Abstract: A pattern forming method that includes forming a pattern for detecting defective discharges of a plurality of ink discharging nozzles and recording a first dot pattern with the plurality of ink discharging nozzles. The pattern forming method also includes recording a second dot pattern to be adjacent to at least one side of the first dot pattern in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: The order of the arrangement of ejection opening arrays of two types of ink overlapping in reciprocating scan is decided as follows. An ejection order is decided so that the case where the fixing areas of a main droplet and a satellite are different (dot area is increased) in the forward and backward scan first occurs. By this configuration, the area of the dot and the portion in which different colors are generated due to the difference in the overlapping order in the reciprocating scan can be reduced, compared with the case where the arrangement order is opposite to the above-described case. As a result, a difference in color between areas for which printing is completed by the reciprocating scanning is reduced and thus color unevenness of a printed image can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention uses a temperature sensor to sense the temperature of a print head configured to eject ink, and senses the environmental temperature of a printing apparatus. The temperature of the print head is corrected based on the environmental temperature only if information from the temperature sensor is different from the last information acquired.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink supplied from an ink tank and a plurality of heating elements. The ink jet recording apparatus further includes a detection unit configured to detect a remaining amount of ink in the ink tank, and a preliminary discharge unit configured to discharge ink from the discharge ports, unrelated to recording, by applying energy to the heating elements for recovering the recording head. The ink jet recording apparatus performs control so that when the remaining amount of ink detected is less than a predesignated remaining amount of ink, energy applied to the heating elements per unit time by the preliminary discharge unit is smaller as compared with energy applied to the heating elements per unit time when the remaining amount of ink is more than or equal to the predesignated remaining amount of ink.

Abstract: The apparatus and method can suppress an increase in power consumption and reduce ink density unevenness caused by variations in the amount of ink discharge upon performing printhead temperature retaining control. The printing apparatus, which prints on a print medium by scanning a printhead having a printing element for generating thermal energy, includes a determination unit which predicts a maximum temperature which the printhead reaches in printing, and determines a target temperature based on the predicted maximum temperature, and an adjustment unit which adjusts the temperature of the printhead in printing on the basis of the target temperature.

Abstract: One pixel is sub-divided on the basis of ejection ports. Pixel patterns are provided at respective quantization levels, each of which are defined using dots having different sizes. Image data is processed using a pixel pattern selected according to the type of printing medium and image quality to be achieved, and printing is performed using the image data. Only ejection ports ejecting ink droplets in the same size are driven at the same timing for ejection.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a printing apparatus and printhead temperature retaining control method capable of suppressing power consumption, and reducing degradation in image quality. To achieve the object, a printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium by discharging ink, executes the following processes. A first temperature adjustment process is executed to adjust the printhead temperature to a first adjustment temperature during the non-printing period in which preparation for printing the image is executed by discharging ink from the orifices. Additionally, a second temperature adjustment process is executed to adjust the printhead temperature to a second adjustment temperature during a printing period in which the image is printed on the printing medium by discharging ink from the orifices. The process is executed while providing a quiescent period without printhead temperature adjustment between the first and second temperature adjustment processes.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and a method for controlling temperature for the ink jet printing apparatus wherein the temperature of a print head, which may lower during printing, is controlled before printing without using any sub-heater to allow a favorable ejection condition to be established without reducing the head temperature below a predetermined value. Thus, scan width information and dot count information are acquired before a carriage starts scanning to determine the heating temperature of the print head on the basis of the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and a method for controlling temperature for the ink jet printing apparatus wherein the temperature of a print head, which may lower during printing, is controlled before printing without using any sub-heater to allow a favorable ejection condition to be established without reducing the head temperature below a predetermined value. Thus, scan width information and dot count information are acquired before a carriage starts scanning to determine the heating temperature of the print head on the basis of the information.

Abstract: A data processing method, printing apparatus, host apparatus, and printing system are capable of reducing the data transfer rate from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus, suppressing density unevenness, and reducing the cost of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus which is capable of estimate an amount of remaining ink with high accuracy by using ejection of ink from a printing head while restraining a consumption of ink during the estimation of the remaining ink amount, and also provides a method for estimating an amount of ink. An amount of ink ejected per unit time during the ink ejection for estimation of the remaining ink amount is set to be larger than an amount of ink ejected per unit time during printing.

Abstract: A method of adjusting bidirectional registration to reduce negative effects on the image such as “banding” even if bidirectional registration includes a slight amount of displacement is provided. For that purpose, correction is applied to a first adjustment value for adjusting a bidirectional registration displacement in response to an extent of inclination of a printing head to obtain a second adjustment value. Then a bidirectional printing is performed with timing adjusted on the basis of the second adjustment value. As a result of that, even if there is a slight variation in an adjustment value of the bidirectional registration and the inclination of the printing head, the banding generated by this can be reduced as much as possible.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method of ejecting ink using an ink jet head substrate provided with a heat generating resistor which is coated with a protecting film, wherein the ink is ejected by a pressure produced by generation of a bubble created by film boiling of the ink caused by application of thermal energy to the ink through the protecting film, the thermal energy being generated by driving of the heat generating resistor, the improvement residing in that: there is provided a recording mode in which the ink is ejected with a maximum temperature at the surface of the protecting film which is contacted to the ink not higher than 560° C.

Abstract: This invention reduces an unprinted stripe occurred by edge deviation of a printhead. An inkjet printing apparatus according to this invention can execute a first printing mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in a first region on the printing medium N times and scanning the printhead in a second region adjacent to the first region (N+1) times, and a second mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in the first region M times and scanning the printhead in the second region (M+1) times. The width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the second printing mode is narrower than the width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the first printing mode.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet print head that allows for a fast printing of high-density, high-quality images without increasing cost and size of the print head. To this end, the ink jet print head has orifices for ejecting ink of a first volume and orifices for ejecting ink of a second volume, the second volume being smaller than the first volume. Further, the number of orifices for first-volume ink per unit length is greater than the number of orifices for second-volume ink per unit length.

Abstract: There are provided an inkjet printing apparatus and an inkjet printing method, whereby, the temperature of a print head is controlled and the ejection volume of ink to be ejected is stabilized to print a high-quality image, even at a high printing duty. Based on print data, an ejection number of ink to be ejected into a unit printing area is counted. The print head is heated to a target temperature that is raised in consonance with an increase in the count value.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and a print head recovery method are provided which effectively execute a preliminary ejection to eject ink not contributing to image printing from nozzle opening of the print head to maintain the ink ejection performance in good condition. The ink in the print head is heated to a first temperature, at which a first preliminary ejection is executed. Then, when the ink temperature falls to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature, a second preliminary ejection is executed.

Abstract: This invention reduces an unprinted stripe occurred by edge deviation of a printhead. An inkjet printing apparatus according to this invention can execute a first printing mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in a first region on the printing medium N times and scanning the printhead in a second region adjacent to the first region (N+1) times, and a second mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in the first region M times and scanning the printhead in the second region (M+1) times. The width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the second printing mode is narrower than the width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the first printing mode.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording device is capable of correcting a recording position due to a leaning of a printing head and correcting of driving timing between multiple printing heads. Each nozzle row of a printing head is classified into multiple nozzle groups, and the driving timing of the nozzle groups other than the nozzle group serving as a reference of correction of the multiple nozzle groups is adjustable to correct for any leaning of the printing head. Moreover, in the event of performing the driving timing between printing heads, the driving timing of a non-reference printing head is adjustable relative to a reference printing head employed for leaning correction of multiple printing heads.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid ejection head which includes a plurality of ejection ports 302 arranged so as to form an ejection port row and which, after a recovery process of expanding and transferring a bubble toward an ink supply port, allows the bubble to be smoothly removed from a nozzle 310. electrothermal transducing element A plurality of nozzle filters 306 are arranged between an ink supply port and the ink channel 304 so that ink supplied to the bubbling chamber 303 through the ink supply port is passed between the nozzle filters 306 to separate impurities contained in the ink, from the ink. When a distance between an ink channel inlet 311 and the nozzle filter 306 is defined as L1 and a distance between the adjacent nozzle filters 306 is defined as L2, a relationship between L1 and L2 satisfies L1?L2.