Abstract: A computer generates a print ID based on input image data on which a forgery preventing process is performed, and transfers the print ID to a printer. The printer generates a common key corresponding to the print ID, and transfers it to the computer. The computer encrypts the image data using a common key, represents it as a print control command, and transfers the data with the print ID to the printer. The printer analyzes the command of the print control data, extracts the encrypted print image data, decrypts the data using the common key, and stores the decrypted print image data in a storage medium, thereby preventing the data from being printed on a number of unspecified printers.

Abstract: With a printing apparatus and a head driving method according to the present invention, a plurality of printing heads having a plurality of recording elements and a printing medium are relatively moved in a prescribed direction, and the plurality of recording elements of each printing head are divided into a plurality of blocks and each element in each block are driven in a prescribed sequence during the relative movement. As a print position offset between the plurality of printing heads in the prescribed direction on the printing medium is detected and the detected amount is greater than a prescribed amount, on the basis of block sequence designater, an in-block driving sequence is set independently for the each printing head and on the basis of a sequence generated by block sequence generater, the each printing head is driven.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and print control method, capable of using plural types of printheads, can achieve high throughput by performing optimized print control in accordance with the type of printhead and the number of printheads used. In a case where the printing apparatus adopting such print control method includes, e.g., four printheads, and performs printing on a print medium by reciprocally scanning the printheads, detection is first performed as to whether only one printhead which discharges black ink is mounted or four printheads which respectively discharge black, yellow, cyan and magenta ink are mounted; decision is made on a printing period of the printhead based on the detected result; then decision is made on a scanning speed of the printhead based on the decided printing period; and the printhead is driven based on the decided printing period and scanning speed to perform printing.

Abstract: It is checked whether an ink used in a printhead has a high density. The type of a printing medium used for a print operation is also identified. An image is printed by scanning the printhead once or a plurality of numbers of times. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thick ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thick ink. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thin ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thin ink and the type of printing medium used for the print operation. Codes of the respective color data of print data are determined in accordance with the types of inks used for a print operation, and an image is printed by printing a plurality of dots or dots in an overlapping state by the multi-pass method.

Abstract: It is provided an image process method comprising an input step of inputting image data, and an under color process step of performing an under color process according to a color region to which the image data belongs, to generate a plurality of component signals including a black component signal, wherein the color region is defined by hue. Therefore, even if the inputted image data includes color components other than an under color component, tonality (i.e., linearity between an inputted value and an output result) can be compensated.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus, in which thermal energy is applied to ink in accordance with a driving signal applied to a heater to produce a bubble, by which ink is ejected onto a recording material, includes a driver for applying a plurality of driving signals to the heater for one ejection of one ink droplet. The driving signals comprise a first driving signal not ejecting the ink and a second driving signal for ejecting the ink, the second driving signal being applied after a rest period after the first driving signal. The apparatus further includes a controller for changing an amount of ink ejected by changing a length of the rest period and changing the first driving signal. The controller effects its changing operation in a first changing region in which the rest period is changed without changing the first driving signal and in a second changing region in which a length of the first drive signal is changed.

Abstract: Multi-valued image data is separated into data in units of nozzle groups of the individual colors of a printhead, and each divided multi-valued image data is converted into n-valued image data consisting of a plurality of bits. Based on the n-valued image data of the corresponding colors, print codes are generated and are transmitted to a printer apparatus. The printer apparatus receives the print codes, stores them in print buffers of the corresponding colors, and generates print data based on the print codes using mask patterns set in correspondence with image data of the individual colors. The print timing in each scan of the printhead is determined in accordance with the significant bit position in the print data, and an image is printed on the basis of the print data by multi-pass printing.

Abstract: A liquid jet head is provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid, liquid flow paths conductively connected with the discharge ports, air bubble generating areas for creating air bubbles in the liquid, and movable members arranged to face the air bubble generating areas, each having a free end in a position relatively near to the discharge port with respect to a fulcrum thereof. This movable member is inclined to position the free end of the movable member to release the air bubble generating area partly to the discharge port so as to enable the tangential line of the free end of the movable member on the side of the air bubble generating area or the extended line thereof to reach directly the discharge port formation area having the discharge port on the liquid flow path side before the creation of air bubble on the air bubble generating area, and with this position as reference, the movable member is displaced following the creation of air bubble on the air bubble generating area.

Abstract: Whether or not a color image is present adjacent to a black image is discriminated. Whether the black image is formed using a black ink or a plurality of color inks C, M, and Y is determined in accordance with the discrimination result. When the black image is formed using the plurality of color inks, it is recorded using a repetitive pattern of two of C, M, and Y so as to prevent blurring with the color image, and to improve fixing characteristics by decreasing the total ejection amount.

Abstract: Disclosed are an ink-jet printing method and apparatus for jetting ink successively from nozzles of an ink-jet head at a prescribed frequency and forming each of a number of pixels by a plurality of dots conforming to the tone of the pixel. Each nozzle of the ink-jet head has a heater A and a heater B. Printing is performed by changing the number of heaters actuated to jet an ink drop, thereby to control the formation of a large or small dot by each nozzle, and by changing the method of driving the heaters A and B in dependence upon the density of the ink used. In regard to the timings at which the large and small dots are formed by each nozzle, the small dot is formed first. As a result, the large and small dots can be made to overlap so that an image having excellent tone reproducibility can be printed.

Abstract: Each nozzle of an ink-jet head has heaters having different heating capacities, and in accordance with the heater driven, a diameter of an ink dot formed by ink which is discharged from the nozzle is changed, thereby printing a large dot or a small dot. When multi-value image data is inputted, the multi-value image data is modulated such that a pixel having high density is printed with both the large dot and small dot. On the basis of the modulated print data, any of the heaters included in each nozzle of the ink-jet head is driven, whereby printing an image having tones based on the multi-value image data.

Abstract: In an ink-jet apparatus for forming images through use of an ink-jet head provided with a plurality of ink ejection heaters with respect to only one ejection orifice, an accurate estimation of temperature of the ink-jet head is made possible by controlling ink-ejection amount in a step-by-step manner. For this purpose, there is provided a device for counting frequency of use of the plurality of heaters within a predetermined period of time independently for each combination of the heaters for ejecting different amount of ink (in steps S1002, S1003), and a combining device for adding a correction value to each of the thus counted value on the basis of the heater driving condition, and converting the total value into the energy applied within a predetermined period (in steps S1008, S1004 and S1005). The estimation of temperature is performed by use of the thus obtained energy.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for forming a color image by applying different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving the recording head to scan the recording material, the apparatus includes changing means 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 forming means 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 means.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and method for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink from each of a plurality of recording elements of a recording head is provided. The apparatus includes an ink ejection amount changing unit for changing an ink ejection amount of each recording element of the recording head, a timing controller for controlling an ink ejection timing of the ink ejection amount changing unit, a modulator for modulating record data, and a controller for controlling to record an image on the recording medium by outputting the record data modulated by the modulator synchronously with an ejection timing determined by the timing controller.

Abstract: It is checked whether an ink used in a printhead has a high density. The type of a printing medium used for a print operation is also identified. An image is printed by scanning the printhead once or a plurality of times. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thick ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thick ink. When a print operation is to be performed by using a thin ink, an image is printed by using mask data and the driving frequency of the head which are set for the thin ink and the type of printing medium used for the print operation. Codes of the respective color data of print data are determined in accordance with the types of inks used for a print operation, and an image is printed by printing a plurality of dots or dots in an overlapping state by the multi-pass method.

Abstract: A plurality of patterns respectively having different area factor of dot formation area are formed by forward and reverse scanning printing of a print head, and then optical characteristics of the plurality of formed patterns are measured. A function representing the relationship between the printing position offset between the forward and reverse printings is determined from the optical characteristics. Then, respective pattern having a predetermined area factor of dot formation area is formed by means of forward and reverse scanning where the speed is differentiated according to the mode of a printing apparatus, and then the optical characteristics of this pattern is measured. By applying this measured optical characteristics to the function, an adjustment value of the dot formation position conditions between the forward and reverse scans is obtained for each mode.

Abstract: Small dots and large dots are recorded with a sufficient difference between them by such structure that a plurality of heat generating elements are disposed inside of each nozzle. A single pulse is applied to one heat generating element for recording of a small dot, whereas a single pulse and a divided pulse are applied to two heat generating elements for recording of a large dot. When the divided pulse is applied to the heat generating element, a larger amount of the ink is ejected than upon application of the single pulse. Therefore, the sufficient difference can be generated between the sizes of dots by applying the driving pulses as described above.

Abstract: The purpose is to provide a high quality halftone recording with a reduced grainy feeling without lowering the true resolving power. Provided is an apparatus for making a halftone recording by employing three or more types of color materials, each of which has at least one grade of concentration, wherein each type of the color materials having the lowest concentration provides, when recording on a recording medium having a first lightness, a recorded region having its own lightness, and wherein a difference between the first lightness and the lightness of the recorded region is not more than 35, the lightness being measured according to the definition of CIE 1976 psychological measurement lightness using a standard illuminating light D65 as a light source.

Abstract: An ink jet print head includes ink ejection outlets for ejecting ink, passages communicating with the ejection outlets; a common chamber for supplying the ink to the passages; ejection energy generating elements for producing energy for ejecting the ink; an ink supply passage for supplying the ink to the common chamber; a buffering chamber disposed at a position through which a pressure wave resulting from driving of the ejection energy generating elements propagate, the buffering chamber containing a gas for attenuating the pressure wave, wherein a part of a wall constituting the buffering chamber has a gas transmitting property.

Abstract: There have been desired a liquid discharge method, a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge apparatus capable of sufficient temperature adjustment for maintaining the viscosity of the discharge liquid within an appropriate range, there by maintaining constantly stable liquid discharge. In this invention, the movable member provided with a heating member simultaneously or individually controls the temperatures of the liquid in the first liquid path and that in the second liquid path.