Luminous printing

Abstract

A method and a device are disclosed for luminous printing of an original image using fluorescent ink or other fluorescent display pigments. In some embodiments, the original image is separated into multiple layers, including at least a brightness layer and an inverse brightness (or darkness) layer, by applying extracted brightness data and inverse brightness data, to the original image, respectively. Each of the layers is associated with a set of corresponding printing channels. The sets of printing channels are applied by a printing device to print the original image on a print medium, such as paper, mylar, fabric, and other print surfaces. Multiple visual effects may be realized using the aforementioned process, including fluorescent images that are only visible under UV (Ultra Violet) or black light, images with high-fidelity colors under daylight and dark conditions, and shadow effects such as depth illusion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of printing images, the method comprising:
 separating the original image into multiple layers;   associating a different set of channels with each of the multiple layers, wherein the different set of channels are configured to be used to generate a printed image that looks substantially equivalent under daylight conditions and Ultra Violate (UV) black light conditions; and   printing each of the multiple layers using the corresponding set of channels.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the original image into multiple layers comprises separating the original image into two layers including a brightness layer and a darkness layer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein separating the original image into two layers comprises:
 extracting brightness information from the original image;   applying the brightness information to the original image to generate a brightness layer and determine a first set of channels associated with the brightness layer;   determining inverse brightness information; and   applying the inverse brightness information to the original image to generate a darkness layer and a second set of channels associated with the darkness layer.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein printing each of the multiple layers using the corresponding set of channels comprises printing the brightness layer using the first set of channels and printing the darkness layer using the second set of channels. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a format to represent the original image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the format comprises CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising extracting lightness information from the original image. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the different set of channels comprise fluorescent and non-fluorescent color channels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein one of the different set of channels comprises cyan, magenta, yellow and black colors, and another one of the different set of channels comprises fluorescent cyan, fluorescent magenta, fluorescent yellow, and invisible white. 
     
     
         10 . A method of printing images, the method comprising:
 separating the original image into multiple layers;   associating a different set of channels with each of the multiple layers, wherein the different set of channels are configured to be used to generate a printed image that is substantially invisible under normal daylight and visible in substantially full and accurate color under Ultra Violate (UV) black light; and   printing each of the multiple layers using the corresponding set of channels.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein separating the original image into multiple layers comprises separating the original image into two layers including a brightness layer and a darkness layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein separating the original image into two layers comprises:
 extracting brightness information from the original image;   applying the brightness information to the original image to generate a brightness layer and determine a first set of channels associated with the brightness layer;   determining inverse brightness information; and   applying the inverse brightness information to the original image to generate a darkness layer and a second set of channels associated with the darkness layer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein printing each of the multiple layers using the corresponding set of channels comprises printing the brightness layer using the first set of channels and printing the darkness layer using the second set of channels. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the format comprises CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first set of channels comprises invisible fluorescent cyan, invisible fluorescent magenta, invisible fluorescent yellow and invisible white colors, and the second set of channels comprises cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. 
     
     
         16 . A printing system comprising:
 a printing press configured to print images; and   a computing device coupled with the printing press, wherein the computing device is configured to digitally separate an original image into multiple layers, associate a different set of channels with each of the multiple layers, wherein the different sets of channels are configured to be used to generate a printed image that looks substantially equivalent under daylight conditions and Ultra Violate (UV) black light conditions, and wherein computing device is configured to print each of the multiple layers using the corresponding set of channels.   
     
     
         17 . The printing system of  claim 16 , wherein a format of the original image comprises CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). 
     
     
         18 . The printing system of  claim 17 , wherein the multiple layers comprise two layers including a brightness layer and a darkness layer. 
     
     
         19 . The printing system of  claim 18 , wherein the brightness layer is associated with a first set of channels comprising fluorescent cyan, fluorescent magenta, fluorescent yellow and invisible white colors, and the darkness layer is associated with a second set of channels comprising cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colors. 
     
     
         20 . The printing system of  claim 18 , wherein the brightness layer is generated by applying a brightness mask to the original image and the darkness layer is generated by applying an inverse of the brightness mask to the original image.