Automatic highlighting of document to be printed

Abstract

SOLUTION: A disclosed MFD, for example, comprises: a printing head for discharging a printing material; a highlight printing head for discharging a highlight printing fluid; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium for recording a plurality of instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, make the processor execute operation including: determining that an automated highlighting function has been selected; analyzing each pixel of an image to be printed to determine one or more pixels to receive the highlight printing fluid; controlling the printing head to print an image; and controlling the highlight printing head to discharge the highlight printing fluid onto the one or more pixels that receive the highlight printing fluid.EFFECT: A printing image can be automatically clarified.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to printed documents, and more specifically, to methods and apparatuses for automatically adding emphasis to selected portions of a document to be printed.

Background Art

[0002] An image can be printed on a substrate using a printing device. The image can be printed by ejecting a printing fluid or toner onto a desired portion of the substrate. A processor can control the movement of the print head and the amount of printing fluid ejected onto a selected portion of the substrate. The printing fluid can include various colors for printing an image. Alternatively, a laser printer may apply toner onto a desired portion of the substrate in black or various different colors and melt the toner to print an image.

[0003] However, it can be difficult to improve print quality without significant redesign and cost. An image with a higher contrast between the darkest black and the brightest white may appear sharper and more realistic. This is because the contrast ratio in the real world is greater than what can be reproduced in any printing. Therefore, to improve a printed image, the contrast ratio can be increased. However, increasing the contrast ratio of a printed image can be difficult.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to embodiments described herein, a multi-function device (MFD) and method for automatically clarifying a document to be printed are provided. One of the features disclosed in the embodiments is an MFD comprising a print head for ejecting printing material, a highlighting print head for ejecting a highlighting print fluid, a processor, and a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform actions including determining that an automated highlighting function has been selected, analyzing each pixel of an image to be printed to determine one or more pixels to receive the highlighting print fluid, controlling the print head to print the image, and controlling the highlighting print head to eject the highlighting print fluid onto one or more pixels to receive the highlighting print fluid.

[0005] Another disclosed feature is a method for automatically highlighting a document to be printed. The method performed by the MFD's processor includes determining that an automated highlighting function has been selected; analyzing each pixel of the image to be printed to determine one or more pixels to receive the highlighting print fluid; ejecting the printing material to print the image; and ejecting the highlighting print fluid onto one or more pixels to receive the highlighting print fluid. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] The teachings of this disclosure can be easily understood by considering the embodiments for carrying out the following invention in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] The present disclosure shows an exemplary block diagram of an MFD including a print head for performing automated highlighting of documents to be printed. [Figure 2] This disclosure shows a comparison of an image with the enhancements described herein and an image without such enhancements. [Figure 3] A block diagram illustrating an exemplary pixel analysis for determining which pixels receive the emphasis described in this disclosure is shown. [Figure 4]A flowchart shows how to automatically clarify printed documents of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This specification shows an exemplary high-level block diagram of a computer suitable for use when performing the functions described herein.

[0007] To facilitate understanding, whenever possible, the same reference number is used to indicate the same element common to the drawings. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This disclosure broadly discloses methods and apparatus for automatically clarifying printed documents. As mentioned above, improving print quality without significant redesign and cost can be difficult. Images with high contrast between the darkest blacks and brightest whites may appear sharper and more realistic. This is because the actual contrast ratio is greater than what can be reproduced in any print. Therefore, the contrast ratio can be increased to improve printed images. However, increasing the contrast ratio of printed images can be difficult.

[0009] This disclosure provides users with the ability to automatically enhance printed images with an enhancement fluid. Users can select the auto-enhancement function on the user interface of the MFD of this disclosure. The auto-enhancement function can automatically select pixels to receive the enhancement fluid in order to improve the contrast ratio of the image.

[0010] In one embodiment, the enhancement printing fluid may be a clear coat printing fluid that can be dispensed onto dark pixels. For example, dark pixels may be pixels whose pixel color value is below a threshold in an 8-bit color value system, where 0 is black and 255 is white. In another embodiment, the enhancement printing fluid may be a matte coat printing fluid.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an exemplary multifunction device (MFD) 100 of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the MFD 100 may include a processor 102, memory 104, a print head 106, a fluid-enhanced print head 108, and a display 114. The processor 102 may be communicatively coupled to the memory 104, the print head 106, the fluid-enhanced print head 108, and the display 114.

[0012] In one embodiment, the memory 104 may be any type of non-temporary computer-readable medium. For example, the memory 104 may be a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), etc.

[0013] Memory 104 can store various types of information. For example, memory 104 can store instructions executed by processor 102 to perform the functions described herein. Memory 104 can store various processes and / or algorithms to automatically select image pixels to receive the enhanced printing fluid 112 ejected by the enhanced printing fluid print head 108. Memory 104 can also store thresholds used by processor 102 to determine which pixels are selected, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0014] In one embodiment, the processor 102 may control the operation of the print head 106 and the enhanced printing fluid print head 108. The processor 102 may control the print head 106 to eject the printing material 110 onto the substrate 150 to print an image. In one embodiment, the substrate 150 may be paper. This disclosure can improve the image quality of images printed on standard paper without requiring the use of potentially more expensive glossy substrates.

[0015] The print head 106 may be an inkjet print head, and the printing material 110 may be a printing fluid or ink. For example, the print head 106 may include a single-color print head (e.g., black) or a multi-color print head that includes several different color ink reservoirs for different colored inks. For example, the print head 106 may be a cyan, yellow, magenta, and black (CYMK) print head.

[0016] In one embodiment, several print heads 106 may be arranged so that each holds a different color printing material 110. For example, separate print heads 106 may be arranged for cyan, yellow, magenta, and black. The processor 102 may control how much of each color is ejected at a desired location on the substrate 150 in order to produce a particular color. The process may be repeated for various locations on the substrate 150 in order to print a desired image.

[0017] In one embodiment, the print head 106 may be part of a laser printer, and the printing material 110 may be toner. The toner may be ejected by the print head 106 to a desired location on the substrate 150 and dissolved to print an image.

[0018] The processor 102 may also control the enhancement fluid print head 108 to eject a desired amount of enhancement fluid 112 onto desired locations on the substrate 150. The enhancement fluid 112 may be a clear coat print fluid or a matte coat print fluid. An example of the enhancement fluid 112 may be a clear toner known as "Xerox Color / 1000 Clear Toner". The enhancement fluid 112 may be ejected at desired locations to increase the contrast of the image and improve the overall image quality. For example, by adding the enhancement fluid 112, the contrast between dark and light colors may be increased beyond the contrast level achievable by the color print fluid 110 alone.

[0019] The location on the substrate 150 that receives the enhancement printing fluid 112 may be determined based on the type of enhancement to be deployed. For example, various types of enhancement may include contrast enhancement, feathered contrast enhancement, boundary enhancement, edge enhancement, or any combination thereof (e.g., feathered boundary).

[0020] In one embodiment, the MFD 100 can operate by printing an image onto a substrate 150 in a first pass using a print head 106. The MFD 100 can then eject a highlighting fluid 112 onto a determined subset of pixels in the image in a second pass. In another embodiment, the printing material 110 and the highlighting fluid 112 may be ejected in a single pass. For example, the printing material 110 may be ejected at one location, and then, if necessary, the highlighting fluid 112 may be ejected at the same location. The print head 106 and the highlighting fluid print head 108 may move to the next location to eject the printing material 110 and / or highlighting fluid 112, etc., until the image is printed with the desired highlighting.

[0021] In one embodiment, the display 114 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) 116. The display 114 may be a touchscreen display or may include a separate input device (e.g., a keyboard, trackpad, mouse, etc.). The GUI 116 may present a window that allows the user to enable the auto-highlighting function of the MFD 100. When the auto-highlighting function is enabled, another window (not shown) may present different types of auto-highlighting available, allowing the user to select one of the different types of auto-highlighting.

[0022] In one embodiment, GUI 116 may present a preview screen 118. The preview screen 118 may show a preview image of the image to be printed with auto-enhancement. When the auto-enhancement function is removed or deselected, the preview screen 118 may be changed to show the image to be printed without auto-enhancement.

[0023] In one embodiment, the GUI 116 may also include an interface for adjusting the level of emphasis applied. For example, the interface may be a dial, a slider bar, a box for entering a percentage, etc. that can adjust the amount of emphasis. For example, a user may want to apply partial emphasis to a printed image. The GUI 116 may enable the user to adjust the level of emphasis, and the GUI may also present on the preview screen 118 how the image may appear with the partial emphasis set by the user.

[0024] Note that the MFD 100 of the present disclosure is simplified for ease of explanation and may include additional components not shown. For example, the MFD 100 may include additional components such as an optical scanner for performing a scan function and a copy function. The MFD 100 may include a network interface for establishing a wired or wireless network connection to the Internet or for transmitting an email. The MFD 100 may include a paper tray, a digital front end (DFE) for converting a print job request into a printer description language (PDL), etc.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary image 202 without using automatic emphasis and an exemplary image 204 using automatic emphasis. In one example, the image 204 is subjected to contrast enhancement where "dark" pixels (e.g., pixels having a color value below a threshold where a value of 0 is black) are located. As seen in the comparison between the image 202 and the image 204, the image 204 has a darker black. Thus, the contrast level within the image 204 is increased and it appears more natural compared to the image 202.

[0026] Figure 3 shows an example of automatic enhancement that can be performed by processor 102. As described above, there may be different types of automatic enhancement that can be applied. These different types may include contrast enhancement, feathered contrast enhancement, boundary enhancement, or edge enhancement.

[0027] In one example, automatic enhancement can be performed by analyzing each pixel of the image to be printed to determine which pixels are eligible to receive the enhanced printing fluid 112. Figure 3 shows an exemplary portion of image 300 having pixels 3021-3029 (hereinafter referred to individually as pixels 302 or collectively as pixels 302). Note that while Figure 3 shows nine pixels as an example, the image to be printed may contain many more pixels (e.g., several thousand).

[0028] The embodiment shown in Figure 3 is based on an 8-bit color scheme in which each pixel 302 may have a color value between 0 and 255. A value of 0 may be associated with black, and a value of 255 may be associated with white. The example shown in Figure 3 shows each pixel 302 having a single color value (for example, the image may be a black and white image). However, it should be noted that the analysis can be extended to full-color images (e.g., red, green, and blue (red, green, blue, RGB)) in which each pixel 302 has three color values ​​of red, green, and blue, or any other color scheme.

[0029] In one embodiment, a threshold may be set for contrast enhancement and stored in memory 104. In one example, a first threshold 30 shown in Figure 3 may be set as the threshold. The processor 102 may determine the color value of each pixel 302 and compare the color value with a threshold (e.g., 30). If the color value of a pixel 302 is below the threshold, the pixel 302 can receive the enhancement printing fluid 112. In the example illustrated in Figure 3, pixels 3021, 3024, and 3027 may be identified or determined to be one or more pixels 302 that can receive the enhancement printing fluid 112.

[0030] In one embodiment, multiple thresholds may be set for feathered contrast enhancement, and the enhancement fluid 112 may be gradually added toward the darkest pixels. In one example, the enhancement fluid 112 may be "feathered" by ejecting the enhancement fluid 112 in a halftone pattern.

[0031] For example, Figure 3 shows a first threshold of 30 and a second threshold of 30-60. Pixels 302 with color values ​​below the first threshold of 30 can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112. Pixels 302 with color values ​​within the second threshold of 30-60 can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112 in a halftone pattern.

[0032] Using image 300 as an example, pixels 3021, 3024, and 3027 may have color values ​​below a first threshold of 30. As a result, pixels 3021, 3024, and 3027 can each receive the enhanced printing fluid 112. Pixels 3022, 3025, and 3028 may have color values ​​within a second threshold of 30 to 60. As a result, pixels 3022, 3025, and 3028 can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112 in a halftone pattern. In other words, pixel 3022 can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112, pixel 3025 can be skipped, and pixel 3028 can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112.

[0033] In one embodiment, the enhancement fluid 112 can be "feathered" across three or more lines. For example, a third threshold can be used to dispense the enhancement fluid 112 for every third pixel, for instance. As a result, the enhancement fluid 112 can be applied gradually from a low-density pattern (less than all other pixels 302 or all pixels 302 below an intermediate threshold) to a completely dense pattern (e.g., all pixels 302 below a first threshold).

[0034] As described above, contrast enhancement and feathered contrast enhancement can also be applied to color images. When color pixels are analyzed, each color can be associated with a threshold. For example, in an RGB image, there may be 30 first thresholds for red, green, and blue. In another embodiment, the first thresholds may be different. For example, the first thresholds may be 30 for red, 50 for green, and 20 for blue. Thus, by analyzing each color pixel and comparing it with its respective color threshold, it is possible to determine which color pixels are identified as a subset of pixels that can receive the enhanced printing fluid 112.

[0035] Another type of enhancement could be edge enhancement. For example, instead of adding enhancement fluid 112 based on color values, the enhancement fluid 112 could be ejected based on the location of pixels 302. For example, an edge detection function (e.g., the Canney edge detection algorithm) could be applied to the image 300 to determine the edges of objects in the image 300. The enhancement fluid 112 could then be ejected onto pixels located along the portions defined as edges to provide a "glossy edge pop".

[0036] For example, referring back to Figure 2 of Image 204, an edge can be a place that outlines an object. For example, Image 204 shows exemplary edges 206, 208, and 210. Edge 206 could be a line separating hair from the forehead. Edge 208 could be a line separating the hand from the cheek. Edge 210 could be a line separating the back of the hand from a dark background, and so on. Thus, the enhanced printing fluid 112 can be ejected along edges 206, 208, and 210 onto the pixels, as well as along any other edges detected in Image 204.

[0037] Another type of enhancement may be boundary enhancement. Boundary enhancement can create a frame pop by ejecting an enhancement printing fluid 112 around the outside of the image 300. The boundary can be any shape, such as a rectangle, square, or circle. The boundary can be the shape of an object, such as a heart. In one embodiment, the boundary may also be feathered through halftones, such as feathered contrast enhancement.

[0038] For example, in Figure 3, with respect to the square boundary, pixels 302 around the outside can receive the enhancement printing fluid 112 and create a "boundary pop". In other words, pixels 3021, 3022, 3023, 3024, 3026, 3028, and 3029 can receive the enhancement printing fluid 112. Boundary enhancement can include lines of any number of pixels around the outside of the image, based on the desired thickness of the boundary. For example, two outer lines around the image, three outer lines around the image, etc., can receive the enhancement printing fluid 112 and have boundary enhancement applied.

[0039] Therefore, this disclosure enables a user to automatically apply enhancement to a printed image to improve the contrast and image quality of the printed image. In other words, unlike other software programs that may require the user to adjust the printed image after printing and select the areas or pixels to be enhanced, this disclosure allows enhancement to be performed using the same MFD 100 that prints the image. Furthermore, this disclosure allows a user to simply enable the enhancement function, and the MFD 100 can automatically select the pixels to receive the enhanced printing fluid 112 based on the type of enhancement selected.

[0040] Therefore, this disclosure provides automated enhancement of images printed on standard paper or matte substrates in a more cost-effective manner. The enhancement can be applied to the request via selectable options presented on the GUI of the MFD100.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 400 for automatically clarifying printed documents of this disclosure. In one embodiment, method 400 may be performed by an MFD 100 or by an apparatus such as the apparatus 500 illustrated in Figure 5 and discussed below.

[0042] In one embodiment, method 400 begins in block 402. In block 404, method 400 determines that an automated enhancement function has been selected. For example, the user may be presented with options for automated enhancement via a GUI shown on the MFD display. The user can select an automated enhancement function to be applied to the printed image. Different types of automated enhancement functions may be selected. For example, different types of automated enhancement functions may include contrast enhancement, feathered contrast enhancement, border enhancement, or edge enhancement.

[0043] In block 406, method 400 analyzes each pixel of the image to be printed to determine one or more pixels that will receive the enhancement printing fluid. In one embodiment, the color value of each pixel can be determined and compared to a threshold to determine whether the pixel will receive the enhancement printing fluid. The enhancement printing fluid may be a clear coat printing fluid or a matte coat printing fluid. In one embodiment, multiple thresholds can be used if the enhancement should be feathered gradually. The enhancement printing fluid may be "feathered" using a halftone process of pixels that fall within a second threshold, as described above.

[0044] In one embodiment, each pixel can be analyzed to determine its location. For example, in the case of edge enhancement or boundary enhancement, the pixel location can determine whether or not the pixel receives the enhancement fluid.

[0045] In block 408, method 400 prints an image by ejecting a printing material. For example, the printing material may be ejected at a desired location on a substrate to print an image.

[0046] In block 410, method 400 ejects the enhancement fluid onto one or more pixels that receive the enhancement fluid. For example, a subset of pixels in an image identified based on the analysis performed in block 406 may receive the enhancement fluid.

[0047] In one embodiment, the operation of block 408 may be performed in a first pass across the substrate. The substrate is then returned through the MFD, and the operation of block 410 may be performed in a second pass. In one embodiment, the operations of block 408 and block 410 may be performed in a single pass. For example, a location on the substrate associated with a pixel may receive printing material and / or enhancement printing fluid. A subsequent location on the substrate associated with a second pixel may receive color printing and / or enhancement printing fluid, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, it should be noted that method 400 is performed by a single MFD. For example, the MFD may include a print head for ejecting both the printing material and the enhancement printing fluid. Therefore, the user does not need to perform enhancement on an image printed on another device using a third-party software program. Rather, enhancement can be performed on the MFD by selecting one of the available auto-enhancement options available on the MFD. In block 412, method 400 ends.

[0049] Figure 5 depicts a high-level block diagram of a computer dedicated to performing the functions described herein. As depicted in Figure 5, the computer 500 comprises one or more hardware processor elements 502 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or a multicore processor), memory 504, e.g., random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), a module 505 for automatically clarifying documents to be printed, and various input / output devices 506 (e.g., storage devices including, but not limited to, tape drives, floppy drives, hard disk drives, or compact disk drives, receivers, transmitters, speakers, displays, speech synthesizers, output ports, input ports, and user input devices (keyboards, keypads, mice, microphones, etc.)). Note that although only one processor element is shown, a computer may employ multiple processor elements.

[0050] It should be noted that this disclosure may be implemented in software and / or in combination of software and hardware, for example, using computer-readable instructions that may be used to configure a hardware processor to perform the steps, functions, and / or operations of the disclosed method, including, for example, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs) including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or state machines, computers, or any other hardware equivalents deployed on hardware devices. In one embodiment, instructions and data for the module or process 505 (e.g., a software program including computer-executable instructions) for automatically clarifying a document to be printed are loaded into memory 504 and executed by a hardware processor element 502 to implement the steps, functions, or operations discussed above. Furthermore, when a hardware processor executes instructions and performs an "action," this may include the hardware processor performing the action directly and / or facilitating, directing, or cooperating with another hardware device or component (such as a coprocessor) to perform an action.

[0051] A processor that executes computer-readable instructions or software instructions relating to the above method may be recognized as a programmed processor or a specialized processor. Thus, the Module 505 for automatically clarifying printed documents (including the associated data structures) of this disclosure may be stored in tangible or physical (broadly non-temporary) computer-readable storage devices or media, such as volatile memory, non-volatile memory, ROM memory, RAM memory, magnetic or optical drives, devices, or diskettes. More specifically, a computer-readable storage device may comprise any physical device that provides the ability to store information such as data and / or instructions accessed by a processor or computing device such as a computer or application server.

[0052] It will be understood that variations of those disclosed above, as well as other features and functions, or substitutes thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various currently unforeseen or unprecedented substitutes, modifications, variations, or improvements may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art, and these are also intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims

1. a print head for discharging printing material; an enhancement printhead for ejecting an enhancement printing fluid; a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions; wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determining that an automated highlighting feature has been selected; analyzing each pixel of the image to be printed to determine one or more pixels that will receive the enhancement printing fluid in addition to the printing material different from the enhancement printing fluid; controlling the print head to eject the printing material to print the image; controlling the enhancement print head to eject the enhancement printing fluid onto the one or more pixels that receive the enhancement printing fluid; performing an action including MFD.

2. 10. The MFD of claim 1, further comprising: a display for showing previews of the image with and without the automated enhancement features, or for including an interface for adjusting a level of enhancement.

3. The MFD of claim 1 , wherein the highlighting printing fluid comprises a glossy clear coat.

4. The MFD of claim 1 , wherein the enhancement printing fluid comprises a matte finish coat.

5. The MFD of claim 1 , wherein the controlling the print head and the controlling the enhancement print head include ejecting the printing material and the enhancement printing fluid in a single pass.

6. The MFD of claim 1 , wherein the controlling the printhead is performed over a first pass and the controlling the highlight printhead is performed in a second pass.

7. The analyzing determining a color value for each pixel; determining the one or more pixels to receive the enhanced printing fluid based on the one or more pixels having the color value below a threshold; 10. The MFD of claim 1, comprising:

8. The analyzing determining a boundary around the image to be printed; determining the one or more pixels to receive the enhancement printing fluid based on the one or more pixels being included in the boundary; 10. The MFD of claim 1, comprising:

9. The analyzing Detecting edges of the image to be printed; determining the one or more pixels to receive the enhancement printing fluid based on the one or more pixels being included in the edge; 10. The MFD of claim 1, comprising:

10. The analyzing determining a color value for each pixel; determining a first subset of the one or more pixels to receive the enhanced printing fluid based on the first subset of the one or more pixels having the color value below a first threshold; determining a second subset of the one or more pixels to receive the highlight printing fluid in a halftone pattern based on the second subset of the one or more pixels having the color value that exceeds the first threshold but is below a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold; 10. The MFD of claim 1, comprising:

11. determining, via a processor, that an automated highlighting feature has been selected; analyzing, by the processor, each pixel of the image to be printed to determine one or more pixels that will receive the enhancement printing fluid in addition to a printing material different from the enhancement printing fluid; ejecting, by the processor, the printing material to print the image; ejecting, by the processor, the enhancement printing fluid onto the one or more pixels that receive the enhancement printing fluid; A method comprising:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the highlighting printing fluid comprises a glossy clear coat.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the highlighting printing fluid comprises a matte finish coat.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispensing of the printing material and the dispensing of the highlighting printing fluid are performed in a single pass.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ejecting of the printing material is performed in a first pass and the ejecting of the highlighting printing fluid is performed in a second pass.

16. The analyzing determining, by said processor, a color value for each said pixel; determining, by the processor, the one or more pixels to receive the highlighting printing fluid based on the one or more pixels having the color value below a threshold; The method of claim 11 , comprising:

17. The analyzing determining, by said processor, a boundary around said image to be printed; determining, by the processor, the one or more pixels to receive the enhancement printing fluid based on inclusion of the one or more pixels in the boundary; The method of claim 11 , comprising:

18. The analyzing detecting, by the processor, edges of the image to be printed; determining, by the processor, the one or more pixels to receive the highlighting printing fluid based on the one or more pixels being included in the edge; The method of claim 11 , comprising:

19. The analyzing determining, by said processor, a color value for each said pixel; determining, by the processor, a first subset of the one or more pixels to receive the highlighting printing fluid based on the first subset of the one or more pixels having the color value below a first threshold; determining, by the processor, a second subset of the one or more pixels to receive the highlight printing fluid in a halftone pattern based on the second subset of the one or more pixels having the color value that exceeds the first threshold but is below a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold; The method of claim 11 , comprising:

20. a print head for discharging printing material; an enhancement printhead for ejecting an enhancement printing fluid; a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions; wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determining a type of selected automated enhancement function, the type of selected automated enhancement function including at least one of contrast enhancement, feathered contrast enhancement, boundary enhancement, or edge enhancement; analyzing each pixel of the image to be printed to determine one or more pixels that will receive the enhancement printing fluid in addition to the printing material different from the enhancement printing fluid according to a selected type of the automated enhancement function; controlling the print head to eject the printing material to print the image; controlling the enhancement print head to eject the enhancement printing fluid onto the one or more pixels that receive the enhancement printing fluid; performing an action including MFD.

Images