An image reading apparatus includes a conveying unit to convey a document, first and second reading units, a reception unit, a selection unit, and a setting unit. The first reading unit generates image data form a document first side and the second reading unit generates image data from a second side in parallel with the first reading unit reading. The reception unit receives settings regarding a size, an orientation, and a document opening direction of the document. The selection unit selects either a first reading method causing the first and second reading units to read per the set size, and a second reading method causing the first reading unit to read the first side per the set size and causing the second reading unit to read an entire second side. The setting unit sets image data corresponding to the document second side reading by the second reading method.

A book digitization apparatus includes an emitter that applies an energy ray to a book, a detector that detects an energy ray radiated from the book in response to a material existing in the book, and a three-dimensional data generator that generates data of a plurality of space points in accordance with the detected ray. The data of the space points associates position information of a position in a three-dimensional space within the book with a physical property value used to identify a layout pattern of the material at the position in a direction of thickness of the book.

Techniques for characterizing an optical system (for example, a printer verifier) are provided. In this regard, the optical system may be characterized for scanning a printed image. The characterization of the optical system includes determining an effective aperture size of the optical system, and correspondingly an effective resolution at which the optical system can be configured to scan a portion of the printed image according to verification requirements.

A printing method includes determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on a color saturation suppression upper limit, and at least one of an overflowing suppression upper limit, a bleeding suppression upper limit, and an aggregation suppression upper limit. The determining of the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged includes setting in advance priorities among the suppressing of the color saturation of the ink and at least one of the overflowing of the ink, the bleeding of the ink, and the aggregation of the ink, and determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on the priorities.

Techniques for characterizing an optical system (for example, a printer verifier) are provided. In this regard, the optical system may be characterized for scanning a printed image. The characterization of the optical system includes determining an effective aperture size of the optical system, and correspondingly an effective resolution at which the optical system can be configured to scan a portion of the printed image according to verification requirements.

An image reading apparatus includes a conveying unit to convey a document, first and second reading units, a reception unit, a selection unit, and a setting unit. The first reading unit generates image data form a document first side and the second reading unit generates image data from a second side in parallel with the first reading unit reading. The reception unit receives settings regarding a size, an orientation, and a document opening direction of the document. The selection unit selects either a first reading method causing the first and second reading units to read per the set size, and a second reading method causing the first reading unit to read the first side per the set size and causing the second reading unit to read an entire second side. The setting unit sets image data corresponding to the document second side reading by the second reading method.

An image reading apparatus includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor, a first processor that generates a first merge image based on first image data acquired by reading by the first sensor and second image data acquired by reading by the second sensor, and a second processor that generates a second merge image based on the second image data and third image data acquired by reading by the third sensor, and generates an output image by performing a linking process on the first merge image and the second merge image.

A printing method includes determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on a color saturation suppression upper limit, and at least one of an overflowing suppression upper limit, a bleeding suppression upper limit, and an aggregation suppression upper limit. The determining of the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged includes setting in advance priorities among the suppressing of the color saturation of the ink and at least one of the overflowing of the ink, the bleeding of the ink, and the aggregation of the ink, and determining the upper limit of the amount of the ink to be discharged based on the priorities.

An image reading apparatus includes a conveying unit to convey a document, first and second reading units, a reception unit, a selection unit, and a setting unit. The first reading unit generates image data form a document first side and the second reading unit generates image data from a second side in parallel with the first reading unit reading. The reception unit receives settings regarding a size, an orientation, and a document opening direction of the document. The selection unit selects either a first reading method causing the first and second reading units to read per the set size, and a second reading method causing the first reading unit to read the first side per the set size and causing the second reading unit to read an entire second side. The setting unit sets image data corresponding to the document second side reading by the second reading method.

A book digitization apparatus includes an emitter that applies an energy ray to a book, a detector that detects an energy ray radiated from the book in response to a material existing in the book, and a three-dimensional data generator that generates data of a plurality of space points in accordance with the detected ray. The data of the space points associates position information of a position in a three-dimensional space within the book with a physical property value used to identify a layout pattern of the material at the position in a direction of thickness of the book.