A printing apparatus prints an image by applying ink to a print surface of an inclined print medium using a print head. A control apparatus for the printing apparatus acquires information on an inclination of the print surface. Based on the information, printing is controlled according to a print condition corresponding to a magnitude of the inclination of the print surface.

A print control apparatus is configured to transfer transparent protective ink onto an image printed on a substrate. The print control apparatus includes an extraction unit configured to extract a contour of a subject in the image, and a control unit configured to generate print data for transferring the protective ink using a printing apparatus, based on the extracted contour of the subject. The control unit generates the print data by assigning a high gradation value to a contour line corresponding to the extracted contour of the subject, assigning a low gradation value to a region corresponding to the subject, and assigning a mixture of the high gradation value and the low gradation value to an outer peripheral region of the subject.

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a medium container, a liquid ejection head, a mover, and a controller. The mover is configured to execute, among a first moving operation of moving a sheet-like medium and a second moving operation of moving the liquid ejection head, at least the first moving operation. The controller causes the liquid ejection head and the mover to alternately or simultaneously perform execution of the first moving operation and execution of ejection and second moving operations, and adjusts at least one selected from the group of an amount of liquid to be ejected, a time interval between the ejection operations when alternately performing execution of the first moving operation and execution of the ejection and second moving operations, and a moving speed of the medium when simultaneously executing the ejection operation and the first moving operation, according to medium information relating to curling of the medium.

An image shifter creates plural pairs of shift image data. A shading corrector and a halftone dot processor create halftone shift image data from shift images. Further, a difference image creator creates halftone common image data which is a common part of a pair of halftone shift image data, and creates halftone positive difference image data and halftone negative difference image data each of which is a difference between the halftone common image data and one of a pair of halftone shift image data. A composite image creator synthesizes the halftone common image data corresponding to an amount of positional deviation, and the halftone positive difference image data or halftone negative difference image data. A controller executes printing on web paper. Since the image data is only synthesized, processing load can be lightened even if printing is performed to restrain positional deviations.

An ink printing process employs per-nozzle droplet volume measurement and processing software that plans droplet combinations to reach specific aggregate ink fills per target region, guaranteeing compliance with minimum and maximum ink fills set by specification. In various embodiments, different droplet combinations are produced through different printhead/substrate scan offsets, offsets between printheads, the use of different nozzle drive waveforms, and/or other techniques. These combinations can be based on repeated, rapid droplet measurements that develop understandings for each nozzle of means and spreads for expected droplet volume, velocity and trajectory, with combinations of droplets being planned based on these statistical parameters. Optionally, random fill variation can be introduced so as to mitigate Mura effects in a finished display device. The disclosed techniques have many possible applications.

A halftone raster image suitable for rendering a continuous-tone image includes a plurality of spiral dots. The spiral dots include image pixels arranged as a first arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a first spiral, and non-image pixels arranged as a second arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a second spiral. The spiral dots enable a controlled spreading of the ink within the dot, resulting in a higher image quality, ink saving, and faster drying.

MTF characteristics of a concavo-convex forming apparatus change depending on the amount of amplitude of input data, the operation condition of the apparatus, etc., and therefore, it is not possible to form a concavo-convex shape with good characteristics only by applying the MTF correction technique widely known in the image processing field. A concavo-convex forming apparatus including an input unit configured to input concavo-convex data representing concavo-convex of an object to be printed, and a correction unit configured to perform correction in accordance with a plurality of frequency band of the input concavo-convex data and whose intensity is made higher for the larger amplitude on the input concavo-convex data based on frequency response characteristics in a case where concavo-convex is formed on a printing medium.

A printing apparatus that is capable of executing, based on printing data, printing onto a first side of a printing medium and printing onto a second side, which is the back side of the first side, after the printing onto the first side is provided. A print density of a predetermined region at a rear end of the printing medium in a transporting direction at a time of printing of the first side is identified based on the printing data. Conversion data, which is a conversion coefficient to make the identified print density equal to or lower than a predetermined density, is acquired. The printing data is converted by means of the conversion data. Printing onto the first side is executed based on the converted printing data.

A geographically remote computing device transmits an image to a central computing device. The geographically remote computing device also communicates specifications of a substrate or substrates to be imaged to the central computing device. The central computing device selects a geographically remote fulfillment printer. A local, but geographically diverse distribution system is available according to the invention. The central computing device chooses the geographically remote fulfillment printer as a function of factors such as the selected image and substrate, printer capabilities, and the consumer's location. Image quality and consistency is maintained by the central computer selecting an appropriate geographically remote computing device and providing printer the appropriate instructions, rather than the instructions for printing being determined locally at the printer.

There is provided a liquid droplet discharging control device for a liquid droplet discharging apparatus which includes a liquid droplet discharging head in which a plurality of nozzles discharging liquid droplets are formed, discharges liquid droplets while relatively moving the head and a medium in a direction intersecting a direction in which the nozzles are arranged. The liquid droplet discharging control device includes a controller that causes a first nearby nozzle, which discharges a dot adjacent to a dot row corresponding to a predetermined nozzle which is not capable of discharging a liquid droplet, to discharge a liquid droplet for a dot of a large size and that causes a second nearby nozzle, which is separated from the predetermined nozzle and discharges a dot adjacent to a dot row corresponding to the first nearby nozzle, to discharge no liquid droplet for a dot.