Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printhead configured to array a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are arrayed in the first direction, a reading unit configured to read, as a plurality of luminance values aligned in a nozzle arrayed direction, an inspection pattern formed by discharging ink from the plurality of nozzles of the printhead, a calculation unit configured to calculate a plurality of difference values each by calculating a difference between two luminance values spaced apart by a predetermined number of luminance values, and an analysis unit configured to analyze an ink discharge state in the plurality of nozzles based on the plurality of difference values.

Abstract: A printing method is performed on a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads is divided into groups, with one of the groups being subjected to preliminary ejection on a sheet. The other print head group not subjected to preliminary ejection is located in a more upstream area with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads are arranged in a sequence such that a print head configured to eject ink characterized by having a larger amount of volatile components evaporated within a predetermined time is located in a more upstream area.

Abstract: A printing apparatus that includes printing element substrates which are provided with printing elements that discharge ink. A plurality of temperature sensors, each of which is provided with one of the printing element substrates, measures a temperature of a corresponding printing element substrate. A selection unit selects any one of the temperature sensors, and a determination unit performs a determination operation to determine a state of the printing element substrate based on the temperature measured by the selected temperature sensor in a case when only the printing elements of a substrate that corresponds to the selected temperature sensor are driven. The determination unit performs the determination operation on a first substrate and then on a second non-adjacent substrate.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which uses a plurality of print element arrays in each of which a plurality of print elements are arranged, and drives a predetermined number of print elements of each of blocks obtained by dividing each of the plurality of the print element arrays into pieces of the predetermined number of the print elements respectively in a time division driving manner, to perform printing on a print medium conveyed, including: a position displacement detecting unit configured to detect print position displacements; and a correction unit configured to perform correction in which pixels which are to be printed by print elements is shifted, the number of the print elements corresponding to an amount of the print position displacement, by a block in each of the plurality of the print element arrays.

Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.

Abstract: A recording apparatus to record an image on a recording medium using a recording head includes a first conveying roller, a second conveying roller, and a controller. The first conveying roller is positioned upstream of the recording head in a conveying direction and the second conveying roller is positioned downstream of the recording head in the conveying direction. In response to a first conveying mode being selected, the controller performs a rotational phase control in which the controller controls rotational phases of the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller such that the recording medium is conveyed by predetermined sections of circumferences of the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller when a trailing end of the recording medium passes the first conveying roller. In response to the second conveying mode being selected, the controller does not perform the rotational phase control.

Abstract: A waiting time Ts is decided on the basis of ink type information and ink feed amount information, referring to waiting time table A (Step 6). Along with this, a dried printing paper is carried to and stopped in a waiting area 9 (Step 7), a time period T is measured after stopping, and measurement processing in the next step is delayed until the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts. Then, when the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts, a measuring instrument 10 is used to measure a density of a patch printed on the printing paper (Steps 8 and 9).

Abstract: According to this invention, an inkjet printing apparatus having an arrangement for detecting an amount of remaining ink in an ink tank starts a printing operation in a short time immediately after power-on. If an operation in preceding use is ended without any error at the time of power-off, and no error has occurred even at the time of power-on, the inkjet printing apparatus of this invention starts the printing operation without executing the operation of detecting the amount of remaining ink in the ink tank after power-on.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.

Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.

Abstract: An ejection complement process is performed during which both a usual ejection failure and a sudden ejection failure can be appropriately coped with, without being accompanied by a frequent maintenance process. In a case wherein sequential printing is not currently being performed, the first detection process is performed with a high accuracy while being accompanied by the maintenance process, and in a case wherein sequential printing is currently being performed, the second detection process that requires only a small process load is performed at a predetermined timing without being accompanied by the maintenance processing. At this time, when the number of ejection failed nozzles detected in the second ejection process has reached a predetermined value or greater, the maintenance process is performed, and only the information for the ejection failed nozzle, detected in the second detection process, is reset.

Abstract: One aspect of this invention is directed to suitable drive control in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor of a printhead. More specifically, a printing apparatus by using a printhead that includes heaters and a temperature sensor on a substrate and discharges ink by driving the heaters executes the following steps. First, when printing a test pattern by using a predetermined driving pulse in a maintenance mode, a detected temperature is stored as a reference temperature in a memory. Then, in a normal printing mode, the difference between a detected temperature and the stored reference temperature is calculated, and a driving pulse for driving the printhead is selected from a plurality of driving pulses based on the difference. The printhead is controlled to be driven using the selected driving pulse and print.

Abstract: An aspect of this invention is directed to efficiently sorting printed products into non-defective ones and defective ones even when a discharge failure occurs during the printing operation. In the aspect, two inspection patterns for detecting discharge failure are printed before and after a plurality of images. The inspection patterns are read to determine the type of discharge failure. Printed media are sorted based on whether it is determined that there is a continuous discharge failure, whether it is determined that there is an accidental discharge failure, or whether it is determined that the discharge is normal.

Abstract: The ink jet printing apparatus, wherein, to print images on a printing medium, a plurality of print heads, each of which includes an ejection port array provided by arranging multiple ink ejection ports in a widthwise direction of the printing medium, are arranged in a conveying direction of the printing medium, including: a unit for detecting a printing position displacement with respect to a printing position of a reference print head on the printing medium for each of remaining print heads excluding the reference print head which is one of the plurality of print heads; and a unit for adding non-image data corresponding to the printing position displacement to print data to be printed by the plurality of print heads, so as to align the printing positions of the plurality of print heads.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.

Abstract: In the present invention, a conveying operation of a recording medium is controlled on the basis of a first correction value and a second correction value. The first correction value is used for correcting a conveying amount when the recording medium disengages from a first conveying roller, and the second correction value is used for correcting the phase of the first conveying roller and a second conveying roller when the recording medium disengages from the first conveying roller before the recording medium is nipped by the first conveying roller.

Abstract: To provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can reduce waste ink as much as possible and shorten the amount of time spend on the following wiping process, and a recovery operation method therefor, whereby a first process and a second process are carried out, the first process for discharging ink that does not contribute to the printing from the print head while supplying ink from the ink reservoir portion to the print head by way of the first ink passage connected to one end of the print head, and the second process for discharging ink that does not contribute to the printing from the print head while supplying ink from the ink reservoir portion to the print head by way of the second ink passage connected to the other end of the print head.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming images using a recording head includes a feeding roller, a conveying roller, a conveyance control unit, and a recording control unit. The conveyance control unit performs a conveying operation a number of times after the trailing end of a sheet reaches a predetermined position defined between the feeding roller and the conveying roller such that the trailing end of the sheet is disposed in a predetermined range upstream of the conveying roller in a sheet conveying direction after the conveying operations. At least one of the conveying operations performed a number of times is performed based on a distance from the position of the trailing end of the sheet to the position of the conveying roller.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming images using a recording head includes a feeding roller, a conveying roller, a conveyance control unit, and a recording control unit. The conveyance control unit performs a conveying operation a number of times after the trailing end of a sheet reaches a predetermined position defined between the feeding roller and the conveying roller such that the trailing end of the sheet is disposed in a predetermined range upstream of the conveying roller in a sheet conveying direction after the conveying operations. At least one of the conveying operations performed a number of times is performed based on a distance from the position of the trailing end of the sheet to the position of the conveying roller.