Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: The present invention forms a high-quality image by using a print head, in which a plurality of arrayed small heads, each having a plurality of print elements arranged in columns, are arranged so that at least two sets of print elements in adjoining small heads are aligned in a scan direction. The print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in the scan direction crossing a direction of the print element columns. The print elements are divided into a plurality of drive blocks and activated the drive blocks on a time-division basis. The small heads each have the plurality of print elements arranged in columns, the number of print elements being equal to an integer times the number of time-division drive blocks. Drive timings with which to activate the paired print elements aligned in the scan direction are the same time-division drive timing.

Abstract: The present invention forms a high-quality image by using a print head, in which a plurality of arrayed small heads, each having a plurality of print elements arranged in columns, are arranged so that at least two sets of print elements in adjoining small heads are aligned in a scan direction. The print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in the scan direction crossing a direction of the print element columns. The print elements are divided into a plurality of drive blocks and activated the drive blocks on a time-division basis. The small heads each have the plurality of print elements arranged in columns, the number of print elements being equal to an integer times the number of time-division drive blocks. Drive timings with which to activate the paired print elements aligned in the scan direction are the same time-division drive timing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: A clear ink layer is formed by a first application of the clear ink. After a film of the clear ink is formed, a second application of the clear ink is performed onto the layer thereof. Thereby, a permeation speed of the clear ink which is applied at the second time after the clear ink is applied once becomes low, and becomes a substantially uniform one in the printed matter. That is, when the clear ink is applied at the second time onto the surface of the clear ink which is once formed into the film, the clear ink permeates therein at a substantially uniform permeation speed and is fixed thereto. As a result, the clear ink which is applied at the second time does not generate unevenness since the permeation speed thereof has no difference thereon, and can form a smooth printed matter surface.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by scanning the recording medium with a recording head for discharging ink includes a thinning unit configured to thin data for discharging ink by the recording head on a plurality of areas formed by dividing scanning regions including at least a first scanning region and a second scanning region to be recorded each by one scan of the recording head in the scan direction, and a recording head drive unit configured to discharge ink by driving the recording head based on data which has been thinned by the thinning unit, wherein a boundary between the areas in the first scanning region is located in a different position from that of a boundary between areas in the second scanning region, which is adjacent to the first scanning region, in the scan direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus configured to allow the ejection performance of a print head with a large number of nozzles densely arranged therein to be kept in a favorable condition by preliminary ejection and to enable degradation of images caused by the preliminary ejection to be alleviated. Preliminary ejection data generation unit is provided which generates preliminary ejection data designed to allow ink not contributing to image printing to be ejected through nozzles 103A and 103B in a print head 21-1. The preliminary ejection data generation unit generates preliminary ejection data designed to allow the ink to be preliminarily ejected onto a print medium through the nozzles 103B, which are included in the plural types of nozzles and which offer a smaller ejection amount than the other nozzles 103A.

Abstract: The present invention forms a high-quality image by using a print head, in which a plurality of arrayed small heads, each having a plurality of print elements arranged in columns, are arranged so that at least two sets of print elements in adjoining small heads are aligned in a scan direction. The print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in the scan direction crossing a direction of the print element columns. The print elements are divided into a plurality of drive blocks and activated the drive blocks on a time-division basis. The small heads each have the plurality of print elements arranged in columns, the number of print elements being equal to an integer times the number of time-division drive blocks. Drive timings with which to activate the paired print elements aligned in the scan direction are the same time-division drive timing.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by scanning the recording medium with a recording head for discharging ink includes a thinning unit configured to thin data for discharging ink by the recording head on a plurality of areas formed by dividing scanning regions including at least a first scanning region and a second scanning region to be recorded each by one scan of the recording head in the scan direction, and a recording head drive unit configured to discharge ink by driving the recording head based on data which has been thinned by the thinning unit, wherein a boundary between the areas in the first scanning region is located in a different position from that of a boundary between areas in the second scanning region, which is adjacent to the first scanning region, in the scan direction.

Abstract: Groups of discharge ports having plural discharge port rows are arranged in a zigzag shape, and thereby the difference in landing time among the dots which are adjacent to one another in an array direction of the discharge ports while dots overlap one another is kept constant.

Abstract: A spliced ink-jet head including head chips, each of which is capable of discharging inks of two or more colors, and which are spliced in a staggered manner which restrains the occurrence of splice streaks, white streaks caused by deflection at ends or uneven colors attributable to different landing orders of ink droplets in spliced portions of different colors when one-pass recording is carried out. The head chips is arranged such that, in a relationship between two adjoining head chips, at least one discharge port of one head chip and one discharge port of the other head chip for the same color tone ink in end portions overlap on a line in a recording material feeding direction, while discharge ports for different color tone inks do not overlap.

Abstract: A printing apparatus executes printing by arranging plural printheads, each including a plurality of print elements in a direction of a print width so as to obtain the print width corresponding to a width of a printing medium and conveying the printing medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the print width. The printing positions of part of the print elements of a first printhead in the direction of the print width overlap with part of the print elements of a second printhead in the direction of the print width.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: Printed pages of a stably high image quality can be produced when performing printing using a recording apparatus having an elongate joint head. The recording apparatus determines whether an end of an image to be printed is included in a joint of overlapping chips. If the end of the image is included in the joint, the recording apparatus sets groups of nozzles to be used so as to use, of nozzles corresponding to the chip joint (overlapping nozzles), continuously all nozzles included in the group of nozzles of a chip, of which nozzles other than the overlapping nozzles are used.

Abstract: The invention has an object to provide a liquid discharge recording method and a liquid discharge recording apparatus capable of outputting images at high speed with high quality and high reliability, and has a feature in that when adjacent overlapping dots are formed on a print material, the dots are formed with a dot placement time difference that may reduce uneven optical densities of the overlapping portion of the dots.

Abstract: This invention relates to a printing apparatus and printing method which can stably print at high image quality on print media of various sizes by using a full-line printhead. The printing method uses a full-line printhead which has a long printing width and is configured by arraying a plurality of substrates each prepared by arraying a plurality of printing elements and each having a given printing width. When printing is done by conveying a print medium in a direction different from the array direction of the printing elements having the long printing width, printing elements used for printing are selected in accordance with an input image printing width so that an area printed on the print medium by printing elements corresponding to the connected portions between the substrates becomes a visually least perceivable area on the print medium. The relative moving amount of the full-line printhead to the print medium is so determined as to print by using the selected printing elements.

Abstract: Printed pages of a stably high image quality can be produced when performing printing using a recording apparatus having an elongate joint head. The recording apparatus determines whether an end of an image to be printed is included in a joint of overlapping chips. If the end of the image is included in the joint, the recording apparatus sets groups of nozzles to be used so as to use, of nozzles corresponding to the chip joint (overlapping nozzles), continuously all nozzles included in the group of nozzles of a chip, of which nozzles other than the overlapping nozzles are used.

Abstract: Printed pages of a stably high image quality can be produced when performing printing using a recording apparatus having an elongate joint head. The recording apparatus determines whether an end of an image to be printed is included in a joint of overlapping chips. If the end of the image is included in the joint, the recording apparatus sets groups of nozzles to be used so as to use, of nozzles corresponding to the chip joint (overlapping nozzles), continuously all nozzles included in the group of nozzles of a chip, of which nozzles other than the overlapping nozzles are used.

Abstract: This invention provides a full-line type printing apparatus and printing method that achieve high-quality printing. According to the method, when executing printing by time-divisionally driving a full-line printhead including a plurality of print elements in the direction of print width so as to obtain a print width corresponding to the width of a printing medium, the following control is executed. At least part of the plurality of print elements are overlapped in the conveyance direction of the printing medium. In this overlap portion, mutual complementary printing is executed by the overlapped print elements. Upon time-divisionally driving the overlapped print elements used for mutual-complementarily printing, control is executed to adjust driving sequences of the overlapped print elements.