Abstract: A three-dimensional object printing system includes: a printing table for a plurality of three-dimensional objects to be placed on, the printing table having a plurality of detection reference marks; detecting means for detecting positions and orientations of the three-dimensional objects placed on the printing table and the detection reference marks; printing data generating means generating printing data corresponding to the three-dimensional objects based on the positions and orientations of the three-dimensional objects detected by the detecting means, the printing data generating means obtaining reference coordinates of the detection reference marks based on part of the detection reference marks; and printing means for executing printing on the three-dimensional objects using the printing data generated by the printing data generating means.

Abstract: A solid object printing system includes: a print table for mounting a solid object to be subjected to printing; a detection unit for detecting a position and an orientation of the solid object mounted on the print table; a print data generation unit for generating print data corresponding to the solid object on a basis of a detection result of the position and the orientation of the solid object performed by the detection unit; a print unit for performing printing on the solid object by the print data generated by the print data generation unit; and a control unit for controlling the operations of the detection unit, the print data generation unit, and the print unit.

Abstract: A solid object printing system includes: a print table for mounting a solid object to be subjected to printing; a detection unit for detecting a position and an orientation of the solid object mounted on the print table; a print data generation unit for generating print data corresponding to the solid object on a basis of a detection result of the position and the orientation of the solid object performed by the detection unit; a print unit for performing printing on the solid object by the print data generated by the print data generation unit; and a control unit for controlling the operations of the detection unit, the print data generation unit, and the print unit.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes an image signal input portion which supplies three image signals C, M and Y associated with cyan, magenta and yellow; an image signal conversion processing portion which converts the image signals C, M and Y into six image signals associated with thick C and thin C, thick M and thin M, and thick Y and thin Y, respectively, by using a thick/thin sorting table; and a color masking processing portion which performs color masking process, and outputs converted six image signals associated with thick C to thin Y. The converted six image signals undergo a black generation process, a UCR process and a black printing process, and a binarization processing thereafter. This makes it possible to produce color images of high quality with high reproducibility even if the hues of N color materials, which belong to the same color family and have different densities, such as thin cyan and thick cyan, differ from each other to some extent.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus performing recording by discharging ink onto a recording medium is provided with a conveying belt for conveying the recording medium by the attraction of static electricity, an electrode provided to be in contact with the recording medium conveyed by the conveying belt, and a power source capable of charging the electrode with the charge which has the polarity opposite to the charge carried by the conveying belt. The main droplet and satellite split from the ink droplet are impacted on the recording medium to prevent the adhesion of the satellite to the discharging port of the discharging surface of the recording head, thus maintaining desirable recording for a long time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes reading means for reading the density of a test pattern corresponding to each of plural recording elements of a recording head, the recording elements being arranged in an array, and the test pattern being recorded by the recording elements. An eliminating means eliminates error information, recorded from an area outside a test pattern are, from density information obtained by the reading means when the density of a test pattern end portion corresponding to an end portion of the array of plural of recording elements is determined. A means is provided for uniforming the image densities in correspondence with the plurality of recording elements based on density information from which the error information is eliminated by the eliminating means.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image by using a plurality of recording elements which are driven an accordance with an image signal includes a first correction unit for correcting driving conditions of the recording element, and a second correction unit for correcting a level of the image signal, wherein a variation in the recording elements is corrected by a combination of the first and second correction units. A driving voltage or a width of drive pulse which is applied to each recording element is controlled as a driving condition, thereby making uniform an uneven image density.

Abstract: A recording head using thermal energy includes a plurality of heat generating elements for producing thermal energy; a waveform storing circuit for storing waveform data for a driving signal or signals applied to one or more predetermined number of heat generating elements; and a driving signal applying device for applying to each of the predetermined number of heat generating elements the driving signal or signals on the basis of the waveform data stored in said storing circuit, in accordance with a record image signal or signals.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus such as a bubble jet recording apparatus, comprising: an ink jet recording head in which a plurality of groups each consisting of a plurality of emission ports which are simultaneously driven are continuously arranged; a detector to detect an edge of an input image; and a second driver for sequentially changing the driving order of the groups or sequentially driving the groups which are not neighboring in accordance with the result of the edge detection by the detector. The recording head causes a volume change by an action of a heat energy which is generated from a recording element such as an electrothermal converting element or a thermal resistor element by supplying a pulse-shaped current thereto, thereby emitting an ink droplet from each opening. The recording apparatus uses a plurality of recording elements which are divided into a plurality of blocks and are driven at different timings for every block.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus performing recording by discharging ink from a recording head onto a recording medium. A conveying belt for conveys the recording medium by the attraction of static electricity, an electrode contacts the recording medium conveyed by the conveying belt, and a power source charges the electrode with a charge having a polarity opposite to a charge carried by the conveying belt. The recording head includes a discharge port and a control electrode formed around the discharge port. A voltage identical to the polarity of the surface potential of the recording medium is generated by a power source and applied to the control electrode to cause the control electrode to repel any satellite droplet of the polarity identical to the voltage that splits from a discharged ink droplet during the flight thereof.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head having plural ejection outlets and thermal energy generating elements provided for the respective ejection outlets; a limiter for defining a using range of the heat generating elements in accordance with image forming conditions, a recording head driver for supplying to the heat generating elements outside the using range defined by the limiter driving signals insufficient to eject the ink and for supplying to the heat generating elements in the using range defined by the limiter a driving signal sufficient to eject the ink in accordance with an image signal.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged so as to form an image on a recording medium, a device for causing the recording head to print a predetermined test pattern, an image density reading device for reading the density of the test pattern formed by the recording head, an uneven image density correction device for correcting conditions for driving the plurality of recording elements in accordance with the result of reading, so as to make even the density of the image, a recording stabilizing device for stabilizing a recording operation performed by the recording head, and a control device for operating the recording stabilizing device before the test pattern is printed and operating the test pattern printing device after the recording head has been stabilized by the recording stabilizing device.

Abstract: A color image forming method and apparatus in which toner patterns, formed by toners of different colors, on an image bearing member, can be detected by a single sensor. Near-infrared light is emitted from an LED at each formation of a single-colored pattern on the photosensitive drum and the amount of near-infrared light reflected from the drum is detected by the sensor, for the purpose of effecting gradation control.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention has an ink jet recording head having an orifice from which an ink drop is ejected and an energy generation means for ejecting an ink fluid in the orifice. A first electrode is formed in the orifice and is connected electrically to the ink fluid. A second electrode is formed in an opposite position to the orifice with a designated distance from the orifice. A voltage controller applies a first voltage during a time period from a time when an ink fluid is ejected from the orifice to a time when the ink fluid is separated in 2 or more ink drops during traveling, and immediately after applying the first voltage, applies a second voltage which has an identical polarity to a polarity of the first voltage and has an absolute value less than an absolute value of the first voltage.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged so as to form an image on a recording medium, a device for causing the recording head to print a predetermined test pattern, an image density reading device for reading the density of the test pattern formed by the recording head, an uneven image density correction device for correcting conditions for driving the plurality of recording elements in accordance with the result of reading, so as to make even the density of the image formed in accordance with the result of reading, a recording stabilizing device for stabilizing a recording operation performed by the recording head, and a control device for operating the recording stabilizing device before the test pattern is printed and operating the test pattern printing device after the recording head has been stabilized by the recording stabilizing device.

Abstract: A transfer recording medium comprising a substrate and a distributed layer of image forming elements, and an image forming method using the recording medium are provided. The distributed layer comprises first and second image forming elements. The first image forming elements comprise at least two species of different coloring characteristics which are capable of decreasing their transferabilities when provided with at light and heat energy under respectively prescribed at least two energy application conditions corresponding to the coloring characteristics. The second image forming element is capable of decreasing its transferability under any one of the at least two energy application conditions.

Abstract: A transparent film for forming, e.g., a toner image thereon is provided as an optically transparent sheet member having an opaque part. During the image forming, the position and conveyance state of the transparent film are detected optically by utilizing the opaque part. After the image formation, the opaque part is cleared by (i) detaching the opaque part under heating, or (ii) clarifying the opaque part by heating and/or light illumination. Accordingly, the opaque part required for image forming does not adversely affect the final transparent film product, such as an overhead projection film. The clearing of the opaque part may be performed, e.g., along with the fixation of the toner image onto the transparent film.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus comprises an interface for inputting a binary image signal, a binary-multi-value converter that converts the input binary image signal into a multi-value image signal, a corrector for correcting the converted multi-value image signal according to characteristic data of a recording element, and a driver for driving the recording element according to the corrected multi-value image signal, thereby performing image recording.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording and correction method, in which a thermal transfer ink layer is placed in contact with a transfer-receiving medium and is heated by heat generating elements of a thermal head in a pattern corresponding to a recording signal, is improved by preheating the ink layer. The ink layer, which is characterized by a transfer initiation temperature, is preheated by the thermal head which is heated by a preheating means. When a region of the ink layer is then further heated by the heat generating elements, the temperature of that region has a maximum and a minimum both within a range extending from the transfer initiation temperature to about 40.degree. C. higher than the transfer initiation temperature. Since the maximum and minimum temperatures are within a suppressed temperature range, an erroneous image can be more easily peeled off the transfer-receiving medium.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus has an ink jet head with a heat generating resistance element, which head discharges ink droplets by causing a state change in ink using heat generated by the resistance element, conveying means for conveying a recording medium to be recorded upon in a conveyance direction so that a predetermined recording image is formed on the recording medium by ink droplets from the head, heat exchanging means for exchanging heat with the head, this exchanging means being attached to the side of the head where the element is provided, and heating means for heating the exchanging means, the heating means being part of the heat exchanging means. It also includes a cooling means for cooling the heat exchanging means, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the heat exchanging means, and control means for controlling driving of the heating means and cooling means according to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means.