Abstract: An in-jet printing apparatus having a temperature detection device for outputting a signal in correspondence with a temperature, performs printing by using an ink-jet printhead which performs printing on a recording medium by discharging ink. A flag indicating whether acquisition of the temperature information is necessary or not is set, and the temperature information is obtained in accordance with the status of the flag, after the power on of the apparatus. The obtained temperature information is stored into a nonvolatile storage device. The temperature information can be obtained at appropriate timing in accordance with necessity, even if the power is interrupted during the operation. Thus a high-quality printed output can be obtained by performing a stable printing operation.

Abstract: Based upon a designated printing mode of a printer, a raster-data creation unit or a direct-data creation unit creates raster data, which corresponds to a print raster, or direct data, which corresponds to nozzles used on the printhead of a printer, as print data delivered to the printer. The print data created is transmitted to the printer from a transmitting unit.

Abstract: A liquid detection method and a liquid discharging device to detect whether or not a liquid can be supplied in a state in which a liquid channel from a tank for accommodating the liquid to each discharging port of a recording head is not disconnected by a bubble. A detection-signal input terminal is provided at a position where it contacts the liquid. A detection terminal is provided at a position where it does not electrically contact the liquid and is isolated from the liquid within the tank via a lower wall of the tank, made of an insulating plastic material, and the air. An electrical signal is input from a recording apparatus to the detection-signal input terminal via a connection terminal. The input electrical signal is transmitted through the ink within the recording head, the liquid channel within a joint, and the liquid within the tank.

Abstract: Disclosed is a color ink jet recording method including the step of recording a desired color image on a recording medium on the basis of recording data using a black ink and a plurality of color inks each being different from the black ink in permeating characteristics against the recording medium. In this method, the surface tension is 40 dyn/cm or less for each of the inks; and the blotting factor against plain paper is 2.5 or less for the black ink, and it is in the range of from 2.5 to 3.5 for each of the color inks. Alternatively, the surface tension is 40 dyn/cm or less for each of the inks; and the permeating rate against plain paper is one second or more for the black ink, and it is less than one second for each of the color inks.

Abstract: Printing of a unit pixel (1/D=1/600) in 4-pass printing (64 nozzles, and a total sheet supply amount of 62/600 in four operations) is exemplified in an image printing apparatus capable of printing a uniform, high-quality image while avoiding printing of a visually nonuniform image in multipass printing of two or more passes. A first pass printing dot (101) is printed using an Even nozzle by a sheet supply amount of 16/600 (even multiple of 1/D) while a carriage moves in the main scanning direction (main droplet and satellite land apart from each other). A second pass printing dot (102) is printed using an Odd nozzle by a sheet supply amount is 15/600 (odd multiple of 1/D) while the carriage moves in a direction opposite to the main scanning direction (main droplet and satellite land apart from each other).

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: A preliminary process for ejecting an ink after ejecting a processing liquid on a printing medium and a post-process for ejecting the processing liquid after ejecting the ink on the printing medium are distinguished. In one preferred mode, when a preliminarily process portion, in which an ink dot is formed after formation of a processing liquid dot, and a post-process portion, in which the processing liquid dot is formed after formation of the ink dot are present in admixing fashion, an ejection amount of the ink per unit area in the post-process portion is made smaller than the ejection amount of the ink per unit area in the preliminarily process portion. By this, a difference of printing quality in the preliminarily process portion and the post-process portion on the printing medium can be made smaller.

Abstract: A recording method includes the steps of ejecting ink onto a recording material on the basis of image data; and ejecting record quality improving liquid to improve a record quality of the ink ejected onto the recording material; wherein one of the ink ejecting step and the liquid ejecting step is carried out after the other; the liquid ejecting step ejects the liquid to a part of an ink-ejection-area on the recording material to provide liquid-ejection-area and non-liquid-ejection-area.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method using an ink jet ejecting portion for ejecting ink on a printing material and a print quality improving liquid ejecting portion for ejecting print quality improving liquid to be ejected to the printing material, the improvement residing in that an application mode of the print quality improving liquid is different depending on a printing mode in which printing operation is carried out.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method uses an ink jet ejecting portion for ejecting ink on a printing material and a print quality improving liquid ejecting portion for ejecting print quality improving liquid on the printing material. The application mode of the print quality improving liquid is different depending on the printing mode in which a printing operation is carried out.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus and a method of detecting a remaining amount of ink capable of detecting an amount of ink remaining in an ink tank without the need of a special mechanism and part in an inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image by mounting the ink tank and a recording head on a carriage and scanning the carriage. The position where the carriage stops is detected by an encoder by moving the carriage by driving a motor and stopping the drive of the motor after the carriage constantly moves at a predetermined speed. The amount of ink remaining in the ink tank mounted on the carriage is determined based on the moving distance of the carriage from the time the drive of the motor is stopped to the time the carriage moved by inertia stops.

Abstract: The ink jet printing apparatus of this invention is intended to reduce degradations in image quality caused by color mixing due to bleeding of inks of different colors and thereby enable printing an image with high quality at high speed. To this end, in the ink jet printing apparatus of this invention, a plurality of different nozzle groups are main-scanned M times (M≧2) over a print area to print all print data to be printed on the print area to complete an image. The print head, successively perform the main scans over the print area in such a way that the print head, located at the front position in the printing order, performs an Mth main scan with a lower print density than that of an Nth main scan (1≦N<M).

Abstract: A high-quality image is printed with reduced bleeding in colors that may appear at a boundary between a black image and a color image. A head for ejecting black ink and a head for ejecting color ink perform three times of scanning while feeding is carried out therebetween for moving the printing medium by four pitches of ejection openings arranged on the heads, different ejection openings are caused to correspond to a scanning area, which corresponds to the four pitches, and multi-pass printing is performed to complete printing on the area. The black head completes printing of the black image, and then, the color head completes printing of the color image adjacent to the black image. The arrangement of ejection openings is determined so that between last scanning for completing printing of the black image and the first scanning for printing of the color image, scanning with no performing printing exists.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is provided with two or more kinds of sub-scanning amounts per main scan, which records a high quality image by reducing the bleeding between colors created characteristically by a multi-pass recoding method. The main scanning numbers whereby to complete an image by a first discharge port array for black ink use and a second discharge port array for color ink use, respectively, are set to be m (m is a positive integer) and n (n is a positive integer) times. Then, with respect to the first discharge port array, the second discharge port array makes the position of the end portion of the discharge ports used from the upstream side in the sub-scan equal to the length of the amount of continuous sub-scan of (m+a) (a is a positive integer) times using at least two kinds of sub-scanning amounts.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus capable of recording high-quality images in which not only color shading caused in the process of reciprocating recording is prevented, but also bleeding between colors inherent in a multi-pass recording method is reduced. The position of the top of ejection orifices in a second ejection orifice row for ejecting color ink is spaced a length away from a first ejection orifice row for ejecting black ink. The length is determined according to values m, n and such a condition that the value a makes (m+a) an even number. Under the circumstances, recording is performed by reciprocating scanning, which makes differences in recording time between colors equal to each other.

Abstract: A printing duty for a single scanning operation is determined for each print head of color ink used for printing. When the printing duty D is judged to be larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold value Dth, dividing printing is executed in which the printing of a area for a single scanning operation is divided into two scanning operations. This operation can reduce the printing duty of the single scanning operation to reduce the dirt on an ejection portion for ejecting inks.

Abstract: A recording method includes the steps of ejecting ink onto a recording material on the basis of image data; and ejecting record quality improving liquid to improve a record quality of the ink ejected onto the recording material; wherein one of the ink ejecting step and the liquid ejecting step is carried out after the other; the liquid ejecting step ejects the liquid to a part of an ink-ejection-area on the recording material to provide liquid-ejection-area and non-liquid-ejection-area.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information processing system in which a host computer and a printer are connected so as to be capable of communicating in both directions. Model-specific information, which is information relating to number of tones of image data handled by the printer, is stored in the printer in advance. Stored model-specific parameters and a control command are transmitted to the host computer in response to a command from the host computer. The host computer uses the model-specific parameters of the printer and the control command to process image data that is output to the printer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing control system in which a host computer and a printer are connected so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. The printer stores model-specific parameter information, which is control information, in a ROM and, in response to a command from the host computer, transmits the stored model-specific parameters to the host computer to store the parameters in a memory of the host computer. Using the model-specific parameters stored in the memory, the host computer changes the parameters of a printer driver to thereby control printing performed by the printer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing control system in which a host computer and a printer are connected so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. The printer stores color-conversion information, which is model-specific information, and a control command in a ROM and, in response to a command from the host computer, transmits the stored color-conversion information to the host computer. Using the color-conversion information and control command, the host computer sets the parameters of a printer driver, creates a command and transmits generated print data to the printer.