An image processing device which generates a halftone image includes: an image size adjustment unit which adjusts a size of the input image; and a halftone processing unit which performs halftone processing on the input image size-adjusted to generate a halftone image, wherein: the image size adjustment unit adjusts the input image to a same size in two or more printing modes among the plurality of printing modes, and the input image of the same size is subjected to the halftone processing; the unit limits arrangement of dots constituting the halftone image to dot arrangeable places of a selected printing mode among the plurality of printing modes, and performs the halftone processing based on an error diffusion method using an error diffusion coefficient matrix according to the selected printing mode; and the functions performed by the image size adjustment unit and the halftone processing unit are achieved using a computer.

An image processing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium by using a printing unit that ejects a first ink in accordance with first quantized data and ejects a second ink in accordance with second quantized data, the image printing apparatus has a first quantization configured to quantize multi-valued data corresponding to the first ink to generate the first quantized data, the multi-valued data indicating intermediate density; and a second quantization unit configured to quantize multi-valued data corresponding to the second ink to generate the second quantized data, the multi-valued data indicating intermediate density. Surface tension of the first ink is larger than surface tension of the second ink, and a first dot pattern printed on the print medium in accordance with the first quantized data has higher dispersibility than a second dot pattern printed on the print medium in accordance with the second quantized data.

A method and a system for image compression are disclosed. An image is converted to a halftoned image. The one or more halftoned lines in the halftoned image comprise one or more pixels. A first transformed image is generated from the halftoned image based on shifting of the one or more pixels, associated with the one or more halftoned lines in the halftoned image, by a first value. A second transformed image is generated from the first transformed image based on shifting of the one or more pixels, associated with the one or more halftoned lines in the first transformed image, by a second value. Further, a compressed image is generated based on compression of the second transformed image. The compressed image is stored in a storage device. Another method and system for image conversion are disclosed that converts the compressed image back to the first transformed image.

A printing system and method to process image data is disclosed. The printing system includes an identification module and image pipeline module include a linear threshold array algorithm and a halftoning algorithm to process the image data. An image pipeline module applies a linear threshold array algorithm to line regions and a halftoning algorithm to the non-line regions.

There is provided a recording data generating apparatus that generates recording data used for reproducing a gloss of an image by recording inclined structures on a recording medium, the recording data generating apparatus including: a conversion unit that converts gloss data with a first resolution having an inclined structure as one pixel into inclined structure data representing a combination ratio of a predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures; a halftone processing unit that generates N-value quantization data representing one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures by performing a halftone process of the inclined structure data of each pixel with the first resolution, N being equal to the predetermined number of kinds; and a recording data generating unit that generates recording data used for recording one of the predetermined number of kinds of inclined structures for each pixel with the first resolution based on the quantization data.

A method is disclosed. The method includes generating a halftone screen using a Direct Multi-bit Search Screen Algorithm (DMSSA) to optimize a halftone pattern at each gray level.

In an image-processing device, the controller determines a dot formation state of a target pixel in an image. The determination is performed alternately with a forward process and a reverse process while sequentially selecting each of pixel lines in an order progressing in a first direction. A second pixel density of a second image of a second color is smaller than a first pixel density of a first image of a first color. In the determination, each of the line processes is one of at least two of a first type line process, a second type line process, a third type line process, and a fourth type line process. Line processes are performed for a first unit area in a first pattern. Line processes are performed for a second unit area in a second pattern different from the first pattern.

An image processing apparatus for printing an image on a print medium by using a printing unit that ejects a first ink in accordance with first quantized data and ejects a second ink in accordance with second quantized data, the image printing apparatus has a first quantization configured to quantize multi-valued data corresponding to the first ink to generate the first quantized data, the multi-valued data indicating intermediate density; and a second quantization unit configured to quantize multi-valued data corresponding to the second ink to generate the second quantized data, the multi-valued data indicating intermediate density. Surface tension of the first ink is larger than surface tension of the second ink, and a first dot pattern printed on the print medium in accordance with the first quantized data has higher dispersibility than a second dot pattern printed on the print medium in accordance with the second quantized data.

A filter processing unit performs a bandpass filter process for a difference between an output pixel value and an input pixel value of an adjacent pixel to a target pixel. An error diffusion unit performs an error diffusion process of a quantization error for output of the filter processing unit. A quantizer performs quantization for a value obtained by the error diffusion process and thereby determines the output pixel value of the target pixel. The bandpass filter process is performed with characteristics different from each other (a) in respective ones of a primary scanning direction and a secondary scanning direction and (b) for respective ones of the component colors of the image. Furthermore, a filter coefficient of the bandpass filter process independently for each component color of an image is corrected for banding reduction with a correction coefficient corresponding to an angle from the primary scanning direction.

Various embodiments are directed to methods, systems, and devices for improving the quality of image data for printing by a printer having relatively low resolution capabilities. Image data may be scanned, captured or otherwise received. The image data may be received in bands, chunks, blocks, portions, regions, or its entirety. An edge detector is subsequently employed to detect a location of edges in a region of the received image data. For image data pixels that are located in or close to a detected edge, a first screen is applied to modify these pixels to compensate for printing at or near the detected edge. Otherwise, a second image screen is applied to modify pixels for printing that are not close to a detected edge. The first screen may be an error diffusion screen or a threshold screen. The second screen may be a halftone screen.