Abstract: This invention provides a printing apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can process precise information on the number of pixels printed by nozzles of the print head without degrading throughput and properly manage the service life of the print head. To this end, a plurality of nozzles of the print head are divided into a plurality of blocks and a nozzle in each of the blocks which prints a maximum number of pixels in a predetermined unit print volume is taken to be a representative nozzle. In each of the blocks, the numbers of pixels printed by the representative nozzle for every unit print volume are accumulated and managed.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming device records a test pattern 901 composed of plural lines running along the nozzle array, at least one end positions of the lines being shifted in increments of one unit amount, using a first line recording head 202. After that, the same test pattern as the test pattern described above is sequentially recorded using the second and the subsequent line recording heads, 203-205. The lines of each recorded test pattern are detected by an optical sensor 210 provided downstream of the plural line recording heads. Based on the detection results of the lines of the test patterns recorded by the line recording heads, the amounts of nozzle array direction registration errors between the line recording head, which is one of the plural line recording heads and is used as the base, and other line recording heads are detected. Based on the amounts of errors, the registration of the line recording heads is corrected.

Abstract: An inkjet recording device having a line type recording head detects the conveyance speed of a recording medium (S401) and changes the conveyance-direction recording resolution of the recording head and the driving control method of the recording head according to the detected conveyance speed (S403-S413). The change of this driving control method is that the pulse width of a driving pulse applied to the recording elements of the recording head is changed based on coefficients determined according to the detected conveyance speed or that the divided driving interval used for divided driving control is changed. Changing the driving control method in this way allows the user to print at a desired conveyance speed with no concern for various print settings.

Abstract: A barcode generation system that generates an appropriate barcode, which satisfies the usage condition of each user, quickly and with a minimum consumption of ink and paper. A test chart is printed on a printing device 200 based on a test chart image 706 provided for printing black bars and white bars of a barcode wherein each of the black bars and white bars has the width of one of a plurality of different numbers of dots, and the output test chart 704 is read by an image scanner 110. An information processing device 100 analyzes the image, which has been read, and generates a relation table 800. In addition, based on information on a barcode type and a narrow bar width, the information processing device 100 calculates, by referring to the relation table 800, the correction values (barcode correction values 707) for the widths of the bar elements constituting the barcode.

Abstract: A printing system uses a plurality of printing apparatus arranged in a print medium feed direction. A memory is installed in each of the printing apparatuses to store a plurality of pages of image data. Print completion page information representing a page that has completely been printed immediately before an interruption of a printing operation is notified by each printing apparatus. Based on a plurality of pieces of the print completion page information notified, print resumption page information representing the same pages from which the printing operation is to be resumed is determined. The printing apparatuses are made to resume the printing operation beginning with those image data among the plurality of pages of image data stored in the memory which corresponds to the print resumption page information. So, when the printing operation is resumed, a page inconsistency is avoided.

Abstract: This invention provides a printing apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can process precise information on the number of pixels printed by nozzles of the print head without degrading throughput and properly manage the service life of the print head. To this end, a plurality of nozzles of the print head are divided into a plurality of blocks and a nozzle in each of the blocks which prints a maximum number of pixels in a predetermined unit print volume is taken to be a representative nozzle. In each of the blocks, the numbers of pixels printed by the representative nozzle for every unit print volume are accumulated and managed.

Abstract: A printing method and apparatus in which basic image data and information of the printing position of the image data on a recording medium are input from a data source and stored in advance, and the designated image data is bitmapped at the printing position to print an image, thereby increasing the printing speed, and a printing system including the printing apparatus. In this system, image data sent from a host is registered as a basic image, and the image is bitmapped in an image memory on the basis of the information of the printing position, of the stored basic image data on a printing paper sheet, sent from the host. The image data bitmapped in the image memory is then output to a printhead to print the image.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus receives image data from a host computer and prints the image data. If an elapsed time from an end of printing processing for one printing job to start of printing processing for the next job is less than a predetermined time period, printing processing for the next job is started, without subjecting ink-jet heads to a recovery process, following the end of printing processing for the one job. The recovery process is carried out not only when the predetermined period elapses but also whenever processing for printing on a predetermined amount of printing medium is executed.

Abstract: Upon reaction of data from a host computer, an image forming apparatus analyzes the data, and maps bitmap images onto corresponding image memories in accordance with the analysis result. When it is determined that the data includes a barcode image, non-barcode image data mapped on the black image memory is OR-mapped onto the cyan, magenta, and yellow image memories. The barcode image is mapped onto the black image memory to print.