An image processing apparatus includes a halftone processing unit and a multi-level gradation processing unit. The halftone processing unit is configured to perform a halftone process for a target image and generate a binary image corresponding to the target image. The multi-level gradation processing unit is configured to (a) set a target pixel as a dot pixel in the binary image, (b) determine whether a dot exists on plural first periphery pixels with a predetermined first distance from the target pixel and plural second periphery pixels with a predetermined second distance from the target pixel or not, (c) derive a gradation level of the target pixel among predetermined three or more gradation levels on the basis of a number of dots on the plural first periphery pixels and a number of dots on the plural second periphery pixels and thereby generate a multi-level gradation image.

Certain examples described herein relate to a color processing apparatus and a method of generating configuration data for a color rendering device. The color rendering device operates based on color state instructions indicating output color states for portions of a rendered output. Render data may be generated by applying a halftone matrix and color data may indicate probability values for the output color states for input image areas corresponding to the portions of the rendered output. In described examples, configuration data defines an order of output color states for application of the halftone matrix. In the order, the output color states are grouped within the data based on color properties of a rendered output and an order within the clusters is based on colorant composition.

White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).

Certain examples described herein relate to a color processing apparatus and a method of generating configuration data for a color rendering device. The color rendering device operates based on color state instructions indicating output color states for portions of a rendered output. Render data may be generated by applying a halftone matrix and color data may indicate probability values for the output color states for input image areas corresponding to the portions of the rendered output. In described examples, configuration data defines an order of output color states for application of the halftone matrix. In the order, the output color states are grouped within the data based on color properties of a rendered output and an order within the clusters is based on colorant composition.

Systems, methods, software for monitoring usage of a recording medium in an image forming apparatus. In one embodiment, a usage monitor receives a raster image, and identifies thresholds that distinguish different intensity levels reproduced by different drop sizes of the recording material. The usage monitor identifies a set of pixel values for a block of pixels from the raster image, performs a vectorized comparison of the set of pixel values to each of the thresholds to generate sets of comparison bits, determines a number of set bits in each of the sets of comparison bits, and updates a threshold counter for each of the thresholds based on the number of set bits. The usage monitor may then compute drop counts for different drop sizes based on the threshold counter for each of the thresholds.

Systems, methods, software for monitoring usage of a recording medium in an image forming apparatus. In one embodiment, a usage monitor receives a raster image, and identifies thresholds that distinguish different intensity levels reproduced by different drop sizes of the recording material. The usage monitor identifies a set of pixel values for a block of pixels from the raster image, performs a vectorized comparison of the set of pixel values to each of the thresholds to generate sets of comparison bits, determines a number of set bits in each of the sets of comparison bits, and updates a threshold counter for each of the thresholds based on the number of set bits. The usage monitor may then compute drop counts for different drop sizes based on the threshold counter for each of the thresholds.

White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).

A target area of image data of a scanned document is set, in which the target area has a predetermined size and a target pixel, characteristic amounts indicating the brightness at two pixels among the plurality of pixels included in the set target area are obtained, a determination is made on whether or not the difference between the obtained characteristic amounts indicating the brightness is higher than a threshold, a brightness correction amount is decided based on a characteristic amount indicating the brightness of the target pixel and the result of the determination, and the brightness characteristic amount indicating the brightness of the target pixel is corrected based on the decided correction amount.

To set a shading relationship between the plurality of shading inks having the same system color and different densities included in a plurality of kinds of inks, to perform provisional color separation processing to decide a color space value in a virtual color space in the second color system for every lattice point that defines a correspondence relationship between the first and second color spaces, to perform first processing of setting a position of the lattice point where a generation amount of the first ink at the lattice point can be maximized and an ink amount at the lattice point for a first ink which is one of light inks from a result of the provisional color separation processing, and then to perform second processing of setting an ink amount of the first ink and an ink amount of a second ink having a higher density by giving priority to a use of the first ink while maintaining a virtual color space value of the provisional color separation processing result for the first ink.

A quantization unit executes quantization processing for first print data corresponding to a first scan using a first threshold matrix and a third threshold matrix, and executes the quantization processing for second print data corresponding to a second scan using a second threshold matrix and a fourth threshold matrix, and a first degree that a dot arrangement that is a result of quantization using the third threshold matrix and a dot arrangement that is a result of quantization using the fourth threshold matrix hold an exclusive relationship is smaller than a second degree that a dot arrangement that is a result of quantization using the first threshold matrix and a dot arrangement that is a result of quantization using the second threshold matrix hold the exclusive relationship.