Metal deco digital proofing process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077012-B2
Application number	US-202318102131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2023
Priority date	Aug 21, 2019
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

The described herein is a method for identifying a best match to a metal deco target color and distributing the best match to interested parties for ongoing validation. The method creates a digital proofing database that matches, for example, PantoneLIVE™ target colors and sets a defined digital inkjet standard to within desired tolerances. Also described is a system that implements the method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for identifying a best match to a metal deco matte target color and distributing the best match to interested parties, comprising the steps of:
A) i) establishing white and metallic linearization gradation curves for use in a computer implemented environment;
ii) selecting a first candidate color as a match to a metal deco matte target color from a database of metal deco matte ink colors;
B) generating in a computer implemented environment an arrangement of colors comprising the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors that differ from each other in color increments;
C) printing on a transparent sheet the arrangement of colors to create a digital proof of the plurality of colors and applying a self-adhesive transparent matte film over the colors of the digital proof to create a digital proof with a matte finish;
D) laying the digital proof with a matte finish over a metal substrate to provide a simulation of the application of metal deco colored inks with a matte finish on the metal substrate;
E) selecting a color from among the arrangement of colors on the digital proof as a best match to the metal deco matte target color; and
F) storing color data of the best match to the metal deco matte target color, wherein the color data comprises CIELAB color space information, in a computer storage location for retrieval by other parties.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-adhesive transparent matte film is applied by cold lamination.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-adhesive transparent matte film comprises a polymer film.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein color data for the best match to the metal deco matte target color further comprises one or more of printer separations, information concerning the digital proofer, and digital proofer settings.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a print of the color that is the best match to the metal deco matte target color is laminated with a self-adhesive transparent matte film and then measured by an optical device such as a spectrophotometer in order to provide data used to assess that within a desired tolerance, output of the digital proofer accurately reproduces the previously defined digital representation of the desired color, wherein the data of the previously defined digital representation of the desired color are stored in a data base, and to provide validation data to validate the printed matte color against the previously defined digital representation of the desired matte color.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target matte color and the best match to the metal deco matte target color are spot colors.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the spot colors are bespoke spot colors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target matte color is provided by a target matte color representation using a color swatch that is the target color printed on a substrate wherein a self-adhesive transparent matte film has been applied over the color to create a matte finish.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step A selection of a first candidate color is performed by selecting a color from a metal deco matte color database.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step A selection of a first candidate color is performed by optically analyzing a physical specimen that includes the metal deco matte target color with a spectrophotometer to obtain color data comprising printer separations for the target color representation and then assigning the same data in into the computer implemented environment of step B.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors that differ incrementally from each other, differ incrementally in one or more of the CIELAB color space and in printer separations.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored color data of the best match to the metal deco matte target color comprises the printer separations.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors are visually arranged in an array comprised of cells that correspond to the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the array is a honeycomb array comprised of cells that correspond to the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the best match to the metal deco target matte color selected in step E is saved to computer storage by selecting and saving a cell corresponding to same that is present in a computer generated visual representation of the arrangement of colors.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printer separations of the best match to the metal deco matte target color selected in step E is saved to computer storage.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate of step D has a curved surface.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the best match in step E comprises: evaluating the digital proof comprising the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors and laminated with a self-adhesive transparent matte film as the proof is positioned over the metal substrate in a lightbox and inspecting each color at angles of 0°, 45°, and 90° under D50 light source, and then selecting the best match to the metal deco matte target color.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is repeated one or more times and the color that is selected as a best match to the metal deco matte target color in step E is then selected as the first candidate color in step A of the next repetition of the method, and then steps B to F are performed again, and optionally further comprising steps F1 and/or F2, wherein:
step F1 is a step in which color data for the best match to the metal deco matte target color, along with other pertinent information selected from printer separations, CIELAB color space information, information concerning the digital proofer such as proofer model, and digital proofer settings is saved to computer storage where it can be distributed to, or retrieved by, one or more parties with access to the storage device, and
step F2 is a step in which the printed color that is the best match to the metal deco matte target color is measured by an optical device in order to determine whether the output of the digital proofer accurately reproduces the previously defined digital representation of the desired color and to provide validation data to validate the printed color against the previously defined digital representation of the desired color.

20. A system for creating a digital proof of a metal deco ink of a specific color representing a closest match to a matte target color, comprising: one or more inputs through which a first candidate color for a matte target color match is received by the system; a target color match generator that generates a plurality of colors comprising the first candidate color and one or more further candidate colors that differ from each other in color increments; a digital proofer for printing the plurality of colors on a transparent sheet to create a digital proof comprising the plurality of colors printed in the sheet; an input for selecting a color from among the array of further candidate colors printed on the digital proof as a second candidate color; and a spectrophotometer.

Assignees

• Sun Chemical Corp

Inventors

• Hayden Richard
• Cater Robin

Classifications

• H04N1/00023 Primary

  Colour systems · CPC title

• B44D3/003 Primary

  Methods or devices for colour determination, selection or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables · CPC title