A method for locally adjusting the glossiness of a printed image includes printing an image onto a recording medium in multiple swaths and locally adjusting the ink volume for each swath. A printer for printing an image onto a recording medium includes a control unit configured to perform the method.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a recording head configured to discharge a liquid to form a pattern on a recording medium and a reading device configured to read the pattern. The apparatus further includes circuitry configured to form at least two first markers while moving the recording head relative to the recording medium in a head movement direction; form a second marker at one of positions of the at least two first markers, to form a pattern including a reference marker formed with one of the at least two first markers and a measurement marker in which the second marker is overlaid on another of the at least two first markers; and measure a distance between the reference marker and the measurement marker in the head movement direction based on information obtained by the reading device.

A printing device prints an object on a medium by inkjet printing. The printing device includes: a solid print nozzle discharging solid-color printing ink; a color printing nozzle discharging color printing ink; and a main scan driver prompting the nozzles to perform main scans in which the nozzles discharge the ink droplets while moving in a main scanning direction previously set, wherein with a density of ink dots formed on the medium by one nozzle in a preset number of the main scans being defined as a main scan dot density, the main scan driver prompting the solid print nozzle to form ink dots at a first main scan dot density, the main scan driver further prompting the color printing nozzle to form ink dots at a second main scan dot density lower than the first main scan dot density.

A printing apparatus performing printing by an inkjet scheme includes: an inkjet head; and a controller, configured to control the operation of a main scan driver and a sub scan driver to perform a main scanning operation multiple times on each position on a medium. In the main scanning operation, for at least part of ejection positions serving as ejection targets of ink droplets in the main scanning operation, the controller causes the inkjet head to eject an ink droplet in accordance with a mask for selecting part of the at least part of ejection positions.

A printing apparatus performing printing by an inkjet scheme includes: an inkjet head; and a controller, configured to control the operation of a main scan driver and a sub scan driver to perform a main scanning operation multiple times on each position on a medium. In the main scanning operation, for at least part of ejection positions serving as ejection targets of ink droplets in the main scanning operation, the controller causes the inkjet head to eject an ink droplet in accordance with a mask for selecting part of the at least part of ejection positions.

A method for modifying color density values in a dot-based printing system uses a control unit. The control unit implements the modification of the color density values after a raster image has been created and modifies the number and/or size of print dots to be applied to a printing substrate in order to attain pre-defined color density target values.

An image processing apparatus generates dot data for printing an image on a printing medium by using dots of different sizes formed by a plurality of nozzles ejecting ink. The image processing apparatus includes a first acquisition unit that acquires dot data specifying printing or non-printing of each of the dots of a plurality of sizes for each pixel, a specification unit that specifies a dot having a strong possibility of being pulled by a dot having landed earlier on the printing medium of dots in the dot data, and a correction unit that corrects a dot specified by the specification unit in the dot data. The image processing apparatus can output an image whose banding is unlikely to be recognized by suppressing image defect due to a change of dots accompanying liquid droplet interference.

An ink jet process is used to deposit a material layer to a desired thickness. Layout data is converted to per-cell grayscale values, each representing ink volume to be locally delivered. The grayscale values are used to generate a halftone pattern to deliver variable ink volume (and thickness) to the substrate. The halftoning provides for a relatively continuous layer (e.g., without unintended gaps or holes) while providing for variable volume and, thus, contributes to variable ink/material buildup to achieve desired thickness. The ink is jetted as liquid or aerosol that suspends material used to form the material layer, for example, an organic material used to form an encapsulation layer for a flat panel device. The deposited layer is then cured or otherwise finished to complete the process.

In an imaging method an image or multiple images, an ink specification and substrate or substrates for imaging are selected. A central computing device (CCD) determines a volume of ink required to form the images and communicates with a plurality of printers that are geographically remote from the CCD. Each of the plurality of printers communicates to the CCD an ink specification available at the printer, a volume of ink available and optionally substrates that are available at the printer location. The CCD selects a printer or printers from the plurality of printers to fulfill the print job considering the geographic location of the printer(s), the ink specification available to the printer, and the volume of ink available at the printer. The CCD provides to the printer information and specifications which may include an image specification, an ink specification, a waveform specification and a substrate specification.

A print data creation device creates, from two-dimensional image data, three-dimensional print data to be printed on a thermally distensible sheet. The device includes a processor programmed to receive the two-dimensional image data of prescribed gradations; divide the two-dimensional image data of prescribed gradations into a plurality of density layers that expand to different respective expansion heights when printed on the thermally distensible sheet; create, from the plurality of density layers, an expansion data set having a plurality of layer images to be printed on the thermally distensible sheet; and causes the expansion data set to be output to a printing unit that prints on the thermally distensible sheet.