ColorCombine
ColorCombine is an Ergosoft RIP feature that combines and colors several images/layers into a single colorized image for use in e.g. textile patterns. Within a Delta Automation XML file, you can set up such a ColorCombine image by calling the ColorCombine Importfiler and specifying the Bitmap TIFF (1bit) or Grayscale TIFF (8bit) images you want to include and how you want to color them.
The format for ColorCombine is a bit special in that we start with an image tag, specifying the import format for the image as “ColorCombine”. Then comes the actual ColorCombine tag that has 2 attributes to specify how many images/layers the ColorCombine image will have (<DevChannels>) and what colorspace will be used to specify the layer colors (<MergeMode>).
Format: <Image ImportFilter="ColorCombine">
<ColorCombine MergeMode=" " DevChannels="">
<Layer>
<ColorInfo>
</ColorInfo>
</Layer>
</ColorCombine>
</Image>
Attribute | Description | Inputs |
DevChannels= | Number of layers or separated files that will be combined. | Positive Numbers |
MergeMode= | Color space used to apply color to each of the separation layers. | LAB, CMYK, SPECTRUM |
Layer
After the ColorCombine tag comes the <Layer> tag where we set the image for the respective layer. This functions basically the same as a normal image tag would, in that insert the <Layer> tag and use the attribute LayerName=”” to specify the image file path.
Attribute | Description | Inputs |
LayerName= | Number of layers or separated files that will be combined. | File Path e.g. C:\images\pattern.tif |
ColorInfo
ColorInfo applies to the current Layer tag and controls how the layer will be colored. The DefinedAs= attribute specifies what color space you are using. Then add the <Dev> sub tag to specify the color values in your chosen color space, e.g. 0 100 0 0 for Magenta in CMYK. Once the <Dev> tag is closed, you can also close the <ColorInfo> tag.
Rasterinfo (Optional)
The <RasterInfo> tag contains the settings for the halftone raster if you wish to apply it to your ColorCombine image. With RasterInfo, you can control the angle, frequency and shape of the printed halftone dots by using the respective sub tags. If the RasterInfo tag is present, the halftone raster will automatically be activated for this ColorCombine image. If there is no RasterInfo tag, the regular raster setting of the Print Environment is used.
Parameter | Description | Inputs |
<Angle> | Controls the angle of the dots | Numbers with up to 2 decimals |
<Freq> | Dot Frequency, specified in lpi | Numbers |
<Shape> | The shape of the individual dots | 0=Dot 1=Cosine Dot 2=Ellipse 3=Line 4=Eucl. Dot 5=Ellipse 60/40 6=Ellipse 66/33 7=Ellipse 70/30 8=Ellipse 80/20
|
<AmplitudeNoise> | Controls the amount of amplitude noise applied to the raster | Numbers with up to 2 decimals
|
<PixelNoise> | Controls the amount of pixel noise applied to the raster | Numbers with up to 2 decimals |
Curve (Optional)
Within <RasterInfo>, you may also specify a custom dot gain curve to use. This tag corresponds to the Dot Gain Curve setting in the main RIP under ColorCombine > Halftone Parameters > Change > Edit.
In XML, this is done by calling the <Curve> tag and then specifying the points of the dot gain curve using <Point X=”” >=””>. Note that <Curve> is still part of <RasterInfo> as the setting concerns halftone paramters.
You may specify any number of points to define your Dot Gain curve. Since <Curve> is specified within the <Layer> tag, any changes in the Dot Gain curve are specific to that layer and don’t affect other layers.
Parameter | Description | Inputs |
<Point X=”” Y=””> | Sets the coordinates for individual points in the Dot Gain curve | Numbers with up to 3 decimals. |
Sample Code for ColorCombine
<HotFile>
<Image ImportFilter="ColorCombine"> <!--Designates that files are imported as ColorCombine-->
<Scale Mode="WIDTH" Value="100" />
<Rotate Mode="NONE"/>
<ColorCombine MergeMode="CMYK" DevChannels="4"> <!--Main element for ColorCombine-->
<Layer LayerName="C:\images\ColorCombine\43208-1DklPink.tif"> <!--Path to the image file for this layer-->
<ColorInfo DefinedAs="CMYK"> <!--Colorspace for layer color-->
<Dev> 100 0 0 0</Dev> <!--Value of layer color- (Depends on Colorspace)-->
</ColorInfo>
</Layer>
<Layer LayerName="C:\images\ColorCombine\43208-2Pink.tif">
<ColorInfo DefinedAs="CMYK">
<Dev> 0 100 0 0 </Dev>
</ColorInfo>
<RasterInfo>
<Angle>15.00</Angle>
<Freq>5.00</Freq>
<Shape>0</Shape>
<Curve> <!--This element sets the dotgain curve, same as setting a custom
Dotgain curve in ColorCombine/Halftone Screening-->
<Point X="0.000" Y="0.000" />
<Point X="0.499" Y="0.000" />
<Point X="0.501" Y="1.000" />
<Point X="1.000" Y="1.000" />
</Curve>
</RasterInfo>
</Layer>
<Layer LayerName="C:\images\ColorCombine\43208-3HlPink.tif">
<ColorInfo DefinedAs="CMYK">
<Dev> 0 0 100 0 </Dev>
</ColorInfo>
</Layer>
<Layer LayerName="C:\images\ColorCombine\43208-4HlRosa.tif">
<ColorInfo DefinedAs="CMYK">
<Dev> 0 50 50 0 </Dev>
</ColorInfo>
</Layer>
<Layer LayerName="C:\images\ColorCombine\43208-5Ecru.tif">
<ColorInfo DefinedAs="CMYK">
<Dev> 50 50 0 0 </Dev>
</ColorInfo>
</Layer>
</ColorCombine>
</Image>
</HotFile>
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