Abstract: To improve the rendering of a printing, a halftone rendering method is applied. This method optimally comprises a step for the adaptive tiling of the image. This tiling is based on a subdivision of the image by self-similar structures. These subdivisions are locally limited by the local intensity of the image. These local limitations make the tiling adaptive. The result of this tiling is a cloud of sampling structures, each of these structures being associated with a pixel of the image and a label produced during the tiling. The intensity of the pixel, and the label, enable the reading, in a table of correction vectors, of a correction vector corresponding to a shift to be applied to the pixel before it is printed. The table of the correction vectors is pre-computed in using a relaxation algorithm.

Abstract: To improve the rendering of a printing, a halftone rendering method is applied. This method optimally comprises a step for the adaptive tiling of the image. This tiling is based on a subdivision of the image by self-similar structures. These subdivisions are locally limited by the local intensity of the image. These local limitations make the tiling adaptive. The result of this tiling is a cloud of sampling structures, each of these structures being associated with a pixel of the image and a label produced during the tiling. The intensity of the pixel, and the label, enable the reading, in a table of correction vectors, of a correction vector corresponding to a shift to be applied to the pixel before it is printed. The table of the correction vectors is pre-computed in using a relaxation algorithm.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for the reproduction of color images by multi-color dithering. Multi-color dithering is an extension of bi-level dithering for halftoning an input image using as primary colors an arbitrary number of inks. The inks may comprise standard inks or non-standard inks such as non-process color inks, opaque inks, metallic inks, variable color inks and fluorescent inks. Multi-color dithering provides a solution for creating artistic multi-color dithered images, whose screen elements are made of artistic color screen shapes such as micro-letters, symbols and ornaments. When printed at high resolution and at high registration accuracy, multi-color dithering using large dither arrays incorporating artistic dither shapes provides an effective solution for preventing counterfeiting. The use of non-standard inks offers additional protection. Multi-color dithering also offers a solution for printers requiring that all inks are printed side by side, without overlaps.

Abstract: Halftoning by error diffusion, enhanced so as to reduce the presence of structural artifacts in the halftoned output while avoiding an artificial increase in halftoning image noise. Specifically, error diffusion according to the invention divides the input gray level intensity range into different segments for purposes of both thresholding and error diffusion. Different error diffusion threshold masks are applied for each respective segment, and different error diffusion weights are applied for each respective segment, with a decision being made as to whether or not to apply a different threshold mask being based on the local image gradient.

Abstract: Halftoning by error diffusion, enhanced so as to reduce the presence of structural artifacts in the halftoned output while avoiding an artificial increase in halftoning image noise. Specifically, error diffusion according to the invention divides the input gray level intensity range into different segments for purposes of both thresholding and error diffusion. Different error diffusion threshold masks are applied for each respective segment, and different error diffusion weights are applied for each respective segment, with a decision being made as to whether or not to apply a different threshold mask being based on the local image gradient.

Abstract: Halftoning by error diffusion, enhanced so as to reduce the presence of structural artifacts in the halftoned output while avoiding an artificial increase in halftoning image noise. Specifically, error diffusion according to the invention divides the input gray level intensity range into different segments for purposes of both thresholding and error diffusion. Different error diffusion threshold masks are applied for each respective segment, and different error diffusion weights are applied for each respective segment, with a decision being made as to whether or not to apply a different threshold mask being based on the local image gradient.

Abstract: The present invention is related to the synthesis, display and printing of halftone images. The invention comprises a method capable of generating screen elements with sophisticated screen dot shapes such as artistic shapes, microletters and ideograms. The method can be used to generate screen elements whose screen dots are made of evolving artistic shapes at increasing intensity level. For generating screen elements at consecutive intensity levels, intermediate contours which bound the white and black parts of each screen element are obtained by interpolating between fixed predefined contours. Such interpolated contours defining screen dots may be transformed from a screen dot definition space to a screen dot rendition space before being converted into discrete screen elements by a scan conversion and filling operation.

Abstract: A gray component replacement method for each pixel of a continuous tone image, first obtains intermediate halftone colorant values by applying any suitable halftoning technique to continuous tone colorant values. Halftone output values at each pixel, including a black output value, are determined based on the intermediate halftone values. If desired, halftone output values can be determined based on both the intermediate halftone values and the continuous tone colorant values.

Abstract: An enhanced error diffusion for color and/or black-and-white halftone reproduction of gray scale, color and/or black-and-white images, features enhancements in obtaining the thresholds that are used in error diffusion halftoning as well as enhancements in how to distribute error. Thresholds according to the invention are derived by applying a standard error-diffusion technique, using a fixed threshold value of 0.5, to a constant gray level image patch which has a gray level value corresponding to an irrational number. Thresholds so-derived are well dispersed in a threshold mask and have only a limited number of threshold values; use of such thresholds in error diffusion has been found to reduce significantly the presence of structural artifacts in halftone images.

Abstract: Halftoning gray scale image data includes selection of one of plural dither matrices based on an analysis of local tonality gradient for each target pixel. Plural different but reciprocally compatible dither matrices are defined, and for each target pixel in the gray scale image data, a local gradient for tonality is calculated. One of the dither matrices is selected in accordance with the calculated gradient, and the target pixel is thresholded using the selected dither matrix. Enhanced dithering according to the invention improves smoothness of gradations present in the invention, diminishes the "banding" or "contouring" effect found in natural images, and improves visual appearance and stability of business graphics, particularly in cases where a complex image contains both natural and computer generated business graphics.