A cost and performance analysis of the three electronic communication systems currently in use in the printing and publishing industry

This study describes and evaluates the three electronic graphic communication systems presently used by the printing and publishing industry. The author has selected generic system names for each of the systems. These are: System 1: Page Facsimile System 2: Character-Encoding System 3: Pixel Density-Map Page Facsimile systems are primarily used by newspaper publishers. The Character-Encoding and Pixel Density-Map systems are alternate methods primarily used by newsweekly magazine publishers. All three communication systems offer the user a means of transmitting editorial, and in some cases advertising pages, to remote printing facilities for manufacturing and distribution. Each electronic graphic communication system is investigated in depth. The study provides specific information for the potential user, and the current user. The problem for the user is how to best match the communication system, i.e. how the system operates, the cost and performance of that system, with the user\u27s requirement for transmitting graphic information. Based on the full evaluation of each of the systems in the study, the author concludes the following: System 1: Page Facsimile The Page Facsimile system is relatively simple for the user to install and operate. However, all pages must be prepared as camera ready copy prior to transmission. The component costs for this system design are relatively low. Conversely, the method of encoding generates the most data to be transmitted. As a result, the user is required to use expensive transmission lines. Also, with limited data storage, this system requires the immediate transmission and reception of data. From an overall cost standpoint the Page Facsimile system is the least expensive system in the study -The quality levels attained by this system are best suited for newspaper applications, where the text and 4/color quality requirements of the publications are not paramount. These systems offer the user the many advantages of a full communication system, i.e. the transmission of all editorial and advertising pages. Broadcast transmission is used for remote printing locations. System 2: Character-Encoding The Character-Encoding system is more complex to install and operate, particularly if 4/color pages are transmitted. The component costs for this system design are relatively high. Character-encoding is the most efficient method used to encode graphic information, enabling the user the advantage of using less expensive transmission lines. From an overall cost standpoint the Character-Encoded system is the second most expensive system in the study. The high text quality levels attained by this system are best suited for publications that are text oriented. Conversely, this system has inherent limitations in the levels of 4/color quality which can be transmitted, limiting its use as a communication system. At present, point-to point transmission is used, a factor which will eventually limit the number of remote printing locations. System 3: Pixel Density-Map The Pixel Density-Map system is more complex to install and operate because of the level of system sophistication. The component costs for this system design are very expensive. In addition, the method of encoding the graphic information is data intensive requiring the use of expensive data transmission lines. However, the data storage built into this system offers the user the advantage of selecting variable data rates and transmission times. From an overall cost standpoint the Pixel Density-Map system is the most expensive system in the study. The Pixel Density-Map system is the best 4/color transmission system. This communication system is best suited for publications that are pictorially oriented. However, this system has inherent limitations in the levels of text quality which can be achieved. The major advantage of this system is its potential to be eventually used as a full communication system. At present, broadcast transmission is used for remote printing locations

Digital imaging technology assessment: Digital document storage project

An ongoing technical assessment and requirements definition project is examining the potential role of digital imaging technology at NASA's STI facility. The focus is on the basic components of imaging technology in today's marketplace as well as the components anticipated in the near future. Presented is a requirement specification for a prototype project, an initial examination of current image processing at the STI facility, and an initial summary of image processing projects at other sites. Operational imaging systems incorporate scanners, optical storage, high resolution monitors, processing nodes, magnetic storage, jukeboxes, specialized boards, optical character recognition gear, pixel addressable printers, communications, and complex software processes

Digital Color Imaging

This paper surveys current technology and research in the area of digital color imaging. In order to establish the background and lay down terminology, fundamental concepts of color perception and measurement are first presented us-ing vector-space notation and terminology. Present-day color recording and reproduction systems are reviewed along with the common mathematical models used for representing these devices. Algorithms for processing color images for display and communication are surveyed, and a forecast of research trends is attempted. An extensive bibliography is provided

Near-Lossless Bitonal Image Compression System

The main purpose of this thesis is to develop an efficient near-lossless bitonal compression algorithm and to implement that algorithm on a hardware platform. The current methods for compression of bitonal images include the JBIG and JBIG2 algorithms, however both JBIG and JBIG2 have their disadvantages. Both of these algorithms are covered by patents filed by IBM, making them costly to implement commercially. Also, JBIG only provides means for lossless compression while JBIG2 provides lossy methods only for document-type images. For these reasons a new method for introducing loss and controlling this loss to sustain quality is developed. The lossless bitonal image compression algorithm used for this thesis is called Block Arithmetic Coder for Image Compression (BACIC), which can efficiently compress bitonal images. In this thesis, loss is introduced for cases where better compression efficiency is needed. However, introducing loss in bitonal images is especially difficult, because pixels undergo such a drastic change, either from white to black or black to white. Such pixel flipping introduces salt and pepper noise, which can be very distracting when viewing an image. Two methods are used in combination to control the visual distortion introduced into the image. The first is to keep track of the error created by the flipping of pixels, and using this error to decide whether flipping another pixel will cause the visual distortion to exceed a predefined threshold. The second method is region of interest consideration. In this method, lower loss or no loss is introduced into the important parts of an image, and higher loss is introduced into the less important parts. This allows for a good quality image while increasing the compression efficiency. Also, the ability of BACIC to compress grayscale images is studied and BACICm, a multiplanar BACIC algorithm, is created. A hardware implementation of the BACIC lossless bitonal image compression algorithm is also designed. The hardware implementation is done using VHDL targeting a Xilinx FPGA, which is very useful, because of its flexibility. The programmed FPGA could be included in a product of the facsimile or printing industry to handle the compression or decompression internal to the unit, giving it an advantage in the marketplace

Digital document imaging systems: An overview and guide

This is an aid to NASA managers in planning the selection of a Digital Document Imaging System (DDIS) as a possible solution for document information processing and storage. Intended to serve as a manager's guide, this document contains basic information on digital imaging systems, technology, equipment standards, issues of interoperability and interconnectivity, and issues related to selecting appropriate imaging equipment based upon well defined needs