Abstract: A printer is made by one firm; a RIP made/programmed by a separate RIP firm processes and sends to the printer image data; a two-bit data pipeline passes data through the RIP; a drop table converts data in the pipe to printer resolution. RIP firms set up the table with output dot-per-pixel structure different from the pipe. Ideally the table is in the printer but formed by the RIP; the RIP has precooked printmask instructions, and the printer, popup instructions to refine mask instructions; the instructions hide nozzle-out error and fix which pass prints each pixel; a computer, monitor etc. receive/create data and pass them to the RIP. Another aspect: a printer has a plural-bit data pipe, and interface to accept an external table to convert data from the pipe to numbers of dots per pixel. The interface best accepts a printmode recipe too.

Abstract: Apparatus and method reduce banding by addressing an image region at under 100% coverage, and adding colorant quanta to selected pixels already receiving that colorant. The amount of that colorant in some pixels is zero, in others a first nonzero number of quanta, in still others a second nonzero number—different from the first. In another aspect, the invention is a method of adding colorant in a region to which colorant is already addressed; it eliminates or reduces white- or light-line banding by automatically establishing a ratio, below half, of number of added-colorant pixels to total number of addressed pixels.