A printing system includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires print data of a plurality of pages and extracts comparison data from the print data for each page. The processing circuitry, from first image data read from a printed material on which the print data is printed, acquires second image data at a position corresponding to the comparison data, for each page of the printed material. The processing circuitry outputs a comparison result of the comparison data and the read image data for each page.

A print apparatus is disclosed. In some examples, the print apparatus comprises a print head to deposit print agent onto a substrate; a detector to detect a fiducial; a first light source to back-illuminate the substrate, such that light from the first light source is to be detected by the detector through the substrate; and processing apparatus. The processing apparatus is to operate the print head to deposit print agent to form a first fiducial on a first side of the substrate, the first fiducial comprising a shape of a first colour and having a first dimension, and a background of print agent of a second, different colour, wherein the first dimension of the shape does not exceed a corresponding dimension of the background; operate the print head to deposit print agent to form a second fiducial on a second, opposite side of the substrate, the second fiducial comprising an inverted version of the shape of the first colour; operate the first light source to back-illuminate the substrate; operate the detector to detect the first and second fiducials; and determine whether the first fiducial is aligned with the second fiducial. A method and a machine-readable medium are also disclosed.

An image reading device includes: light receiving sensors configured to read an image of a document conveyed in a sub-scanning direction and be arranged with an interval in a main scanning direction; one pair of document conveying rollers configured to be provided in front and back of the light receiving sensors in a document conveying direction; a detection unit configured to detect an image overlap amount in an image overlap area and/or an image missing amount in an image missing area; an adjustment amount determination unit configured to determine an adjustment amount for adjusting a distance between the document and the light receiving sensors based on the image overlap amount and/or image missing amount detected; and a drive unit configured to adjust a distance between the document and the light receiving sensors by displacing one of the document conveying rollers and light receiving sensors according to the adjustment amount.

The recording device includes an upstream transport roller pair capable of transporting a medium, a recording head configured to record an image by discharging ink at a predetermined timing on the medium transported downstream in a Dl direction by a predetermined transport amount by the upstream transport roller pair while moving in a Y-axis direction intersecting the D1 direction, an image capturing unit configured to read the image recorded on the medium by the recording head, and a control unit, wherein the control unit has a function of performing maintenance for a discharge failure of the ink, a correction of the transport amount, and a correction of the discharge timing of the ink based on the reading result of the image read by the image capturing unit.

A reading device and an image forming apparatus. The reading device includes a reader disposed at a scanning position, the reader being configured to read an image formed on a surface of a sheet, a movement mechanism to move the reader between the scanning position and a separated position away from the scanning position, and a reference plate disposed at a first position facing a reading face of the reader, the reference plate being configured to obtain a reference value to be used when the reader reads the image. In the reading device, the reference plate rotates around an axis from a second position facing a side of the reader to the first position or from the first position to the second position in conjunction with movement of the reader from the scanning position to the separated position by the movement mechanism The image forming apparatus includes the reading device.

A method for reducing artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system includes receiving a print job including image data for a set of pages. The electrophotographic printing system is used to print a block of pages from the print job to provide corresponding printed pages. The image data for the block of pages is analyzed to determine an average toner usage rate. If the determined average toner usage rate for the block of pages falls outside an acceptable toner usage rate range, image data for a compensation image and a number of compensation images are determined such that the average toner usage rate will be brought back into the acceptable toner usage rate range.

A reading device and an image forming apparatus. The reading device includes a reader disposed at a scanning position, the reader being configured to read an image formed on a surface of a sheet, a movement mechanism to move the reader between the scanning position and a separated position away from the scanning position, and a reference plate disposed at a first position facing a reading face of the reader, the reference plate being configured to obtain a reference value to be used when the reader reads the image. In the reading device, the reference plate rotates around an axis from a second position facing a side of the reader to the first position or from the first position to the second position in conjunction with movement of the reader from the scanning position to the separated position by the movement mechanism The image forming apparatus includes the reading device.

An information processing system includes a reading device configured to perform reading processing for reading an original, and one or more controllers configured to function as an acquisition unit that acquires a number of processing operations per unit time period of the reading processing, and an acquisition unit that acquires operation rate information about the reading device based on the number of processing operations per unit time period of the reading processing and a predetermined number of processing operations of the reading processing.

Provided is an inspection system that can inspect variable printing in production printing with a plurality of apparatuses. This system is the inspection system that includes a design apparatus and an inspection apparatus for production printing. The design unit designs variable print data. The correct answer generation unit generates correct answer data for inspection when the variable print data is created by the design unit. The correct answer change unit acquires the processing information at the time of prepress and reflects it in the correct answer data generated by the correct answer generating unit. The output unit outputs the correct answer data changed by the correct answer change unit. The inspection unit inspects the printed matter based on the correct answer data generated by the design apparatus.

Multiple measurement images are formed in a test chart. Reflected light from the test patterns is received by light receiving elements of a color sensor for an accumulation time that is determined for the respective test patterns. The lengths of the test patterns in the conveyance direction of the test chart are determined according to the lengths of the accumulation times for the respective test patterns.