Abstract: A method of printing documents in which in one embodiment the pages are converted to a PDF page image which is rasterized and fractional sample pixel matrices generated. Color space values are established for the pixels of the sample matrices, and Index Color obtained from a lookup table and converted to H, S, B coordinates. If the Saturation of the pixels is above a chosen threshold, the page is printed on a color printer, if not it is printed on a black and white printer. In another embodiment, the PDF page image is displayed on a screen and the screen pixels mapped in color space and an Index Color obtained for each mapped fraction pixel and the Index Color converted to H, S, B coordinates. If the saturation level of the pixels is above a chosen threshold, the page is printed on a color printer; if not it is printed on a black and white printer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for halftoning over a region of output pixels by defining large, or macro, halftone cells corresponding to regions of contiguous pixels and partitioning the macro halftone cells into smaller halftone cells. The gray, or hue, level within a macro halftone cell is determined by the number of pixels which are darkened within the macro halftone cell. Selection of the number of pixels to be darkened in response to input data can be effected in a manner to achieve automatic gamma correction.