3D Modelling of Light Diffusion in Paper.

Accurate modelling of the optical effects in print, like the optical dot gain, requires some basic knowledge of how light spreads in a paper sheet. We present a three-dimensional multiple scattering model for light diffusion in a plane, homogeneous, isotropically scattering turbid medium, constituting a simple approximate model of a paper sheet. The model is simulated on a supercomputer. The simulation yields point spread functions for the diffuse reflection and transmission of paper. We present a simulation of optical dot gain using a simulated point spread function, and find reasonable agreement with actual data, even though the model clearly does not yet incorporate some essential properties of actual printing paper.