Abstract: A method for printing an image includes: generating a third table in which a second table, indicating a relationship between one of a plurality of brightness values and an amount of ink of an achromatic color for representing the one of the brightness values, is embedded in the first table, indicating a relationship between a color defined by each of the first lattice points and amounts of the ink of the achromatic color and ink of chromatic colors; converting first RGB components of the image data corresponding to a character area into the RGB components defined by the some of the lattice points based on brightness values of the RGB components of the image data, thereby generating modified image data; converting the RGB components of the modified image data into amounts of the ink o; and printing the image in accordance with the converted amounts.

Abstract: An image processing system is provided and includes a first receiving unit, a print control unit, a second receiving unit, a read control unit, and a composition unit. The first receiving unit receives an order-sheet request, and the print control unit causes a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request. The second receiving unit receives a scan request, and the read control unit causes an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request. Also, the composition unit composites an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images. A method that the system performs is also provided.

Abstract: An image processing system comprising: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a scanned image; a non-voltage storage medium that stores correction information corresponding to a known object having a three-dimensional shape defined by the standard; when an object of the scanned image is the known object, a correction unit that corrects a shadow area of the scanned image corresponding to a shadow resulting from thickness of the known object, on the basis of the correction information.

Abstract: A position of a leading edge of an original sheet should be accurately detected utilizing a shadow thereof, irrespective of thickness of the original sheet. In a scanner, an image sensor recognizes the shadow of the leading edge of the original sheet projected on a projection screen when a light source emits light to the original sheet being automatically transported on a glass plate. The original sheet is determined to have reached a reading position, when the original sheet is further transported by a predetermined distance after the shadow is recognized. The projection screen is located above the glass plate at a position spaced apart from the image sensor by a predetermined distance, and hence the timing that the shadow of the leading edge of the original sheet is projected on the projection screen is constant irrespective of the thickness of the original sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus comprising: a read unit that reads a target to be read as color data of N colors (N is a positive integer) that form a color space; a generator that generates pixel data of one pixel from the read color data of the N colors; a determining unit that determines whether the generated pixel data is present in an achromatic edge area that includes an achromatic edge; and a processing unit that, if the generated pixel data is determined to be present in the achromatic edge area, generates, for pixels in the achromatic edge area, achromatic pixel data of the color space from one item of the read color data of the N colors forming the color space and also generates image data from the generated achromatic pixel data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reading unit that reads image data; a counting unit; a non-cumulative counting unit; a non-cumulative frequency storing unit; a cumulative value calculation unit; a cumulative value storing unit; and a print range determination unit, wherein the cumulative value calculation unit does not change the cumulative value in the case where no pixel having a luminance equal to or smaller than a predetermined luminance value is counted by the counting unit, and the cumulative value calculation unit adds the number of pixels counted by the counting unit and subtracts a value corresponding to the frequency stored in the non-cumulative frequency storing unit to and from the cumulative value at that time point so that a resultant value is used as the cumulative value in the case where the pixels having a luminance equal to or smaller than a predetermined luminance value are counted by the counting unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a reading unit; a counting unit; a cumulative value calculation unit; a cumulative value storing unit; and a print range determination unit, wherein the cumulative value calculation unit sets a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the cumulative value, as the cumulative value, in the case where the number of pixels having a luminance equal to or smaller than a predetermined luminance value is not counted by the counting unit.

Abstract: A photographic image region extracting apparatus includes: a scanner portion that emits a light to a photographic sheet on which a photographic image is fixed to read a light reflected from the photographic sheet, and outputs image data including the photographic sheet; a photographic sheet extracting portion that extracts a region of the photographic sheet based on the image data output from the scanner; a margin deciding portion that decides presence of a margin around the photographic image based on image data of the photographic sheet region extracted by the photographic sheet extracting portion; and a photographic image extracting portion that specifies a region the photographic image based on a result of the decision of the margin deciding portion and outputs the specified region of the photographic image.

Abstract: Provided is a serial printer including: a reading unit configured to read a raster image from a manuscript medium; an analysis unit configured to derive a horizontal distribution of pixels darker than a background color of the manuscript medium in each band including a predetermined number of lines with respect to the raster image; a threshold derivation unit configured to derive a fixed threshold according to a length L of a section in which a cumulative frequency of the horizontal distribution of an edge of the band does not exceed a predetermined temporary threshold; and a movement distance control unit configured to reduce the movement distance of a printing head according to a section in which the cumulative frequency of the horizontal distribution from the edge of the band exceeds the fixed threshold.

Abstract: An image forming system is provided and includes an access unit, a reductive color processing unit, an order sheet print control unit, a composition unit, and a composite print control unit. The access unit accesses a user image stored in a recording medium, the processing unit forms a background image by reducing a color gamut of the user image, and the order sheet print control unit causes a printer unit to create an order sheet on which the background image is printed in a free rendering area. Also, the composition unit separates an area of a subject recorded by a user in the free rendering area from an image of the free rendering area read by a scan unit based on a color gamut of the background image and superimposing the area of the subject on the user image to thereby form a composite image. Finally, the composite print control unit causes the printer unit to print the composite image. A method that the system performs is also provided.

Abstract: A coloring image generating apparatus includes: an acquiring unit that acquires an image; an edge intensity calculating unit that calculates an edge intensity frequency distribution of the image; a threshold value setting unit that sets a threshold value for dividing a coloring image into a contour portion and a blank portion according to distribution characteristics of the edge intensity frequency distribution; and a generating unit that discriminates the contour portion from the blank portion in the image on the basis of the threshold value and generates a coloring image.

Abstract: A method for printing an image includes: generating a third table in which a second table, indicating a relationship between one of a plurality of brightness values and an amount of ink of an achromatic color for representing the one of the brightness values, is embedded in the first table, indicating a relationship between a color defined by each of the first lattice points and amounts of the ink of the achromatic color and ink of chromatic colors; converting first RGB components of the image data corresponding to a character area into the RGB components defined by the some of the lattice points based on brightness values of the RGB components of the image data, thereby generating modified image data; converting the RGB components of the modified image data into amounts of the ink o; and printing the image in accordance with the converted amounts.

Abstract: Provided is a method of generating ink amount data which is the used amounts of inks of respective colors when an image is printed, by analyzing image data of the image, the method including: extracting a character area, of which a saturation value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, from the image by analyzing the image data; dividing the character area into a character contour area which is a contour part of the character and a character inside area which is the inside of the character; and converting the image data of the character contour area and the image data of the character inside area into the ink amount data of at least one type of achromatic color ink and at least three types of chromatic color inks, wherein the converting of the ink amount data includes converting the image data of the areas into the ink amount data such that the chromatic color inks are largely used in the character inside area compared with the character contour area.

Abstract: An image processing device that processes input image data includes: an image dividing unit that divides the input image data into a plurality of blocks; an image type determining unit that determines the type of the input image data for every block on the basis of the number of edge elements included in the block; a frequency component conversion unit that converts color components of the input image data into frequency components for every block; and an image compression unit that compresses corresponding image data for every block by specifying unnecessary components of the converted frequency components of the image data on the basis of the determined type of the image data and suppressing or removing the specified unnecessary components.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that generates printing data comprising a scanner mechanism that reads an image of a document to set the read image as image data; a printing-pixel number distribution grasping member that sets a band as one unit, and grasps distribution of the number of printing pixels in a main scanning direction of the serial printer in every band; a processing-band setting member that sequentially sets each band as a processing band; a reference position setting member that sets an analyzing band, obtains a cumulative value and sets a start reference position when the cumulative value exceeds a predetermined range, and obtains a cumulative value and sets a end reference position when the cumulative value exceeds the predetermine range; and a printing-data generating member that generates printing data by setting a printing area based on the start reference position and the end reference position.

Abstract: When a memory card is placed in a printer, a service layer requests a file list manager to create an image information list. When the memory card is removed, the service layer requests the file list manager to discard the image information list. When image data is written onto the memory card by a host computer PC or a scanner function of the printer, when a print command is issued, the service layer requests the file list manager to update the list. When the image data is changed by the scanner, the list is updated; when the image data is changed by the host computer PC, the list is maintained.

Abstract: A watercolor effect-added coloring picture 10 includes original image color areas 16 formed along linework areas 12 to be extended in a predetermined range from the linework areas 12 and filled with specified colors based on the colors of an original image, and blank areas 14 formed adjacent to the original image color areas 16. The linework areas 12 are filled with an achromatic gray color having a high luminance value, while the original image color areas 16 are filled with chromatic colors and are formed to have higher luminance values than the luminance value of the linework areas 12. This arrangement gives the watercolor effect as one illusion effect that creates the optical illusion of spread of a paler color over a neighboring area adjacent to a paler color line of two-color double lines. Although the blank areas 14 are actually not filled with any colors, the watercolor effect gives the illusion of the spread of the specified colors of the original image color areas 16 over the whole blank areas 14.

Abstract: An image processing system comprising: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a scanned image; a non-voltage storage medium that stores correction information corresponding to a known object having a three-dimensional shape defined by the standard; when an object of the scanned image is the known object, a correction unit that corrects a shadow area of the scanned image corresponding to a shadow resulting from thickness of the known object, on the basis of the correction information.

Abstract: An image processing system comprising: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a scanned image; a non-voltage storage medium that stores correction information corresponding to a known object having a three-dimensional shape defined by the standard; when an object of the scanned image is the known object, a correction unit that corrects a shadow area of the scanned image corresponding to a shadow resulting from thickness of the known object, on the basis of the correction information.

Abstract: A method of printing a two-dimensional code using an ink jet printer includes ejecting ink within a predetermined ink ejecting area to form a colored cell constituting the two-dimensional code such that ink bleed adjusting portions are arranged along the outer edge of the ink ejecting area, each ink bleed adjusting portion being a portion where ink is not ejected or a smaller amount of ink than normal amount is ejected.