Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a 1-pass recording by a single main scan with respect to a recording medium by a nozzle group including different overlapping nozzles that scan the same overlapping region on the recording medium to record dots. Alternatively, a multi-pass recording is performed by a plurality of main scans with respect to the overlapping region by the same nozzle group or by different nozzle groups. The recording in a central portion of the overlapping region is performed by placing emphasis on the succession or continuity of the dots, while the recording in boundary portions of the overlapping region is performed by placing emphasis on the scattering of the dots.

Abstract: An image processing method is disclosed. A printer driver is a program for performing the method. The printer driver forms print image data that are printed by an inkjet recording apparatus capable of forming multi-level dots by ejecting droplets of recording liquid. The printer driver transforms image data of a manuscript into manuscript image data corresponding to the multi-level dots capable of being output from the inkjet recording apparatus by applying an image process such as a CMM process, a BG/UCR/? correction process, and a gradation process to the image data of the manuscript; further, forms the print image data corresponding to the multi-level dots capable of being output from the inkjet recording apparatus by combining the manuscript image data with data corresponding to the multi-level dots of an image pattern indicating that the manuscript is prohibited from being duplicated by a manuscript and tint block pattern combining section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting recording liquid to perform image formation on a recording medium; and a correcting unit. The correcting unit is configured to divide the recording head by different division patterns each indicating that the recording head is divided into a plurality of segments by at least one different dividing point, correct input and output characteristics for each of the segments in each division pattern to calculate correction effect of the each division pattern, and determine one of the division patterns based on the calculated correction effects of the division patterns as a specified division pattern to correct input and output characteristics of the recording head.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming apparatus for scanning a recording medium in a main scanning direction by an ink-jet head, and conveying the recording medium in a sub scanning direction so that a printing area formed at every scan by the recording head overlaps with an adjacent printing area at their boundary area. The apparatus includes a distribution determining unit that determines a dot distribution at every scan in the overlapped boundary area, a nozzle determining unit that determines an alternative nozzle capable of forming dots instead of an non-ejectable nozzle in the overlapped boundary area, and a dot determining unit that determines a dot size or a dot density from the alternative nozzle, on the basis of a printing position by the alternative nozzle and the dot distribution determined by the dot distribution determining unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a joint head in which a plurality of heads, each having a plurality of nozzles, are arranged in a nozzle arranging direction, and end portions of the heads adjacent to each other overlap, an overlap processing unit that distributes recording dot pattern data used for forming dots by using nozzles of an overlapping portion of the heads out of recording dot pattern data to the nozzles of the recording head adjacent to each other, a first tone correcting unit that performs tone correction, by a first correction characteristic, on recording dot pattern data using the nozzles other than the overlapping portion, and a second tone correcting unit that performs tone correction by a second correction characteristic on recording dot pattern data by using the nozzles of the overlapping portion.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes plural heads that are arranged in a main scanning direction, the heads including plural nozzle arrays that are arranged in the main scanning direction and configured to discharge droplets of recording liquids in at least three different colors including a yellow recording liquid. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge the yellow recording liquid are separately arranged in at least two of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a first recording liquid of the recording liquids in a first color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a second recording liquid of the recording liquids in a second color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided that includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge recording liquid as one or more recording liquid droplets; a drive waveform generating unit configured to generate a drive waveform including at least two drive signals within one printing period; a drive unit configured to input tone data, select a relevant drive signal from the drive waveform via a switch that switches on/off according to the tone data, and apply the selected drive signal to the liquid discharge head; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the tone data to the drive unit plural times within one printing period, the tone data being configured at a plurality of bits per channel.

Abstract: An image forming method is provided for use with an ink-jet printing device which forms a dot on a recording medium by ejecting a drop of recording liquid. In the image forming method, an image in which a ground tint is embedded in one of a foreground part and a background part of an original image is formed, the ground tint indicating that copying of the original image is inhibited. A recording liquid adhesion area of the dot per unit area in the foreground part is made different from a recording liquid adhesion area of the dot per unit area in the background part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a 1-pass recording by a single main scan with respect to a recording medium by a nozzle group including different overlapping nozzles that scan the same overlapping region on the recording medium to record dots. Alternatively, a multi-pass recording is performed by a plurality of main scans with respect to the overlapping region by the same nozzle group or by different nozzle groups. The recording in a central portion of the overlapping region is performed by placing emphasis on the succession or continuity of the dots, while the recording in boundary portions of the overlapping region is performed by placing emphasis on the scattering of the dots.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing device which has an ink-jet recording head in which a plurality of nozzles are formed, and forms an image based on multi-level image data, a gamma correction parameter is selected according to discharging characteristics of the recording head to an input gradation level or according to lightness characteristics of a printed image to an input gradation level, and an image is formed based on the selected gamma correction parameter. For example, even when there is a variation in lightness characteristics of recording heads as in FIG. 9, an optimal gamma correction parameter is selected for each recording head and the image is formed. Thus, a constant image quality is obtained even if the recording heads are exchanged.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes plural heads that are arranged in a main scanning direction, the heads including plural nozzle arrays that are arranged in the main scanning direction and configured to discharge droplets of recording liquids in at least three different colors including a yellow recording liquid. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge the yellow recording liquid are separately arranged in at least two of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a first recording liquid of the recording liquids in a first color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a second recording liquid of the recording liquids in a second color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes plural heads that are arranged in a main scanning direction, the heads including plural nozzle arrays that are arranged in the main scanning direction and configured to discharge droplets of recording liquids in at least three different colors including a yellow recording liquid. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge the yellow recording liquid are separately arranged in at least two of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a first recording liquid of the recording liquids in a first color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a second recording liquid of the recording liquids in a second color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads.

Abstract: An image forming method is provided for use with an ink-jet printing device which forms a dot on a recording medium by ejecting a drop of recording liquid. In the image forming method, an image in which a ground tint is embedded in one of a foreground part and a background part of an original image is formed, the ground tint indicating that copying of the original image is inhibited. A recording liquid adhesion area of the dot per unit area in the foreground part is made different from a recording liquid adhesion area of the dot per unit area in the background part.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes plural heads that are arranged in a main scanning direction, the heads including plural nozzle arrays that are arranged in the main scanning direction and configured to discharge droplets of recording liquids in at least three different colors including a yellow recording liquid. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge the yellow recording liquid are separately arranged in at least two of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a first recording liquid of the recording liquids in a first color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads. At least two of the nozzle arrays that are configured to discharge a second recording liquid of the recording liquids in a second color other than yellow are arranged together in one of the heads.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided that includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge recording liquid as one or more recording liquid droplets; a drive waveform generating unit configured to generate a drive waveform including at least two drive signals within one printing period; a drive unit configured to input tone data, select a relevant drive signal from the drive waveform via a switch that switches on/off according to the tone data, and apply the selected drive signal to the liquid discharge head; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the tone data to the drive unit plural times within one printing period, the tone data being configured at a plurality of bits per channel.

Abstract: An image processing method is disclosed. A printer driver is a program for performing the method. The printer driver forms print image data that are printed by an inkjet recording apparatus capable of forming multi-level dots by ejecting droplets of recording liquid. The printer driver transforms image data of a manuscript into manuscript image data corresponding to the multi-level dots capable of being output from the inkjet recording apparatus by applying an image process such as a CMM process, a BG/UCR/? correction process, and a gradation process to the image data of the manuscript; further, forms the print image data corresponding to the multi-level dots capable of being output from the inkjet recording apparatus by combining the manuscript image data with data corresponding to the multi-level dots of an image pattern indicating that the manuscript is prohibited from being duplicated by a manuscript and tint block pattern combining section.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing device which has an ink-jet recording head in which a plurality of nozzles are formed, and forms an image based on multi-level image data, a gamma correction parameter is selected according to discharging characteristics of the recording head to an input gradation level or according to lightness characteristics of a printed image to an input gradation level, and an image is formed based on the selected gamma correction parameter. For example, even when there is a variation in lightness characteristics of recording heads as in FIG. 9, an optimal gamma correction parameter is selected for each recording head and the image is formed. Thus, a constant image quality is obtained even if the recording heads are exchanged.

Abstract: A gradation reproducing method includes the step of converting multi-level image data into plural-level image data having an amount of information smaller than an amount of information of the multi-level image data, by using a part having a characteristic of a dot conversion curve, so that a gradation of the multi-level image data is reproduced.

Abstract: A head driving unit the generates a driving waveform, each driving waveform including a plurality of driving pulses, and selects one or more driving pulses to be applied to a liquid drop discharging head in response to data corresponding to an image. By selecting a plurality of selection signals that defines the driving pulses to be applied to the liquid discharging head, the head driving unit can change a recording density or record multiple value images.

Abstract: An image-recording device records a high-quality image on a surface of a sheet by altering recording parameters for a one-side recording mode and a two-sided recording mode, for instance, a path number that is a number of paths, which a recording head of the image-recording device takes to record an image on the surface of the sheet, a nozzle number that is a number of nozzles, which the recording head uses to record the image on the surface of the sheet, drive frequency that is a frequency of the recording head at which the recording head records the image on the surface of the sheet, a dot number that is a maximum number of dots, which the recording head records in an area unit of the surface of the sheet and dot density that is density of dots, which the recording head records in an area unit of the surface of the sheet.