An image forming apparatus includes: a nozzle head in which nozzles that ejects ink is arranged in a first direction; a moving mechanism that moves a recording medium relative to the nozzle head; an image acquirer that acquires image data; a quantization processor that quantizes density of pixels forming an image based on the image data; a grouping processor that groups adjacent pixel positions into one group in the quantized data; and a rearrangement processor that rearranges a quantized pixel value at each pixel position in the group that is grouped, wherein the grouping processor groups such that a direction intersecting the first direction is set to a second direction, arrangement of groups in the first direction is set to a row, rows is arranged in the second direction, and a row in which an initial position of the row is different at least by one pixel is included.

An object is to print a high quality image with resistance to print misalignment. To this end, the image processing apparatus generates quantized data for printing a first dot pattern and a second dot pattern in an overlapping manner. The first dot pattern and the second dot pattern are lattice patterns varying in a combination of two basis vectors. In a combined dot pattern obtained by combining the first and second dot patterns, there is a neighboring dot in which a dot in the first dot pattern and a dot in the second dot pattern are arranged at an interval smaller than a lattice spacing. The neighboring dot includes multiple neighboring dots varying in an approach direction.

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.

Print data is organized over rows and columns. The columns of each row are selectively assigned to calibration tables respectively corresponding to printheads of a pagewide array in accordance with a substrate advancement skew relative to the pagewide array. The calibration tables are applied to the columns of each row respectively assigned to the calibration tables. The columns of each row to which the calibration tables have been applied are printed using the printheads respectively corresponding to the calibration tables.

According to an example, a calibration method may calculate a printhead distribution. The method may comprise printing a calibration pattern, detecting darkness values from the calibration pattern, assigning a darkness level to a plurality of printheads based on the darkness values, and calculating through a processor the printhead distribution that minimizes a variation of the darkness levels across the plurality of printheads.

An information processing device communicable with a printer includes a print data generation unit configured to generate print data corresponding to each of a plurality of elements designated as print targets for printing by the printer. The elements are of data in rows and columns. The information processing device further includes a transmission control unit configured to transmit the print data generated by the print data generation unit to the printer.

A printing system for printing images formed of pixels on a substrate, the system comprising a print system arranged where printheads traverse a substrate, the print system arranged to receive a sequence of print actuation requests in order to print each pixel of an image upon the substrate, the print system having an acceptable rate for the sequence of print actuation requests, the system configured whereby if presented with an actuation period of less than the minimum actuation period then the presented rate of print actuation requests is adjusted by altering the actuation event and/or the discarding of stripe data, to minimise print defects.

An image processing apparatus that generates image data to be output to an image forming apparatus printing an image, and includes: a generation unit configured to generate, based on an input image, first generation amount data indicating a generation amount of each of one or more kinds of ink dot for each pixel and second generation amount data indicating a generation amount of a blank dot for which the ink dot is not formed for each pixel; and a processing unit configured to determine a dot arrangement pattern indicating an arrangement of each of the one or more kinds of ink dot by performing quantization processing using the first generation amount data and the second generation amount data.

A printing apparatus that performs printing on a medium while being manually moved relative to the medium, the printing apparatus including a first discharger including a first nozzle row that discharges a first liquid, a second discharger including a second nozzle row that discharges a second liquid and is so provided as to be separate from the first nozzle row in a first direction perpendicular to the first nozzle row, a movement detection section that detects the moving direction of the printing apparatus viewed from the side facing the printing apparatus while the printing apparatus is moved, and an error process section that carries out an error process when printing using both the first and second dischargers is performed and the moving direction detected by the movement detection section deviates from the first direction.

A printer includes a print head and a controller. The controller is configured to, using first print data containing a plurality of layers, select at least one, but not all, of the plurality of layers based on weight information regarding respective weights of the plurality of layers, generate second print data based on the selected at least one but not all of the plurality of layers, and control the print head to print at least one patch image on a printing medium based on the generated second print data.