Abstract: It is checked whether an ink used in a printhead has a high density. The type of a printing medium used for a print operation is also identified. An image is printed by scanning the printhead once or a plurality of numbers of times. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thick ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thick ink. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thin ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thin ink and the type of printing medium used for the print operation. Codes of the respective color data of print data are determined in accordance with the types of inks used for a print operation, and an image is printed by printing a plurality of dots or dots in an overlapping state by the multi-pass method.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprising a recording head having discharge ports for discharging the ink, an ink tank for storing said ink to be supplied to the recording head, and suction recovery device for stabilizing the ink discharge from the recording head, characterized in that the suction recovery device has a plurality of suction operations, which can be selected in accordance with the content of the discharge stabilization.

Abstract: A liquid jet head is provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid, liquid flow paths conductively connected with the discharge ports, air bubble generating areas for creating air bubbles in the liquid, and movable members arranged to face the air bubble generating areas, each having a free end in a position relatively near to the discharge port with respect to a fulcrum thereof. This movable member is inclined to position the free end of the movable member to release the air bubble generating area partly to the discharge port so as to enable the tangential line of the free end of the movable member on the side of the air bubble generating area or the extended line thereof to reach directly the discharge port formation area having the discharge port on the liquid flow path side before the creation of air bubble on the air bubble generating area, and with this position as reference, the movable member is displaced following the creation of air bubble on the air bubble generating area.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium by scanning the medium with a recording device having heads of a plurality of colors has a setting device for setting a color recording mode for recording a color image or a monochromic recording mode for recording a monochromic image, and a drive device having a first recording mode for driving the recording device while reducing a drive load on the recording device and a second recording mode for driving without reducing the drive load.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording method includes the steps of recording black circles of a black ink ejected by black ink nozzles at the positions corresponding to a resolution of, for example, 600 dpi, and recording black dots of the black ink formed by selectively mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks at the positions offset by a distance corresponding to a resolution of 1200 dpi, thereby forming a black image having high resolutions, whereby the black image can be recorded at a high speed and with high resolutions.

Abstract: In a multipass printing using a print head which has a plurality of staggered columns of print elements, one and the same print line is formed by using nozzles (k1-129, k2-1) of different nozzle columns (k1, k2) to disperse the directivity of landing deviations of dots in the same print line.

Abstract: It is checked whether an ink used in a printhead has a high density. The type of a printing medium used for a print operation is also identified. An image is printed by scanning the printhead once or a plurality of times. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thick ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thick ink. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thin ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thin ink and the type of printing medium used for the print operation. Codes of the respective color data of print data are determined in accordance with the types of inks used for a print operation, and an image is printed by printing a plurality of dots or dots in an overlapping state by the multi-pass method.

Abstract: The purpose is to provide a high quality halftone recording with a reduced grainy feeling without lowering the true resolving power. Provided is an apparatus for making a halftone recording by employing three or more types of color materials, each of which has at least one grade of concentration, wherein each type of the color materials having the lowest concentration provides, when recording on a recording medium having a first lightness, a recorded region having its own lightness, and wherein a difference between the first lightness and the lightness of the recorded region is not more than 35, the lightness being measured according to the definition of CIE 1976 psychological measurement lightness using a standard illuminating light D65 as a light source.

Abstract: There have been desired a liquid discharge method, a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge apparatus capable of sufficient temperature adjustment for maintaining the viscosity of the discharge liquid within an appropriate range, there by maintaining constantly stable liquid discharge. In this invention, the movable member provided with a heating member simultaneously or individually controls the temperatures of the liquid in the first liquid path and that in the second liquid path.

Abstract: An ink jet printing system to perform printing by ejecting ink toward a printing medium by employing a printing head having ink passages for ejecting ink through ejection openings and a common ink chamber supplying the ink into the ink passages.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording using a plurality of types of inks which are different in nature such as level of thickness, improved to attain excellent gradation of recorded image with a reduced number of ink types which are prepared beforehand. In one form, a clear ink which does not contain any dye is mixed with an ink which contains dye so as to form an ink blend of a density which can be set by varying the mixing ratio. The ink blend thus formed is supplied to a recording head. The invention also provides an ink jet recording apparatus which permits inks of different compositions to be blended within the recording apparatus so a to enable selection of ink composition which is optimum for the image to be recorded or purpose of use.

Abstract: A user interface for high-quality image output and an image processing apparatus utilizing the user interface which performs apparatus setting for appropriate printing by selecting a print medium and a print mode in accordance with the type of ink cartridge. When an exchangeable ink cartridge, containing YMCK color ink or ink having different ink densities from those of the YMCK color ink in approximately the same color hues, is attached to a printer, the type of the ink cartridge is discriminated by an ink cartridge ID, and available print media and appropriate output image types are displayed for user's selection based on the ID. Then print operation is set in accordance with instruction by the user.

Abstract: In the case of printing in three-value level utilizing two kinds of inks mutually different densities for one color (higher and lower density inks), it is assumed that a reflection density of a region having a predetermined area when solid print is performed only by the lower density ink, and that when solid print is performed only by the higher density ink are expressed ODt and ODn, respectively. Since the granular appearance of the ink dots is expressed in terms of reflection density of one dot, the granular appearance of a lower density ink dot at a portion of image formed only by the lower density ink dots and the granular appearance of a higher density ink dot at a portion of image formed by the higher and lower density ink dots are expressed in terms of values of ODt and (ODn-ODt) divided by the number of pixels included in the above region, respectively.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus which carries out, in a decimated multipass print mode, paper transfer by an extra amount (2.5 .mu.m) beyond a standard paper transfer amount corresponding to a quarter of the total number of nozzles in the nozzle arrangement of a recording head. This can displace dots formed in subsequent scannings from dots formed in previous scannings by amounts of 2.5 .mu.m, 5 .mu.m, 7.5 .mu.m and 10 .mu.m, and reduce the overlap of the dots at boundary regions in the decimated multipass print mode. In a one pass print mode, the paper transfer amount per scanning is set less than the sum total of the four paper transfer amounts of the decimated multipass print mode so that dot overlaps take place as countermeasures against paper transfer errors.

Abstract: In divided printing method performing printing for the same printing region for a plurality of times of scanning, in order to avoid formation of banding due to density variations at a boundary in each scanning region, a predetermined nozzle width (e.g. four nozzle width) of boundary portion is set for each scanning region corresponding to a nozzle array established by dividing a plurality of nozzles (e.g. 248 nozzles) of a printing head by N (e.g. N=4). The number of times of scanning in the boundary portion is set, e.g. three times, smaller than that in region other than the boundary portion. Also, for mutually adjacent boundary portions, three times of scans of each of the adjacent boundary portions are performed simultaneously. By this, in each of the boundaries of respective scanning regions, no time difference will be caused in scan for printing respective regions.

Abstract: Disclosed are an inkjet printing method and an inkjet printer capable of printing high-quality images by the inkjet printing method even when ink is exchanged for ink having a different density, particularly ink having a lower density. A printer using this method identifies the type of an ink tank attached to a printhead. When the printer detects in accordance with the type of an ink tank that an ink tank is changed to another ink tank containing ink with a different density, recovery conditions for the printhead are changed in accordance with the type of the ink. Especially when an ink tank is exchanged for another ink tank containing ink with a lower density, the printer increases the number of times of suction for the printhead after the ink tank exchange and the number of times of preliminary discharge after wiping. The printer also shortens preliminary discharge intervals and increases the number of preliminary discharge times at the time of printing.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method which can produce an image excellent in gradation and resolution and allows the image for text, graphics and listing to the obtained at high speed and good quality. The present invention allows a desired recorded image to be obtained by exchangeably comprising an ink jet unit for producing the image excellent in gradation, and an ink jet unit having higher character quality and capable of recording at high speed, and effecting recording control in accordance with the ink jet unit.

Abstract: Print codes supplied from a host computer are received and analyzed to generate print data for the individual colors, and the generated print data are stored in print buffers corresponding to the colors. The print data corresponding to yellow ink with high lightness is expressed by binary data, and is printed by one dot per pixel by a single print scan. The print data corresponding to each of the remaining high-density (thick) inks is expressed by multi-valued data having a larger number of bits than the yellow data, and is printed by a plurality of print scans.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method record using different kinds of ink each having the same series color and a different density. The jet recording apparatus includes a converting unit for converting an input image density signal into an output image density signal, a binary unit for converting the output image density signal into binary data, an inverting unit for inverting the binary data, and a distributing unit for the binary data inverted and binary data to be inverted to drive data for an ink discharge unit and drive data for another ink discharge unit. Density unevenness and texture which arise from an image process, particularly a binary process, can be prevented. Different kinds of ink, each of which has the same series color and a different density, are respectively scanned so as not to overlap on the same pixel.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method record using different kinds of ink each having the same series color and a different density. The jet recording apparatus includes a converting unit for converting an input image density signal into an output image density signal, a binary unit for converting the output image density signal into binary data, an inverting unit for inverting the binary data, and a distributing unit for the binary data inverted and binary data to be inverted to drive data for an ink discharge unit and drive data for another ink discharge unit. Density unevenness and texture which arise from an image process, particularly a binary process, can be prevented. Different kinds of ink, each of which has the same series color and a different density, are respectively scanned so as not to overlap on the same pixel.