Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus is provided which minimizes the amount of inks consumed for preventing the sedimentation of ejected inks on the platen ink absorber and which can effectively prevent the sedimentation of inks. To this end, a comparison is made between the ejected volume of easily sedimenting inks and the ejected volume of sedimentation restraining inks in terms of ink components. If the ejected volume of the sedimentation restraining inks is found not enough, a required amount of sedimentation restraining ink is additionally ejected.

Abstract: Printing with color material inks is performed in an area (i.e., a unit area) having a width of 128 pixels by scanning four times. In contrast, in a mask pattern for a colorless ink, there are no ON dots at portions corresponding to the first pass to the fourth pass whereas there are ON dots in mask areas corresponding to a fifth pass and a seventh pass. Specifically, printing with respect to the unit area is completed by scannings eight times consisting of alternately forward scan and backward scan. In this case, the printing with the colorless ink is performed in the fifth pass and the seventh pass, that is, scanning in the same direction. In this manner, the dot printing misregistration with the colorless ink is reduced, thus suppressing the fluctuation of coverage with respect to the color material inks.

Abstract: One objective of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, whereby a difference of gloss at irregular, very small portions can be appropriately reproduced. The image processing apparatus determines, based on image data for an image to be printed on a print medium, amounts of a color printing material for printing the image on the print medium and an image quality control material for adjusting glossiness of the image, and obtains information on an unevenness level of a surface of the image based on the image data. In the above determining, the amount of the image quality control material to be applied to the print medium is determined based on the unevenness level indicated by the obtained information.

Abstract: Provided are an inkjet printing apparatus and a method of controlling an inkjet printing apparatus whereby the performing of a suction discharge operation, for air bubbles that have penetrated inside an ink supply line, can be suppressed to a minimum necessary number of times, and whereby the ink discharge volume that accompanies air bubble suction discharge operations can be kept low. The volume of an air bubble that penetrates into an ink supply line is estimated on the basis of an elapsed time since the last air bubble suction discharge operation, and in addition, the volume of an air bubble that penetrates into the ink supply line during main tank installation is predicted. The suction discharge operation (choke suction operation) for suctioning out and discharging air bubbles is conducted when the sum of these estimated volumes becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus is provided which minimizes the amount of inks consumed for preventing the sedimentation of ejected inks on the platen ink absorber and which can effectively prevent the sedimentation of inks. To this end, a comparison is made between the ejected volume of easily sedimenting inks and the ejected volume of sedimentation restraining inks in terms of ink components. If the ejected volume of the sedimentation restraining inks is found not enough, a required amount of sedimentation restraining ink is additionally ejected.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet printing apparatus that, without causing an increase in apparatus size, can print an image having high evenness in both of image clarity and glossiness regardless a gradation or gamut of the image. For this purpose, on the basis of input image data, pieces of multivalued color data respectively corresponding to colored inks, and first multivalued data and second multivalued data that correspond to image enhancing liquid are generated. On a print medium, the colored inks and the image enhancing liquid according to the first multivalued data are printed at nearly the same timing, and after the printing of them has been completed, the image enhancing liquid according to the second multivalued data is printed. In doing so, gloss properties appearing on the print medium can be made to fall within certain ranges, respectively, independently of input image data.

Abstract: In a color mode, among clear ink data CL1 and CL2, only the data CL2 is set to a uniform use amount of 20%, while the use amount for the data CL1 is set to zero. Meanwhile, in a monochrome photo mode, the data CL1 indicates a usage of 10% to 40% near a white point, but starting at the intermediate gradations the data CL1 use amount decreases while the data CL2 use amount increases, with a data CL2 use amount of 20% near a black point. In so doing, it is possible to sufficiently suppress bronzing in the color mode where coloring ink data exists, without imparting a particularly strong unnatural look except for specific colors. Meanwhile, in the monochrome photo mode where coloring ink data does not exist, high-level suppression of bronzing is possible, at the cost of a slight reduction in the glossiness of the printed material.

Abstract: The inkjet printer can discharge a bubble in an ink flow path while suppressing ink consumption. Ink in an ink tank is supplied to a printing head through a flow path and filter. Bubbles in the flow path and printing head are discharged by applying a negative pressure to an ejection port of the printing head. At this time, after a first negative pressure has been applied to the ejection port with an on/off valve provided between the ink tank and the filter being closed, the on/off valve is opened to discharge the ink from the ejection port. Further, after that, a second negative pressure at a level that makes it difficult for a bubble to pass through the filter is applied to the ejection port to discharge a bubble present at a location, which is closer to the printing head than the filter is to printing head, from the ejection port together with the ink.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, including a print head having a discharge port, a stirring portion configured to stir ink in an ink tank, a valve disposed on a supply path, a cap for capping the discharge port, and a pressure reducing unit configured to reduce pressure in the cap, executes, in parallel, a stirring operation for stirring ink in the ink tank by the stirring portion and a pressure reducing operation for reducing pressure on the print head side from the valve in the supply path by the pressure reducing unit with the valve closed.

Abstract: The inkjet printer in the present invention can discharge a bubble in an ink flow path while suppressing ink consumption. Ink in an ink tank is supplied to a printing head through a flow path and filter 48. Bubbles in the flow path and printing head 22 are discharged by applying a negative pressure to an ejection port of the printing head. At this time, after a first negative pressure has been applied to the ejection port with an on/off valve provided between the ink tank and the filter being closed, the on/off valve is opened to discharge the ink from the ejection port. Further, after that, a second negative pressure that prevents a bubble from passing through the filter is applied to the ejection port to discharge a bubble present more closely on the printing head side than the filter from the ejection port together with the ink.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus is provided which minimizes the amount of inks consumed for preventing the sedimentation of ejected inks on the platen ink absorber and which can effectively prevent the sedimentation of inks. To this end, a comparison is made between the ejected volume of easily sedimenting inks and the ejected volume of sedimentation restraining inks in terms of ink components. If the ejected volume of the sedimentation restraining inks is found not enough, a required amount of sedimentation restraining ink is additionally ejected.

Abstract: Provided are an inkjet printing apparatus and a method of controlling an inkjet printing apparatus whereby the performing of a suction discharge operation, for air bubbles that have penetrated inside an ink supply line, can be suppressed to a minimum necessary number of times, and whereby the ink discharge volume that accompanies air bubble suction discharge operations can be kept low. The volume of an air bubble that penetrates into an ink supply line is estimated on the basis of an elapsed time since the last air bubble suction discharge operation, and in addition, the volume of an air bubble that penetrates into the ink supply line during main tank installation is predicted. The suction discharge operation (choke suction operation) for suctioning out and discharging air bubbles is conducted when the sum of these estimated volumes becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, including a print head having a discharge port, a stirring portion configured to stir ink in an ink tank, a valve disposed on a supply path, a cap for capping the discharge port, and a pressure reducing unit configured to reduce pressure in the cap, executes, in parallel, a stirring operation for stirring ink in the ink tank by the stirring portion and a pressure reducing operation for reducing pressure on the print head side from the valve in the supply path by the pressure reducing unit with the valve closed.