Abstract: In the image processing device, method and system of the present invention, a destination identifier of an image file is stored, the destination identifier indicating one of a plurality of external stations as a destination station which receives the image file from the image processing device through a network. At least one of a sender identifier of the image file, a subject identifier of the image file and a scan condition of the image file is stored. The image file is transmitted, together with at least one of the sender identifier, the subject identifier and the scan condition, through the network to one of the external stations indicated by the stored destination identifier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device that, in printing of controlling the amount of color materials applied, changes a screen ruling for image formation according to the relationship between luminance and saturation. A first component obtains color component data of a plurality of colors so that the total amount of controlled variable in each pixel does not exceed a first limit amount. A second component obtains color component data of a plurality of colors so that the total amount of controlled variable in each pixel does not exceed a second limit amount by performing color conversion processing different from the color conversion processing with the first component. A third component performs pseudo halftone processing by changing a screen ruling to be applied to the color component data of a plurality of colors obtained by the color conversion processing with the second component from chromaticity of color image data.

Abstract: A thinned output image is generated from an input image. Values of pixels surrounding a pixel of interest in the input image are determined, and first and second neighboring pixel patterns surrounding the pixel of interest are established based on the values of the pixels surrounding the pixel of interest. The first neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of purge patterns to determine whether to eliminate the pixel, and the second neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of conservation patterns to determine whether to conserve the pixel. The comparisons to the purge and conservation patterns are performed for each pixel independently, and in parallel for all pixels of the input image.

Abstract: An image processing device adjusts black separately from chromatic colors and applies density adjustment capable of controlling the amount of color material according to the density. Such image processing device, capable of communicating with an image recording device, includes a color conversion unit that converts image data expressed in a first color space to color material amount data expressed in a second color space used by an image recording device; a density adjustment unit that increases or decreases the color material amount data based on a specified adjustment value; a dot breakdown unit that converts the increased or decreased color material amount data to dot quantity data expressed as a dot quantity for each of different sizes of dots formed by the image recording device; and a halftone process unit that converts the dot quantity data to data denoting whether or not the dots are formed.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus of a mask for exposure that has a light shielding region 3 and a half-tone region 2 on a transparent substrate 1, includes a storage unit stored with half-tone pattern area data specifying an existing area of the half-tone region 2, a pattern detection unit 22 acquiring a binary image of an area in which to scan over the surface of the transparent substrate by a relative movement with respect to the transparent substrate, and a control unit 20 making effective a detecting operation of the pattern detection unit in the area on the transparent substrate that is specified by the half-tone pattern area data, and making ineffective the detecting operation of the pattern detection unit outside the specified area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a line pair identification unit that includes: a binarization portion that binarizes image data generated by a reading unit reading a document; a detection portion that detects, in an image based on the binarized image data, a line screen pattern in a first direction and a line screen pattern in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction; a determination portion that determines the periodicity of the line screen pattern in the first direction; and an identification portion that identifies whether or not a line pair pattern is present in the image data based on the difference in the number between the two line screen patterns as detected by the detection portion and the results of the determination performed by the determination portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a scaling correction circuit that corrects scaling in a sub-scanning direction of image data according to scaling data, a screen processing circuit that, of image data whose scaling in the sub-scanning direction has been corrected by the scaling correction circuit, performs screen processing on image data included in a screen area; and an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data that has been processed by the screen processing circuit. The scaling correction circuit changes the scaling in the sub-scanning direction such that a pixel arrangement of the screen area after the scaling is changed becomes a pixel arrangement of image data before the scaling was changed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms a halftone image on a print medium (200) using multipass processing of scanning a single area on the print medium (200) by a printhead (220) N times and forming dots every scan operation includes a pass division table (410) used to set the print density ratio of each scan operation, a print data generation unit (370) which generates print data of each scan operation, a printer engine (180) which prints a halftone image on the print medium (200) on the basis of the generated print data, and a sensor (340) which detects the state of printing on the print medium (200) by the printer engine (180). The print data generation unit (370) corrects print data in synchronism with printing by the printer engine (180) on the basis of the set print density ratio and the detected printing state.

Abstract: A data generating circuit incorporated in an ASIC includes a first jetting mode memory circuit which stores information related to a plurality of first jetting modes, a time-sequence information memory circuit which stores time-sequence information of a jetting mode which associates one of the plurality of first jetting modes, for each jetting timing of the nozzle, a second jetting mode memory circuit which stores information related to a plurality of second jetting modes, which are more than types of the plurality of first jetting modes, and a jetting mode selecting circuit which selects a jetting mode at an arbitrary jetting timing among the plurality of second jetting modes, based on the first jetting modes at the arbitrary jetting timing and at least one of the previous and subsequent jetting timings.

Abstract: What is disclosed is an image path that advantageously uses halftone classification to select appropriate mappings in gray-scale management and color management operations. The tags generated in the scanner help identify different classes of halftones. One is selected from several pixel-value mappings to provide proper compensation. That is, the one-dimensional and multi-dimensional pixel-value mappings within the color management module are selected based on halftone classification tags from the scanner. The tagging is either one bit that indicates “Low Frequency Halftone” and “Not LFHT”, or, more preferably, the tag is multi-bit indicating a frequency bin that contains the frequency of the input halftone. Additionally, the multi-bit tag can indicate particular halftone screen types, such as dot screens, line screens, stochastic screens or error diffusion.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for efficiently and accurately estimating the complete TRC for a color marking device equipped with a multi-center cluster halftone screen which has a similar halftone tiling geometry and a similar growth specified by a corresponding single-center cluster halftone screen. The present method introduces a cluster-based printer model which establishes a relationship between a color output of a single-center cluster halftone screen and a color output of a multi-center cluster halftone screen. The present cluster-based printer model determines the complete TRC for the multi-center cluster halftone screen using the measurements for the single-center cluster halftone screen. Results of halftone dot linearization with different printing devices demonstrates that high accuracy can be achieved using the reduced measurements from the single-center cluster halftone screen.

Abstract: A clustered-dot screen design method, a device to perform the clustered-dot screen design method based on human vision characteristics and printer model characteristics, and an image-forming apparatus to output binary images using designed screens. The clustered-dot screen design method based on the human vision characteristics and the printer model characteristics includes determining positions of a plurality of clustered-dot centers using a predetermined method, and designing a screen by growing specific sub-dots about the cluster centers using a predetermined algorithm according to position information of the cluster centers, the human vision characteristics, and the printer model characteristics.

Abstract: Object image data of a processing object image, which virtually has cells each including a set of M×N pixels, is processed. The cells are arranged in steps and are shifted by Dx pixels and by Dy pixels. An input raster buffer stores (N?1) raster data including pixel values of the processing object image. A data updating circuit updates the raster with inputted pixel values. Cell buffers store M×N pixel values regarding one of the cells. Processing circuits output partial data for the processed image data by ubmining a center of gravity position of gradation values in the one of the cells from the M×N pixel values, A control circuit controls storing pixel values regarding each of cells in k-th step using the raster data inputted and the raster data stored when “k•(N?1)+1”-th raster data is inputted to the data updating circuit.

Abstract: Aspects of color of a halftoned image are controlled or adjusted. A method for adjustment can include determining a color description of a color of an area or window associated with a target halftoned pixel, determining a desired adjustment to the color associated with the target pixel, determining a color change value based on the desired adjustment and the color description associated with the target pixel, combining the color change value with at least one value of the target halftoned pixel, thereby generating at least one combined target pixel value and quantizing the at least one combined target pixel value. For instance error diffusion and/or rank-ordered error diffusion is used to perform the quantization. Color adjustments can be based on user preference and/or calibration compensations between original and target devices.

Abstract: Forced compression halftone processes and forced compression techniques may be used to forcibly compress page raster images passed between a Digital Front End (DFE) processor and a Continuous Feed (CF) printer within a CF printing system. If a DFE processor determines that a compressed image size exceeds a static or dynamically predetermined threshold, the DFE processor may re-render the image using a “forced compression” halftone process, such as 2-to-1 forced compression, 4-to-1 forced compression, reduced resolution, etc. Once the page raster image has been re-rendered, the DFE processor may use a forced compression technique, which is complimentary to the applied “forced compression” halftone process to re-compress the page raster image. The approach allows page raster images to be compressed to meet interface bandwidth constraints associated with the physical interface between the DFE processor and CF print engine, thereby allowing otherwise unprintable jobs to be printed with reasonable quality.

Abstract: A control section 9 of a thermal printer 1 performs CMYK/RGB-gray conversion, gradation conversion, halftone conversion for an input image data 3, and performs shift processing and rotation processing in accordance with the resolution and the number of lines of the thermal printer 1. The control section 9 performs heat-accumulation correction processing for the image data subjected to the halftone processing, and the image data subjected to the shift processing and the rotation processing, and then prints a hairline image. When a circular hairline is printed, the control section 9 defines a pattern of circular hairlines, and produces a horizontal hairline pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming device that forms visible images by scanning in a first scan direction and a slow scan direction that is perpendicular to the first scan direction, image data that are arranged in the first scan direction and the slow scan direction. The image data include actual latent image lines formed from actual data, and artificial latent image lines formed using the actual data. The image forming device has a data storage unit that stores the image data so that the total number of scan lines in the image data from one end to the other end in the slow scan direction is an odd number.

Abstract: A disclosed dither matrix is used in halftone processing for converting input image data having M input halftone levels into output image data having N (M>N>2) output halftone levels. In the halftone processing, a concentration type dither matrix is used as the dither matrix when an input halftone level is within a range of input halftone levels corresponding to an output halftone level that is lower than a predetermined threshold level T (N>T>1), and a dispersion type dither matrix is used as the dither matrix when the input halftone level is within a range of input halftone levels corresponding to an output halftone level that is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold level T.

Abstract: In various exemplary embodiments, systems include a segmentor to segment text binary image data to a first plane. A subtractor subtracts text binary image from binary image data to generate a non-text binary image data in a second plane. A converter converts non-text binary image data in the second plane into non-text gray scale image data in the second plane. A first compressor compresses the text gray scale image data in the first plane. A second compressor compresses the non-text gray scale image in the second plane.

Abstract: A luminance signal Ya and a color-difference signal Ua/Va constituting an input image signal is transferred to a frame memory (first memory) in the unit of line synchronously with its horizontal synchronous signal and written therein. A memory TG211 reads out a read-out request RRQ. The cycle of this request RRQ is a time computed based on a single vertical effective period of an output image signal Sc and the number of lines objective for rate conversion of an input image signal Sa. The luminance signal Ya and color-difference signal Ua/Va are transferred in the unit of line from the frame memory to rate conversion units (second memory) through buffers. There occurs no deflection in this transfer cycle and in each transfer cycle, the stable data transmission band can be secured.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to obtain output results consistent with a user's intentions without the front and back sides of the pages getting out of order by not performing output only when both the front and back are blank when performing a blank page save. As a result, print data is input and a sheet management table for each page is produced. Then, when a sheet management table is generated in which print data for both the front and the back of a single printing sheet does not exist, that sheet management table is deleted.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus to perform screen processing for image data, and to form an image based thereon, comprising a screen processing unit to perform the screen processing by using a subcell corresponding to a plurality of pixels, and in which a first and a second threshold values are determined according to each position of the pixels, wherein the screen processing unit obtains threshold values, to output either an invariable value Dmin, an invariable value DMax, or an interpolated value of the two invariable values, and wherein the subcell is determined so that the first threshold value of a given pixel is larger than the first threshold value of a prior pixel and is smaller than the second threshold value thereof, the threshold values of the prior pixel being determined so that a dot is formed in the prior pixel earlier than in the given pixel.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: a data conversion unit that converts first image data into second image data; and an image output unit that outputs an image obtained by reproducing the second image data. The data conversion unit includes: a determination unit which divides the first image data into a dot block each includes plural pieces of dot data, and determines whether or not an array of dot data included in each dot block corresponds to a specific array; and a replacement unit which replaces the data out of the second image data, which is located in a portion corresponding to the dot block, with first replacement data including image forming dot data with which an image is formed. The specific array includes a first array in which the dot data to be thinned out is configured as the image forming dot data, and the dot data not to be thinned out is configured as non-image forming dot data with which an image is not formed.

Abstract: This invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of outputting, without using any special device, an image which is free from changes in density and tint even upon crisscross rotation and exhibits good proportion of a small character. To accomplish this, the pulse width of a laser emission signal is controlled at 16 levels for one dot at 600 dpi, controlling an actual image in the main scanning direction. When adjusting vertical and horizontal line widths, patch data are created by rotating an anisotropic pattern through 0° and 90° (S1 in FIG. 5). Then, a reader/scanner (15) reads each patch as density data (S2 in FIG. 5). A pulse width, that is, line width correction value at which the densities of the patch patterns rotated through 0° and 90° become equal to each other is obtained (S3 in FIG. 5).

Abstract: A method and system for encoding a color image into a monochrome halftoned image for printing, includes the use of a decoding mechanism to recover color information from the monochrome halftone image. A luminance channel associated with the color image can be utilized as the grayscale input to a half-toning process, while chrominance channels are utilized to determine displacements of the halftone dots. The color information can then be restored utilizing a template to measure the displacements of the halftone dots and hence the color information. Thus, the color information can be preserved without visual impact.

Abstract: A printer driver of a Non-PC controls to quantize image data at quantization resolution (resolution 1), convert the quantized data into data resolution (resolution 2), and then transfer the data of the data resolution to an engine unit of an image output apparatus. The engine unit converts the data resolution of the received data into recording resolution (resolution 3) for a recording medium. Here, the quantization resolution is set to be lower than the data resolution. Thus, processing loads in the image processing unit can be reduced, whereby it is possible to provide image output capable of maintaining image quality and speed even under the circumstance that there is no sufficient memory and high-speed CPU, and to provide image output capable of maintaining image quality and speed according to a matrix recording method flexibly coping with various environments and minimizing the load in the engine unit.

Abstract: A dot analysis apparatus includes a dot converging section that converges individual dots forming a dot image toward their respective centers, a selecting section that selects plural dot units each consisting of one main dot and plural sub-dots surrounding the main dot from the converged dots, a calculating section that calculates an interval between the main dot and the sub-dots of each dot unit and a direction of arrangement of the main dot and the sub-dots, and a statistic processing section that determines statistic distributions of the interval and the direction calculated for each dot unit by the calculating section and determines the interval and the direction corresponding to the peaks of their respective distributions as the interval between the regularly arranged dots forming the dot image and the direction of the regular arrangement of the dots forming the dot image, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a print file for printing a 3-D print using a 3-D printing system is described, the 3-D print comprising a plurality of 3-D structures printed on a substrate, each 3-D print structure having a height with respect to the substrate. A two-dimensional source image is input comprising a plurality of image pixel areas. A filtered image is obtained by applying a topographic operator to the source image to generate for every image pixel a representation of a pixel height profile, the pixel height profile corresponding to cross-sections through a 3-D print structure which is to be formed by 3-D printing. Thereby definitions of a plurality of image layers are generated from the filtered image for printing using the 3-D printing system. The print file is output based on the plurality of image layers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of generating a screen for an image processing apparatus, which reproduces a multi-gradation image in one pixel using a PWM technique for controlling a pulse width and reference position data. The method includes inputting image data with a first resolution, virtually increasing the first resolution to a second resolution using the reference position data, and generating a screen with the second resolution with respect to the image data using two reference vectors based on the reference position data.

Abstract: A method of printing a pixel defined by C1, M1, Y1, K1 color values having a sum that is not less than a maximum allowed paper coverage max_cov, including obtaining an adjusted cyan color value Cadj that depends on C1 and K1, an adjusted magenta color value Madj that depends on M1 and K1, and an adjusted yellow color value Yadj that respectively depends on Y1 and K1; assigning a maximum and a minimum of Cadj, Madj, Yadj to max_color and min_color, respectively;selecting a black color value K that is not greater than a minimum of min_color and (Cadj+Madj+Yadj?max_cov+K1)/2; adding K1 to K to obtain a black output color value Kout; determining output non-black primary color values Cout, Mout, Yout and a secondary value S_color such that their sum is equal to max_cov; and half-toning Kout, Cout, Mout, Yout, and S_color.

Abstract: The data sending and receiving controller (104) of sender's communication device (100) sends data with its mode information such as graphic resolution to receiver's communication device (200). The operator at receiver's communication device occasionally requests for re-sending once received data according to the mode information received with the data when the receiver is not satisfied with the data because its resolution is too low etc. The sender's communication device (100) analyzes the content of request and re-sends data with the mode corresponding to the content of request when it is sent from the receiver's communication device (200).

Abstract: The invention provides an exposure apparatus that outputs a stable photographic quality image unaffected by variations in ambient temperature, by suppressing the effects of the temperature variations and achieving accurate grayscale reproduction. In the exposure apparatus, input grayscale data P4 is converted into corrected grayscale data by using a conversion table for correcting for the nonlinearity of exposure density, and grayscale exposure is performed on a photosensitive material by controlling exposure conditions in an exposure head based on the corrected grayscale data; here, the conversion table actually comprises a plurality of conversion tables one for each designated temperature region, and a temperature detector is provided for detecting the ambient temperature, with provisions made to select an appropriate one of the conversion tables under the control of select data in accordance with the temperature data supplied from the temperature detector.

Abstract: A control section 9 of a thermal printer 1 performs CMYK/RGB-gray conversion, gradation conversion, halftone conversion for an input image data 3, and performs shift processing and rotation processing in accordance with the resolution and the number of lines of the thermal printer 1. The control section 9 performs heat-accumulation correction processing for the image data subjected to the halftone processing, and the image data subjected to the shift processing and the rotation processing, and then prints a hairline image. When a circular hairline is printed, the control section 9 defines a pattern of circular hairlines, and produces a horizontal hairline pattern.

Abstract: An image processing method for reducing jaggy effect, which is applied in an image output device, is provided. Firstly, a continuous tone image is generated, and continuous tone pixels are defined according to a first addressing space. Then, a halftone image is generated. After that, the continuous tone image is low-pass filtered to generate a low-pass filtered image. Next, determine whether a position of the low-pass filtered image whose density is approximate to a pre-determined density. If so, generate a set of second addressing space co-ordinates of a key point corresponding to the position. Then, a moving vector corresponding to the key point is generated so as to regulate the position of a display point of the halftone pixel. Afterward, output the display point according to the position after regulation.

Abstract: A method is proposed for converting an image in which each pixel takes one of two binary values, into an image in which each pixel can take continuous values. The method is iterative and works in the space domain. For each pixel, a neighborhood of the image is defined containing that pixel and other pixels. In a first iteration, the method obtains a continuous value for each pixel as a weighted sum of the binary values of the pixels in its neighborhood. In further iterations, the method obtains a continuous value for each pixel as a weighted sum of the values of the pixels in its neighborhood at the previous iteration.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes: a communication unit that communicates with other communication apparatus via a communication network; a detector that detects a communication status of the communication unit during a period of time at least from a time when a call is issued to the other communication apparatus by the communication apparatus until a time when a response from the other communication apparatus to the call is received by the communication apparatus; a light emitting device configured to emit light in a plurality of light emitting states that are visually discernible; and a controller that controls the light emitting state of the light emitting device in accordance with the communication status detected by the detector.

Abstract: The screened printing data are subjected to a filtering method, the raster information being maintained. Intermediate tonal values are produced by the filtering method, using the binary tonal values, the intermediate tonal values being configured in such a way that, by means of a color space transformation, transformed tonal values and/or intermediate tonal values can be formed which represent a true-to-color proof.

Abstract: A method of modifying screened image data so that there is no visible seam when the image is printed repeatedly in a circumferential direction, for example using a drum output device. One version applicable to images screened using a supercell includes cutting the image so that the image size in the circumferential direction is an integral number of screen supercells. Another version includes displacing halftone dots in a neighborhood of the seam such that the seam is not visible in a repeated print.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method for improving the productivity of image reading. Moving speed control processing performed by a control unit causes an image reading portion to move the position of a reading line in a sub-scanning direction of a document, to read an image on the document in the main scanning direction, and to output the image data on the read line. A read image correction portion converts (including primary resolution conversion processing of converting the resolution of the image data in the main scanning direction or sub-scanning direction into a specified resolution) the characteristics of the image data to data characteristics that are predetermined at the time of accumulation of the image data, and accumulates the converted image data in a HDD.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus converts first image data of a first resolution N to second image data of a second resolution M, which is lower than the first resolution N, so as to output the second image data. The apparatus includes a processing unit for determining the position of a target pixel in the first image data in accordance with the ratio of the second resolution M to the first resolution N. The position of the target pixel is then used to define an area in which pixel values in the defined area are used to generate pixel values. The image processing apparatus also includes a selection signal generating unit for generating a selection signal in accordance with the target pixel value and an attribute signal representing the attribute of the target pixel. Also included in the image processing apparatus is an output unit for selecting one of the pixel values generated by the processing unit by using the selection signal so as to output the selected value as the second image data.

Abstract: A highly efficient method and system for eliminating halftone screens from scanned documents while preserving the quality and sharpness of text and line-art is disclosed. The method and system utilizes a single channel screen frequency estimator module, which generates a screen frequency estimate for image data. The module generates a signal based on the highly filtered image signal at low contrast levels, and based on a reliable estimate to the halftone frequency at higher contrast levels. The single channel screen estimate module has adequate performance in resolution ranges from 300 to 600 dpi.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus for enhancing the quality of a printed image without degrading overall printer performance or throughput by simulating 2 bit pel printing on a bi-level printer using intelligent double dotting. The present invention allows a bi-level printer to print an 2N dpi 1 bit-per-pel image through intelligent double dotting, thus enhancing the half resolution rendered image to approach the print quality as if the image were rendered at full resolution. In one embodiment, an enhanced resolution mode which uses a bi-level printer's 1200 dpi mode to print 600 dpi, 2 bit-per-pel images, results in an image having higher resolution quality than rendering the image using traditional halftone methods at either 600 dpi or 1200 dpi. Image enhancement through higher order resolution multiplication is also disclosed.

Abstract: The amount of moiré in halftone printed images is reduced using unique moiré intensity functions and moiré vectors in a halftoner. In various embodiments, moiré phase angle zones are determined over the full field of an image and high addressability units in the full-field moiré phase angle zones of the image are adjusted, including in an iterative manner, until they significantly reduce the moiré. A useful relationship between halftoner memory locations and moiré phase angle zones in a full field image is determined. The moiré that occurs in a halftone image is quantified and moiré compensation values obtained are then used to generate an inverse moire amount which is used to compensate for the moiré.

Abstract: A spatial filter applies a modulation transfer function correction process so as to increase a number of bits of input image data. A high-resolution converter converts the image data into output image data having a density higher than a sampling density of the input image data. One of the spatial filter and the resolution converter processes the image data after the other of the spatial filter and the resolution converter has processed the image data A possibility of saturation of an output of the spatial filter is decreased, thereby decreasing generation of moiré in a saturation calculation.

Abstract: A method of receiving image data indicative of an image and providing to a printer print data, corresponding to said image data, the print data being in a predetermined print format and having a predetermined print resolution, the method including the steps of receiving the image data, converting the image data into first format data having a first predetermined resolution, converting the first format data into the print data and making the print data available to a printer for printing.

Abstract: A method of scaling up an image. The method converts a source image with M*N pixels into a target image with KM*HN pixels and includes the steps of: choosing a pixel from the source image as a processing pixel; analyzing the character of the processing pixel according to values of a plurality of pixels neighboring the processing pixel, and choosing a tilt pattern as a characteristic pattern; calculating a pixel compensation matrix according to the characteristic pattern, the pixel value of the processing pixel, and the values of the pixels neighboring the processing pixel; calculating K*H target pixel values as the target image according to the pixel value of the processing pixel and its corresponding pixel compensation matrix; and repeating the above-mentioned steps until all the pixels of the source image are processed.

Abstract: A communication apparatus is provided which makes it possible to print out all data larger than a display screen in one operation. In addition, the communication apparatus reduces time required for print processing and eases a user's stress due to print waiting by diverting the data for display as the data for recording. In addition, the communication apparatus analyzes received data, generates data for display indicating a screen to be displayed on a display unit and generates data for printing from data for display corresponding to a plurality of screens according to an instruction of printing.

Abstract: A method of receiving image data indicative of an image and providing to a printer print data, corresponding to said image data, the print data being in a predetermined print format and having a predetermined print resolution, the method including the steps of receiving the image data, converting the image data into first format data having a first predetermined resolution, converting the first format data into the print data and making the print data available to a printer for printing.

Abstract: Artifact reduction is achieved by altering the growth of sub-cells for each super-cell in either a pre-determined or random manner. The means of alteration is selected such that the sum of all the groups equals a halftone value. In another embodiment, the random group is selected by using predetermined patterns which are different among sub-cells, such as different means of constructing a dot. Preferably a different pattern is used in adjacent super-cells. In yet another embodiment, the method selects sub-cells patterns that are not aligned on the super-cell boundaries.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a screen processing part that performs a screen processing on image data, a correction processing part that divides the image data subjected to the screen processing into plural regions, determines a correction parameter for each of the regions in response to a characteristic of the screen processing, and performs the correction processing, and an image formation part that forms an image based on the image data subjected to correction processing.