A print engine is adapted to print image data from a plurality of pre-processing systems that supply image data at different image resolutions and halftoning states. A data interface receives the image data and associated metadata including an image resolution parameter and a halftone state parameter. A metadata interpreter interprets the metadata and determines image processing operations that are required to prepare the image data for printing using a printer module. A resolution modification processor module processes the image data to modify its resolution if the metadata interpreter determines that the image resolution of the image data does not match the printer resolution. A halftone processor module processes the image data by applying a halftoning operation if the metadata interpreter determines that the image data is not in an appropriate halftoning state.

A halftone raster image suitable for rendering a continuous-tone image includes a plurality of spiral dots. The spiral dots include image pixels arranged as a first arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a first spiral, and non-image pixels arranged as a second arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a second spiral. The spiral dots enable a controlled spreading of the ink within the dot, resulting in a higher image quality, ink saving, and faster drying.

An image processing method includes a correction density setting step, a pixel area discrimination step for extracting, based on image data, an edge pixel area including an edge pixel constituting a contour of a printing image, and discriminating an inner pixel area surrounded by the edge pixel area and the edge pixel area, a printing density setting step for setting a printing density of the inner pixel area as a correction density and a printing density of the edge pixel area as a printing density different from the correction density when the correction density is equal to or greater than a predetermined density threshold value, and setting the printing density of the inner pixel area and the printing density of the edge pixel area as the correction density when the correction density is less than the predetermined density threshold value, and a printing data generation step.

Methods and systems for the in-situ creation of a halftone noise screen layer by layer. Each layer produced is a white noise uniform distributed screen, statistically similar to one generated by a uniform noise function. The generation of each layer, however, is driven by a screen state which is an error based metric on the mean screen threshold. The set of screens produced are not independent of each other; adjacent layers are negatively correlated, while non-adjacent layers are completely uncorrelated. The result of this screen creation is that for any color the variation of coverage across the viewed surface is smaller than the variation produced by randomly generated screen planes. The algorithm is computationally inexpensive and eliminates the need to store multiple screens in memory.

A method of screening a continuous-tone image is configured to produce an output image to be printed on a surface. The continuous-tone image comprises a plurality of pixels having respective corresponding intended print locations. The method includes selecting a first sequence comprising a subset of the plurality of intended print locations, the first sequence being selected based on properties of the plurality of intended print locations.

For each intended print location in the first sequence, the method also includes identifying the corresponding pixel in the continuous-tone image to obtain a second sequence for an error diffusion process comprising the identified corresponding pixels in the continuous-tone image.

In an example, a method is described that includes dividing an input image into a plurality of strips, where each strip is smaller than a whole of the input image. A plurality of binary images is then generated, where each of the binary images corresponds to one of the strips. Connected component labeling is performed on the binary images, one binary image at a time. An object map for the input image is then generated based on the results of the connected component labeling.

A forensic verification system extracts a print signature via a print signature extractor from an interior of a halftone contained in an image. The system utilizes a comparator to compare the print signature to a reference signature stored in a registry to determine differences between the print signature and the reference signature. The system utilizes a forensic analyzer to perform a forensic analysis on the signatures based on the comparison to authenticate the image.

An image forming apparatus analyzes image data corresponding to a received job, and when as a result of the analysis is that the image data has a resolution that exceeds a predetermined value, determines a size of a sheet to be printed, and when a result of the determination is that the size of the sheet is a predetermined size, if a size of the image data is less than or equal to a threshold, stores image data to which halftoning processing is not performed in a memory, and if the size of the image data exceeds the threshold, stores image data to which the halftoning processing is performed in the memory, and based on a direction of the sheet, performs image forming on the sheet after performing rotation processing for the stored image data.

Image data is processed using a filter configured to compensate for degradation in an image that occurs when the image is printed by a printing unit. The degree of compensation for the degradation in the image by the filter depends on a printing direction on a printing medium by the printing unit.

There is provided an ink-deposition device suitable for depositing ink on a target surface and a printing system comprising the same. In operation in a printing system, the ink-deposition device can convert digital images into ink images on the target surface using pixel-masks and methods as disclosed herein. Advantageously, the ink-deposition device, the printing system comprising it and the methods of using the same can reduce or prevent the occurrence of some undesired ink-formations typically governed by the respective physical and/or chemical properties of the surface and ink being used or mitigate their effect on print quality. Application of the pixel-image mask yields a binary image that exhibits pixel-clusters with stochastically distributed centroids.