Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus is provided which is capable of producing an image with a good balance between image quality and printing speed, without unduly shortening a longevity of a print head, even when an odd-numbered-pass bidirectional printing is performed. To this end, during a bidirectional multi-pass printing with a relatively small number of passes, a stepping mask is used to eliminate image problems caused by a difference in print permitted ratio between forward scan and backward scan. During a bidirectional multi-pass printing with a relatively large number of passes, a flat mask is used to give priority to suppressing density unevenness resulting from nozzle characteristic variations. As a result, the printing apparatus as a whole can produce an image with a good balance between image quality and printing speed, without unduly shortening a longevity of the print head.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, if ejection opening rows for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are symmetrically arranged, ejection opening rows for a black ink are arranged adjacent to the most inside ejection opening rows for the yellow ink. Thus, a difference in color between forward scanning and backward scanning is determined by a difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink. In this case, a possible color drift attributed to bidirectional printing can be suppressed by selecting the inks so that the difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink is smaller than that between the black ink and the other color inks.

Abstract: Even if an error occurred in a result of the detection by an optical detecting mechanism for optically detecting whether or not a remaining amount of ink in an ink tank is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, a correct situation of the remaining ink amount in the ink tank can be detected. A detecting method has a first discriminating step of discriminating whether or not a remaining ink amount in the ink tank is equal to or less than a predetermined amount by using an optical sensor and a second discriminating step of discriminating whether or not the remaining ink amount in the ink tank is equal to or less than the predetermined amount on the basis of information regarding an amount of ink consumed in the ink tank. If the absence of ink is determined in either the first or second discriminating step, information showing the absence of ink is notified.

Abstract: A smooth, uniform image is produced by minimizing the occurrence of satellites of secondary color and dispersing landing positions of the satellites as uniformly as possible. For this purpose, the printing operation performed so that satellites of the two inks (cyan and magenta ink, foe example) ejected toward the same pixel are separated and landed on opposite sides of the main dots on the same pixel. This makes the distribution of satellites uniform and makes individual satellites less noticeable, maintaining the uniformity of an image.

Abstract: Quality degradation of a print image due to a deviation amount in a landing position of ink is prevented while suppressing degradation of through-put. In a method of completing a print to a unit region by at least one reciprocal scan to the unit region of a print medium by a printing head in which plural ink ejection ports are arrayed for ejecting ink, a printing rate in a scan direction where a deviation amount in a landing position of ink in an array direction of the ink ejection ports is relatively large is set relatively low and the printing rate in the scan direction where the deviation amount in the landing position of ink in the array direction of the ink ejection ports is relatively small is set relatively high.

Abstract: Degradation in image quality due to disturbance in landing positions of satellites is suppressed. When scanning and printing with a printing head which has a first nozzle array ejecting relatively large ejection amount of ink, a second nozzle array arranged on one side of the first nozzle array in a scan direction and a third nozzle array arranged on the other side of the first nozzle array in the scan direction, the second and third nozzle arrays ejecting a relatively small ejection amount of ink with the same color, a printing rate of one of the second and third nozzle arrays located at the front side in the scan direction is controlled lower than that of the other located at the back side.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of print element arrays each with a plurality of print elements arranged therein. The printing apparatus prints an image by time division driving in which the plurality of print elements in each print element array are divided into a plurality of blocks and in which the print elements are driven for every block. The amount of misalignment among the print element arrays in an arrangement direction of the print elements is acquired. A print element group used for printing in at least one print element arrays is changed in accordance with the acquired misalignment amount to correct the misalignment among the print element arrays. A driving order of the blocks is changed in accordance with the misalignment amount. Even in the case of the time division driving, the misalignment of the dot formation positions can be eliminated.

Abstract: By subtracting a first parameter related to the printing position deviation inherent to the printing head from a second parameter that is obtained by actually measuring the printing position deviation in a state where the printing head is mounted on the printing apparatus, a third parameter related to the printing position deviation inherent to the printing apparatus is acquired. When a new printing head is mounted on the printing apparatus, a new second parameter is computed from the third parameter and a first parameter that is of the new printing head. By this procedure, it is possible to hold down a time required for actual measurement of the printing position deviation and consumables, and even when the printing head is exchanged, it becomes possible to stably output a uniform image free from the printing position deviation.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a recording apparatus is provided which is capable of recording a plurality of patterns, on a recording medium, for detecting an amount of displacement between a recording position of a first discharge port array and a recording position of a second discharge port array in a conveyance direction and acquiring an amount of inclination based on the amount of displacement without conveying the recording medium.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, when symmetrically arranged ejection opening rows for a cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are used in the print head, one-pass bidirectional printing is executed. On the other hand, if ejection opening rows for a black ink are used in addition to the above ejection opening rows, multi-pass printing is executed so that there are a number of dots formed with one application order for the black and other color inks and the same number of dots formed with another application order for the black and other color inks. This reduces the non-uniformity of the colors attributed to the difference in application order.

Abstract: A region for quantization having a value lower than the value B is assumed as having little influence by Bk data on the pixels in this region. Thus, in order to prioritize the optimization of the granularity at the start of the input of GY data, the LUT having a combination of GY and gy as an input as an input is used to perform separation quantization. On the other hand, since a region having a value equal to or higher than the value B requires the use of Bk data, the LUT having only a combination of Bk and GY as an input as an input is used to perform quantization. As a result, the number of types of pieces of ink data referencing the table can be 2, thus suppressing an increase in the table size.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing position adjusting method capable of performing dot adjustment value acquisition processing that can accommodate diversified user needs of recent years, and a printing system capable of achieving the adjusting method. The printing position adjusting method according to the present invention provides a plurality of types of dot adjustment value acquisition processing capable of acquiring an adjustment value for matching printing positions, and enables selection of a single appropriate dot adjustment value acquisition processing type among the plurality of types of dot adjustment value acquisition processing according to the type of the print medium to be used. Consequently, a user will be able to suitably execute dot adjustment value acquisition processing with high accuracy in correspondence with the desired high level of quality.

Abstract: In the ink-jet printing apparatus, the influence of displacements of printing positions caused by the excessive conveyance of a printing medium to the resultant image when the rear end of the printing medium exits from a nip portion between the roller pair in a conveying mechanism. More specifically, in the printing operation for the rear end portion of the printing medium in which the printing medium exits from the roller pair, the guide shaft for supporting the carriage is lifted at a position wherein a head-medium distance is changed to widen a distance between the printing had and the printing medium (S402). Thereby, the displacement of the landing position caused by the excessive conveyance of the printing medium is inconspicuous because of the variations of the landing positions due to the widening of the head-medium distance.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing method of performing printing on a printing medium by ejecting inks from a printing head configured to eject chromatic inks and an achromatic ink while moving the printing head, high-quality printing with few boundary stripes produced when the amount of inks is large is realized without complicated control being performed. To this end, print data in a boundary and the vicinity thereof is divided into unit regions, and for each unit region, performed are (A) a first reduction processing which determines a hue of the unit region based on amounts of the chromatic inks, and reduces the amount of chromatic inks applied to the unit region according to the determined hue; and (B) a second reduction processing which reduces an amount of achromatic ink based on the amount of achromatic ink applied to the unit region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing position adjusting method capable of performing dot adjustment value acquisition processing that can accommodate diversified user needs of recent years, and a printing system capable of achieving the adjusting method. The printing position adjusting method according to the present invention provides a plurality of types of dot adjustment value acquisition processing capable of acquiring an adjustment value for matching printing positions, and enables selection of a single appropriate dot adjustment value acquisition processing type among the plurality of types of dot adjustment value acquisition processing according to the type of the print medium to be used. Consequently, a user will be able to suitably execute dot adjustment value acquisition processing with high accuracy in correspondence with the desired high level of quality.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which are capable of minimizing image impairments caused by a bias of satellite positions even when an odd-numbered-pass bidirectional multi-pass printing is performed. To this end, in an odd-numbered-pass bidirectional printing, a mask pattern, in which print permitted pixels and print non-permitted pixels are arranged such a way that a percentage of pixels in which predetermined two inks are permitted to be printed by scans in different directions is higher than a percentage of pixels in which the predetermined two inks are permitted to be printed by scans in the same directions, is used. This increases the probability of satellites of the two types of the inks printed in the same pixels being printed on both sides of main dots, thus allowing a uniform image to be produced even by an odd-numbered-pass bidirectional printing.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record a first dot and a second dot having a diameter smaller than that of the first dot on a recording medium, and a scanning unit configured to move the recording unit in a scanning direction. A recording resolution of the second dot in the scanning direction is lower than a recording resolution of the first dot in the scanning direction.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus which executes a proper recovery operation in accordance with the demounting time period of an ink tank and information of the ink tank. In the inkjet printing apparatus of this invention, the demounting time period and information of the ink tank are used as parameters for determining the condition of a recovery operation after the ink tank is once demounted and thereafter mounted again. Since recovery is done in consideration of the degrees of ink evaporation and an increase in viscosity, wasteful ink consumption can be suppressed while a necessary recovery operation is performed.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, if ejection opening rows for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are symmetrically arranged, ejection opening rows for a black ink are arranged adjacent to the most inside ejection opening rows for the yellow ink. Thus, a difference in color between forward scanning and backward scanning is determined by a difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink. In this case, a possible color drift attributed to bidirectional printing can be suppressed by selecting the inks so that the difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink is smaller than that between the black ink and the other color inks.

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.