Abstract: Detection section 22 detects the blank space area in each page for all pages of the document, determining section 23 determines image size for combining a designated stamp image in uniform size in all the pages of that document based on a detection result by detection section 22. Combining section 24 combines the stamp image determined by determining section 23 in each page of the document. For example, size of the maximum blank space area which can fit within blank space areas of all pages of the document in uniform size, is sought, image combining is carried out with an original size if the original size of the stamp image is not larger than the maximum blank space area size, and the stamp image is combined to be in a reduced size so that it fits within the maximum blank space area size if the original size of the stamp image exceeds the maximum blank space area size.

Abstract: A control section 9 of a thermal printer 1 performs CMYK/RGB-gray conversion, gradation conversion, halftone conversion for an input image data 3, and performs shift processing and rotation processing in accordance with the resolution and the number of lines of the thermal printer 1. The control section 9 performs heat-accumulation correction processing for the image data subjected to the halftone processing, and the image data subjected to the shift processing and the rotation processing, and then prints a hairline image. When a circular hairline is printed, the control section 9 defines a pattern of circular hairlines, and produces a horizontal hairline pattern.

Abstract: An approach for detecting and correcting printing system print quality defects is disclosed that allows defects to be corrected based on an analysis of image data collected over time, across many separate images, under a wide variety of system status and environmental conditions to allow detection of print quality defects that would otherwise be undetectable. The approach supports the detection and correction of defects related to colorant appearance effects that are correlated to colorant interactions. Techniques are described by which allow image data to be efficiently collected and stored to support a wide range of defect processing techniques. Defect processing may be performed in parallel with print job operations using spare processor CPU cycles and/or may be performed off-line by either the printing system processor or a separate defect processing system. Detected print quality defects may be corrected for using one or more interpolation techniques.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for preventing unauthorized uses of image data by allowing the addition of a specific image in a black-and-white mode even when it is set that a specific image is added in a color mode. When a document is copied, a control section determines whether the apparatus is in a color mode or a black-and-white mode. When in a black-and-white mode, an adding condition determining section reads a set security level and a differential value and determines a security level lower than the one in a color mode. Based on the security level in a black-and-white mode, an adding condition of a specific image is determined. The specific image adding section adds a specific image different from the one in a color mode based on the adding condition. A black-and-white image added with the specific image is printed.