To generate a dot pattern whose deterioration of a feeling of granularity, density unevenness, and streaks are unlikely to be recognized visually by more effectively suppressing a change of an overlap of ink droplets on a printing medium. Halftone image data representing a dot pattern of each of two or more kinds of dot different in density reproduction is acquired. Then, in a case where there is a possibility that the contact state between dots changes due to a landed-dot shift of ink in a plurality of specific dots on a condition that dots are formed in accordance with a dot pattern in the halftone image data, the plurality of specific dots is replaced with dots of another kind whose number is less than or equal to that of the plurality of specific dots.

A method of printing using a print head comprising first and second print arrays, each comprising a plurality of nozzles. Each of the first print array nozzles emits a droplet of a first volume and each of the second print array nozzles emits a droplet of a second volume, wherein the first volume is less than the second volume. The method comprises: a. receiving image data comprising a received tone value for a pixel; b. selecting one of the print arrays corresponding to the pixel location; c. mapping the received tone value to a mapped tone value using a tone mapping for the selected print array; d. comparing the mapped tone value with a threshold value for the location of the pixel; and e. generating a control signal for the selected print array if the mapped tone value corresponds to the threshold value in a predetermined manner.

A system is disclosed. The system at least one physical memory device to store ink estimation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device, to execute the ink estimation logic to receive one or more gray level histograms, receive one or more halftone designs and generate estimated ink usage data for each of one or more color planes based on the gray level histograms and the halftone designs, wherein each gray level histogram corresponds to one of the one or more color planes, and each halftone design corresponds to one of the one or more color planes.

In a data generating apparatus, a processor acquires offset information indicating a deviation in a colorant usage used by a specific print execution unit from a standard amount of usage. The standard amount of usage is a standard quantity concerning colorant used by print execution units. The processor controls the specific print execution unit to print a first patch image and generates first control data using first read data based on the first patch image. The processor generates corrected first control data using the offset information. The processor controls the specific print execution unit to print a second patch image using the corrected first control data and generates second control data using second read data based on the second patch image. The first and second control data is for common use in the printing processes performed on the print execution units.

An example embodiment may involve causing a page of a document to be printed on a printing device, wherein the printing device is in an AM halftoning mode and prints the page using an AM halftone; displaying, on the display unit, a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a selectable option to switch the printing device from the AM halftoning mode to an FM halftoning mode; receiving an indication that the selectable option has been selected; possibly in response to receiving the indication that the selectable option has been selected, causing the printing device to switch from the AM halftoning mode to the FM halftoning mode; and causing the page of the document to be printed again on the printing device, wherein the printing device is in the FM halftoning mode and prints the page using an FM halftone.

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet includes a reading section, a determining section, a generation section, a searching section, and a placement section. The reading section reads a predetermined shape from an original document. The determining section determines whether or not the predetermined shape contains a first image. The generation section generates a first search condition based on the first image. The searching section searches for at least one second image fulfilling the first search condition from a storage apparatus storing a plurality of images. The placement section places the second image in a first area in which the predetermined shape is located.

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.

Density unevenness accompanying a variation in an ejection characteristic of each nozzle is reduced without worsening granularity of an image. To this end, an image processing apparatus generates first corrected data by correcting image data by using a first correction table common to the plurality of nozzles. Further, the image processing apparatus generates second corrected data by correcting the image data by using a second correction table for each of the plurality of nozzles. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus generates first quantized data by quantizing the first corrected data and generates second quantized data by quantizing the second corrected data. After that, the image processing apparatus generates N-valued print data based on the first quantized data and the second quantized data.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and a controller. The image forming section forms an image on a first sheet or a second sheet. The controller controls the image forming section. The first sheet is a blank sheet. The second sheet is a reused sheet. The controller refers to reference images each belonging to any of a plurality of categories to determine whether or not the image belongs to any of the categories. The controller directs the image forming section to form the image on the second sheet when determining that the image does not belong to any of the categories. The controller directs the image forming section to form the image on the first sheet and stores the image as a reference image when determining that the image belongs to any of the categories.

In an example, a halftone screen is generated. A plurality of amplitude-modulated dot clusters is arranged in correspondence with a grid. Each of the amplitude-modulated dot clusters comprises a plurality of frequency-modulated dots.