Text and image quality enhancement

1. A method of improving image quality, the method comprising:

receiving image data comprising a plurality of color planes, the color planes including at least one black separation and at least one non-black separation, wherein each color separation comprises an array of separation pixels, each separation pixel having at least two states, a first state corresponding to depositing no ink and a second state corresponding to depositing ink;

identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data, the stray pixel pattern including a stray separation pixel which corresponds to a misplaced dot in a dot pattern; and

modifying the image data corresponding to the stray pixel pattern, the modification of the image data including setting the stray separation pixel to the first state and setting a second separation pixel within the stray pixel pattern to the second state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data identifies one of several predetermined pixel patterns within a first color separation and wherein setting a second separation pixel within the stray pixel pattern to the second state comprises changing the image data in the first color separation to a pixel pattern that results in a dot pattern corresponding to the stray pixel pattern identified.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data identifies one of several predetermined pixel patterns within the black separation and wherein setting a second separation pixel within the stray pixel pattern to the second state comprises setting each of the separation pixels in the non-black separations corresponding to the stray separation pixel to the second state.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a stray pixel pattern and modifying the image data corresponding to the stray pixel pattern are determined in accordance with

K 2 =K&(R 1 |L 1 |~((~L 3 &~L 4 &L 5 &L 6 )|(~L 2 &L 4 &(L 3 |(~L 3 &L 5 )))))

StrayPixels=K 2 ^K

C

=

C

|

StrayPixels

;

M

=

M

|

StrayPixels

;

Y

=

Y

|

StrayPixels

;

wherein K is an n-bit word of image data for the black separation, R 1 is the n-bit word of image data left shifted by one pixel, L 1 , L 2 , L 3 , L 4 , L 5 , and L 6 are the n-bit word of image data right shifted by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 pixels, respectively, C, M and Y are the n-bit word of image data for cyan, magenta and yellow separations, ~ is a logical NOT, & is a logical AND, | is a logical OR, and ^ is an exclusive OR.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data identifies a pixel pattern comprising a pair of non-black pixels separated by a predetermined number of black only pixels and wherein setting a second separation pixel within the stray pixel pattern to the second state comprises setting each of the separation pixels in the non-black separations corresponding to the first black only pixel following the first non-black pixel to the second state.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein setting a second separation pixel within the stray pixel pattern to the second state further comprises setting a non-black separation pixel corresponding to the second black only pixel following the first non-black pixel to the second state.

7. A method of improving the quality of text output, the method comprising:

receiving image data comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having at least two states, a first state corresponding to depositing no ink and a second state corresponding to depositing ink;

identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data, the stray pixel pattern including a stray pixel corresponding to a misplaced dot in a dot pattern; and

modifying the image data corresponding to the stray pixel pattern to match a second stray pixel pattern, the second stray pixel pattern including a second stray pixel corresponding to a misplaced dot in a dot pattern, the second stray pixel pattern being selected to produce a dot pattern corresponding to the stray pixel pattern the modifying including setting the stray pixel to the first state and changing a second pixel within the stray pixel pattern from the first state to the second state, the second pixel being selected to produce a dot pattern corresponding to the stray pixel pattern.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the received image data comprises a raster image and the second pixel is adjacent to the stray pixel in the raster image.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the stray pixel pattern includes at least one pattern from 11010, 110010, 1100010 and 11000010.

10. A method of improving image quality, the method comprising:

receiving image data comprising a plurality of color planes, the color planes including a black separation and at least two non-black separations, wherein each color separation comprises an array of separation pixels, each separation pixel having at least two states, a first state corresponding to depositing no ink and a second state corresponding to depositing ink;

identifying a stray pixel pattern within the image data, the stray pixel pattern comprising a pair of non-black separation pixels having a second state separated by a predetermined number of black separation pixels having a second state;

modifying the image data corresponding to the first black separation pixel following the first non-black separation pixel by setting the black separation pixel to the first state and setting the separation pixels for the non-black separations to the second state; and

modifying the image data corresponding to the second black separation following the first non-black pixel by pixel setting a separation pixel for a non-black separation to the second state.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined number of number of black separation pixels having a second state separating the pair of non-black separation pixels is selected from 3 to 7 pixels.