Printing apparatus and image output control apparatus for processing image data using a dither pattern

An image processing method for performing image processing in a printing system in which a host computer is capable of bi-directional communication with a plurality of printing apparatuses, and in which each of the printing apparatuses perform the steps of:

• storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• executing a tone-degrading process on input image data for printing, input from the host computer, by using the stored dither pattern;
• outputting the tone-degraded processed image data to an image forming unit;
• receiving an instruction from the host computer to request the dither pattern to be used in the tone-degrading process;
• and
• sending the dither pattern to the host computer to be used in the tone-degrading process in response to the instruction,
• wherein the dither pattern used in the tone-degrading process for printing is also used by the host computer to form a tone-degraded image for displaying.

A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code for an image processing method for performing image processing in a printing system in which a host computer is capable of bi-directional communication with a plurality of printing apparatuses, and in which each of the printing apparatuses performs the steps of:

• storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• executing a tone-degrading process on input image data for printing, input from the host computer, by using the stored dither pattern;
• outputting the tone-degraded processed image data to an image forming unit;
• receiving an instruction from the host computer to request the dither pattern to be used in the tone-degrading process;
• and
• sending the dither pattern to the host computer to be used in the tone-degrading process in response to the instruction,
• wherein the dither pattern used in the tone-degrading process for printing is also used by the host computer to form a tone-degraded image for displaying.

A printing program for an image processing method for performing image processing in a printing system in which a host computer is capable of bi-directional communication with a plurality of printing apparatuses, and in which each of the printing apparatuses performs the steps of:

• storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• executing a tone-degrading process on input image data for printing, input from the host computer, by using the stored dither pattern;
• outputting the tone-degraded processed image data to an image forming unit;
• receiving an instruction from the host computer to request the dither pattern to be used in the tone-degrading process;
• and
• sending the dither pattern to the host computer to be used in the tone-degrading process in response to the instruction,
• wherein the dither pattern used in the tone-degrading process for printing is also used by the host computer to form a tone-degraded image for displaying.

An image processing method for executing an image process to generate a display image, in a system having an image processing apparatus connected to a plurality of printers, said method comprising the steps of:

• inputting, to the image processing apparatus, a dither pattern to be used in a tone-degrading process executed in one of the printers;
• executing the tone-degrading process on image data for display by using the dither pattern inputted from the printer;
• and
• executing a conversion process corresponding to a characteristic of a display device, on the tone-degraded processed image,
• wherein each of the printers comprises:
• means for storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• means for executing the tone-degraded process using the stored dither pattern on input image data;
• and
• means for outputting the tone-degrading processed image data to an image processing unit.

An image processing apparatus, connected to a plurality of printers, for executing an image process to generate a display image, said apparatus comprising:

• inputting means for inputting a dither pattern to be used in a tone-degrading process executed in one of the printers;
• first executing means for executing the tone-degrading process on image data for display by using the dither pattern inputted from the printer;
• and
• second executing means for executing a conversion process corresponding to a characteristic of a display device, on the tone-degraded processed image,
• wherein each of the printers comprises:
• means for storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• means for executing the tone-degrading process using the stored dither pattern on input image data;
• and
• means for outputting the tone-degraded processed image data to an image processing unit.

A program for performing an image processing method for executing an image process to generate a display image, in a system having an image processing apparatus connected to a plurality of printers, the method comprising the steps of:

• inputting, to the image processing apparatus, a dither pattern to be used in a tone-degrading process executed in one of the printers;
• executing the tone-degrading process on image data for display by using the dither pattern inputted from the printer;
• and
• executing a conversion process corresponding to a characteristic of a display device, on the tone-degraded processed image,
• wherein each of the printers comprises:
• means for storing a dither pattern for generating tone-degraded image data based on print data;
• means for executing the tone-degrading process using the stored dither pattern on input image data;
• and
• means for outputting the tone-degraded processed image data to an image processing unit.