Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus, in each of which, even if the number of liquid storage units is increased, the number of parts can be reduced, and cost reduction and miniaturization can be realized. The liquid application device includes a buffer storing application liquid to be supplied to a space-creating base. Additionally, the device includes an exchange tank storing application liquid to be refilled in the buffer tank. Moreover, the device includes a first and a second channels linking the buffer tank and the space-creating base, a pump arranged in the second channel, and a third channel linking a T-shaped channel and an exchange tank. Furthermore, the device includes a first valve which switches shutoff and link between a first and a second tubes, and a third valve which switches shutoff and link between a third and a fourth tubes.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.

Abstract: The present invention suppresses the adverse effect of air currents resulting from ink ejection, regardless of the moving speed of a print head, to allow high-grade images to be printed. Input image data is converted into print data corresponding to each of a plurality of nozzle arrays so that an amount of ink droplets ejected from each of the plurality of nozzle arrays and ejected per unit area is different depending on the moving speed of the print head.

Abstract: A liquid holding member abuts against an applying surface (outer surface) of an applying member which applies an applying liquid to an applying medium, and a liquid holding space for holding the applying liquid is formed between the applying member and the liquid holding member. By rotating the applying member, the applying liquid held in the liquid holding space is affixed to the outer surface of the applying member while being restricted to the abutting member, and the applying liquid is applied to the medium. In this event, the abutting position of the applying member and the liquid holding member differs between after applying operation completion and before applying operation starting. Thus, distortion generated at the abutting position of the applying surface of the applying member and the liquid holding member can be reduced.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus suppresses defective ejection while reducing a consumed ink amount. In the apparatus, a cap-open period, during which a cap member does not cap ejection ports of a recording head of the apparatus, is measured, and a recovery operation executed by a recovery unit is controlled based on a cumulated cap-open period. With the above arrangement, there can be solved a problem that the ink ejecting state of the recording head is deteriorated depending on a recording operation because a cap-open state, in which the cap member does not cap the ejection ports of the recording head, continues while the inkjet recording apparatus executes the recording operation, thereby the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus can be improved.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.

Abstract: A liquid ejection recording head for effecting recording by ejecting first liquid and second liquid which is a different kind of liquid through different ejection outlets, while bidirectionally scanning a recording material in a scanning direction includes a group of first ejection outlet arrays each of which has a plurality of ejection outlets at predetermined intervals arranged in a direction different from the scanning direction, wherein corresponding ejection outlets in the respective ejection arrays are aligned in the scanning direction; a group, disposed adjacent the group of the first ejection outlet arrays, of second ejection outlet arrays arranged in a manner similar to the first ejection outlet array group; wherein the first ejection outlet arrays include a first ejection outlet array for ejecting the first liquid and a second ejection outlet array for ejecting the second liquid; wherein the second ejection outlet arrays include a third ejection outlet array for ejecting the first liquid and a fourt

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a print position aligning method are provided which can execute a dot position adjust value calculation mode normally and smoothly without requiring the user to make decisions or adjustments. A test pattern to check the width of a print medium is printed and is detected by an optical sensor to decide whether or not a dot position adjustment pattern can be printed. Before the dot position adjustment pattern is printed, a decision is made as to whether the print medium supplied is appropriate or not. If the print medium supplied is smaller than a size specified for the dot position adjust value calculation processing, the print medium is discharged without being printed with the dot position adjustment pattern. This eliminates a possibility of a wasteful consumption of print mediums and of contaminating the interior of the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A printing medium is conveyed at a high speed and high accuracy by reducing the conveyance error of a conveyor roller as much as possible. For this purpose, the printing apparatus includes first measuring unit for obtaining a conveying amount of said printing medium by measuring a rotational amount of the conveyor roller, second measuring unit for obtaining a conveying amount of the printing medium by directly detecting a moving amount of the printing medium, and control conveying operation by using both of output values obtained from the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit. Thereby, it is possible to correct the output value from the first measuring unit by the output value from the second measuring unit, as well as to switch the output value used for the conveyance control between both the output values.

Abstract: For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array c1 and a magenta nozzle array m1, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus, which are capable of supplying liquid to a liquid room with the power consumption and/or the noise which are reduced. A pump is driven to fill a liquid retention space S with an application liquid. When the filling has been completed, the pump is stopped. Subsequently, the application liquid is applied to an application medium which has been transferred. At this time, a count in a RAM is increased. Thereafter, the determination as to whether or not the application can be carried out is made on the basis of the count and the prescribed application-performable number of sheets stored in a ROM. If it is determined that the application cannot be carried out, the filling of the application liquid is performed. If it is determined that the application can be carried out, next application is performed.

Abstract: In a structure of an ink tank having a deformable sheet that constitutes the tank and a spring for imparting a negative pressure, unstableness of the negative pressure attributable to the deformation of the sheet as a result of ink consumption is prevented. For this purpose, a plate-like member is joined to a top section of the sheet formed in a convex shape, and the spring for generating the negative pressure in the tank is mounted to the same member. This makes it possible to maintain a high volume ratio of the ink tank and to achieve stableness of the negative pressure by adequately regulating the deformation of the sheet when the sheet is displaced in the direction of retracting toward the interior of the tank as a result of a reduction of the amount of ink in the tank.

Abstract: A data processing method for generating print data to be supplied to a printing apparatus capable of multi-value recording, includes a multi-value conversion step of converting obtained image data to multi-value print data; a binarizing step of converting the obtained image data to binary print data; and a selection step of selecting either one of the multi-value conversion step and the binarizing step in accordance with a condition.

Abstract: Two sets of recording heads for applying ink of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are arranged in symmetry in a scanning direction and orders of colors C and M ejected onto a pixel of a secondary color are set to symmetric orders (C?M and M?C). This makes the application orders of ink symmetric in each pixel of secondary color and thus there is no difference between application orders in formation of the pixel by either forward or backward scanning, whereby occurrence of uneven color due to the application orders of ink can be reduced even in execution of two-way color print.

Abstract: A liquid ejection recording head for effecting recording by ejecting first liquid and second liquid which is a different kind of liquid through different ejection outlets, while bidirectionally scanning a recording material in a scanning direction includes a group of first ejection outlet arrays each of which has a plurality of ejection outlets at predetermined intervals arranged in a direction different from the scanning direction, wherein corresponding ejection outlets in the respective ejection arrays are aligned in the scanning direction; a group, disposed adjacent the group of the first ejection outlet arrays, of second ejection outlet arrays arranged in a manner similar to the first ejection outlet array group; wherein the first ejection outlet arrays include a first ejection outlet array for ejecting the first liquid and a second ejection outlet array for ejecting the second liquid; wherein the second ejection outlet arrays include a third ejection outlet array for ejecting the first liquid and a fourt

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a preliminary discharge control method are capable of efficient preliminary discharge control even in a case where a time interval to assure normal printing is equal or nearly equal to the period of one print scanning of an inkjet printhead. In the method, in an inkjet printhead which performs printing by discharging ink from plural print elements while being reciprocate-scanned by a carriage, the number of ink dischargings from each of the plural print elements is counted during print scanning by reciprocate scanning. It is determined whether or not the counted number of ink dischargings from each of the plural print elements is equal to or greater than a predetermined number at predetermined intervals. In accordance with the result of determination, a printable period is updated, and the updated printable period is compared with time necessary for the next print scanning upon completion of one print scanning by reciprocate scanning.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which forms a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, includes a changing unit for changing an order of applications of the inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount for printing a secondary color to a secondary color pixel area; and a forming unit for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a predetermined direction different from the order of another, by the changing unit.

Abstract: A present invention reduces the generation of periodic uneven print density in the image in a main scanning direction. The present invention focuses attention on a fact that, when a printing head including a plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting different inks is used to print an image and when the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively short, the displacement of ink impact positions is smaller when compared to a case where the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively long. Thus, a dot arrangement pattern allocated to the pixel data is selected so that the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively short.

Abstract: A first printing pattern is formed for a patch by means of a paper feed upstream side part of a black head. Then, a second printing pattern is formed for the patch by means of a cyan head in the following scans, and density of the patch is read by a reflection optical sensor in a scan after the completion of both patterns.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus suppresses defective ejection while reducing a consumed ink amount. In the apparatus, a cap-open period, during which a cap member does not cap ejection ports of a recording head of the apparatus, is measured, and a recovery operation executed by a recovery unit is controlled based on a cumulated cap-open period. With the above arrangement, there can be solved a problem that the ink ejecting state of the recording head is deteriorated depending on a recording operation because a cap-open state, in which the cap member does not cap the ejection ports of the recording head, continues while the inkjet recording apparatus executes the recording operation, thereby the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus can be improved.