System and methods for efficient sheet map loading for print jobs. In one embodiment, a preflight system processes a print job to build a first sheet mapping for rasterizing and printing the print job, and stores the first sheet mapping. A job controller determines an estimate time to load the first sheet mapping from the memory using job properties as input to estimator logic. In response to determining that the estimate time for loading the first sheet mapping from the memory is shorter than a time threshold, the first sheet mapping is loaded from memory, and provided for rasterizing and printing. Otherwise, if the estimate time is longer than the time threshold, the job controller builds a second sheet mapping, and provides the second sheet mapping in increments for the rasterizing and the printing of the print job as the building of the second sheet mapping is in progress.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to execute a rasterization process of forming image data recognizable by a printing apparatus on the basis of a print request and an inspection process of inspecting a print medium on the basis of inspection image data obtained by reading the print medium subjected to a printing process, and execute the inspection process with first inspection accuracy that is lower than highest inspection accuracy realizable by the processor in a case where the print request includes an instruction for plural-copy printing and does not include an instruction for variable printing.

In an example, a method includes rasterizing a seed image using a processor. A plurality of rasterized modified images may be generated from the rasterized seed image. Generating each rasterized modified image may include determining an image attribute modification and applying the determined image attribute modification to at least a portion of the rasterized seed image to generate the rasterized modified image.

In an example, a method includes selecting a unique identifier corresponding to a set of rules. At least one modified image is generated from a seed image using a processor by determining and applying an image attribute modification to the seed image according to at least one rule in the set of rules of the unique identifier. The modified image is placed in a predefined position according to at least one rule in the set of rules of the unique identifier.

Provided is an image processing apparatus that efficiently uses the ring buffer. A ring buffer is set in the storage unit. A page area setting unit allocates a maximum size page area in the page unit of the job in the ring buffer. A band storing unit stores band data while compressing the band data in the page area allocated by the page area setting unit. An image processing unit performs image processing on the band data. A temporary deletion unit sets the page area including the band data into a temporary deletion state in which overwriting is possible at a specific timing. Here, when the band data of the page is needed again and the temporarily deleted page area is not overwritten, the page area setting unit reuses the page area.

Provided is an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that generates a binary image in which the width of a black line has been changed, the binary image constituted by black and white pixels. The image processing apparatus includes a first replacement unit that replaces a white pixel in a first binary image by a black pixel and replaces a black pixel in the first binary image by a white pixel, to generate a second binary image, and a second replacement unit that replaces, in the second binary image in which the width of a black line has been thickened by the image processing unit, a white pixel by a black pixel and replaces a black pixel by a white pixel.

In some examples, print mode quality selection may include determining, based on a preliminary rendering of print data, resulting pixel tones. Print mode quality selection may further include generating raster data based at least in part on a further rendering of the print data, and generating further print data including the raster data and a specified print mode.

An image forming apparatus includes a reception unit that receives an instruction to place and print an image in an area of a specific shape having an aspect ratio different from an aspect ratio of a recording sheet; a print control unit performs control such that a support image is on the recording sheet, the support image supporting specification of a cut position to cut out the area of the specific shape, in which the image of which printing instruction is received by the reception unit is printed, from the recording sheet; and an output unit outputs an explanatory image that explains the cut position with respect to the support image, in a case where the reception unit receives the printing instruction.

A flatbed printer and a method for a flatbed printer are disclosed. The flatbed printer includes a print controller configured to receive a digital image intended to be printed by the flatbed printer, to receive position information entered by a parameter window of the user interface of the position of the image on the flatbed area, to receive an indication entered by the parameter window that the image has to be positioned on the media piece, to open the parameter window for entry of a set of parameters allowing to define a size of the media piece and a position of the media piece on the flatbed surface, and the image position relative to the media piece, to receive the entered set of parameters, to show the media piece and the image on the flatbed area in the preview window, and, when moving the media piece or the image over the flatbed area in the preview window, the relative position of the image with respect to the media piece is preserved.

After printing cue marks and front surface images on the front surface of web paper by a printing station, an image data elongation-contraction processor creates corrected back surface image data based on elasticity information, and a printing station prints back surface images based on the corrected back surface image data, on the back surface of the printing medium. At this time, a page interval calculator calculates a page interval from an interval between the cue marks detected by a detector, and a difference computing unit calculates differences between the page interval and image size in a transport direction of the corrected back surface image data. Since these differences indicate shifts of the correction based on the elasticity information, optimal elasticity information can be set by revising the elasticity information with these differences through a setting unit. Consequently, the operator of the apparatus can easily set optimal elasticity information based on the differences.