Abstract: An image forming system according to the present invention includes a server 20 that causes a plurality of image forming apparatuses to execute a print job, and a plurality of image forming apparatuses 30a to 30d that are connected to the server via a network 40 and that receive the print job from the server. The image forming apparatuses forms a test image in accordance with test image data, generates test information relating to the test image that has been formed, and transmits the test information to the server. The server receives the test information from the image forming apparatuses, and determines image forming apparatuses that are to be caused to execute the print job in accordance with the test information.

Abstract: A control system for controlling execution of calibration on a printing apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire, from a printing apparatus to be controlled, first sheet type information representing information regarding a common calibration sheet type used when the most recent common calibration is executed, where a result of common calibration executed using the common calibration sheet type is applied to other sheet types, a determination unit configured to determine whether the state of the printing apparatus for the first sheet type satisfies a predetermined condition in accordance with a print volume of the printing apparatus, and a control unit configured to cause the printing apparatus to execute calibration using the first sheet type if the determination unit determines that the predetermined condition for the first sheet type is satisfied.

Abstract: Provided are a print control apparatus and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a color calibration control program. A print control apparatus includes an information storage processing section which stores measured color values into a database which stores history information of color measurement, where the measured color values are obtained by measuring colors in a color chart by using a printing device. The print control apparatus further includes a color defining section which defines a specific color by referring to the database, and a color calibration controlling section which, while the printing device is processing a print job, causes the printing device to measure the specific color, determines whether to calibrate the printing device on the basis of a change with time in the measured color value of the specific color, and calibrates the printing device according to the determination result.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of executing a scan calibration program on multi-function peripherals, the method includes: receiving a request for initiation of a scan calibration program on a multi-function peripheral; determining whether or not a print calibration should be performed on the multi-function peripheral before printing a calibration chart on the multi-function peripheral, wherein the determination of whether or not to execute the print calibration is based on a predetermined condition of the multi-function peripheral; executing the print calibration on the multi-function peripheral, if the predetermined condition exists on the multi-function peripheral; and printing the calibration chart on the multi-function peripheral after the determination of whether or not the print calibration should be performed.

Abstract: To configure print settings which have less influence on the environment, an MFP includes a document reader to receive image data, a print setting receiving portion to receive print settings to make printouts of the data, an environmental load calculating portion to calculate an environmental load which indicates a degree of influence on the environment based on the received print settings, and an alerting portion to display the calculated environmental load.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided which uses, as a print head, a thermal head having heating elements arrayed in a line perpendicular to the traveling direction of a printing medium. Correspondingly pixel data, at either end, or near the end, of each line of image data going to be printed, data on heat storage in the thermal head (108) is calculated for each line on the basis of data on heat storage in the print head for a preceding line, and the data on heat storage in the print head for each line is compared with predetermined-temperature data. When any of the stored-heat data is larger than the predetermined-temperature data, energy to the heating element (113) is decreased. The image data is printed on the printing medium (104) with the energy for application to the heating element (113) being kept decreased.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head configured to eject liquid droplets onto an ejected target element to form a of dots arranged at predetermined dot intervals in dot columns. The liquid droplet ejecting head has a flow passage unit including individual flow passages including a first individual flow passage and a second individual flow passage, at least one common liquid chamber in fluid communication with each individual flow passage; and a plurality of nozzles, including a first nozzle fluidly communicating with the first individual flow passage and a second nozzle fluidly communicating with the second flow passage. A control unit causes a liquid droplet to be ejected from the first nozzle, then moves the ejecting head less than the dot interval, then subsequently suspends the first nozzle from ejecting, and ejects a liquid droplet from the second nozzle.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided which uses, as a print head, a thermal head having heating elements arrayed in a line perpendicular to the traveling direction of a printing medium. Correspondingly pixel data, at either end, or near the end, of each line of image data going to be printed, data on heat storage in the thermal head (108) is calculated for each line on the basis of data on heat storage in the print head for a preceding line, and the data on heat storage in the print head for each line is compared with predetermined-temperature data. When any of the stored-heat data is larger than the predetermined-temperature data, energy to the heating element (113) is decreased. The image data is printed on the printing medium (104) with the energy for application to the heating element (113) being kept decreased.

Abstract: A method for controlling the print density of individual heating elements of a thermal print head array determines respective energy values for each heating element in response to image pixel data to be printed, multiplies determined energy values by a respective predetermined correction factor for one or more respective heating elements for improving print density consistency between individual heating elements, and dithers adjusted energy values from the step of multiplying as a function of adjacent image pixels.

Abstract: The recording sheet is virtually divided into a recording area and an unrecording area in a main scan direction. Unrecording area printing heat energy is Esi calculated by subtracting printing heat energy Epi for a line to be printed from maximum printing heat energy Epmax for printing each line in the recording area. Common printing heat energy is calculated by dividing the unrecording area printing heat energy Esi by the number of the heating elements in the unrecording area. Virtual image data for each heating element is obtained by counting backward from the common printing heat energy. A recording sheet is printed based on the virtual image data and the real image data. Total printing heat energy is kept constant in each line, and there occurs no printing heat energy fluctuation on printing. Transport load fluctuation due to the printing heat energy fluctuation is suppressed to prevent an uneven density.

Abstract: A device is allowed to execute a job which is related to calibration work. Inconvenience such that a general job other than the calibration work is erroneously executed by a printer or a copier whose calibration is being executed is prevented. For this purpose, according to the invention, information showing that the calibration of an image forming apparatus is being executed is stored, and a job assigned to the image forming apparatus whose calibration is being executed is assigned to another image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for fabricating a pattern which makes it possible to obtain a wide pattern having edges of a preferable shape. The apparatus for fabricating a pattern ejects a liquid material as liquid droplets from an ejecting section, and dispose the liquid droplets on a substrate in a line-shaped pattern. A plurality of line-shaped patterns are formed on the substrate by disposing a plurality of liquid droplets on the substrate in the line-shaped patterns, and then another set of liquid droplets are disposed between the line-shaped patterns so as to integrate the line-shaped patterns with each other.

Abstract: In a first printing process in Steps S1 through S6, ink supply is controlled so that a measured printed density (Vn) is approximately equal to a first target density (V1). This provides a uniform amount of ink remaining on ink rollers after the first printing process. Thereafter, in a second printing process in Steps S7 through S11, printing is performed using a second target density (V2) lower than the first target density (V1). This provides a slightly reduced, uniform amount of ink remaining on the ink rollers. Thus, a novel method of presetting ink is provided which facilitates the formation of a distribution of the new amount of ink at the beginning of the next printing operation and which stabilizes the early start of printing.

Abstract: A lateral edge of a color thermosensitive recording paper in the main scan direction is detected. An edge heating element closest to the lateral edge is specified. The distance W between the edge heating element and the lateral edge of the color thermosensitive recording paper is detected. The proportion of the distance W to the width Wt of the heating element is calculated. Recording density of the edge heating element is lowered according to the proportion. The boundary between the edge of the recording paper and the print image is blurred.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an image reader for reading an image on a printed paper sheet to obtain image data, and a controller for controlling the image reader to obtain image data about a color chart including solid patches once for every predetermined number of printed sheets or at every predetermined time interval which is inputted and set. The controller processes the image data to compute a printed density of each solid patch. Measurement data including the printed density are sequentially stored in a storage section in association with the number of printed sheets or time. The measurement data stored in the storage section may be displayed by a display section or outputted to a print section in the form of history data indicating measurement data transitions. Thus, the printing apparatus including a device for measuring printed sheets can perform history management on the measurement data for every predetermined number of printed sheets or at every predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A dot-matrix printer for printing on a printing medium comprises a dot-forming section for forming dots on the printing medium; and a referenced data section to be referred to during movement of the dot-forming section, a character string to be printed being indicated as data having a predetermined resolution. Where M dots per a unit length are formable on the printing medium in a moving direction of the dot-forming section, and upon printing an N-character string per the unit length, M and N both being natural numbers, if (M÷N) is not a natural number, the resolution in the moving direction is made to be L per N-character string, L being a least common multiple of M and N, and while the dot-forming section moves across the unit length, the dot-matrix printer prints while referring to the referenced data section for L times.

Abstract: A micro porous plastic sheet is stencil plate made by a method for stencil plate making of a stencil sheet for stencil printing under the following conditions: heat is provided to form a negative image with TPH at −30≦Tp−Tm≦300° C. (Tp is heating peak temperature and Tm is melting temperature (melting point) of the sheet) and in 10≦To×100/Ts≦80% (To is current-carrying time period and Ts is current-carrying cycle), micro pores are closed by the pressure for stencil plate making of 0.1≦P≦1.0 MPa, and the thermal shrinkage rate of the sheet measured by TMA is set to 1≦STm-30≦20% (STm-30 is a thermal shrinking rate of the sheet at a temperature 30° C. lower than the melting point TM).

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each include a density setting section. The printing system further includes a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database. Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer, for example, in a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from the database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing.

Abstract: There will be provided a printing method for block copy film and a block copy printer capable of adjusting printing density as occasion arises as well as making joints between print lines inconspicuous. A predetermined mount of conveyance of transparent resin film P will be set to 1/N (N is an integer of 2 or more) of a predetermined printing width, which is a line-up width of the exothermic elements, and printing at a predetermined printing width will be repeated after the transparent resin film P is conveyed in the predetermined amount of conveyance.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the amount of energy from a printer head in a thermo-printer. The appropriate amount of energy for obtaining the best possible print quality with a certain printing material is controlled through calculating the amount of energy required as a function of the printing speed of the printer, over the full range of printer speed, and of the characteristic printing material data. The printing speed is continuously variable within the complete printing speed range of the printer. Characteristic data for the printing material are classified for magnitude and may be given as an offset relative to a reference material, or as absolute values.

Abstract: A recording apparatus has an automatic feed device for feeding recording media one by one, and a pair of carriage rollers for carrying a recording medium P thus fed, to a recording section. The recording apparatus is constructed to be used in a plurality of recording modes. In the recording apparatus, a registration method of the recording medium P to the recording section is selected depending upon a recording mode selected. The apparatus of this structure solved the prior-art problems that a long time was necessary from sheet feed to recording start in the case of registration of the recording medium P by the nip between the carriage roller pair, so as to be a bottleneck in increase of recording speed and that disturbance of the image became prominent due to registration deviation in the case of registration at the side of the recording medium.

Abstract: A thermal head control circuit and a thermal head control method according to the present invention are so configured as to set a state in which a limiting resistor is connected to a heating resistor element corresponding to data indicating color development in a lower temperature range, and set a state in which a limiting resistor is not connected to a heating resistor element corresponding to data indicating color development in a higher temperature range. Therefore, the calorific values of the heat resistor elements can be regulated even if the duration of electrification is kept constant and, where multicolor printing is to be accomplished, printing can be performed at constant speed all the time.

Abstract: A method of printing using a thermal print head comprises a plurality of printing elements arranged generally in an array each of which may selectively be energised and de-energised under the control of a control means to transfer pixels of marking medium from a carrier onto a substrate or to activate pixels on a sensitive substrate, the method comprising providing to the control means data dependent on the nature of the image to be printed which would enable the image having an image length L to be printed as a matrix of pixels at a linear resolution of C where C is the number of image columns per unit length in the direction of printing, wherein the method comprises causing relative movement between the print head and the substrate such that the print head relatively traverses the substrate the image length L in an available time T whilst the print head performs E thermal cycles to print the image, and the control means manipulating the data so that the image is printed with the print head omitting or repea

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each include a density setting section. The printing system further includes a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database. Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer, for example, in a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from the database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing.

Abstract: A thermal printer comprises a plurality of heating elements for heating a recording medium to form an image thereon, an electric motor for transporting the recording medium to a direction opposite to a subscanning direction by rotating a predetermined angle each time a driving pulse is input, and an activating control section for dividing the plural heating elements into a plurality of groups and for activating every the groups of the heating elements in sequence asynchronously such that the sequential activating of all the groups is repeated more than once while each time the driving pulse is turned on.