Abstract: An information processing apparatus for transmitting inputted image data to a printing machine connected via an electronic network and making the printing machine execute printing, the information processing apparatus includes: a cost information register section for registering printing cost information for each of a plurality of printing machines connected via the electronic network; an area coverage calculation section for calculating an area coverage by image forming material defined by an area of a print sheet covered with image forming material when printing the image data on the print sheet; and a printing cost calculation section for calculating a printing cost for printing the image data, based on the area coverage by image forming material, printing cost information for each of the plurality of printing machines, and a print count of the image data.

Abstract: An original color image data is converted to halftone image data having information on density of pixels by a predetermined gray conversion. The predetermined gray conversion includes an RGB ratio adjustment, an RGB ratio adjustment is carried out on reference image data employing different ratios of R, G and B, the results of the predetermined gray conversions including the RGB ratio adjustments employing the different ratios of R, G and B carried out on the reference image data are graphically shown on a screen, an optimal value of the ratio of R, G and B is determined on the basis of comparison of the results of the predetermined gray conversions graphically shown on the screen, and the predetermined gray conversion including an RGB ratio adjustment employing the optimal value of the ratio of R, G and B is carried out on the original color image data.

Abstract: A printing control apparatus for controlling a stencil printing machine (50, 100), wherein a stencil sheet, which is made on the basis of image data, is wound around a printing drum (25; 125, 126) with which a print sheet (34; 141) is held in pressured contact to perform a stencil printing operation, provides the stencil printing machine with image data representative of an image to be reproduced as an object, and printing order information representative of a page order in which the printing operation is performed using image data, an ink color for the printing drum to be used, and a timing in which one printing drum is replaced with another one. In accordance with the printing order information, the ink color contained in image data is detected and an order for each page to be printed is determined on the basis of a user's print request to execute the printing operation according to the page order and to reduce the number of times the printing drum is replaced with.

Abstract: A user PC 120 for controlling a stencil printing machine 1, having a plurality of exchangeable printing drums, wherein respective printing drums are mounted with respective perforated stencil sheets which are formed by a stencil-making processing section 104 on the basis of image data, and a print sheet is held in press contact with the plural printing drums to perform a stencil printing process with first and second stencil-printing processing sections 105, 106 is disclosed as having a registering function to register printing ink colors to be used for printing with the respective printing drums by enabling reading-in of a printer driver and to store useable ink color information, a function to produce display data to display contents of the ink-color designating information produced by the designating section for the respective printing drums.

Abstract: A user PC 120 for controlling a stencil printing machine 1, having a plurality of exchangeable printing drums, wherein respective printing drums are mounted with respective perforated stencil sheets which are formed by a stencil-making processing section 104 on the basis of image data, and a print sheet is held in press contact with the plural printing drums to perform a stencil printing process with first and second stencil-printing processing sections 105, 106 is disclosed as having a registering function to register printing ink colors to be used for printing with the respective printing drums by enabling reading-in of a printer driver and to store useable ink color information, a function to produce display data to display contents of the ink-color designating information produced by the designating section for the respective printing drums.

Abstract: A printing control apparatus for controlling a stencil printing machine (50, 100), wherein a stencil sheet, which is made on the basis of image data, is wound around a printing drum (25; 125, 126) with which a print sheet (34; 141) is held in pressured contact to perform a stencil printing operation, provides the stencil printing machine with image data representative of an image to be reproduced as an object, and printing order information representative of a page order in which the printing operation is performed using image data, an ink color for the printing drum to be used, and a timing in which one printing drum is replaced with another one. In accordance with the printing order information, the ink color contained in image data is detected and an order for each page to be printed is determined on the basis of a user's print request to execute the printing operation according to the page order and to reduce the number of times the printing drum is replaced with.

Abstract: When a halftone color image is to be printed in monochrome, the halftone color image is processed. Line-like parts of the halftone color image are processed by a clustered dot dithering technique or a dispersed dot dithering technique according to a predetermined property of the line-like parts.

Abstract: An original color image data is converted to halftone image data having information on density of pixels by a predetermined gray conversion. The predetermined gray conversion includes an RGB ratio adjustment, an RGB ratio adjustment is carried out on reference image data employing different ratios of R, G and B, the results of the predetermined gray conversions including the RGB ratio adjustments employing the different ratios of R, G and B carried out on the reference image data are graphically shown on a screen, an optimal value of the ratio of R, G and B is determined on the basis of comparison of the results of the predetermined gray conversions graphically shown on the screen, and the predetermined gray conversion including an RGB ratio adjustment employing the optimal value of the ratio of R, G and B is carried out on the original color image data.