Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which are based on the multi-pass printing method using a print head having a plurality of nozzle rows and which enables a reduction in the number of nozzles to be simultaneously driven, allowing ink to be stably ejected. On the basis of the multi-pass printing method of dividing print data into a plurality of pieces by using mask patterns, the mask patterns are offset according to the positional relationship between the plurality of nozzle rows in the print head.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a recording element row in which multiple recording elements are disposed, with recording elements at dispersed positions in the recording element rows as blocks; a scanning unit configured to scan the recording head in a main scanning direction; a time-division driving unit configured to drive the recording elements in increments of blocks; a storing unit configured to store recording data; an obtaining unit configured to obtain information relating to the inclination of the recording element row relative to the main scanning direction; and a changing unit operable to change, in increments of individual recording elements, the storage position in the main scanning direction of recording data stored in the storing unit that is to be provided to recording elements of a group, which is configured of consecutive recording elements in each block in the recording element row, based on the obtained information.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record a first dot and a second dot having a diameter smaller than that of the first dot on a recording medium, and a scanning unit configured to move the recording unit in a scanning direction. A recording resolution of the second dot in the scanning direction is lower than a recording resolution of the first dot in the scanning direction.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus performs printing on a print medium, and includes a print head having a plurality of ejection openings, a head temperature acquisition unit that acquires a temperature of the print head, and a heating unit configured to heat the print head. In addition, a control unit is configured to control the heating unit so as to cause a temperature of the print head to be a target temperature, at start of a print scan by the print head, and a setting unit is configured to set the target temperature. If a completion temperature acquired by the acquisition unit at a time when a previous print scan is completed is lower than a threshold temperature, the setting unit sets a temperature higher than the completion temperature as the target temperature, and if the completion temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature, the setting unit sets a temperature lower than the completion temperature as the target temperature.

Abstract: When the head temperature Tfinish, which is the head temperature at the time of completion of a preceding scan, is higher than the stable ejection temperature Tstable, the target temperature is made a temperature that is only a temperature value ?T lower than the head temperature Tfinish. On the other hand, when Tfinish, the head temperature at the time of print completion, is lower than the stable ejection temperature Tstable, the target temperature is made a temperature that is only a temperature value ?T higher than the head temperature Tfinish. Because of this it is possible to inhibit head temperature rise in the case where an image with a high print density is printed.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus capable of determining an amount of bubbles in an ink flow path and performing suction recovery operation at an appropriate timing is provided. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a nozzle for discharging ink and a flow path forming member forming an ink flow path for supplying the ink to the nozzle, a suction unit configured to suck the ink from the recording head, and a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature in the recording head. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a control unit configured, based on an amount of gas in the flow path forming member before the ink is filled in the ink flow path, and an amount of gas in equilibrium in the flow path forming member after the ink is filled in the ink flow path, to control the operation of the suction unit.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus is provided that is capable of suppressing an increase in discarded ink by a restore operation of a restore unit. The apparatus is an inkjet printing apparatus that prints an image using a print head having a plurality of ejecting ports for ejecting ink and includes a restore unit that restores the ink ejection function of the print head, and a control unit that controls the restore unit so as to perform a restore operation depending on a parameter involving a growth rate of air bubbles existing inside the print head that is filled with ink.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a cap, and a preliminary discharge unit. The recording head can discharge a plurality of types of ink. The cap caps a discharge port face of the recording head. The preliminary discharge unit causes the recording head to execute a preliminary discharge. The preliminary discharge unit changes a preliminary discharge operation according to a length of time during which the discharge port face is capped by the cap.

Abstract: The amount of ink wastage is reduced, even in a case wherein a predetermined amount of air bubbles has grown in a print head at a specific internal temperature and the growth has been settled, and thereafter the temperature in the print head is increased. A suction-based recovery control method, for an ink jet printing apparatus that includes a print head, a temperature detection unit, and a suction-based recovery unit, comprising: a temperature detection step; a temperature judgment step for judging whether the internal temperature of the print head is higher than a reference temperature that is determined based on internal temperatures of the print head that were previously employed; and a suction-based recovery step for permitting the suction-based recovery unit when it is determined at the temperature judgment step that the internal temperature of the print head is higher by the predetermined number of degrees or greater.

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 an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which are based on the multi-pass printing method using a print head having a plurality of nozzle rows and which enables a reduction in the number of nozzles to be simultaneously driven, allowing ink to be stably ejected. On the basis of the multi-pass printing method of dividing print data into a plurality of pieces by using mask patterns, the mask patterns are offset according to the positional relationship between the plurality of nozzle rows in the print head.

Abstract: A region for quantization having a value lower than the value B is assumed as having little influence by Bk data on the pixels in this region. Thus, in order to prioritize the optimization of the granularity at the start of the input of GY data, the LUT having a combination of GY and gy as an input as an input is used to perform separation quantization. On the other hand, since a region having a value equal to or higher than the value B requires the use of Bk data, the LUT having only a combination of Bk and GY as an input as an input is used to perform quantization. As a result, the number of types of pieces of ink data referencing the table can be 2, thus suppressing an increase in the table size.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record a first dot and a second dot having a diameter smaller than that of the first dot on a recording medium, and a scanning unit configured to move the recording unit in a scanning direction. A recording resolution of the second dot in the scanning direction is lower than a recording resolution of the first dot in the scanning direction.

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: An ink jet printing apparatus is provided that can perform printing without degrading printing quality. In the present invention, correction for a head-to-sheet distance change is performed for both forward printing and backward printing during a multi-path printing operation.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus capable of determining an amount of bubbles in an ink flow path and performing suction recovery operation at an appropriate timing is provided. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a nozzle for discharging ink and a flow path forming member forming an ink flow path for supplying the ink to the nozzle, a suction unit configured to suck the ink from the recording head, and a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature in the recording head. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a control unit configured, based on an amount of gas in the flow path forming member before the ink is filled in the ink flow path, and an amount of gas in equilibrium in the flow path forming member after the ink is filled in the ink flow path, to control the operation of the suction unit.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a cap, and a preliminary discharge unit. The recording head can discharge a plurality of types of ink. The cap caps a discharge port face of the recording head. The preliminary discharge unit causes the recording head to execute a preliminary discharge. The preliminary discharge unit changes a preliminary discharge operation according to a length of time during which the discharge port face is capped by the cap.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing method of performing printing on a printing medium by ejecting inks from a printing head configured to eject chromatic inks and an achromatic ink while moving the printing head, high-quality printing with few boundary stripes produced when the amount of inks is large is realized without complicated control being performed. To this end, print data in a boundary and the vicinity thereof is divided into unit regions, and for each unit region, performed are (A) a first reduction processing which determines a hue of the unit region based on amounts of the chromatic inks, and reduces the amount of chromatic inks applied to the unit region according to the determined hue; and (B) a second reduction processing which reduces an amount of achromatic ink based on the amount of achromatic ink applied to the unit region.

Abstract: On performing a predetermined printing operation, whether or not, among a plurality of printing elements, only a part of the printing elements are applied is detected. If it is judged that only the part of the printing elements are used, a judgment is made whether or not the preliminary discharge operation is performed based on the number of discharges for the part of the printing elements, and if it is not judged that only the part of the printing elements are used, a judgment is made whether or not the preliminary discharge operation is performed based on the number of discharges for all of the printing elements of the printing head. This eliminates an unnecessary preliminary discharge for non-printing elements even in a printing operation mode in which only a part of the printing elements are applied.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a recording element row in which multiple recording elements are disposed, with recording elements at dispersed positions in the recording element rows as blocks; a scanning unit configured to scan the recording head in a main scanning direction; a time-division driving unit configured to drive the recording elements in increments of blocks; a storing unit configured to store recording data; an obtaining unit configured to obtain information relating to the inclination of the recording element row relative to the main scanning direction; and a changing unit operable to change, in increments of individual recording elements, the storage position in the main scanning direction of recording data stored in the storing unit that is to be provided to recording elements of a group, which is configured of consecutive recording elements in each block in the recording element row, based on the obtained information.