An image control device includes a reception unit that receives patch chart data items arranged such that the patch data items corresponding to a plurality of patches belonging to a same hue, among a plurality of patches constituting a patch chart, are positioned only in any of grid points of grid lines which divide a lightness axis and a saturation axis which define a hue plane corresponding to the hue at equal intervals, and a controller that outputs the patch chart data items to an image forming unit which forms the patch chart on a recording material if an output operation of the patch chart is received.

An image forming apparatus includes a forming unit, a detecting unit, and a creating unit. The forming unit forms a first image and at least one of second and third images on a recording medium. The first image is used to create correction data for gradation correction. The second image is used to detect a streak in a cross direction which is produced in the first image. The cross direction intersects a conveying direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. The third image is used to detect the streak in the conveying direction which is produced in the first image. The detecting unit detects the streak by using at least one of the second and third images. When the detecting unit detects the streak, the creating unit creates the correction data on the basis of a portion other than a region corresponding to the streak in the first image.

A print management method implemented in a system including a client computer, a server, and a plurality of printers is disclosed, which includes by the server: (a) receiving, from a client computer, a request relating to a print job; (b) determining whether a predetermined print quality is required for the print job; (c) filtering at least two printers each of which has an in-line spectrophotometer from the plurality of printers; (d) instructing the each filtered at least two printers to conduct a color validation process by using the in-line spectrophotometer; (e) receiving, from the each filtered at least two printers, a result corresponding to the color validation process by the in-line spectrophotometer; and (f) determining at least one candidate of a destination printer for the print job based on whether the each filtered at least two printers meets predetermined print quality, using the result corresponding to the color validation process.

An image forensics system estimates a camera response function (CRF) associated with a digital image, and compares the estimated CRF to a set of rules and compares the estimated CRF to a known CRF. The known CRF is associated with a make and a model of an image sensing device. The system applies a fusion analysis to results obtained from comparing the estimated CRF to a set of rules and from comparing the estimated CRF to the known CRF, and assesses the integrity of the digital image as a function of the fusion analysis.

An image reading apparatus includes an image reading section and a detection section. The image reading section includes at least two detection units, and performs a reading operation on an image. The at least two detection units have respective spectral characteristics which are different from each other. The detection section detects a condition of an irregularity on an image carrier by comparing a detection result of the image read by the image reading section with an output characteristic. The output characteristic is stored in advance and is a color component obtained from a value obtained by the image reading section reading a test image having a region in at least one color.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section; an image reading sensor and a colorimeter; a temperature sensor; a memory that stores a first color value and a second color value in a first color chart that has a larger number of patches than a second color chart; a processor that creates a scanner profile for converting a first color value into a second color value using color values obtained by the image reading sensor and the colorimeter, corrects the scanner profile according to the color values obtained by the image reading sensor and the colorimeter, and converts the first color value into the second color value using the corrected scanner profile.

An image processing device includes a color reproduction characteristic acquiring unit that acquires a color reproduction characteristic of a display device, a color reproduction characteristic correction unit that corrects the color reproduction characteristic, a feature amount extraction unit that extracts a feature amount which is an object of the correction of the color reproduction characteristic acquired by the color reproduction characteristic acquiring unit, and an evaluation image selecting unit that selects, based on the feature amount, an evaluation image which is a source for generating a confirmation image including (i) an image when the color reproduction characteristic acquired by the color reproduction characteristic acquiring unit and before the correction is used and (ii) an image when the color reproduction characteristic after the correction by the color reproduction characteristic correction unit is used.

A scanner capable of executing a static calibration and a compensation value adjustment method therefor are disclosed. The scanner includes a calibration piece, a memory, an image capturing unit and a processing unit. The image capturing unit acquires an initial scanned pixel data. A compensation offset-ratio data having a first offset-ratio average is generated according to the initial scanned pixel data and a standard compensation data by the processing unit. Plural selected pixels are determined according to the compensation offset-ratio data, the first offset-ratio average and the predetermined compensation threshold value. A second offset-ratio average is obtained by removing the compensation offset-ratio values of the compensation offset-ratio data of the selected pixels. The initial scanned pixel data is transformed into a static compensation pixel data according to the second offset-ratio average and the standard compensation data.

An image formation apparatus includes: a storage which stores a test pattern; and image formation sections which form an image of the test pattern on a medium. The image of the test pattern includes divided images formed by being divided into regions in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. Each of the divided images is formed by at least one preset image formation section out of the image formation sections. A total width, in each of the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, of the divided images formed by each of the image formation sections is larger than the entirety of a corresponding width of the image of the test pattern.

An image processing apparatus includes: an image processing unit configured to execute image processing including skew correction that deforms an image so as to cancel distortion on the image; and a control unit configured to control the image processing on the image processing unit, wherein, in a case where a margin amount available for correcting the distortion is defined as a first correction margin amount and a margin amount used for correction other than skew correction is defined as a second correction margin amount, the control unit calculates a third correction margin amount obtained by subtracting the second correction margin amount from the first correction margin amount, and controls such that the image processing unit executes the image processing including the skew correction toward a first image and a second image such that the skew correction amount to be corrected falls within a range of the third correction margin amount.