Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a main tank for containing ink; a sub tank for containing ink supplied from the main tank and containing ink to be supplied to a print head; a detection unit configured to detect an ink amount in the sub tank; and a filling unit configured to perform ink filling operation that fills the sub tank with ink from the main tank by driving a driving unit, in a case where the detection unit detects the ink amount in the sub tank that is less than a first predetermined amount, wherein in a case where the ink amount in the main tank is less than a second predetermined amount, the filling unit drives the driving unit at smaller drive amount than that in a case where the ink amount in the main tank is greater than the second predetermined amount.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises an ink tank containing ink, a sub-tank containing the ink supplied from the ink tank, a printhead discharging the ink supplied from the sub-tank, a detection unit configured to perform a detection operation of detecting an ink remaining amount of the sub-tank, a suction unit configured to perform a suction operation of sucking the ink from the printhead, and a control unit configured to stop the suction unit from performing the suction operation when the detection unit detects that the ink remaining amount becomes smaller than a predetermined residual amount during execution of the suction operation.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus that can execute a recovery process appropriate for a print head according to a use condition of the inkjet printing apparatus. Therefore a recovery operation is performed based upon both an elapsed time in a non-use state where the printing is not performed and an elapsed time from the previous recovery process.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus performing a printing operation using a main tank for storing ink and a sub tank for storing the ink supplied from the main tank to supply the ink to the print head includes a detection unit for detecting the ink amount in the sub tank and an ink filling unit for driving a driving unit for supplying ink from the main tank to the sub tank to subject the sub tank to an ink filling operation. The ink filling unit is configured, when the ink amount detected by the detection unit is determined to be equal to or lower than the first predetermined amount, the second ink filling operation is performed. The second ink filling operation performs a driving longer than the drive time of the driving unit in the first ink filling operation performed when the main tank is attached to the inkjet printing apparatus.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a main tank for containing ink; a sub tank for containing ink supplied from the main tank and containing ink to be supplied to a print head; a detection unit configured to detect an ink amount in the sub tank; and a filling unit configured to perform ink filling operation that fills the sub tank with ink from the main tank by driving a driving unit, in a case where the detection unit detects the ink amount in the sub tank that is less than a first predetermined amount, wherein in a case where the ink amount in the main tank is less than a second predetermined amount, the filling unit drives the driving unit at smaller drive amount than that in a case where the ink amount in the main tank is greater than the second predetermined amount.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet printing apparatus that does not give poor usability to users and a method for controlling the same. To achieve this, in recovery processing performed multiple times to recover an ejection state, in a case where a printing instruction is inputted, the recovery processing is suspended in an amount smaller than an amount required for recovery, depending on an amount of ink in an ink tank.

Abstract: One aspect of this invention is directed to suitable drive control in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor of a printhead. More specifically, a printing apparatus by using a printhead that includes heaters and a temperature sensor on a substrate and discharges ink by driving the heaters executes the following steps. First, when printing a test pattern by using a predetermined driving pulse in a maintenance mode, a detected temperature is stored as a reference temperature in a memory. Then, in a normal printing mode, the difference between a detected temperature and the stored reference temperature is calculated, and a driving pulse for driving the printhead is selected from a plurality of driving pulses based on the difference. The printhead is controlled to be driven using the selected driving pulse and print.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus including, a printhead; a preliminary discharge unit; a detecting unit detecting a size of a printing medium; and a scaling process unit. The scaling process unit scales an image to be formed on the printing medium in accordance with a detected size when a size of a printing medium indicated by size setting information and the detected size do not match each other. The preliminary discharge unit causes the printhead to perform preliminary discharge in accordance with a scaling result of the scaling process unit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a full-line printhead in which a plurality of chips, on each of which a plurality of nozzle arrays are juxtaposed, are arranged in the nozzle arrayed direction, and which prints by the entire width of a printing medium using a plurality of nozzles arranged on the plurality of chips. The printing apparatus discharges ink from a predetermined number of successive nozzles on each nozzle array of each chip toward a printing medium during conveyance, thereby forming a plurality of first patterns corresponding to at least one nozzle array of each chip on the printing medium in the nozzle arrayed direction, reads the plurality of first patterns from the printing medium during conveyance using a sensor, calculates the shift amount of an ink attached position based on the plurality of read first patterns and corrects the attached position of ink based on the shift amount.

Abstract: The effects on an image are maximally decreased with respect to ejection by printing elements included in the low flow rate areas of a serial channel in an inkjet printing apparatus that uses a joined head in which multiple chips provided with multiple printing element arrays are disposed. For this purpose, print data is distributed to individual printing elements at a joining portion between two chips, such that fewer printing elements execute ejection operations on a printing element array A distanced farther from the center line of a base plate than a printing element array D nearer the center line. Doing so suppresses ejection by printing elements included in low flow rate areas which manifest near the turns of an ink channel, and reduces density defects due to ejection by such printing elements.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus including, a printhead; a preliminary discharge unit; a detecting unit detecting a size of a printing medium; and a scaling process unit. The scaling process unit scales an image to be formed on the printing medium in accordance with a detected size when a size of a printing medium indicated by size setting information and the detected size do not match each other. The preliminary discharge unit causes the printhead to perform preliminary discharge in accordance with a scaling result of the scaling process unit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus conducts inspection associated with printing by changing a relative positional relationship between a line print head and a sheet feeding position for a sheet in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the sheet is fed, forming an image on the sheet using the line print head a plurality of times, and reading the formed images using a reading unit.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus which can output a stable image without density unevenness by performing appropriate drive control to print elements based upon an appropriate representative temperature of a chip whatever image data is printed on a print medium. For this purpose, detection temperatures of a plurality of temperature sensors are lined up in high temperature order, and coefficients by which the respective detection temperatures are multiplied, are determined to be associated with that order at the lining-up, determining a representative temperature by the weighted average method. The common drive pulse associated with to the individual chip based upon the representative temperature thus obtained, to be applied thereto. Thereby even if temperature variations of print elements on the chip exist, it is possible to appropriately control the entire chip in temperature.

Abstract: When distributing image data of a plurality of planes to a first chip and a second chip that constitute the same overlapped portion of a connected head, a distribution method is changed for at least a part of the plurality of planes.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a printing unit configured to eject ink from a print head onto a sheet conveyed in a direction to perform printing on the sheet; a conveying unit configured to be provided on a downstream side of the print head in the direction, and configured to include a rotating member in contact with the sheet; and a reading unit configured to read a surface of the sheet on a downstream side of the rotating member in the direction, in which information on ink adhesion to the rotating member is obtained based on a result read by the reading unit.

Abstract: The sensor element, which can detect the concentration of a specified gas, is held with a housing with a front end thereof exposed. A protective cover includes an inner cover and an outer cover, and secured to the housing. A ratio ?1/?2 is set to a range from 0.6 to 0.9, where ?1 represents an outer diameter of a portion where an inner gas aperture is formed in the inner cover, and ?2 represents an inner diameter of a portion where an outer gas aperture is formed in the outer cover.

Abstract: One aspect of this invention is directed to suitable drive control in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor of a printhead. More specifically, a printing apparatus by using a printhead that includes heaters and a temperature sensor on a substrate and discharges ink by driving the heaters executes the following steps. First, when printing a test pattern by using a predetermined driving pulse in a maintenance mode, a detected temperature is stored as a reference temperature in a memory. Then, in a normal printing mode, the difference between a detected temperature and the stored reference temperature is calculated, and a driving pulse for driving the printhead is selected from a plurality of driving pulses based on the difference. The printhead is controlled to be driven using the selected driving pulse and print.

Abstract: The effects on an image are maximally decreased with respect to ejection by printing elements included in the low flow rate areas of a serial channel in an inkjet printing apparatus that uses a joined head in which multiple chips provided with multiple printing element arrays are disposed. For this purpose, print data is distributed to individual printing elements at a joining portion between two chips, such that fewer printing elements execute ejection operations on a printing element array A distanced farther from the center line of a base plate than a printing element array D nearer the center line. Doing so suppresses ejection by printing elements included in low flow rate areas which manifest near the turns of an ink channel, and reduces density defects due to ejection by such printing elements.

Abstract: A printing apparatus conducts inspection associated with printing by changing a relative positional relationship between a line print head and a sheet feeding position for a sheet in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the sheet is fed, forming an image on the sheet using the line print head a plurality of times, and reading the formed images using a reading unit.

Abstract: First outer gas apertures 144a are arranged in a first corner 144b such that the outer opening plane of each first outer gas aperture 144a forms an angle of 45 degrees with a bottom face of a step element 145 and the outer opening plane forms an angle of 90 degrees with an inner circumferential face of the first outer gas aperture 144a. Second outer gas apertures are arranged in a second corner 146b such that the outer opening plane of each second outer gas aperture 146a forms an angle of 45 degrees with a bottom face of an edge section 146 and the outer opening plane forms an angle of 90 degrees with an inner circumferential face of the second outer gas aperture 146a. This structure prevents water from adhering to a sensor element 110 and thereby enhances the response of a gas sensor 110.