Spectral model of a fluorescent ink halftone

A model is presented of a fluorescent ink halftone. Unlike a nonfluorescent ink, which only absorbs, a fluorescent ink absorbs higher-energy photons and emits lower-energy photons. The amount of fluorescent light produced depends on the percent absorption of the incident light. For fluorescent ink printed on paper, both photon scattering within the paper substrate and multiple internal reflections between the ink layer and the paper substrate significantly increase the percent absorption, so a realistic model must include these effects. The model presented here utilizes the generalized Clapper-Yule theory, which accounts for photon diffusion that is due to both scatter and internal reflection. It is shown that while multiple internal reflections alone only marginally increase the percent absorption, when there are both scattering and internal reflection, the percent absorption is increased significantly. The current study is a theoretical model and does not present experimental results.