Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting a media and a page size. A combination is provided for each media/page size pair in a printing system. A user can select a combination from a list of combinations and the media and page size that correspond to the selected combination are identified and used for a print job of the user. A color profile is selected automatically. The selected media is loaded in an appropriate printer and printed. The combination is an encrypted value that includes a media and a page size. The combination optionally includes an entity identifier. The combinations or identifiers are usually specific to a particular entity and cannot be used by other competing entities.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for rendering a halftone image on a medium. The original continuous tone image is divided into a plurality of pixels and each pixel is representative of an area of the original image. Each pixel may comprise a plurality of dots and a level represents the number of dots to be placed within the pixel. Level also refers to an amount of ink which is placed on a medium. Each level is represented as a dot placement and potential dot placements are stored in a data structure. The data structure is large enough to hold the potential levels of one or more pixels. Thus, more than one pixel can be processed and rendered at the same time. The data structure is referenced by the levels of the pixel to be printed and the dot placement stored at the referenced level is output to the output device.

Abstract: A method for color image reproduction that includes an image that is defined by a plurality of pixels. A first array of digital values representing the density and placement of the continuous tone colors contained in each pixel of said image is generated. The first array of digital values is processed so as to derive a separate array of digital multi-level color values representing the density and placement of each color for each of the pixels in the image. The processing generates levels and percentage of ink placements for each level change. In one embodiment, the level and percentage of placement within a level change for each of the pixels is derived using an error diffusion method. The error diffusion method includes digitally processing a separate entry array for each multi-level color value so that for each pixel a separate error diffusion array is generated for a plurality of surrounding pixels.

Abstract: A system and method for color image reproduction prepared from random fixed size dot placement. In one embodiment, a color image is digitized using a scanner or other input device to prepare a red, green, blue (RGB) data file which is input to a central processing unit (CPU). The RGB data file is converted to corresponding standard process color files of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). The CMYK color files are then digitally processed by the CPU using an error diffusion method to generate data files containing representations for each of the CMYK process colors wherein the representations correspond to random fixed size dot representations containing information corresponding to color density and placement for each pixel of the color image. Color separation prints can then be output which can than be aligned and used to print a composite color image reproduction.