Abstract: The print permitting ratios of the masks in the first to fourth passes of a C ink are respectively 6.2%, 37.5%, 37.5%, and 18.8%. On the other hand, the print permitting ratios of the masks in the first to fourth passes of an M ink are respectively 12.5%, 37.5%, 37.5%, and 12.5%. In this way, the respective masks are set such that a larger amount of the C ink is applied in a later pass as compared with the M ink. Thereby, it is possible to reduce an amount of the M ink to be applied later with respect to the C ink functioning to “reduce a permeation speed of an ink applied later by filling,” and it is possible to prevent a permeation speed from slowing down overall. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of beading due to a time to complete permeation becoming longer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a checker array print head configured to be able to output an image with possible white or black stripes made unnoticeable even when the conveyance direction of a print medium with respect to the ink jet print head is skewed. A first chip 101 located on an upstream side in a conveyance direction (X direction) and a second chip 102 located on a downstream side in the conveyance direction are arranged such that a dot printed via the first chip 101 and a dot printed via the second chip 102 are printed at intervals shorter than a print resolution in an ejection port arrangement direction (Y direction). Thus, even if the conveyance direction of the print medium is skewed by meandering thereof or the like, possible white stripes, which are particularly noticeable, can be inhibited.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which use a printing head having a plurality of ejection opening arrays and enable high quality printing without causing uneven density in a conveying direction. For this purpose, by providing a plurality of ejection opening arrays to chips constituting the printing head and changing data assigning ratio of each ejection opening array, deviation in impact positions depending on the distance between the ejection opening arrays becomes inconspicuous.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to print a good quality image even if ink is ejected abnormally from a nozzle. To attain this, when there is an abnormal nozzle (N) exhibiting an abnormal ink ejection state, the printing data corresponding to the abnormal nozzle (N) is added to the printing data corresponding to neighboring nozzles (N?1) and (N+1) arranged in the neighborhood of the abnormal nozzle (N). In this way, the printing data corresponding to the abnormal nozzle (N) can be compensated.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which use a printing head having a plurality of ejection opening arrays and enable high quality printing without causing uneven density in a conveying direction. For this purpose, by providing a plurality of ejection opening arrays to chips constituting the printing head and changing data assigning ratio of each ejection opening array, deviation in impact positions depending on the distance between the ejection opening arrays becomes inconspicuous.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus and method, both high-speed and high-quality formation of images can be achieved. The apparatus has a full-line printhead that includes printhead chips. A plurality of printing element arrays are disposed in parallel on the same printhead chip, and a distribution ratio of print data is controlled so as to at least differ in an overlap area in which end portions of the printing element arrays overlap each other.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for ink jet printing can reduce density unevenness caused by an end deviation condition associated with ink droplets ejected from a print head, regardless of gray scale of a printed image. The present invention thus sets the print duty for a nozzle located at an end of a nozzle array formed in a print head on the basis of the end deviation amount of a position impacted by an ink droplet ejected from the end of the nozzle array.

Abstract: When a feeding amount for multi-pass printing is changed, the purpose related to an image quality using a binary data generation pattern can still be attained by, for example, a density pattern method. Specifically, a multi-pass printing mode is identified, and a density pattern selection matrix associated with a cycle of binary data generation is selected in accordance with the selected printing mode. That is, a density pattern selection matrix employed for binary data generation using a density pattern is changed to a size corresponding to the feeding amount designated by the selected printing mode. Thereby, a phenomenon that a unit used for image processing to gain a predetermined purpose related to an image quality does not match a unit area used for a printing operation is avoided, and an image printing purpose using a binary data generation pattern can be appropriately attained.

Abstract: An image data signal value conversion is performed such that the volume of ink applied to image areas on a print medium to be printed by the overlapping portions of the printing element substrates is smaller than that applied to image areas on the print medium to be printed by other than the overlapping portions. Alternatively, the image data signal value conversion is performed such that the volume of ink applied to overlapping areas on the print medium to be printed by two consecutive printing main scans is smaller than that applied to other than the overlapping areas. For this reason, even when forming photographic images by using an elongate “joining head”, high-quality images with no density unevenness between overlapping areas and other areas on a print medium can be produced. Also in a serial type printing apparatus, uniform images with no seam stripes can be produced.

Abstract: In both a full-line and a serial printer, the amount of ink passing through nozzles of print heads is sometimes decreased below a normal value before and during actual printing. In the printer of the present invention, a preliminary ejecting operation is performed taking the opportunity in which the amount of ink passing through nozzles is decreased below a normal value. Then, the amount of ink passing through nozzles recovers to the normal value in ink ejection after the preliminary ejecting operation. Since only a small amount of ink is ejected through the nozzles during the preliminary ejection operation, dots formed on a print sheet are not noticeable. Further, it is unnecessary to move the print heads to a home position where an ejection recovering process is executed to remove ink having an increased viscosity.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which use a printing head having a plurality of ejection opening arrays and enable high quality printing without causing uneven density in a conveying direction. For this purpose, by providing a plurality of ejection opening arrays to chips constituting the printing head and changing data assigning ratio of each ejection opening array, deviation in impact positions depending on the distance between the ejection opening arrays becomes inconspicuous.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which enable a high quality printing without causing uneven thickness in a conveying direction using a printing head having a plurality of ejection port arrays are provided. To this end, the printing is performed by making distribution ratios of printing in each ejection port array in the printing head different from one another according to gradation.

Abstract: The invention discloses a printing apparatus and method whereby it is possible to achieve both high-speed and high-quality formation of images. The apparatus has a full-line printhead that includes printhead chips. A plurality of printing element arrays are disposed in parallel on the same printhead chip, and a distribution ratio of print data is controlled so as to at least differ in an overlap area in which end portions of the printing element arrays overlap each other.

Abstract: A secondary color is used for printing an image with a printer so as to reduce the granularity of the printed image, particularly the light image area. Data of magenta and cyan color components of image data is subjected to under-removal processing to generate blue ink image data as the mentioned secondary color. A blue ink dot is printed in accordance with the blue ink data obtained by the under removal processing to replace the magenta and cyan data. As a result, it is possible to reduce the granularity that would otherwise be caused by localized distributions of magenta and cyan dots.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for ink jet printing which can reduce density unevenness caused by an end deviation condition associated with ink droplets ejected from a print head, regardless of gray scale of a printed image. The present invention thus sets the print duty for a nozzle located at an end of a nozzle array formed in a print head on the basis of the end deviation amount of a position impacted by an ink droplet ejected from the end of the nozzle array.

Abstract: This invention relates to a printer and printing method capable of printing at high quality at a printing boundary where different printing elements can print in the same area of a printing medium. According to this method, when printing by moving a printhead in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed relatively to a printing medium, the following control are performed That, is, it is checked whether different printing elements are printable in the same area on the printing medium on the basis of input image data. It is checked whether the input image data is used to print a text image or a graphic/halftone image. It is controlled in accordance with the check results to print in the same printable area by the different printing elements by changing respective ratios at which printing elements are used.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and a preliminary ejecting method. In both a full-line and a serial printer, the amount of ink passing through nozzles of print heads is sometimes decreased below a normal value before and during actual printing. In the printer of present invention, a preliminary ejecting operation is performed taking the opportunity in which the amount of ink passing through nozzles is decreased below a normal value. Then, the amount of ink passing through nozzles recovers to the normal value at an ink ejection after the preliminary ejecting operation. Since only a small amount of ink is ejected through the nozzles during the preliminary ejection operation, dots formed on a print sheet are not noticeable. Further, it is unnecessary to move the print heads to a home position where an ejection recovering process is executed to remove ink having an increase viscosity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and a preliminary ejecting method. In both a full-line and a serial printer, the amount of ink passing through nozzles of print heads is sometimes decreased below a normal value before and during actual printing, In the printer of present invention, a preliminary ejecting operation is performed taking the opportunity in which the amount of ink passing through nozzles is decreased below a normal value. Then, the amount of ink passing through nozzles recovers to the normal value at an ink ejection after the preliminary ejecting operation. Since only a small amount of ink is ejected through the nozzles during the preliminary ejection operation, dots formed on a print sheet are not noticeable. Further, it is unnecessary to move the print heads to a home position where an ejection recovering process is executed to remove ink having an increase viscosity.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, such as a full-multi-type printing apparatus, if a heating device is used to heat a printing medium near a print head performing a printing operation by ejecting ink, the heating device is provided under a back surface of the printing medium located opposite to a face of the print head except for neighborhoods of ejection ports that eject printing material.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus that performs printing by using an ink and a processing liquid that renders the ink insoluble, an effect the mist of the processing liquid or substances insolubilized by it has on the ejection performance of the ink head or processing liquid head is reduced. The distance between the processing liquid head 101S and the print paper 103 carried by the belt 111 is set larger than the head-to-paper distances of other heads 101Bk, 101C, 101M, 101Y. As a result, the mist generated by the ejection of the processing liquid from the head 101S diffuses in a recessed space formed by the heads 101Bk and 101C on both sides of the head 101S and thus hardly reaches the ink nozzle surfaces of these heads on both sides.