Abstract: A color erasing apparatus includes a conveyance member to convey a sheet on which an image is formed of a color erasable coloring material, a color erasing part to erase a color of the coloring material of the image formed on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, a control part that counts the processed number of sheets images of which are color-erased by the color erasing part and determines whether the processed number of sheets exceeds a previously set threshold, and a notification interface to output a signal for notifying that, cleaning of the color erasing part is required if the processed number of sheets exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: An image correction device includes a processor that executes a procedure. The procedure includes: correcting an image of a read object based on images stored in a storage section of a self-illuminated reference chart image of a reference chart of size corresponding to a mounting region where the read object is mounted that has been read in advance in a state illuminated by only a self-illumination light, a uniform light standard color chart image of a standard color chart that has been read in advance in a state illuminated by only uniform light from a predetermined uniform light source, and a uniform light reference chart image of the reference chart that has been read in advance in a state illuminated by only the uniform light, and based on the image of the read object and a peripheral light standard color chart image read by a reading section.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus, the first image forming apparatus including: a first image forming section which performs image formation on a sheet; a first fixing section which performs image fixation on the sheet on which the first image forming section performs the image formation; and a first control section which makes, when the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus perform the image formation and the image fixation on different sides of a sheet to perform double-sided printing, thereby performing tandem outputting, a tandem-outputting target fixing temperature of the first fixing section lower than a first fiducial temperature which is a non-tandem-outputting target fixing temperature of the first fixing section for when the first image forming performs the image formation and the image fixation alone.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a light amount adjustment portion which performs light amount adjustment on a light source such that the maximum value of the analog output of an image sensor does not exceed the upper limit value of an input voltage range of an A/D conversion portion but approaches the upper limit value; a temperature sensor which measures a temperature; and a storage portion which stores a temperature at the time of the light amount adjustment. When an absolute value of a temperature difference between a temperature stored in the storage portion and the current temperature is less than a threshold value, the light amount adjustment portion does not perform the light amount adjustment whereas when the absolute value is equal to or more than the threshold value, the light amount adjustment portion performs the light amount adjustment.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes simulating a preprinted form using a presentation overlay. The presentation device is directed to present the overlay as if it had been preprinted on the paper. Document data is then mixed with the simulated preprinted form such that the result accurately simulates a real preprinted form.

Abstract: A color management method, wherein a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is used for converting colors from a source device color space to an output device color space in accordance with predetermined color profiles of the source and output devices. The method includes the steps of storing, in the GPU, an at least three-dimensional conversion texture that specifies a color conversion table; loading input color data into the GPU; sampling the conversion texture at a position specified by the input color data, thereby to identify output color data; and outputting the output color data.

Abstract: Devices and methods calibrate an optical scanner by having the scanner scan a calibration surface. The scanner includes a lens causing a distortion of items scanned. During the calibration process, such devices and methods perform a compensation process to remove the distortion from signals output by the scanner when performing the scanning to identify at least one surface irregularity on the calibration surface. After performing the compensation process, the devices and methods adjust the calibration process (using the processor) to apply correction for pixels affected by the surface irregularity. Then, after adjusting the calibration settings, such devices and methods finalize the calibration process and store the scanner settings, again using the processor.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus of this disclosure includes: a scanner unit which generates image data by image scanning and outputs it; a memory; a data processing unit which (a1) performs a predetermined process for either the image data outputted by the scanner unit or the image data for which a preprocess has been performed, (a2) writes the processed image data into a predetermined memory area in the memory in turn, and (a3) returns a writing position of the image data to a top of the memory area and overwrite the image data if the writing position of the image data reaches an end of the memory area; and a control unit which (b1) allocates the memory area in the memory and (b2) measures a shortage amount of the memory area on the basis of a size of an area where the image data has been overwritten.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a first conversion unit configured to convert a first signal value serving as an output signal of each of a plurality of color materials into a value indicating an amount of each of the plurality of color materials; a control unit configured to control the value indicating the amount of each of the plurality of color materials based on a limit value for a total amount of the plurality of color materials for each pixel; and a second conversion unit configured to convert the value indicating the amount of each of the plurality of color materials that is controlled, into a second signal value serving as a corresponding output value, wherein when the total amount of the plurality of color materials based on the first signal value is not larger than the limit value in a pixel of interest, the control unit outputs the first signal value.

Abstract: Techniques are provided that include an algorithm and a computing device using such algorithm to compute a white ink separation channel from the CMYK or RGB data from a print pipeline as an input. This input originally corresponds to print data on a media with standard whiteness, e.g. standard whiteness corresponding to a diffuser used by the Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) 1964 media whiteness formula. In an example implementation, the white ink channel computed by the computing device using such algorithm may be printed as a pre-coat on a colorimetrically different media which does not comply with definitions and formulae of CIE's whiteness and tint.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which prints a composite image formed of a background image and an input image on a recording medium includes: a display; a display image data generating section which generates data of a display image to be displayed on the display; a display controller which controls the display; an input region determining mechanism which determines at least one input region in which the input image is to be inputted on the background image displayed on the display; an image capturing mechanism which captures the input image inputted via the display; a composite image data generating section which generates data of the composite image from data of the background image and the input image captured by the image capturing mechanism; and a printing mechanism which prints the composite image on the recording medium based on the data of the composite image generated by the composite image data generating section.

Abstract: A color calibration method and an image processing device using the same are provided. The method includes: obtaining a first image of a calibration card having color blocks, each of which corresponds to a standard value; obtaining first sensing values according to the first image, wherein each of the first sensing values corresponds to one of the standard values; generating a calibration table according to the first sensing values and the standard values; determining if a recursive condition is satisfied. The method also includes: obtaining a second image of the calibration card if the recursive condition is not satisfied; obtaining second sensing values according to the second image; adjusting the second sensing values according to the calibration table to generate third sensing values; updating the calibration table according to the third sensing values and the standard values until the recursive condition is satisfied. Accordingly, the calibration table is generated automatically.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an automatic acquiring unit which forms a mark for detecting at least one of positional deviation and density deviation and acquire a degree of deviation by measuring the mark, a manual acquiring unit which receives a user input to acquire a correction value; an image forming unit which forms an image based on an actual correction value determined by an automatic correction value specified based on the degree of deviation and a manual correction value which is the correction value acquired by the manual acquiring unit, and a changing unit which executes at least one of a first changing process of applying a weight to at least one of the automatic correction value and the manual correction value and the second changing process of changing at least one of the automatic correction value and the manual correction value into a past correction value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, computer readable instructions for: displaying together in a single display a group of user selectable icons each representing a discrete color scheme for printing an image; and then, in direct response to a user selecting one of the icons, displaying a color preview of the image as the image will appear when printed with the selected color scheme. In another embodiment, computer readable instructions for: allowing a user to select a color scheme, which selects a first color profile; allowing the user to select a printer, which selects a second color profile; identifying a third color profile for a display device; transforming image source data into image print data using the first and second color profiles; transforming the image print data into image display data using the second and third color profiles; and displaying the image on the display device using the image display data.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data from an image forming apparatus, the method including: receiving identification information of a destination of the data; determining whether to transmit the data to the destination corresponding to the received identification information based on a security policy of the image forming apparatus; and transmitting the data to the destination in response to the destination being determined to be a destination to where the data is allowed to be transmitted, based on the security policy.

Abstract: The image reading apparatus includes an operation unit operated by a user for detecting an instruction from the user, a transportation unit for transporting a read medium, a medium detector for detecting the read medium, a reader for reading the read medium, and an instruction detector for detecting the instruction from the user. The instruction detector is different from the operation unit. Moreover, the apparatus includes a controller for performing control, based on the instruction from the user. The instruction detector is valid between a time when the medium detector detects the read medium and a time when reading the read medium is finished.

Abstract: A communication device includes a first acquisition unit that acquires communication setting information of communication device from a server, the communication setting information being information necessary for communication between communication devices through a communication network; a second acquisition unit that acquires network identification information, which is information for identifying the communication network to which the communication device is connected, on the basis of the communication setting information acquired by the first acquisition unit; and a selection unit that, in accordance with the network identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit, selects an operation scheme of the communication device when the communication device communicates with another device through the communication network.

Abstract: A converting unit executes a color conversion process for image data according to a normal profile when a determining unit determines that a prescribed setting is not set for the image data. The converting unit executes the color conversion process for the image data according to a colorant-saving profile configured such that an amount of colorant to be used in the colorant-saving profile is smaller than that in the normal profile when the determining unit determines that the prescribed setting is set for the image data. One of a plurality of input color values of the image data is converted to one of the plurality of output color values according to the colorant-saving profile in the color conversion process. The one of the plurality of input color values has a first hue. The one of the plurality of output color values has a second hue different from the first hue.

Abstract: In order to optimize the calibration tables of a printer, and to improve the calibration for combined printing with respect to one-dimensional calibration, a method for optimized printer calibration is proposed, comprising the following method steps: a) for each primary color, the maximal value is colorimetrically limited; b) each primary color is colorimetrically linearized; c) the maximal value of the combined printing of all primary colors is determined colorimetrically; d) a definition of the resulting color range is made; e) the outer layer of the color range is determined at equal spaces; and f) the intermediate values of the resulting calibration tables are interpolated.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus that makes it possible to conduct an operation for correcting density unevenness in a main-scanning direction of an image, while achieving both the accuracy and the efficiency thereof. The image processing apparatus includes: an outputting section to output data representing a test chart including a plurality of patches respectively having different gradation values and extended in the main-scanning direction; an acquiring section to acquire a measured result of measuring a density of each of the patches included in the test chart printed on the basis of the data outputted by the outputting section; and a control section that compares the density unevenness of a pair of patches being adjacent to each other and deriving from the measured result, so as to determine new data representing a next patch to be outputted on a next occasion, based on a comparison result thereof.