A consumable characteristic identification method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: detecting a consumable package (210); identifying a characteristic about a consumable associated with the consumable package (215); modifying a device setting according to the identified characteristic (220); and appending a log entry associated with the consumable package to a user activity log (225). A consumable characteristic identification apparatus and no-transitory machine-readable storage medium are also provided.

There is provided a method for rendering an image according to selected image quality attributes. Two or more image quality attributes are selected from a plurality of attributes of the image. A set of pigments for an area of the image and a density for each pixel of the area are determined. A quantity of pretreatment for deposition onto a print target is determined, where the pretreatment quantity is dependent on the pigments, the density, and the selected image quality attributes.

An image forming apparatus having a detachable replenishment container includes an image bearing member, a developer container, a developing bearing member to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member into a toner image by using toner accommodated in the developer container, and a replenishment port through which the developer container can be replenished with toner from the replenishment container. A restriction member transitions between an allowance state in which the replenishment container and the replenishment port communicate with each and a restriction state in which the replenishment container and the replenishment port are not made to communicate with one another.

An image is printed by using a first, second and third ink. A surface tension difference between a first ink and a third ink is smaller than a surface tension difference between the first ink and a second ink. A first gradation value for the first ink, a second gradation value for the second ink and a third gradation value for the third ink are quantized to generate a first quantized value, a second quantized value, and a third quantized value respectively. This quantization processing is performed such that, the number of pixels for each of which the first quantized value indicates printing, a the second quantized value indicates non-printing and the third quantized value indicates non-printing is greater than the number of pixels for each of which the first quantized value indicates printing and at least the second quantized value indicates printing or the third quantized value indicates printing.

A system is disclosed. The system at least one physical memory device to store ink estimation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device, to execute the ink estimation logic to receive a histogram for each of a plurality of color planes, receive uncalibrated ink deposition data for a printing system, perform a direct conversion of the uncalibrated ink deposition data to generate first calibrated ink deposition data and generate estimated ink usage data for each of the plurality of color planes based on the histograms and the first calibrated ink deposition data.

An image forming apparatus includes a consumable cartridge and a main body. The consumable cartridge includes a cartridge memory storing usage information and identifying information. The main body includes a main memory and a controller. The controller stores the identifying information stored in the cartridge memory in the main memory and rewrites the usage information stored in the cartridge memory into information indicating that the consumable cartridge is used in a case where the usage information indicates that the consumable cartridge is unused. The controller allows the image forming apparatus to execute printing in a case where the usage information indicates that the consumable cartridge is used and the identifying information stored in the cartridge memory is stored in the main memory or executes a specific error process in a case where the usage information indicates that the consumable cartridge is used and the identifying information stored in the cartridge memory is not stored in the main memory.

There is provided a color matching method including: step of, for each of segmented regions obtained by dividing a region of an entire color chart into a plurality of regions so that boundaries of the segmented regions are parallel to the feeding direction of the base material, determining average color difference between colorimetric values of a color chart outputted from the reference device and colorimetric values of a color chart outputted from the adjustment target device; a step of, taking a segmented region whose average color difference is minimum as the reference region, calculating difference values of the average color differences between the reference region and each of the segmented regions other than the reference region; and a step of specifying a segmented region whose difference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value as an abnormal region in which abnormality of a head is occurring.

Variable data printing operations use static and variable content to create many different documents. An estimation system for printing operations implements accelerated consumable use estimation for variable data printing operations by tagging reused objects having static content. The static content is rendered within the estimation system once and then stored for use in later estimation operations, as needed. Variable content is rendered for each record. Using this process, the estimation system does not need to render reused content repeatedly in providing consumable use estimates.

A follower circuit includes a communication circuit coupled to a data pad and an authentication circuit to conduct a communication session. The communication circuit detects a stepped voltage signal having a plurality of successive voltage levels of three voltage levels on the data pad to initiate a data frame of the communication session and provides a voltage signal to the data pad to request the communication session. The authentication circuit coupled to the communication circuit identifies a parameter in the data frame.

Certain examples described herein relate to printer calibration. In some cases, adjustment data is received, indicating an adjustment to be applied to a given colorant. A Neugebauer Primary area coverage (NPac) vector defining an operating set of Neugebauer Primaries (NPs) is obtained. Configuration data is determined, dependent on the operating set of NPs. The configuration data maps colorant adjustments to relationships between NPs in the operating set, for both an increase and a decrease in the given colorant. In some cases, the configuration data and the adjustment parameters are used to identify first and second subsets of the operating set of NPs. The NPac vector is adjusted by decreasing an area coverage of an NP in the first subset and complementarily increasing an area coverage of an NP in the second subset.