Patent ID: 8169659

Claim:
A method for reducing trade-off between image quality and marking speed, comprising: an image processing and output device that performs the steps of: evaluating high-resolution data at the pixel level; identifying locations of different types of output based on the high resolution data; automatically creating a unique output value for each corresponding marking output spacing based on the evaluation of the high-resolution data at the pixel level for each corresponding marking output spacing and marking output spacings adjacent to the marking output spacing for which the output value is being created, each marking output spacing being larger than a pixel evaluated during the evaluation of the high-resolution data at the pixel level; choosing, for each created output value, an amount of marking material to be used so that a final marking output provides transitions approximating the evaluated high-resolution data at the pixel level, wherein each created output value comprises a black value and at least one color value, the at least one color value to be output beneath the black value, for each created output value, choosing the amount of marking material comprises selecting an amount of color marking material for each at least one color value based on the type of media on which the marking material will be output; and outputting the amount of marking material chosen for each created output value to a medium, wherein at least two different output values are created and associated with marking output spacings, and wherein choosing, for each created output value, the amount of marking material comprises selecting an amount of color marking material for each at least one color value based on the larger marking output spacing.