A redundantly printed security-enhanced document, printing method and system ensure the meaning of the information imparted by variable indicia printed by redundant printing on the document with removable scratch-off coatings. By printing the variable indicia with multiple colors, redundancy and integrity of the intended indicia is achieved. Additionally, inverted color indicia countermeasures to pinprick attacks are also disclosed. The redundantly printed document, methods and systems enhance the overall appearance of the redundantly printed document, and reduce possible consequences resulting from misprinted variable indicia. The resultant printed process color indicia maintains a grayscale equivalent level of a process color greater than or equal to the measured grayscale equivalent level of the substrate surface plus an additional contrast delta of 15%.

A multifunctional peripheral (1) includes a communication part (22), a storage part (21), a free space determination part (25), a confidential document determination part (26), and a storage processing part (27). The free space determination part (25) determines that the storage part (21) contains a free space for storing print data, as a first storage condition. The confidential document determination part (26) determines that the print data is not a confidential document, as a second storage condition. The storage processing part (27) stores the print data in the storage part (21) in association with user information of a user terminal (23) when the first storage condition and the second storage condition are satisfied, and communicates with the user terminal (23) and stores the print data in the user terminal (23) when the first storage condition is not satisfied or when the second storage condition is not satisfied.

A multifunctional peripheral (1) includes a communication part (22), a storage part (21), a free space determination part (25), a confidential document determination part (26), and a storage processing part (27). The free space determination part (25) determines that the storage part (21) contains a free space for storing print data, as a first storage condition. The confidential document determination part (26) determines that the print data is not a confidential document, as a second storage condition. The storage processing part (27) stores the print data in the storage part (21) in association with user information of a user terminal (23) when the first storage condition and the second storage condition are satisfied, and communicates with the user terminal (23) and stores the print data in the user terminal (23) when the first storage condition is not satisfied or when the second storage condition is not satisfied.

A printing system that is communicable with an image management server through a network includes an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus. The information processing apparatus controls a display to display a print setting screen for receiving a print setting that designates printing of a specific color image superimposed on an image to be printed, transmits the specific color image corresponding to the print setting to the image management server, acquires storage location information from the image management server, and transmits print data to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a printer. The image forming apparatus receives the print data, acquires the specific color image from the image management server, generates image data for overprinting the specific color image on the image to be printed, and controls the printer to perform printing based on the image data.

A belt transfer type multi-function device includes a control device performing controlling such that an image to be printed on paper already caught between a transfer roller and the belt roller is printed, and if printing should not be performed on a next paper, movement of the next paper is stopped on a transfer path before the next paper is positioned between the transfer roller and the belt roller, the image already transferred on the transfer belt is deleted in a state in which the next paper is stopped on the transfer path, and the next paper in a stopped state is ejected as a blank paper through a ejection port along the transfer path, so that the image already transferred to the transfer belt, which is to be printed on the next paper along the movement direction of paper, is not printed on the next paper.

Systems and methods for authenticating material samples are provided. Characteristic features are measured for a batch of material samples that comprise substantially the same composition and are produced by substantially the same process. The measured characteristic features have respective variability that is analyzed to extract statistical parameters. In some cases, reference ranges are determined based on the extracted statistical parameters for the batch of material samples. The corresponding statistical parameters of a test material sample are compared to the reference ranges to verify whether the test material sample is authentic.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a decolorable image forming unit that forms a decolorable image with a decolorable material. A mask control unit controls the decolorable image forming unit to form, with the decolorable material on a sheet, a mask that hides at least one portion of an image formed on the sheet with non-decolorable material.

A print device may include a refill interface, a processor, and a computer readable medium. The refill interface may have an electrical interface for transmission and reception of signals between the print device and a refill container. And the computer-readable medium may have instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor are to cause the processor to fetch signals, via the electrical interface of the refill interface, from the refill container indicative of a licensed print functionality of the print device. The instructions may also be to enable the licensed print functionality on the print device responsive to the fetched signals and to maintain the licensed print functionality enabled subsequent to detachment of the refill container.

Disclosed is a belt transfer type multi-function device for printing an image transferred on a belt to paper moving between a transfer roller and a belt roller, including a control device performing controlling such that an image to be printed on paper already caught between the transfer roller and the belt roller is printed as it is, and if printing should not be performed on next paper along a movement direction of paper, movement of the next paper is stopped on a transfer path of paper before the next paper is positioned between the transfer roller and the belt roller, the image already transferred on the transfer belt is deleted in a state in which the next paper is maintained to be stopped on the transfer path of paper, and the next paper in a stopped state is ejected as a blank paper through a ejection port of printed paper along the transfer path of paper, so that the image already transferred to the transfer belt, which is to be printed on the next paper along the movement direction of paper, is not printed on the next paper.

A multifunctional peripheral (1) includes a communication part (22), a storage part (21), a free space determination part (25), a confidential document determination part (26), and a storage processing part (27). The free space determination part (25) determines that the storage part (21) contains a free space for storing print data, as a first storage condition. The confidential document determination part (26) determines that the print data is not a confidential document, as a second storage condition. The storage processing part (27) stores the print data in the storage part (21) in association with user information of a user terminal (23) when the first storage condition and the second storage condition are satisfied, and communicates with the user terminal (23) and stores the print data in the user terminal (23) when the first storage condition is not satisfied or when the second storage condition is not satisfied.