means. In the figure, 10 is an R, G, B signal normalizing circuit, 11a to 11c are voltage controlled variable gain amplifiers,
12 is an addition circuit, 13 is a variable gain amplifier, 14 and 15 are amplifiers, 16 is R, G and B terminals, and 1 is a CPU.
It is.

As shown in FIG. 1, R, R and G receiving analog R, G, and B signals constituting a color image, respectively.
The G and B signal normalizing circuits 10 are connected so as to add the normalized output signal to the variable gain amplifier 13. A voltage-controlled variable gain amplifier 11a which receives analog R, G, and B signals constituting a color image separately.
11c are connected in common so that their output signals can be added to the adder 12, while being connected so that each of the analog R, G, and B signals constituting the color image can be voltage-controlled by the output of the CPU 1. ing. The variable gain amplifier 13 is connected so that the output signal to the R, G, B terminals 16 is controlled by the output of the adder 12.

For this reason, the R, G, B signal normalizing circuit 10
Then, analog R, G, B that constitutes the received color image
Each of the signals can be binarized to generate normalized R, G, and B signals corresponding to the white color of the monochrome image, and output to the variable gain amplifier 13. At the same time, the voltage-controlled variable gain amplifiers 11a to 11c can multiply each of the analog R, G, and B signals constituting the received color image by the correction coefficient from the CPU 1 and output the result to the adder circuit 12.

Each of the voltage-controlled variable gain amplifiers 11a to 11a
11c is added by an adder circuit 12 to generate a monochrome tone signal.
3, the variable gain amplifier 13 uses the monochrome tone signal input from the addition circuit 12 to output R,
Normalized R, inputted from the G and B signal normalizing circuit 10,
The G, B signals are corrected to generate R, G, B signals corresponding to the monochrome print result, and the R, G, B
It can be output to the B terminal 16.

As shown in FIG. 8, the R, G, and B terminals 16 include an R terminal 16a, a G terminal 16b, and a B terminal 16c, each of which is an R terminal of the color monitor 8 in FIG. , G terminal, and B terminal, the color test pattern displayed on the color monitor 8 can be switched to a monochrome print color corresponding to the monochrome print result. Therefore, by adopting this hardware configuration, the impression when a color image displayed on a color monitor is launched by a monochrome printer can be confirmed on the color monitor screen.
In the present embodiment, the hardware configuration shown in the block diagram of FIG. 7 is incorporated in the personal computer, but it goes without saying that the hardware configuration may be incorporated in the color monitor.

[0028]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the impression when a color image displayed on a color monitor is launched by a monochrome printer can be confirmed on the color monitor screen.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a print result simulation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a correction coefficient teaching process of the print result simulation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which an input operation is performed with reference to each output of a color monitor and a monochrome printer.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a conversion table for converting a monochrome tone into a digital value.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a monochrome print result display process of the print result simulation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing each V-RAM allocated to an image storage medium.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the image conversion means is configured by hardware.

FIG. 8 is a detailed explanatory diagram of R, G, and B terminals.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 2 Storage part 3 Auxiliary storage part 4 Image reading device 5 Image storage medium 6 Keyboard 7 Mouse 8 Color monitor 9 Monochrome printer 10 R, G, B signal normalization circuit 11a Voltage control type variable gain amplifier 11b Voltage control type variable gain Amplifier 11c Voltage-controlled variable gain amplifier 12 Adder circuit 13 Variable gain amplifier, 14 Amplifier 15 amplifier, 16 R, G, B terminals

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A test print means for sending color image data corresponding to a color test pattern prepared in advance to a color monitor for color display and sending it to a monochrome printer for monochrome printing, and for each of the monochrome test color test patterns Correction coefficient generation means for obtaining a correction coefficient for conversion from monochrome tone data taught corresponding to monochrome tone and color tone data corresponding to a color test pattern displayed in color; and An image conversion means for converting the image into monochrome image data corresponding to a print result using the correction coefficient and transmitting the monochrome image data to a color monitor. 2. The image converter according to claim 1, wherein each of the analog R, G, and B signals constituting the color image is binarized to generate normalized R, G, and B signals corresponding to white of a monochrome image. , G, B signal normalizing circuit, a voltage controlled variable gain amplifier for multiplying each of the analog R, G, B signals constituting the color image by the correction coefficient, and an output of each of the voltage controlled variable gain amplifiers. An adding circuit for generating a monochrome tone signal by adding the signals; and correcting the normalized R, G, and B signals with the monochrome tone signal to obtain R, G,
A variable gain amplifier for generating a B signal;
The printing result simulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 3. A test print step in which color image data corresponding to a color test pattern prepared in advance is sent to a color monitor for color display, and is sent to a monochrome printer for monochrome printing. A correction coefficient generation step for obtaining a correction coefficient for conversion between monochrome tone data taught corresponding to a monochrome tone and color tone data corresponding to a color test pattern displayed in color; and An image conversion step of converting the image into monochrome image data corresponding to the print result using the correction coefficient and transmitting the monochrome image data to a color monitor. 4. The print result simulation method according to claim 3, wherein the teaching of the monochrome tone data is performed with reference to a conversion table for converting the monochrome tone into a digital value.