System and method for level based image reproduction

A method for rendering an halftone image from multiple level pixel data, the method comprising acts of:

• analyzing the multiple level pixel data to determine valid pixel output levels;
• creating a structure for storing the valid pixel output levels of the halftone image, wherein the structure includes one or more rows that correspond to the valid pixel output levels;
• processing the multiple level pixel data such that each pixel included in the multiple level pixel data is associated with one of the valid pixel output levels;
• placing dot placements in the structure for each of the valid pixel output levels;
• accessing the one or more rows of the structure using the valid pixel output level associated with each of the pixels in the multiple level pixel data to identify a particular row of the structure that stores the dot placement for the valid pixel output level;
• and
• for each pixel, causing the dot placement in the structure that is associated with the valid pixel output level of the pixel to be placed on a medium.

In a system capable of receiving multiple level pixel data, a method for reproducing the multiple level pixel data as a halftone image, the method comprising acts of:

• assigning each of the multiple pixels included in the multiple level pixel data to a valid output level;
• generating a structure that includes rows, wherein the rows store all potential dot placements for all potential levels of the multiple pixels, and wherein each row of the structure stores dot placements for one or more pixels;
• accessing the structure according to the valid output level of the one or more pixels, wherein the valid output level of each pixel identifies a particular row of the structure;
• and
• outputting to an output device the dot placement of each pixel that is stored in the rows of the structure that correspond to the valid output level of each pixel.

A computer program product for implementing a method for reproducing a half tone image from multiple level pixel data, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise:
• program code means for dividing the half tone image into one or more valid output levels and for assigning each of the one or more pixels to one of the valid output levels;
• program code means for generating a structure that includes rows, wherein the rows store all potential dot placements for all of the valid output levels of the one or more pixels, and wherein the structure corresponds to multiple pixels;
• program code means for accessing the structure according to the level of the one or more pixels, wherein the level of each pixel identifies a particular row of the structure;
• and
• program code means for outputting to an output device the dot placement of each pixel that is stored in the rows of the structure that correspond to the level of each pixel.