A method of operating an image forming apparatus includes receiving a request to perform an image forming operation, performing a calibration operation based on obtained urgency level information in response to the request, when a condition to perform a calibration is determined to be satisfied, the urgency level indicating a level of urgency to perform the image forming operation and the calibration is to standardize standardizing color representation of the image to be formed, and performing the image forming operation after the calibration operation is performed.

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit is provided. The apparatus determines a color of a tone patch for tone correction, to be composited with an image, in accordance with a color component used in the image; generates a patch-included image by compositing the tone patch of the color determined with the image; generates a corrected image by performing tone correction on the patch-included image on the basis of tone correction information for each color component; performs color measurement of the tone patch formed on the medium on which the corrected image has been formed, and updates the tone correction information on the basis of a value measured.

An image forming apparatus including a plurality of sheet feeding cassettes includes a control unit. The control unit performs control. In a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied during execution of a print job to print image data, the control unit performs control to execute interruption processing of a correction job to print a correction patch. The control unit performs control to determine, from the plurality of sheet feeding cassettes, a sheet feeding cassette to be used for the correction job based on information on the sheet feeding cassette used for the print job.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where a first color material, a second color material, a third color material, and a fourth color material in which a difference between the first color material and the fourth color material in a color space is less than a threshold value, are capable of being used, output combinations of values of color materials reproducing a first color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the second color material, and a second color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the third color material.

A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes a printer to print image data to a medium and a print controller including a halftone calibration module to dynamically generate calibrated halftones to compensate for optical density changes that occur at the printer.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form a reference image, and a plurality of test images; a conveying unit configured to convey the sheet; a reading unit configured to read the sheet, and output read data, the reading unit including a plurality of light-receiving elements disposed along a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet; and a controller configured to: determine a direction in which the plurality of test images are disposed based on read data related to the reference image; determine test image read data related to test image regions corresponding to each of the plurality of test images from the read data based on the direction; and control a density of an image to be formed by the image forming unit based on the test image read data.

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 image forming apparatus performs the following. An imaging range imaged by each of the plurality of imaging sensors includes an overlapping portion between the imaging sensors adjacent in a width direction orthogonal to a conveying direction along the conveying path. A hardware processor performs a calibration operation of a first sensor based on a color measuring result of a predetermined inspection image measured within a standard imaging range of the first sensor among the plurality of imaging sensors, and a standard imaging result within the standard imaging range imaging an inspection image with a same pattern as the inspection image. The hardware processor compares imaging results by the plurality of imaging sensors in the overlapping portions and performs the calibration operation of another sensor different from the first sensor using the standard imaging result as a standard.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where a first color material, a second color material, a third color material, and a fourth color material in which a difference between the first color material and the fourth color material in a color space is less than a threshold value, are capable of being used, output combinations of values of color materials reproducing a first color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the second color material, and a second color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the third color material.

An image identification method for printing on rigid substrates includes the steps of: defining a digital graphic design representative of a rigid substrate to be produced; spreading a soft layer of granular or powder ceramic material on a deposition surface; pressing the soft layer to obtain a compacted layer; acquiring a real image of the compacted layer, detecting keypoints of the real image; comparing the keypoints of the real image with keypoints of an image obtained or derived from the digital graphic design; and calculating a portion of the digital graphic design corresponding to a portion of the real image. An image identification system for printing implementing the described method and a corresponding printing method/system are also described.