Helen Haekyung Shin

Predicting customer preference from objective image quality metrics for monochrome document products

This paper describes a regression model for predicting customer preference from objective image quality metrics for black and white printers, copiers and multifunction systems. In order to quantify customer preference for monochrome images the quantitative preference system was previously developed. Using this system, a preference survey with five different customer-type documents was used to obtain the preference data. Objective image quality metrics were obtained from a scanner-based measurement system. Using this regression model, typically 80% or more of the variation of the overall preference can be explained by six objective image quality metrics: Relative TRC Error; Mottle; Visual Noise; Visual Structure; Streaks and Bands; and Relative Dynamic Range Reduction. The results also provide the relative significance of these attributes for the different kinds of customer images.

Recent Progress in the Development of INCITS W1.1, Appearance-Based Image Quality Standards for Printers

In September 2000, INCITS W1 (the U.S. representative of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC28, the standardization committee for office equipment) was chartered to develop an appearance-based image quality standard.(1),(2) The resulting W1.1 project is based on a proposal(4) that perceived image quality can be described by a small set of broad-based attributes. There are currently five ad hoc teams, each working towards the development of standards for evaluation of perceptual image quality of color printers for one or more of these image quality attributes. This paper summarizes the work in progress of the teams addressing the attributes of Macro-Uniformity, Color Rendition, Text and Line Quality and Micro-Uniformity.