Simplified Ink Spreading Equations for CMYK Halftone Prints

The Yule-Nielsen modified spectral Neugebauer model enables predicting reflectance spectra from surface coverages. In order to provide high prediction accuracy, this model is enhanced with an ink spreading model accounting for physical dot gain. Traditionally, physical dot gain, also called mechanical dot gain, is modeled by one ink spreading curve per ink. An ink spreading curve represents the mapping between nominal to effective dot surface coverages when an ink halftone wedge is printed. In previous publications, we have shown that using one ink spreading curve per ink is not sufficient to accurately model physical dot gain, and that the physical dot gain of a specific ink is modified by the presence of other inks. We therefore proposed an ink spreading model taking all the ink superposition conditions into account. We now show that not all superposition conditions are useful and necessary when working with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks. We therefore study the influence of ink spreading in different superposition conditions on the accuracy of the spectral prediction model. Finally, we propose new, simplified ink spreading equations that better suit CMYK prints and are more resilient to noise.