An image processing apparatus includes a filtering processing unit that executes a filtering process to suppress background noise of input image data; a threshold setting unit that sets a binarization threshold for the input image data; a background noise determination threshold setting unit that determines that a tone value at which the number of pixels of background noise of the input image data reaches a peak is a background peak tone value and that sets, as a background noise determination threshold, a tone value having a density higher than a density of the background peak tone value and having a number of pixels within a specific range of percentages, of the number of pixels at the peak; a background noise reduction processing unit that executes a background noise reduction process on the input image data and a binarization processing unit that executes a binarization process on the input image data.

Disclosed is an anti-counterfeiting printed material including: a background part for analyzing a distribution of Cyan Magenta Yellow Black (C/M/Y/K) after performing first color separation of an original image into C/M/Y/K, and printing the original image as C/M/Y/K lines each having an included angle preset according to each distribution; and a latent image part formed in a first region of the background part, and printed with the number of C/M/Y/K lines in a ratio different from the number of C/M/Y/K lines of the background part according to each distribution by performing secondary color separation, into C/M/Y/K, of a second region spaced apart from the first region by a preset distance.

An image processing apparatus includes a filtering processing unit that executes a filtering process to suppress background noise of input image data; a threshold setting unit that sets a binarization threshold for the input image data; a background noise determination threshold setting unit that determines that a tone value at which the number of pixels of background noise of the input image data reaches a peak is a background peak tone value and that sets, as a background noise determination threshold, a tone value having a density higher than a density of the background peak tone value and having a number of pixels within a specific range of percentages, of the number of pixels at the peak; a background noise reduction processing unit that executes a background noise reduction process on the input image data and a binarization processing unit that executes a binarization process on the input image data.

In an example method, a set of source pixels corresponding to an image to be printed and a dot pattern of pixels including information to be encoded across the image are received. The dot pattern of pixels is mapped to a corresponding subset of the source pixels. A value of a clipping channel color in the subset of the source pixels is modified based on an original value of the clipping channel color for each pixel in the subset. The clipping channel color is used to detect the dot pattern of pixels. The image including the subset of pixels with modified clipping channel colors is printed.

In an example method, a dot pattern of pixels including information to be encoded across an image is mapped to a corresponding subset of the grayscale source pixels corresponding to the image to be printed. A value of a grayscale pixel in the subset of the grayscale source pixels is modified based on based on a predetermined threshold pixel value. The value of the grayscale pixel is decreased in response to detecting that the predetermined threshold pixel value is exceeded. The clipping channel color is used to detect the dot pattern of pixels. The image including the subset of pixels with modified values is printed.

Methods and systems for securely rendering a security feature with image data to be printed, can involve providing within the image data, data relating to a group of spots, and within the image data, mixing spots of two or more spot sizes among the group of spots to embed information within a stochastic or frequency modulation halftone image. In an embodiment, operations may be implemented for rendering a part of the image with a first spot among the group of spots and a remaining portion of the image with a second spot among the group of spots, wherein the second spot is smaller in size than the first spot.

Digital watermarking is adapted for the variable data printing. A reference signal serves as a proxy for optimizing the embedding a watermark in a host image to be printed. Using the reference signal, embedding parameters are generated, which are a function of constraints such as visual quality and robustness of the machine readable data. Adjustments needed to embed a unique payload in each printed piece are generated using the embedding parameters. These adjustments are stored in a manner that enables them to be efficiently obtained and applied within the RIP or press during operation of the press. Various other methods, system configurations and applications are also detailed.

In an example method, a dot pattern of pixels including information to be encoded across an image is mapped to a corresponding subset of the grayscale source pixels corresponding to the image to be printed. A value of a grayscale pixel in the subset of the grayscale source pixels is modified based on based on a predetermined threshold pixel value. The value of the grayscale pixel is decreased in response to detecting that the predetermined threshold pixel value is exceeded. The clipping channel color is used to detect the dot pattern of pixels. The image including the subset of pixels with modified values is printed.

A data-bearing medium is disclosed. The data-bearing medium includes a section of cells having a set of opposite-shifted clusters. The cells include a combination of opposite shifts of the set of opposite-shifted clusters, which represent a single value.

An information processing apparatus and an image processing method are provided. The image processing apparatus detects character data from image data, executes edge enhancement processing, using a first filter, on an edge portion of a region, out of the detected character data, that includes a region whose frequency of points or lines is greater than a predetermined frequency, and executes edge enhancement processing, using a second filter, on an edge portion of a region, out of the detected character data, that does not include a region of a spatial frequency higher than the predetermined frequency. The first filter has, in comparison to the second filter, a larger degree for edge enhancement with respect to a region having a frequency higher than the predetermined frequency.