Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without...

Details Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without... Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without...

1998-04-14

2001-01-16

Hong, Stephen S. (Department: 2776)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06175846

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the imposition of individual pages onto a flat and, more particularly, to the imposition of individual pages described in a page description language file without preprocessing the page description language file.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a computer-to-plate (CTP) printing system, pages to be rendered are represented in a page description language format generated, for example, by a desktop publishing system. A widely used page description language is the PostScript® language. (PostScript® is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.) The PostScript® language is fully described in the PostScript®
Language Reference Manual
, Second Edition (1990), from Adobe Systems, Inc., which is incorporated herein by reference.
The pages to be rendered may be described in a PostScript® file (or in a plurality of PostScript® files), wherein each PostScript® file contains all the information, definitions and instructions to fully describe and render all the pages in the file. Although it is not a restriction of the PostScript® language, Adobe Systems, Inc. (the creator of the PostScript® language) recommends that the individual pages described in the PostScript® file be completely independent of each other. In reality, however, complete page independence is often an impractical restraint. For example, if several different non-resident fonts are used on every page, complete page independence would require the font definitions to be repeated for each page. Because of this impracticality, any individual page in the PostScript® file often contains definitions and instructions that are needed to describe and render another page in the file.
For efficiency in printing, selected individual pages from a PostScript® file are often imposed (or positioned) onto a flat or plate so that paper printed from the flat can be cut and folded into book segments or signatures with the pages in the correct order. Imposition is also used when producing film from which a plate will be made. It is desirable to send only the selected pages to be rendered on the flat to an imagesetter or platemaker for physical rendering of the selected pages. This requires, however, that the pages described in the PostScript® file are completely independent of each other. Therefore, lack of page independence in the PostScript® file creates problems when imposing selected pages on a flat because instructions and definitions affecting these selected pages to be imposed on the flat but contained in a page description for a page not included on the flat may be lost. Further, the lack of page independence may prohibit other applications, such as, for example, printing only selected pages in the PostScript® file or printing alternating pages with different offsets and margins for binding.
Several approaches have been developed to overcome these problems and to achieve page independence in a PostScript® file in order to allow for effective imposition. The first approach is to pre-process the PostScript® file. This approach has several disadvantages. It is inefficient, and a pre-processor must be developed and/or updated as the PostScript® generating application or PostScript® file is developed and/or updated. The second approach is to remove all definitions from the PostScript® file by reducing all procedures to pure instructions. Although several commercial packages are available to implement this second approach, none of these packages are specifically designed for use in the graphics art field, which generally involves high resolution output devices. Consequently, this type of processing is slow and does not work adequately with high resolution output devices since approximately one-third of the PostScript® instructions, including some parameters for screening images, are lost. Further, device-dependent procedures and conditionally executed code are sometimes reduced to incorrect instructions.
Thus, there remains a need for a method of imposing and rendering selected pages which are described in a PostScript® file onto a flat without performing any preprocessing operations to try to achieve page independence in the PostScript® file. There also remains a need for a method that allows flexibility for use with non-imposition applications, such as printing only selected pages from the PostScript® file.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of imposing selected pages defined in a sequence of page descriptions included in a page description language file is provided. The selected pages may be transmitted to a raster memory for rendering on a flat by an output device. The method comprises the steps of: a) determining whether a current page from the sequence of page descriptions is a selected page to be rendered on the flat; b) if the current page is not a selected page, interpreting the page; and, c) if the current page is a selected page, i) executing an imposition procedure to position the selected page on the flat, and ii) interpreting the selected page.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a non-preprocessing method of interpreting pages in a sequence of page descriptions included in a page description language file comprises the steps of: a) determining whether a current page in the sequence of page descriptions is prior to a selected page; b) if the current page is prior to the selected page, interpreting the current page; and, c) if the current page is the selected page, executing an imposition procedure and interpreting the selected page.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4928252 (1990-05-01), Gabbe et al.
patent: 4974171 (1990-11-01), Yeh et al.
patent: 5133051 (1992-07-01), Handley
patent: 5271065 (1993-12-01), Rourke et al.
patent: 5295236 (1994-03-01), Bjorge et al.
patent: 5299310 (1994-03-01), Motoyama
patent: 5301036 (1994-04-01), Barrett et al.
patent: 5313564 (1994-05-01), Kafri et al.
patent: 5333246 (1994-07-01), Nagasaka
patent: 5349648 (1994-09-01), Handley
patent: 5359423 (1994-10-01), Loce
patent: 5359432 (1994-10-01), Peltzer et al.
patent: 5459826 (1995-10-01), Archibald
patent: 5555094 (1996-09-01), Lefebvre et al.
patent: 5625766 (1997-04-01), Kauffman
patent: 5634091 (1997-05-01), Sands et al.
patent: 5671345 (1997-09-01), Lhotak
patent: 5710634 (1998-01-01), Webster et al.
patent: 5745121 (1998-04-01), Politis
patent: 5809218 (1998-09-01), Kastenholz et al.
patent: 5857209 (1999-01-01), Shively
patent: 5870766 (1999-02-01), Shively
patent: 5963968 (1999-10-01), Warmus et al.
H. Sharples, “Software Automates Impositions; Prepress Imaging,” vol. 65, No. 9, p. 67, Graphic Arts Monthly (Sep., 1993).
“Linotype-Hell's Herkules: Fast, Versatile Drum Imager to Head IPEX lineup; Product Announcement,” vol. 23, No. 1, p. 3, The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems (Sep. 1, 1993).
“Aldus to Offer Presswise 2.0 Imposition Software for Large-Format Presses,” PR Newsire, (Sep. 7, 1993).
P. Dyson, “Computer to Plate: Now There's a Market; Direct-to-Plate Production Now Feasible; includes related article on the Eskofot Escosan 2540 for boards and films,” vol. 3, No. 4, p. 3, The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems (Oct. 11, 1993).
“Imposition Cuts Stripping Time; Electronic Imposing System; Prepress Imaging,” vol. 65, No. 11, p. 84, Graphic Arts Monthly (Nov., 1993).
S. Edwards et al., “IFRA '93 Review: An Industry Riding the Crest of a Slump; IFRA European Newspaper Equipment Exhibition; includes related article on trade show rumors,” vol. 23, No. 6, p. 3, The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems (Nov. 8, 1993).
H. Sharples, “Electronic Imposition: Moving Forward,” vol. 66, No. 2, p. 53, Graphic Arts Monthly (Feb., 1994).
“Aldus Prepress Division Ships Presswise 2.0 for the Apple MacIntosh,” PR Newswire (Mar. 22, 1994).
“Press Imposition Software; Seybold Special Report: Seybold Seminars Boston '94, Part I; Product Announcement,” vol. 23, No. 15, p. S74, The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems (Apr. 22, 1994).
“High-Resolution Output; includes related articles on how to obtain a Hyphe

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Efficient imposition of arbitrary postscript files without... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2490903