An image printing method and printer is provided. The method comprises obtaining an original data file of an image to be printed from a database; dividing the original data file into a plurality of first data files and storing the first data files in a plurality of first memory blocks correspondingly; receiving an image printing request, the image printing request carrying first position information of the image to be printed; determining from its position information of the image to be printed second position information contained in the first position information, and filling a first data file corresponding to the second position information to a second memory block from the first memory block where the first data file is located through memory mapping mechanism to form a second data file to be printed; and printing and outputting the second data file in the second memory block.

A method and system for rendering rectangle drawing objects using a clip region are provided. For at least a first rectangle drawing object and a second rectangle drawing object, a determination is made if the first rectangle drawing object and the second rectangle drawing object satisfy a predetermined condition. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, one-line raster image data associated with the first and second rectangle drawing objects is generated, and a clip region corresponding to the first and second rectangle drawing objects is generated. Subsequently, the one-line raster image data may be used together with the clip region to fill a clipped drawing region corresponding to the first and second rectangle drawing objects.

Embodiments herein describe a two-phase printing process that utilizes page-to-resource tracking during the first rip-to-spool phase in order to perform resource scheduling during the second print-from-spool phase. In one embodiment, compute nodes include a RIP and a raster builder. A controller receives a print job, identifies a distribution of logical pages in the print job to the compute nodes, and generates page assignment information that maps the logical pages to the compute nodes based on the distribution. The compute nodes rasterize the logical pages to generate intermediate data using the RIPs, and store the intermediate raster data at a RIP spool. The controller directs a distribution of the intermediate raster data from the RIP spool to the compute nodes based on the page assignment information, and the compute nodes assemble the intermediate raster data into complete raster data using the raster builders.

Systems, methods, software for image filtering. In one embodiment, a system receives a raster image comprising an array of pixels, divides the raster image into regions of pixels, and identifies a region size limit for the regions. The system performs image filtering on each region with an image filter that operates based on a filter parameter that is adjustable between a first value where minimal filtering is performed and a second value where maximum filtering is performed. For the image filtering, the system measures a compressed region size of the region when compressed with a run-length encoding scheme, computes the filter parameter for the region based on the compressed region size and the region size limit, and applies the image filter on the region based on the filter parameter computed for the region to generate a filtered region having increased redundant patterns of pixel values.

An apparatus that performs image processing on input image data in parallel in units of block according to an aspect of the invention includes a derivation unit configured to derive a memory size used in conversion processing of converting data alignment sequence in the image data from a line sequence into a block sequence which is executed before rendering of the image data and a memory size used in the conversion processing which is executed after the rendering of the image data, a determination unit configured to determine a timing for executing the conversion processing based on the derivation results, and a conversion unit configured to execute the conversion processing at the determined timing.

Embodiments herein describe a two-phase printing process that utilizes page-to-resource tracking during the first rip-to-spool phase in order to perform resource scheduling during the second print-from-spool phase. In one embodiment, compute nodes include a RIP and a raster builder. A controller receives a print job, identifies a distribution of logical pages in the print job to the compute nodes, and generates page assignment information that maps the logical pages to the compute nodes based on the distribution. The compute nodes rasterize the logical pages to generate intermediate data using the RIPs, and store the intermediate raster data at a RIP spool. The controller directs a distribution of the intermediate raster data from the RIP spool to the compute nodes based on the page assignment information, and the compute nodes assemble the intermediate raster data into complete raster data using the raster builders.

A technique includes processing first data representing a description of a page of a document that is associated with a plurality of cell lines and a plurality of objects to generate second data. The second data represents, for a given cell line of a plurality of cell lines, whether objects of the plurality of objects intersect in the given cell line. The technique includes generating raster image data for the given cell line for a printer based on the second data.

An image forming method uses a memory, forms an image on a print medium using color materials of L colors, and includes: setting N groups associated for respective N objects including a plurality of scanning lines and reproduced with the color materials of the L colors; calculating a relative address that stores tone data representing a tone of one color material among the color materials of the L colors based on coordinates of a plurality of pixels forming the plurality of scanning lines to calculate L addresses separated by shifting the relative address using a predetermined offset address; and transmitting and receiving L tone data representing tones of respective L color materials for reproducing colors of the plurality of pixels forming the scanning lines by using the L addresses to/from the memory via L channels among M (M is an integer larger than N) communication channels.

An image processing system includes first and second devices. The first device converts print data described in a page description language into intermediate data. The second device converts the intermediate data into raster data and supplies the raster data to a printer. The first device includes a shape modifier, a first generator, and an output section. The shape modifier divides plural graphic elements indicated by the intermediate data within a unit of output into groups, and modifies, among the graphic elements in each of the groups, a shape of first-type graphic elements having a specific component into a shape without having an overlapping portion between the first-type graphic elements. A color of the specific component is superimposed on a color of an underlying graphic element. The first generator generates an item of mask information for identifying a logical OR shape of the first-type graphic elements included in each of the groups. The output section outputs the plural graphic elements, and outputs the first-type graphic elements having the modified shape in each of the groups so that the first-type graphic elements in the individual groups are output, together with the associated items of mask information, in reverse order of an order in which the individual groups are arranged within the unit of output. The second device includes a mask storage, an graphic storage, and a renderer. The mask storage stores the items of mask information. The graphic storage stores a graphic of the unit of output. Upon receiving an item of the mask information from the output section, the renderer adds the item of the mask information to the mask storage. Then, upon receiving a first-type graphic element from the output section, the renderer masks the first-type graphic element with the logical OR shape identified by the items of mask information stored in the mask storage, and then writes a graphic of the masked first-type graphic element into the graphic storage.

A raster image processor (RIP) system is used in a printing system to process a variety of different jobs. A front end receives the jobs and determines the job type. The job types include a print job, a preview job, and an estimation job. Depending on the type of job, the front end configures the RIPs within RIP system accordingly to process the job. The RIPs may process the job in parallel, with a high performance RIP processing the first page of the job. If the job is not processed in parallel, then the front end assigns the job to a very high performance RIP. The front end also assigns the preview job to a preview RIP and the estimation job to an estimation RIP. The front end configures RIPs as needed.