A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head, a scanning device, a storage device, and circuitry. The liquid discharge head discharges liquid from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium. The scanning device moves at least one of the recording medium and the liquid discharge head to perform scanning. The storage device stores a plurality of mask patterns to change a discharge amount and a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head. The circuitry acquires image data, creates dot data from the image data, and determines the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head, based on the dot data and one of the plurality of mask patterns.

A technique includes printing a first image including a plurality of edge pixels and a second image with a lower ratio of edges pixels than the first image and an average density equal to that of the first image and determining a value of a processing parameter so that the average densities of the first image and the second image match. The technique is configured to realize appropriate pre-print processing while preventing the average densities from being low due to the excessive pre-print processing or being high due to the insufficient pre-print processing.

The image processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a pixel value group consisting of pixel values of a plurality of pixels included in a predetermined target area in image data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a threshold value group consisting of a plurality of threshold values corresponding to the plurality of pixels; a calculation unit configured to calculate a target number of dots indicating a number of dots to be arranged within the target area; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a pixel position at which a dot is expected to be formed by a non-ejectable nozzle in the image data as a non-ejectable nozzle position; and determination unit configured to determine arrangement of dots in the target area based on a priority level determined based on the pixel value group and the threshold value group, the target number of dots, and the non-ejectable nozzle position.

There is provided a method for rendering an image according to selected image quality attributes. Two or more image quality attributes are selected from a plurality of attributes of the image. A set of pigments for an area of the image and a density for each pixel of the area are determined. A quantity of pretreatment for deposition onto a print target is determined, where the pretreatment quantity is dependent on the pigments, the density, and the selected image quality attributes.

In a device and a method for improving the print image uniformity, at least one print image is printed by a printer with at least one print bar that has at least one print head with a plurality of print nozzles. An image detector having a plurality of dot/image detection regions detects at least one value profile of measured inking intensities. A comparator compares the value profile with at least one reference value, and generates correction values dependent thereon.

A print head capable of forming dots on a print medium based on print data and a print medium are caused to perform relative movement in a specified direction, and a speed of the relative movement is set according to the number of dots to be formed in an area of a specified size. Whether to set the speed of the relative movement to a first speed is determined according to the number of dots to be formed in an area of a first size on the print medium. Whether to set the speed of the relative movement to a second speed lower than the first speed is determined according to the number of dots to be formed in an area of a second size which is smaller than the area of the first size in the specified direction.

The present invention has a problem of suppressing liquid gathering of an interpolation dot which interpolates a discharge defective nozzle and preventing deterioration of image quality, and the problem is solved by the present invention including: an inkjet head configured to separately discharge a large droplet, a medium droplet, and a small droplet from each of a plurality of nozzles; and a control unit which forms an image in a single-pass system by discharging the medium droplets from the plurality of nozzles respectively, and forms an interpolation dot to interpolate a discharge defective nozzle by discharging a droplet from a different nozzle when the discharge defective nozzle is present, the control unit forming the interpolation dot to interpolate the discharge defective nozzle with the use of the large droplet and forming at least one adjacent dot which is in contact with the interpolation dot with the use of the small droplet.

The reproduction of a target color is appropriately performed with high accuracy. A printing system 10 includes a printing device 12 and a host PC 14 that is a control device. The printing device 12 includes a plurality of inkjet heads 202y to 202k and a colorimeter 204. The host PC 14 is capable of performing a color matching process for matching a color printed by the inkjet heads 202y to 202k with a target color, and performs, in the color matching process, a target color acquiring process for acquiring the target color using the colorimeter 204, an initial value setting process for setting an initial value of a color setting value, and a target color corresponding value determination process for selecting a patch having a color close to a target color from among a plurality of patches by causing the inkjet heads 202y to 202k to print the patches.

A droplet ejecting device includes: a head including N-number drive elements; a driving circuit including N-number waveform signal selectors and N-number power supply circuit selectors; a plurality of power supply circuits connected to the driving circuit; and a control circuit. Each waveform signal selector selects a waveform signal to be outputted to the corresponding drive element from among a plurality of types of waveform signals. Each power supply circuit selectors selects a power supply circuit to be connected to the drive elements from among the plurality of power supply circuits. The control circuit serially transmits, to the driving circuit via a single control line: N-number items of waveform signal designation information each of which designates the waveform signal to be outputted to the corresponding drive element; and N-number items of power supply designation information each of which designates the power supply circuit to be connected to the corresponding drive element.

An imaging apparatus includes a print engine having a printhead that generates ink drops, and a printhead carrier that carries the printhead in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction. A controller determines an initial print direction based on ink drop information obtained by printing patches in the first direction and in the second direction, wherein the ink drop information includes a respective chromatic value of each of the patches. The controller is operatively coupled to the print engine to print an image based on the initial print direction.