Abstract: A surface characteristics evaluation method for evaluating a surface characteristic of a painted surface including a glittering material, including: a multi-angle condition image acquisition step S101 for acquiring a multi-angle condition image including multi-angle conditions in a continuous manner by performing an image-capturing process to capture how a reflection condition of the painted surface changes when rotating an illumination device 2 emitting light onto the painted surface, the image-capturing process being performed by the line scan camera 4 while a sample P having the painted surface is moved in a certain direction; an in-plane chromaticity distribution acquisition step S102 for acquiring an in-plane chromaticity distribution of the painted surface from the multi-angle condition image acquired; and a surface characteristics evaluation step S107 for calculating particle characteristics S as surface characteristics evaluation values of the multi-angle conditions, on the basis of the in-plane chrom

Abstract: An evaluating method includes obtaining, by an imaging device, a two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution of a surface of a target; classifying, by one or more processors, the surface into a plurality of areas on the basis of chromaticity information of the two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution; and evaluating, by one or more processors, appearance characteristics of the target on the basis of respective sets of chromaticity information of the areas.

Abstract: An evaluation device includes a projector to project a pattern having an edge component onto an object, an imaging device to capture an image of the object, a reflective-property correction unit to correct an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object, and an evaluation-value calculator to evaluate image clarity of the surface of the object based on the corrected amount of change. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method. The method includes correcting an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object based on image data that is obtained by capturing an object onto which a pattern having an edge component is projected, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object.

Abstract: A texture evaluation apparatus includes a projector, an imager, and an evaluator. The projector is configured to project a two-dimensional pattern having an edge element onto an object. The imager is configured to capture an image of a surface of the object. The evaluator is configured to calculate an amount of shape change of a virtual image of the two-dimensional pattern in the image, and evaluate texture of the object based on the amount of shape change and sensory evaluation information obtained in advance.

Abstract: An evaluating method includes obtaining, by an imaging device, a two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution of a surface of a target; classifying, by one or more processors, the surface into a plurality of areas on the basis of chromaticity information of the two-dimensional reflected light amount distribution; and evaluating, by one or more processors, appearance characteristics of the target on the basis of respective sets of chromaticity information of the areas.

Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes at least one illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to normalize each pixel included in an imaging region of one of the spectral reflectance images of the measurement target irradiated with light at a specific illumination angle of the plurality of illumination angles, with one of the spectral reflectance images of the reference object irradiated with light at the specific illumination angle, for each of the plurality of illumination angles so as to generate normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target. The circuitry further calculates a numerical value of at least one color for each pixel of the normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target, for respective ones of the plurality of illumination angles, to measure color of the surface of the measurement target.

Abstract: An evaluation device includes a projector to project a pattern having an edge component onto an object, an imaging device to capture an image of the object, a reflective-property correction unit to correct an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object, and an evaluation-value calculator to evaluate image clarity of the surface of the object based on the corrected amount of change. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method. The method includes correcting an amount of change in shape of a virtual image of the pattern reflected in the object based on image data that is obtained by capturing an object onto which a pattern having an edge component is projected, using reflective-property data of a surface of the object.

Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes at least one illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to normalize each pixel included in an imaging region of one of the spectral reflectance images of the measurement target irradiated with light at a specific illumination angle of the plurality of illumination angles, with one of the spectral reflectance images of the reference object irradiated with light at the specific illumination angle, for each of the plurality of illumination angles so as to generate normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target. The circuitry further calculates a numerical value of at least one color for each pixel of the normalized spectral reflectance images of the measurement target, for respective ones of the plurality of illumination angles, to measure color of the surface of the measurement target.

Abstract: A texture evaluation apparatus includes a projector, an imager, and an evaluator. The projector is configured to project a two-dimensional pattern having an edge element onto an object. The imager is configured to capture an image of a surface of the object. The evaluator is configured to calculate an amount of shape change of a virtual image of the two-dimensional pattern in the image, and evaluate texture of the object based on the amount of shape change and sensory evaluation information obtained in advance.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image information includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image that is uniform in area percentage of each of primary colors and a secondary color on an intermediate transfer belt; a measurer configured to measure amounts corresponding to density distribution of residual toner left on the intermediate transfer belt, on which the image uniform in area percentage of each of the primary colors and the secondary color is formed and from which toner is transferred onto a recording medium, in the main-scanning direction; and a corrector configured to correct a tone value of the image information so as to reduce density nonuniformity of a streak region observed in the density distribution in the main-scanning direction using the amounts measured by the measurer.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image information includes: an image forming unit configured to form an image that is uniform in area percentage of each of primary colors and a secondary color on an intermediate transfer belt; a measurer configured to measure amounts corresponding to density distribution of residual toner left on the intermediate transfer belt, on which the image uniform in area percentage of each of the primary colors and the secondary color is formed and from which toner is transferred onto a recording medium, in the main-scanning direction; and a corrector configured to correct a tone value of the image information so as to reduce density nonuniformity of a streak region observed in the density distribution in the main-scanning direction using the amounts measured by the measurer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming information processor to process image forming information and an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium by forming a toner image using colored-toner and a toner image using glossy toner based on the image forming information processed by the image forming information processor. The image forming unit forms a glossy image on the recording medium based on glossy toner image forming information, in which the glossy image is formable on the recording medium using the colored-toner toner image alone, or a glossy image is formed on the recording medium by forming a colored-toner toner image using colored-toner based on the colored-toner image forming information, and then forming the glossy toner image on the colored-toner toner image as a top layer of the glossy image based on the glossy toner image forming information.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing transfer sheet is provided. The method includes forming a colored toner image on a sheet-like base material based on objective image data. The sheet-like base material has releasability. The method further includes defining an image area on the sheet-like base material based on the objective image data. The image area includes the colored toner image. The method further includes forming a transparent toner layer on the image area. The method further includes forming an adhesive layer on the transparent toner layer. The adhesive layer has hot-melt property.

Abstract: A method of evaluating gloss level based on a specular gloss level of an object measured by a gross meter includes calculating a gloss rating by a function that uses a ratio between 20-degree specular gloss and 60-degree specular gloss as a variable and draws a saturation curve, and calculating an image clarity rating by a quadric or higher dimensional function that uses, as a variable, a difference calculated by deducting a weighted 60-degree specular gloss from a weighted 20-degree specular gloss.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a pseudo-halftoning device; an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium; and a reading apparatus that read the toner image on the recording medium, in which the pseudo-halftoning device is such that pseudo-halftoning is performed on a target image by using a threshold matrix set including a plurality of threshold matrices, one threshold matrix for use is selected from the threshold matrix set according to a position of the target image to be used in the pseudo-halftoning performed on the target image, the threshold matrices in the threshold matrix set are identical with one another in periodic structure but different from one another only in a gradation characteristic, and a threshold matrix to be used is determined based on toner-image information data obtained by reading the toner image by the reading apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit which forms a chromatic toner image and a clear toner image on a recording material, and a fixing unit which fixes these toner images on the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a specifying unit, into which a level of image clarity and a level of gloss including a glossiness of an image are input for image formation; and a control unit that controls an adhesion amount of clear toner per unit area on the recording material based on input information on the image specified by the specifying unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming information processor to process image forming information and an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium by forming a toner image using colored-toner and a toner image using glossy toner based on the image forming information processed by the image forming information processor. The image forming unit forms a glossy image on the recording medium based on glossy toner image forming information, in which the glossy image is formable on the recording medium using the colored-toner toner image alone, or a glossy image is formed on the recording medium by forming a colored-toner toner image using colored-toner based on the colored-toner image forming information, and then forming the glossy toner image on the colored-toner toner image as a top layer of the glossy image based on the glossy toner image forming information.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing transfer sheet is provided. The method includes forming a colored toner image on a sheet-like base material based on objective image data. The sheet-like base material has releasability. The method further includes defining an image area on the sheet-like base material based on the objective image data. The image area includes the colored toner image. The method further includes forming a transparent toner layer on the image area. The method further includes forming an adhesive layer on the transparent toner layer. The adhesive layer has hot-melt property.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a pseudo-halftoning device; an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium; and a reading apparatus that read the toner image on the recording medium, in which the pseudo-halftoning device is such that pseudo-halftoning is performed on a target image by using a threshold matrix set including a plurality of threshold matrices, one threshold matrix for use is selected from the threshold matrix set according to a position of the target image to be used in the pseudo-halftoning performed on the target image, the threshold matrices in the threshold matrix set are identical with one another in periodic structure but different from one another only in a gradation characteristic, and a threshold matrix to be used is determined based on toner-image information data obtained by reading the toner image by the reading apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit which forms a chromatic toner image and a clear toner image on a recording material, and a fixing unit which fixes these toner images on the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a specifying unit, into which a level of image clarity and a level of gloss including a glossiness of an image are input for image formation; and a control unit that controls an adhesion amount of clear toner per unit area on the recording material based on input information on the image specified by the specifying unit.