Inspection apparatus, method of controlling the same, printing system, and storage medium

A printing system including an information processing apparatus that transmits print data to the printing apparatus and causes a printing apparatus to print the print data, the printing apparatus that generates printed matter by executing printing based on the print data, and an inspection apparatus,

• the inspection apparatus comprising:
• one or more first controllers including one or more first processors and one or more first memories, the one or more first controllers being configured to:
• obtain image data to be inspected by reading printed matter;
• in a case where an inspection process for inspecting a defect of the printed matter is set, perform an inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by reading the printed matter, based on a reference image;
• in a case where a character quality inspection process for inspecting a quality of a character of the printed matter is set, perform a character quality inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by a reading process of reading the printed matter, based on the reference image;
• and
• instruct so as to adjust image data to be printed by a printing apparatus that generated the printed matter in accordance with an inspection result of the character quality inspection process on the image data which has been obtained by the reading process,
• wherein, in the character quality inspection process, the one or more first controllers are further configured to:
• cut out a character to be inspected from the image data to be inspected and the reference image, which are to be used, and obtain a character thickening level indicating thickening or thinning of a line width of the cut-out character,
• wherein, in making the instruction so as to adjust image data, the one or more controllers are configured to instruct an adjustment amount for the adjustment in accordance with the character thickening level, and
• the printing apparatus or the information processing apparatus comprising:
• one or more second controllers including one or more second processors and one or more second memories, the one or more second controllers being configured to:
• transmit, to the inspection apparatus, image data to be the reference images generated from print data,
• wherein, in the instruction, the one or more first controllers are configured to make an instruction for the adjustment to the printing apparatus or the information processing apparatus, and
• wherein the character thickening level is determined based on a difference between the number of pixels whose difference data between each pixel value of pixels of a character portion of the character to be inspected of the image data to be inspected and each pixel value of corresponding pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image is negative and the number of pixels whose difference data is positive, with respect to the number of pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image.

A method of controlling an inspection apparatus including a reading unit configured to obtain image data to be inspected by reading printed matter and operable to inspect the printed matter, the method comprising:

• in a case where an inspection process for inspecting a defect of the printed matter is set, performing an inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by reading the printed matter by the reading unit, based on a reference image;
• in a case where a character quality inspection process for inspecting a quality of a character of the printed matter is set, performing a character quality inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by a reading process of reading the printed matter, based on the reference image;
• and
• instructing so as to adjust image data to be printed by a printing apparatus that generated the printed matter in accordance with an inspection result of the character quality inspection process on the image data which has been obtained by the reading process;
• cutting out a character to be inspected from the image data to be inspected and the reference image, which are to be used, and obtain a character thickening level indicating thickening or thinning of a line width of the cut-out character;
• and
• in making the instruction so as to adjust image data, instructing an adjustment amount for the adjustment in accordance with the character thickening level,
• wherein the character thickening level is determined based on a difference between the number of pixels whose difference data between each pixel value of pixels of a character portion of the character to be inspected of the image data to be inspected and each pixel value of corresponding pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image is negative and the number of pixels whose difference data is positive, with respect to the number of pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor to execute a method of controlling an inspection apparatus including a reading unit configured to obtain image data to be inspected by reading printed matter and operable to inspect the printed matter, the method comprising:

• in a case where an inspection process for inspecting a defect of the printed matter is set, performing an inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by reading the printed matter by the reading unit, based on a reference image;
• in a case where a character quality inspection process for inspecting a quality of a character of the printed matter is set, performing a character quality inspection process on the image data to be inspected, which has been obtained by a reading process of reading the printed matter, based on the reference image;
• instructing so as to adjust image data to be printed by a printing apparatus that generated the printed matter in accordance with an inspection result of the character quality inspection process on the image data which has been obtained by the reading process;
• cutting out a character to be inspected from the image data to be inspected and the reference image, which are to be used, and obtain a character thickening level indicating thickening or thinning of a line width of the cut-out character;
• and
• in making the instruction so as to adjust image data, instructing an adjustment amount for the adjustment in accordance with the character thickening level,
• wherein the character thickening level is determined based on a difference between the number of pixels whose difference data between each pixel value of pixels of a character portion of the character to be inspected of the image data to be inspected and each pixel value of corresponding pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image is negative and the number of pixels whose difference data is positive, with respect to the number of pixels of the character portion to be inspected of the reference image.