[comp.sys.apple2] Color Graphics Printing

alfter@nevada.edu (SCOTT ALFTER) (05/02/91)

I have a whole bunch of color pictures I'd like to send to my
Imagewriter.  I can hack the routines together to do the actual
printing.  (Full-color printing on the Imagewriter would be done in
four passes with four ribbons--yellow, red, blue, black.)  The
problems I'm having relate to (1) separating the colors and (2)
halftoning.  First, the color information in the pictures gives you
red, green, and blue.  As I mentioned above, though, you print with
red, yellow, blue, and black.  What formulas should be applied to
generate the color separations?  After that, is there an efficient way
to generate a halfway-decent range of halftones?  A way to make 256
different shades would be especially nice, but I'll probably have to
settle for 64 shades (8x8 matrix for halftoning at 72x72 dpi).  Maybe
the GS system software gurus can help; they have to do the same stuff
in the Imagewriter II drivers, but any code examples must be usable on
8-bit machines (I'm writing the programs on my IIe).

Scott Alfter-----------------------------_/_----------------------------
Call the Skunk Works BBS (702) 896-2676 / v \ 6 PM-6 AM 300/1200/2400
Internet: alfter@uns-helios.nevada.edu (    ( Apple II:
   GEnie: S.ALFTER                      \_^_/ the power to be your best!

meekins@anaconda.cis.ohio-state.edu (Tim Meekins) (05/02/91)

In article <1991May1.173724.13975@nevada.edu> alfter@nevada.edu (SCOTT ALFTER) writes:

>red, yellow, blue, and black.  What formulas should be applied to
>generate the color separations?  After that, is there an efficient way

C: Cyan or blue
M: Magenta or red
Y: Yellor or (you guessed it) yellow.

First RGB -> CMY

Since CMY is the inverse of RGB, it's as easy as:

C = 1-R
M = 1-G
Y = 1-B

Now, to take advantage of the black ribbon:

CMY -> CMYK, where K is black

K = min(C,M,Y) from above
C = C - K
M = M - K
Y = Y - K


>to generate a halfway-decent range of halftones?  A way to make 256
>different shades would be especially nice, but I'll probably have to
>settle for 64 shades (8x8 matrix for halftoning at 72x72 dpi).  Maybe
>the GS system software gurus can help; they have to do the same stuff
>in the Imagewriter II drivers, but any code examples must be usable on
>8-bit machines (I'm writing the programs on my IIe).
>

Hmmm. Now dithering is a whole new ballgame. With a little work, I'm
sure you can figure out ordered dithering. But, common use in printing
is the Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion. Not something I can really
go into in a post like this. Also, dithering is a lot more complicated
when working with several colors, namely CMYK. Most algorithms are for
gray scale dithering, not several-color dithering.
--
+---------------------------S-U-P-P-O-R-T-----------------------------------+
|/ Tim Meekins                  <<>> Snail Mail:           <<>>  Apple II  \|
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daveh@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Dave Huang) (05/02/91)

In article <1991May1.173724.13975@nevada.edu> alfter@nevada.edu (SCOTT ALFTER) writes:
>red, green, and blue.  As I mentioned above, though, you print with
>red, yellow, blue, and black.  What formulas should be applied to
>generate the color separations?  After that, is there an efficient way

The color separations are relatively easy, but they don't seem to come
out right... I think the problem is that the "real" names for the
subtractive primaries are cyan, magenta, and yellow. However, the
colors in IWIIs ribbon aren't exactly those colors, they're more like
blue, magenta, and yellow. This tends to turn things that should be
blue into a purplish color :(

Anyways,

C = 1 - R
M = 1 - G
Y = 1 - B

K = min(C,M,Y)  then C = C - K, M = M - K, Y = Y - K 
 
>to generate a halfway-decent range of halftones?  A way to make 256
>different shades would be especially nice, but I'll probably have to
>settle for 64 shades (8x8 matrix for halftoning at 72x72 dpi).  Maybe

I don't know about halftones though. 256 shades is definitely too much
for the IWII though, your pictures would be too chunky. I forgot how
many shades the GS/OS printer drivers do, but I think it's around 9
shades of one primary color... It's listed in the Toolbox Reference
Vol. 1, near the end, if you get a chance to look at one.

Anyone else have helpful comments??

>Scott Alfter-----------------------------_/_----------------------------
>Call the Skunk Works BBS (702) 896-2676 / v \ 6 PM-6 AM 300/1200/2400
>Internet: alfter@uns-helios.nevada.edu (    ( Apple II:
>   GEnie: S.ALFTER                      \_^_/ the power to be your best!

-- 
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