Abstract: An image recording apparatus using a plurality of recording heads that can prevent black lines from occurring at boundaries of each scanning of the recording heads. The total recorded ink volume at the boundaries is positively reduced so that the black lines and the overflow of ink are prevented. The apparatus includes at least a pair of a dark head for discharging relatively dark ink and a light head for discharging relatively light ink, and separates an input image signal into image signals applied to the dark and light heads using at least two tables. The two tables, one for edge nozzles of each recording head and the other for the remaining nozzles, separate the input image signal independently so that the total ink volume discharged from the edge nozzles are limited to a relatively small amount.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes an image signal input portion which supplies three image signals C, M and Y associated with cyan, magenta and yellow; an image signal conversion processing portion which converts the image signals C, M and Y into six image signals associated with thick C and thin C, thick M and thin M, and thick Y and thin Y, respectively, by using a thick/thin sorting table; and a color masking processing portion which performs color masking process, and outputs converted six image signals associated with thick C to thin Y. The converted six image signals undergo a black generation process, a UCR process and a black printing process, and a binarization processing thereafter. This makes it possible to produce color images of high quality with high reproducibility even if the hues of N color materials, which belong to the same color family and have different densities, such as thin cyan and thick cyan, differ from each other to some extent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes reading means for reading the density of a test pattern corresponding to each of plural recording elements of a recording head, the recording elements being arranged in an array, and the test pattern being recorded by the recording elements. An eliminating means eliminates error information, recorded from an area outside a test pattern are, from density information obtained by the reading means when the density of a test pattern end portion corresponding to an end portion of the array of plural of recording elements is determined. A means is provided for uniforming the image densities in correspondence with the plurality of recording elements based on density information from which the error information is eliminated by the eliminating means.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image by using a plurality of recording elements which are driven an accordance with an image signal includes a first correction unit for correcting driving conditions of the recording element, and a second correction unit for correcting a level of the image signal, wherein a variation in the recording elements is corrected by a combination of the first and second correction units. A driving voltage or a width of drive pulse which is applied to each recording element is controlled as a driving condition, thereby making uniform an uneven image density.

Abstract: There are provided a dark head and a light head for ejecting a dark ink and a light ink, respectively. First, an image is recorded by using the light head, and shading correcting data is set on the basis of the image. Second, images recorded by using the dark and the light heads are superimposed on each other, at this time, the image by the light head is recorded on the basis of the shading correcting data. Thereafter, with respect to the dark head, the shading correcting data is set on the basis of the superimposed images. As a result, when images recorded by the light and the dark heads are superimposed, the images have no shading.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image carrying member for carrying an electrostatic image, fluororesin has a surface layer containing a fluororesin, and a developing device for developing the electrostatic image on the image carrying member. The image carrying member has a surface layer containing a fluororesin. The developing device has a developer carrying member, which is arranged as opposed to the image carrying member and which carries a developer, and a bias applying device for applying a development bias voltage to the developer carrying member. A period of a waveform of the bias voltage applied by the bias applying device has an oscillating part and a quiescent part.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged so as to form an image on a recording medium, a device for causing the recording head to print a predetermined test pattern, an image density reading device for reading the density of the test pattern formed by the recording head, an uneven image density correction device for correcting conditions for driving the plurality of recording elements in accordance with the result of reading, so as to make even the density of the image, a recording stabilizing device for stabilizing a recording operation performed by the recording head, and a control device for operating the recording stabilizing device before the test pattern is printed and operating the test pattern printing device after the recording head has been stabilized by the recording stabilizing device.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus using a plurality of recording heads that can prevent black lines from occurring at scanning boundaries of the recording heads. The total recorded ink volume at the boundaries is positively reduced so that the black lines and the overflow of ink are prevented. The apparatus includes at least a pair of a dark head for discharging relatively dark ink and a light head for discharging relatively light ink. The apparatus separates an input image signal into image signals applied to the dark and light heads using at least two tables. The two tables, one for edge nozzles of each recording head and the other for the remaining nozzles, separate the input image signal independently so that the total ink volume discharged from the edge nozzles are limited to a relatively small amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a movable image bearing member, a plurality of developing devices operable for development at different locations along the direction of movement of the image bearing member to develop the image bearing member with toners of plural colors, and a transfer medium carrying member for carrying a transfer medium thereon and conveying the transfer medium to a transfer position. The toner images of plural colors on the image bearing member are superposition-transferred onto the transfer medium carried on the transfer medium carrying member. The transfer medium carrying member is capable of carrying a plurality of transfer mediums at different locations thereon.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged so as to form an image on a recording medium, a device for causing the recording head to print a predetermined test pattern, an image density reading device for reading the density of the test pattern formed by the recording head, an uneven image density correction device for correcting conditions for driving the plurality of recording elements in accordance with the result of reading, so as to make even the density of the image formed in accordance with the result of reading, a recording stabilizing device for stabilizing a recording operation performed by the recording head, and a control device for operating the recording stabilizing device before the test pattern is printed and operating the test pattern printing device after the recording head has been stabilized by the recording stabilizing device.

Abstract: A developing apparatus including a developer container for accommodating a developer having magnetic particles; a rotatable developer carrying member, provided in a opening of the the developer container for carrying the developer; a magnet in the developer carrying member; a magnetic member, provided at a end portion of the developer carrying member, being subjected to magnetic force of the the magnet; wherein the magnetic member is positioned with a gap relative to the developer carrying member, along a circumference of the developer carrying member; a regulating member for regulating the developer on the the developer carrying member; wherein magnetic confining force for the developer by the magnetic member is weaker toward a regulation portion of the regulating member in a circumferential direction of the developer carrying member.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developing container for accommodating developing agent including toner, a rotating developing agent carrier is arranged to face an image carrier carrying an electrostatic image for carrying the developing agent, and a conductive member is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrier with a spacing from the developing agent carrier. The conductive member is provided over longer than the longitudinal area of the developing agent carrier, and a voltage application circuit is employed for applying a voltage of the same polarity to a charging polarity of the toner to the conductive member.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus comprises an interface for inputting a binary image signal, a binary-multi-value converter that converts the input binary image signal into a multi-value image signal, a corrector for correcting the converted multi-value image signal according to characteristic data of a recording element, and a driver for driving the recording element according to the corrected multi-value image signal, thereby performing image recording.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmission, reception and recording of an image, such as a facsimile apparatus, capable of correcting the unevenness in density or improper density resulting from fluctuation in the performance of the recording head of the receiving unit, with a limited amount of data transfer. At the start of communication, correction data for uneven or improper density of the recording head are sent from the receiving unit to the transmitting unit. The transmitting unit corrects the multi-value image data to be transmitted, based on the received correction data, and sends the corrected image data after conversion into binary state. The receiving unit receives the binary image data and effects image recording. The time and cost for data transmission can be reduced, as the correction is conducted at the transmitting unit and the data transmission can be made in binary data.

Abstract: A correction data production apparatus includes a detecting unit for reading a test pattern formed by a recording head having a plurality of recording elements constituting an array, and for detecting a density distribution of a range of the array of the plurality of recording elements, a corresponding unit for causing the density distribution detected by the detecting unit to correspond to the plurality of recording elements on the basis of a reference position where a density of an end portion of the density distribution reaches a predetermined threshold value, a production unit for producing correction data for an image formation density uniforming drive conditions in correspondence with the plurality of recording elements on the basis of the density distribution corresponded by the corresponding unit, and a changing unit for changing the threshold value in accordance with characteristics of the test pattern.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming method an apparatus and includes a first toner image formation step for forming a first color toner image of magnetic toner; a first image transfer step for transferring the first color toner image onto a transfer material; a second toner image of a non-magnetic toner formation step for forming a second color toner image; a second image transfer step for transferring the second color toner image on the first color toner image on the same transfer material; an image fixing step for simultaneously heating and fixing the first color toner image and the second color toner image on the transfer material; wherein a glossiness of the magnetic toner for the first color toner image is lower than that of the non-magnetic toner for the second color toner image.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes plural recording heads that eject ink to record an image. Different tone characteristics of the images recorded by the recording heads are corrected by individually correcting the image signal for each head to improve the overall image quality of the image provided by the plural recording heads. Non-uniform density of the image recorded by the recording heads can also be corrected before tone correction is effected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to image recording apparatus for performing image recording on a recording medium by using plural types of recording heads, each having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array. A test pattern forming unit for forming test patterns on the recording medium by using the plural types of recording heads, a reading unit for reading the test patterns recorded by the test pattern recording unit, and a correction unit for correcting image signals for driving the recording elements in accordance with the recording elements and types of recording heads on the basis of data read by the reading unit are included whereby image density is made uniform.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus and method performs recording by making an ink adhere to a recording medium according to the blot ratio of a recording medium, when using an ink droplet or heat sensitive ink. Input recording data is discriminated based on a predetermined reference value based on the blot ratio and when the image data is larger than the reference value, the image data is reduced in order to reduce the ink dot size. Reducing the ink dot size at a recording boundary improves the quality of the image recorded at the recording boundary.

Abstract: Disclosed in an ink jet recording apparatus capable of providing high quality images in a stable manner for image signals of different transfer rates. A detector detects the receiving rate of an image signal supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus, and at least one of driving voltage, driving current, pulse duration, driving frequency and driving signal wave form is modified according to the detected receiving rate of the image signal.