A color measurement apparatus comprising: a color measurement unit configured to perform color measurement of an image on a sheet, the color measurement unit including a light source; a reference member used for calibration of the color measurement unit; a moving unit configured to move the color measurement unit to a first position at which the light source irradiates a region other than the reference member with light and a second position at which the light source irradiates the reference member with light; and a control unit configured to, after causing the light source to emit light when the color measurement unit is positioned at the first position, and then moving the color measurement unit to the second position, execute the calibration based on data obtained by causing the light source to irradiate the reference member with light.

An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire first image data indicating a reference image as a target print result, and second image data indicating a target image to be inspected, and a processing unit configured to inspect the target image by performing a correction on a second partial region adjacent to a first partial region to enhance the second partial region relative to a difference image representing a difference between the reference image and the target image based on the first image data and the second image data, the first partial region having a difference in between the reference image and the target image.

A method of maintaining a time measurement stored on an imaging device. The method comprises: receiving, by the imaging device, a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the imaging device, comparing the supply item manufacturing time stamp with the time measurement of the imaging device, and updating, by the imaging device, the time measurement of the imaging device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An imaging device comprising a memory, the memory storing a time measurement, wherein the imaging device is configured to maintain the time measurement by: receiving a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the imaging device, and updating the time measurement of the imaging device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An imaging device supply item, the supply item comprising a memory, the memory storing a supply item manufacturing time stamp, and the supply item being configured to send the supply item manufacturing time stamp to an imaging device.

A virtual calibration system uses a reference printing device to add new printing devices and perform verification operations. The reference printing device is defined using color printing resources from an initial printing device. Policies define environmental specification information regarding the operating conditions for a printing device in the system. When a new printing device is added, the new printing device performs a match calibration using the color printing resources provided by the reference printing device. If the match calibration is acceptable, then the new printing device is added to the virtual calibration system. The reference printing device also instructs the printing devices to perform quality checks and to provide environmental information. Using the environmental information, the reference printing device determines if an issue is impacting color printing that is not related to the color printing capabilities of the printing device.

Provided is an inspection system that can inspect variable printing in production printing with a plurality of apparatuses. This system is the inspection system that includes a design apparatus and an inspection apparatus for production printing. The design unit designs variable print data. The correct answer generation unit generates correct answer data for inspection when the variable print data is created by the design unit. The correct answer change unit acquires the processing information at the time of prepress and reflects it in the correct answer data generated by the correct answer generating unit. The output unit outputs the correct answer data changed by the correct answer change unit. The inspection unit inspects the printed matter based on the correct answer data generated by the design apparatus.

An operation setting selection apparatus includes, a physical property obtainer which obtains physical property information of a recording medium on which an image is formed; and a hardware processor. The hardware processor obtains from first information, in which operation failure information regarding contents of operation failure which occurs when an image forming operation is performed is associated to the physical property information of the recording medium used when the operation failure occurs and the operation setting regarding the image forming, the operation setting and the operation failure information associated to the physical property information obtained by the physical property obtainer. The hardware processor performs operation regarding selection of the operation setting regarding the image forming operation on the recording medium based on the physical property information, the operation setting and the operation failure information which are obtained.

A color calibration chart may be created including a plurality of colors that are variations of a print color established for printing a reference color by a printing system using multiple colors. The colors in the calibration chart may be measured. A color from the calibration chart may be selected for printing the reference color which has a measurement value indicative of a color consistency within a predefined distance from a reference value for the print color.

In one embodiment, a processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to print a print job, and determine target color data for each sheet of the print job while printing the job. The instructions further cause the processor to continually save the target color data to a server for each sheet of the print job as each sheet is printed.

An image forming device continuously forming an image according to a job in a conveying direction of along continuous paper includes: an image formation section forming the image according to the job on the continuous paper; an interval setting section setting a job interval of the image according to the job, which is continuously formed by the image formation section, on the basis of an operation from a user; an image forming process switching section switching two states of a state where the image formation section forms a color image and a state where the image formation section forms a monochromic image; and a switching determination section determining whether or not the two states are switched on the basis of a comparison result between the job interval set by the interval setting section and a paper conveying distance according to a switching time required for switching the two states.

An image forming apparatus includes a conversion unit configured to convert image data based on a conversion condition, an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet based on the converted image data, a detection unit configured to detect a pattern image on a transfer member, a reading unit configured to read a test image formed on a sheet, a controller configured to perform calibration based on a reading result of the reading unit, and a reception unit. In a case where the calibration is performed, the controller determines an image forming condition based on a result of detection by the detection unit before the test image is formed. In a case where the reception unit receives the discontinuation instruction, the controller changes the image forming condition to an image forming condition before the pattern image is formed.