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 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: 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: First humidified gas is supplied from a first supply port to a sheet to be conveyed, thereby increasing the moisture content of the sheet. Simultaneously, second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of the inkjet recording head are exposed, from a second supply port provided at a position closer to the inkjet recording head than the first supply port, thereby increasing the atmosphere humidity of the space. The part of the sheet of which the moisture content has been increased is made to enter the space where the atmosphere humidity has been increased, and recording is performed by the inkjet recording head.

Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus in which bubbles in a print head are easily removed. The printing apparatus includes a first one-way valve disposed between the pump and the ink tank in the collection channel, the first one-way valve allowing movement of ink from the pump to the ink tank and blocking movement of ink from the ink tank to the pump; a circulation channel that connects the ink tank to the collection channel at a position between the pump and the first one-way valve, the circulation channel enabling circulation of ink from the ink tank, through the print head, and to the ink tank; and a second one-way valve disposed in the circulation channel, the second one-way valve allowing movement of ink from the ink tank to the pump and blocking movement of ink from the pump to the ink tank.

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: 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: 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 overlapping portions of the recording heads for two different colors are separated from each other with a distance therebetween in an array direction of nozzles.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a humidifying unit that generates humidified gas, a drying unit that dries ink applied to a sheet by a recording unit, a first duct that supplies gas discharged from the drying unit to at least one of the humidifying unit and the recording unit, and a second duct that supplies the humidified gas generated by the humidifying unit to the recording unit.

Abstract: A supply unit is provided to supply humidified gas near a nozzle array of a line-type recording head. The flow-rate distribution of the supplied humidified gas in a direction of the nozzle array is changeable in accordance with a conveying region where a sheet is conveyed while opposing the nozzle array.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a drying unit to dry a printing medium on which an image was printed using an inkjet head; a humidification unit to humidify the printing medium that was dried by the drying unit so that the moisture content of the printing medium becomes the equilibrium state in the ambient environment; a colorimetric unit to perform colorimetry on the printing medium that was humidified by the humidification unit; and a calibration unit to calibrate printing properties on the basis of the result of colorimetry by the colorimetric unit.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head configured to discharge ink, a first ink tank configured to store ink to be supplied to the recording head, a circulation path configured to circulate ink between the first ink tank and the recording head, a measurement unit configured to measure an ink temperature in the circulation path, a second ink tank configured to replenish ink to the circulation path, and a control unit configured to control replenishment of ink from the second ink tank to the circulation path based on the ink temperature measured by the measurement unit.

Abstract: Wet wiping processing is performed on an ink ejection opening forming surface of a print head by use of a wiper. Then, as bubble removal processing, the print head is heated by use of either an electrothermal conversion element or a heat generating element located inside the print head, and then a control unit causes the print head to perform preliminary ejection K1 and preliminary ejection K2.

Abstract: In order to efficiently perform preliminary ejection of ink at a bend of an ink circulation passage, the number of preliminary ejections of a nozzle group located on the outer side of the bend is set larger than the number of preliminary ejections of a nozzle group located in the middle of the bend.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided in which information about an ink amount ejected on each of unit areas into which a preceding print medium is divided and information about a size of a following print medium are acquired. A delay time for delaying a printing operation for the following print medium is set based on the information about the ink amount ejected on unit areas which are decided among the divided unit areas according to the information about the size of the following print medium.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus is disclosed that can more appropriately clean the nozzle faces of line-type print heads. The apparatus includes: a print head having nozzle chips, each having nozzle arrays arrayed on a common chip mounting face of the print head; a first cleaning unit configured to wipe the chip mounting face including wiping nozzle faces of the nozzle chips; a second cleaning unit configured to suction the chip mounting face including suctioning nozzle faces; a moving mechanism configured to move the first and second cleaning units relative to the print head in a first cleaning direction and in a second cleaning direction opposite to the first cleaning direction; and a selection unit configured to select a cleaning unit to be used for cleaning in the first and second cleaning directions from the first and second cleaning units, respectively.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and a print head recovery method are provided according to which, in an environment in which dust (e.g., paper dust) is easily attached to the periphery of an ejection port of a print head, the print head is subjected to a recovery operation depending on the level of the attached dust. The inkjet printing apparatus has a cutter unit for cutting a print medium and a recovery unit for performing the recovery operation by wiping the ejection port formation portion at which the ejection port is formed of the print head while sucking the ejection port formation portion. When the passing number showing how many times the cut part of the print medium cut by the cutter passes the printing position is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the recovery means subjects the print head to the recovery operation.

Abstract: The invention provides a printing apparatus and a recovery method therefore which can minimize ink consumption in a recovery process for a print head of the apparatus. The invention has a control unit to cause a print head to eject ink from nozzles arrayed on the print head so as to recover ink ejecting function of the nozzles, and a specification unit to specify a set print mode selected from among a plurality of print modes. The print modes define number and position of nozzles in use for printing an image. The control unit executes a first preliminary ejection process before or after printing an image on a print medium. The first preliminary ejection process has selectively ejecting ink from both of the nozzles in use selected by the currently set print mode and the unused nozzles in the vicinity of the nozzles in use.