A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) identifying a foreground image and a background image for image content contained in the strip; (iii) determining a seam in the foreground image; (iv) printing the foreground image using only nozzles from the first printhead segment at one side of the seam and only nozzles from the second printhead segment at the other side of the seam; and (v) printing the background image using nozzles from both the first and second printhead segments across the overlap region.

A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) determining a stitching technique for the first and second printhead segments; and (iii) printing the image using the first and second printhead segments, the printing including stitching the first and second printhead segments in the overlap region using the determined stitching technique. The stitching technique may be a butt stitch or a feathered stitch, dependent on image content in the strip.

A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) determining a continuous seam in the strip based on a cost function, the cost function including a parameter selected from the group consisting of: (a) minimizing a density of printed ink along the seam; and (b) maximizing a luminance along the seam; and (iii) printing the image using the first and second printhead segments, the printing including stitching the first and second printhead segments across the seam. The strip contains variable image content and the seam has a varying position within the strip.

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for reducing toner in an image comprised of raster pel data. A toner saving tag (TST) can be embedded that causes a printing apparatus to process the submission through a regular print path without any post-processing and to reduce toner usage by controlling the energy applied to a light emitting source to create a latent image on a photoreceptor. Further, the method and system applies under certain circumstances both post-processing toner saving mode using pixel elimination and toner saving mode that controls the energy applied to create the latent image while maintaining pixel integrity.

A rotating polygonal mirror has deflection faces for deflecting a light beam. A motor drives the polygonal mirror. A first detection unit outputs a first signal by detecting a light beam. A second detection unit outputs a second signal whose period is different from a period of the first signal, by detecting magnetic flux change. A specifying unit obtains a phase relationship between the first signal and the second signal, and specifies a deflection face. A storage unit stores setting information for setting whether to use rising or falling of the second signal to specify the phase relationship. The specifying unit determines whether to use rising or falling of the second signal in order to obtain the phase relationship.

A pixel clock generating device includes a high-frequency clock generator, a comparer, a pixel clock generator, and a value switcher. The high-frequency clock generator is configured to generate a high-frequency clock. The comparer is configured to measure a time interval between a leading-end synchronizing signal and a trailing-end synchronizing signal in a main scanning and calculate an error between the time interval and a target value. The pixel clock generator is configured to generate a pixel clock based on the high-frequency clock and a pixel clock frequency and correct the pixel clock based on the error. The value switcher, including a plurality of groups of values with which the pixel clock is generated, is configured to switch between the plurality of groups of values according to a switching signal after the trailing-end synchronizing signal is inputted, the comparer calculates the error, and the pixel clock generator corrects the pixel clock.

A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) determining a continuous seam in the strip based on a cost function, the cost function including a parameter selected from the group consisting of: (a) minimizing a density of printed ink along the seam; and (b) maximizing a luminance along the seam; and (iii) printing the image using the first and second printhead segments, the printing including stitching the first and second printhead segments across the seam. The strip contains variable image content and the seam has a varying position within the strip.

A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) identifying a foreground image and a background image for image content contained in the strip; (iii) determining a seam in the foreground image; (iv) printing the foreground image using only nozzles from the first printhead segment at one side of the seam and only nozzles from the second printhead segment at the other side of the seam; and (v) printing the background image using nozzles from both the first and second printhead segments across the overlap region.

An image processing system performs correction of shifting bitmap data in a sub-scanning direction so as to cancel bending of an electro-photographic laser scanning line. A line command conversion unit converts a first line drawing command defining a line width as an even-number pixel width less than a predetermined even-number pixel width into a second line drawing command defining a line width as the predetermined even-number pixel width, and converts a third line drawing command defining a line width as an odd-number pixel width less than the predetermined even-number pixel width into the second line drawing command. A generation unit generates binary bitmap data with first resolution on a basis of drawing data including the second line drawing command. A correction unit performs the correction with respect to the generated binary bitmap data. A resolution conversion unit converts the binary bitmap data.

An image forming apparatus includes a reading unit for sequentially reading, from image data, pieces of pixel data of target pixels along a predetermined direction, a cumulative sum calculation unit for calculating a cumulative sum of gradation values represented by pieces of pixel data of target pixels in a significant image portion read by the reading unit, a determination unit for determining whether the target pixel read by the reading unit is located at a boundary between the significant image portion and a background portion that is a non-significant image portion, and a correction unit for correcting, if the determination unit determines that the target pixel is located at the boundary, a gradation value represented by pixel data of the target pixel by adding a correction amount based on the cumulative sum up to the target pixel calculated by the cumulative sum calculation unit to the gradation value.