An abnormal-pixel detecting device includes an image sensor and an image processor. The image sensor is configured to capture an image of a subject. The image processor is configured to calculate: a ratio between a first plurality of pixel values captured by the image sensor and a second plurality of pixel values whose reference position is shifted relative to the first plurality of pixel values in a main scanning direction to obtain a third plurality of pixel values; and detect an abnormal pixel in the third plurality of pixel values.

An image capturing control apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect a specific object area in an image captured by an image capturing apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first input/output characteristic of the image capturing apparatus, a conversion unit configured to convert the image by acquiring a second input/output characteristic that is an inverse input/output characteristic to the first input/output characteristic, and by applying the second input/output characteristic to the image, and a control unit configured to control exposure of the image capturing apparatus based on a luminance value of the specific object area in the converted image.

An image capturing control apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect a specific object area in an image captured by an image capturing apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first input/output characteristic of the image capturing apparatus, a conversion unit configured to convert the image by acquiring a second input/output characteristic that is an inverse input/output characteristic to the first input/output characteristic, and by applying the second input/output characteristic to the image, and a control unit configured to control exposure of the image capturing apparatus based on a luminance value of the specific object area in the converted image.

White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).

An image adjustment device includes: an illumination component derivation unit that derives an illumination component of a grayscale image; a reflectance component derivation unit that derives a reflectance component image that is a resulting image in which the illumination component is removed from the grayscale image; a contrast component derivation unit that derives a contrast component based on a contrast value between a pixel of the reflectance component image and a peripheral area of the pixel; a histogram derivation unit that derives a luminance histogram of the grayscale image weighted according to the contrast value for each pixel of the contrast component; a conversion function derivation unit that derives a luminance conversion function for converting a luminance such that a luminance histogram of a converted grayscale image in which the grayscale image is converted by the luminance conversion function and a predetermined histogram are matched with or similar to each other; and a luminance conversion unit that generates the converted grayscale image.

A method and system for printing 3D structures using 2D monochromatic images (for example, greyscale images) is provided. The method can include instructing a printing device to print a 2D monochromatic image using print material in a reservoir known to contain a structural print material. Greater amounts of print material are printed in locations corresponding to relatively darker regions of the 2D monochromatic image.

An image processing device includes an image reader that reads an image, a first determiner that determines whether character crushing occurs when the image is binarized, a second determiner that determines a rate of a photographic region in the image, and a controller that performs conversion into monochrome N-gradation image data based on determination results of the first and second determiners.

An image processing apparatus generates image data for an image forming apparatus having a recording head with recording elements in a first direction that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from the elements toward the medium fed in a second direction perpendicular to the first. The apparatus has an acquiring unit that acquires multi-valued input image data having a uniform tone, a conversion unit that converts the input image data into halftone image data indicating a dot pattern, by using a dither matrix, and a correction processing unit that executes a density unevenness correction process in accordance with properties of each of the elements. The properties of the elements are obtained by reading a chart image formed based on the halftone image data. The dither matrix is a dispersive dither matrix with a size of Sx rows corresponding to the second direction, Sx, a natural number.

An image processing apparatus generates image data for an image forming apparatus having a recording head with recording elements in a first direction that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from the elements toward the medium fed in a second direction perpendicular to the first. The apparatus has an acquiring unit that acquires multi-valued input image data having a uniform tone, a conversion unit that converts the input image data into halftone image data indicating a dot pattern, by using a dither matrix, and a correction processing unit that executes a density unevenness correction process in accordance with properties of each of the elements. The properties of the elements are obtained by reading a chart image formed based on the halftone image data. The dither matrix is a dispersive dither matrix with a size of Sx rows corresponding to the second direction, Sx, a natural number.

A method for calibrating a printing process by applying a selected adjustment curve to an image input file to produce an output file. The adjustment curve is derived to match a target tonal response curve having a function value for 0 that is non-zero or has a discontinuity between 0 and 10%. The adjustment curve has a basic part selected from limited options and an intersecting highlight part derived using a 1-dimensional function having input parameters selected from limited options. The adjustment curve has a starting point (X1, Y1), a highlight curve part having a first slope at the starting point and a first intersection with the basic curve part at (X2, Y2). The first slope and first intersection are among the input parameters selected from limited options. The basic curve part has a second slope at a midrange point (X3>X2, Y3>Y2).