Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus capable of shortening the recording duration even when an image to be recorded includes a high-duty area having a large amount of ink to be discharged in the case of two-sided recording on a recording medium. The ink jet recording apparatus, which reverses the recording medium to enable two-sided recording, performs dividing the image to be recorded on a high-duty area having a large amount of ink to be discharged into two (first and second) planes, first plane recording involving a unit area to be subjected to an ink discharge amount below a predetermined amount, reversing the recording medium, and recording on the rear surface, and reversing the recording medium again, and second plane recording.

Abstract: With an ink jet head having for each color two parallel columns of nozzles arranged shifted by one-half the pitch, odd-numbered rasters and even-numbered rasters are printed by the two nozzle columns. The registration between the odd- and even-numbered rasters is secured during the printing to produce a high quality image. The ink ejection timing between the two raster groups is shifted by a predetermined interval to form adjustment patterns; the adjustment patterns are checked and, according to the check result, an adjustment value for the ink ejection timing between the two ink nozzle columns is entered, and the entered adjustment value is stored to be reflected on the actual printing operation. To facilitate the adjustment pattern check, the adjustment patterns have a dot distribution with a blue noise characteristic at a resolution at which the printing apparatus can print.

Abstract: The present invention aims to obtain preferable correction values to correct the conveying error of a conveying roller in accordance with the size of a printing medium, even when the conveying error caused by the eccentricity of the roller varies from a point to another in the longitudinal direction of a roller, depending on the amount and the state of eccentricity of the roller. To achieve this object, correction values are acquired using the whole part of or only a part of plural test patterns formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. The correction values thus acquired correspond to the respective zones where the test patterns are formed.

Abstract: While a conveying error of a roller depends on the eccentricity of the roller, the amount and the state of the eccentricity sometimes makes the roller have different conveying errors from one point in the longitudinal direction of the roller to another. There is provided a construction for obtaining a correction value that is suitable for the correction of the conveying error even in such a case as described above. To this end, plural test patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Then, a suitable correction value for correcting the conveying error that depends on the eccentricity of the roller is obtained on the basis of these test patterns.

Abstract: While a conveying error of a roller depends on the eccentricity of the roller, the amount and the state of the eccentricity sometimes makes the roller have different conveying errors from one point in the longitudinal direction of the roller to another. There is provided a construction for obtaining a correction value that is suitable for the correction of the conveying error even in such a case as described above. To this end, plural test patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Then, a suitable correction value for correcting the conveying error that depends on the eccentricity of the roller is obtained on the basis of these test patterns.

Abstract: While a conveying error of a roller depends on the eccentricity of the roller, the amount and the state of the eccentricity sometimes makes the roller have different conveying errors from one point in the longitudinal direction of the roller to another. There is provided a construction for obtaining a correction value that is suitable for the correction of the conveying error even in such a case as described above. To this end, plural test patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Then, a suitable correction value for correcting the conveying error that depends on the eccentricity of the roller is obtained on the basis of these test patterns.

Abstract: By using an ink jet head, which has for each color two parallel columns of nozzles arranged side by side in the main scan direction and shifted from each other by one-half the pitch at which the nozzles are arranged in each column, odd-numbered rasters and even-numbered rasters making up an image are printed by the two nozzle columns. The registration between the odd- and even-numbered rasters is secured during the printing to produce an image with high print quality. For that purpose, the ink ejection timing between the two raster groups is shifted by a predetermined interval to form a plurality of adjustment patterns; the adjustment patterns printed are checked and, according to the check result, an adjustment value for the ink ejection timing between the two ink nozzle columns is entered, and the entered adjustment value is stored to be reflected on the actual printing operation.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide an inkjet printing apparatus that can print an image with high uniformity in image clarity and gloss level irrespective of the gradation value of the image. The print head of this invention can eject color inks and an image quality improvement liquid that changes at least the gloss level or image clarity of the image. The print head scans over same print areas of a print medium to form an image and at the same time applies the image quality improvement liquid onto the image. A control unit raises the volume of the image quality improvement liquid applied to unit areas in a relatively subsequent scan to the volume of the image quality improvement liquid applied to unit areas in a relatively preceding scan at a rate that corresponds to the volume of the color ink applied to the unit areas.

Abstract: The first print data indicating the discharging amounts of color and clear inks is generated in correspondence with an image to be printed with the color and clear inks. The second print data for designating a region for expressing decoration is generated. The discharging amount of the clear ink in the region for expressing decoration in the first print data is changed based on the second print data. Printing is done by scanning a printhead a plurality of number of times based on the changed first print data to execute the print scan of the clear ink after that of the color ink.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to prevent prolongation of the time taken for a suction recovery operation while suppressing wasteful consumption of ink in the suction recovery operation. An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a plurality of caps which, when a plurality of nozzles of an ink-jet head are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups, are arranged one by one for the respective nozzle groups, and cap the respective nozzle groups, a suction pump which generates a negative pressure in the plurality of caps to suck ink from the plurality of nozzles, and is arranged commonly for the plurality of caps, and a control unit which controls the suction pump so as to make the negative pressure by the suction pump act on all the caps when a common negative pressure is generated in the plurality of caps, and make different negative pressures by the suction pump act sequentially on the plurality of caps when different negative pressures are generated in the respective caps.

Abstract: Provided are a printing apparatus and a conveying-error controlling method capable of printing a high-quality image by correction reflecting the conveying amount of a printing medium. A provided inkjet printing apparatus prints images by printing scans for actual printing and by conveying the printing medium with a roller orthogonally to the printing-scan direction. In each printing scan, the printing medium is scanned with a print head having an array of nozzles from which the ink is ejected. The print head moving direction differs from the arranging direction of the nozzles in the array. The apparatus includes a conveying controller to control the conveying of the printing medium on the basis of a correction value used to correct a conveying error of the roller. The conveying controller changes the correction value to be applied in accordance with the conveying amount of the printing medium between two scans with the print head.

Abstract: An optical pickup according to the present invention includes: a light source 1d for irradiating an optical disk 4 with light; a lens 3 for converging the light onto the optical disk 4; a photodetector 1c having a plurality of detection regions 1cf, 1ct for detecting light which is reflected from a signal surface of the optical disk 4 and converting the light into an electrical signal; a hologram element 1a having a hologram region 1b for guiding the reflected light to the photodetector 1c; and a light-shielding plate 2 for blocking at least a portion of light transmitted through a region of the hologram element 1a other than the hologram region 1b. The light-shielding plate 2 includes a light shielding portion 2b for blocking light, and an aperture 2a for allowing the light to be transmitted therethrough.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus capable of automatic duplex printing, time required to fix ink is shortened and throughput is improved without producing uneven fixing. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a printing unit that prints onto a sheet, a fixing unit that heats a sheet printed by the printing unit, a conveying unit that conveys a sheet with respect to the printing unit and the fixing unit, and a controller that controls the conveying unit such that a printing region of a sheet printed on the first side by the printing unit passes through the fixing unit, and afterwards, the conveyance direction of the sheet is reversed in order to print on the second side and the printing region once again passes through the fixing unit. The controller variably controls the conveyance speed of the sheet when the printing region once again passes through the fixing unit.

Abstract: The invention provides a configuration capable of judging whether an ink jet head is exchanged or whether it is replaced, and changing an amount of recovery operation when the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced. Thus a recording apparatus capable of avoiding a defective ink supply in case the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced, and not wasting the ink by unnecessarily excessive recovery operation, can be provided.

Abstract: The first printing mode improves gloss uniformity by setting the colorless ink discharge amount to be equal to or smaller than a reference value A at a dark image portion in input image data, and performing normal discharge printing in which printing with a colorless ink starts before completion of printing with a color ink (FIG. 11C). The second printing mode implements a wide color reproductive range by setting the colorless ink discharge amount to be larger than A at the dark image portion, and performing post-discharge printing in which discharge of the colorless ink starts after completion of printing with the color ink (FIG. 11D).

Abstract: A plurality of ejection portions are divided into groups, each containing at least one ejection portion, so that the suction-based recovery operation can be performed for each group independently. Since the number of ejection portions contained in each group differs, if an ink flow resistance varies among the different groups, simultaneous suction-based recovery operations can be done by using a common suction pump, without having to sequentially perform the suction-based recovery operations under an optimum pump driving condition. For this purpose, inner diameters of a plurality of ink discharge tubes running from a plurality of cap units, which cap a plurality of print head units having different numbers of ejection portions, to the common pump are differentiated. This allows different flows to be produced in different ink discharge systems, thus generating desirable ink flows for individual ink supply systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of ink jet printing is provided that poor ejection less occurs even where making a printing on a printing medium ready to cause a paper powder, such as a fine art paper. An image is to be printed on a printing medium by performing a relative movement of a printing medium and a printing head having a plurality of arrays each having a plurality of ejection openings. On this occasion, the image is printed by using ejection openings in a number changed in accordance with a type of the printing medium, out of a plurality of ejection openings on the two arrays adjacent to each other.

Abstract: Performed is conveying-error correction in accordance with the kind and the number of rollers that are actually involved in the conveying of a printing medium. Each of the rollers that are potentially involved in the conveying of the printing medium has a unique amount of eccentricity, and may affect the quality of image to be printed in a peculiar manner. To address this problem, a surface of the printing medium is divided into areas according to the number and the combination of the rollers that are actually involved in the conveying. A pattern each is printed for each of the areas thus formed while the pattern enables the detection of the conveying error. A correction value to correct the conveying error is calculated using each of the patterns. The correction values thus obtained are reflected in the conveying of the printing medium.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus capable of shortening the recording duration even when an image to be recorded includes a high-duty area having a large amount of ink to be discharged in the case of two-sided recording on a recording medium. The ink jet recording apparatus, which reverses the recording medium to enable two-sided recording, performs dividing the image to be recorded on a high-duty area having a large amount of ink to be discharged into two (first and second) planes, first plane recording involving a unit area to be subjected to an ink discharge amount below a predetermined amount, reversing the recording medium, and recording on the rear surface, and reversing the recording medium again, and second plane recording.

Abstract: Mask patterns to be used for multi-pass printing make it possible to make a print with a higher quality at a higher speed. Specifically, by performing a swapping process with adjacency forbiddance, two points in the horizontal direction, or the scanning direction of a printing head, are selected in a buffer in which codes for each scan pass are set depending on printing ratios of a gradation mask. Subsequently, codes are swapped between the two points. By this swap, adjacencies between print permitting areas are eliminated in the mask pattern. As a result, when driving frequencies set for the printing head is kept constant, the scanning speed can be doubled at minimum.