Abstract: In complementarily printing by bi-directional scannings of a head or by a plurality of print heads, first patterns and second patterns including reference dots for example, dots formed by a forward scan of the bi-directional scannings or by one of the plurality of print heads and dots each having the different direction of shifting of relative printing positions to the reference dots are printed in corresponding to the plurality of shifting amounts. These first and second patterns have the similar characteristics of a change in density. The difference is only that their characteristics in density change are inverted according to the direction of shifting. The intersection point of these two characteristics in density change is obtained as a position for adjustment where dot-formed positions match.

Abstract: In a complimentary printing by bi-directional scanning of a head or by a plurality of heads, a plurality of patterns in which a print start timing is shifted by a predetermined amount are printed with respect to a reference dot, e.g. formed by the forward scan of the bi-directional scanning or by one of the plurality heads. In these patterns, an area factor by the dots formed by printing of the patterns is designed to be varied depending upon shifting amount. An average density is read from each of the plurality of patterns, optically. The timing at which the maximum one among average densities read from the patterns is obtained, can be set as the printing registration condition. Further, a processing including a coarse adjustment to a fine adjustment is performed in a series of algorithm.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus and an ink-jet printing method allow the printing of an image with a high quality without causing the change in ink color coming out on the printing medium with keeping the printing conditions constantly regardless of changing the number of nozzles to be printed and the amount of transferring the printing medium, for example, by restricting the number of nozzles to be used in the printing, which belong to a nozzle row located on an upstream side in the sub-scan direction before changing the amount of transferring the printing medium; and restricting the number of nozzles to be used in the printing, which belong to the nozzle rows located on a downstream side in the sub-scan direction, after changing the amount of transferring the printing medium.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a single liquid supplying port to which a liquid is supplied, a plurality of liquid supplying passages having one end in communication with the liquid supplying port, a plurality of common liquid chambers that are in communication with the other ends of the liquid supplying passages, respectively, and a plurality of ejection port groups which are in communication with the common liquid chambers via liquid channels and from which liquid droplets are ejected. A cross sectional area or length of the liquid supplying passage in communication with the ejection port group having a larger sum of opening areas of the ejection ports is set smaller than that of the liquid supplying passage that is in communication with the ejection port group having a smaller sum of opening areas of the ejection ports.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus comprising print means having a polarity of ejection outlet arrays each having a plurality of ejection outlets, arranged in a predetermined direction, for ejecting ink, scanning means for scanningly moving the print means relative to the print medium in a main scan direction which is different from the predetermined direction during a printing operation, and means for feeding the print medium relative to the print means in a direction which is different from the main scan direction, wherein an image is formed on the print medium while repeating scanning operation of the scanning means and feeding operation by the feeding means, includes information obtain means for obtaining image information corresponding to at least one of the ejection outlet arrays with respect to a predetermined area of image data to be printed; and selecting means for selecting such a portion in the at least one of ejection outlet arrays as is to effect printing for the image data in the predetermined area,

Abstract: A printing apparatus can reduce degradation in print quality of a printed image, notably in a highlight portion or an intermediate gradation portion in the case where the image is printed by forming dots of a plurality of sizes. Specifically, data causing larger and smaller cyan ink droplets, respectively, to be ejected are independently subjected to a conversion to n-value process. Thus, the data for larger ink droplets is present in a portion of printing data which corresponds to the highlight portion or intermediate gradation portion of the image. During printing, larger dots are formed in this area, thereby making it difficult to perceive possible stripes caused by the offset of the positions at which smaller dots impact a sheet.

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: Images are printed with a reduced extent of a joint streak regardless of the type of a printing medium or the number of printing passes and a printing speed is increased without executing an unwanted thinning for correcting the joint streak. More specifically, printing method information added to print data is obtained, and it is determined on the basis of this information whether or not to execute a thinning process. Consequently, inter-band data correction process based on the thinning can be executed depending on the type of the print medium and the number of printing passes, thereby achieving an appropriate thinning depending on the type of the print medium or the like. When the thinning is not to be executed, all the processes related to the thinning can be omitted to prevent a decrease in printing speed.

Abstract: A construction of a printing apparatus wherein a printing registration with respect to forward and reverse scans of a printing head and a printing registration with respect to a plurality of printing heads are automatically carried out is realized without rendering the apparatus complex or causing its production cost to rise. To this end, the optical sensor for measuring patterns formed for use in printing registration is also used to serve other purposes such as a detection of a printing home position or a detection of a printing medium's end. Furthermore, by appropriately controlling a single optical sensor according to each of various intended purposes, the optimum characteristics are utilized in each respective operating mode. Because of the above, the addition of sensors to be used only for the purpose of printing registration and the accompanying rise of the print apparatus production cost are restrained.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material by ejecting ink through a plurality of ejection outlets in units of band with relative scanning movement between a recording head and the recording material, the ink jet recording apparatus, includes obtaining means for obtaining scanning interval information relating to time period required for recording a connecting portion between a band of a certain scan of the recording head and a band of the next scan of the recording head; and reducing means for reducing an amount of the ink shot to a neighborhood of the connecting portion on the basis of the scanning interval information obtained by the obtaining means.

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: An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material by ejecting a plurality of inks with relative scanning movement between a recording head and the recording material, the ink jet recording apparatus, includes obtaining means for obtaining relative information indicative of a relative relation between the amounts of inks to be ejected for each of unit areas provided by dividing an area in the neighborhood of a boundary between adjacent bands of scanning recording of the recording head on the recording material; determining means for determining, for each of the inks, a reduction rate at which the amount of the ink to be ejected to the neighborhood of the boundary in the unit area on the basis of the relative information for each of the unit areas obtained by the obtaining means and on the basis of quantity information indicative of an amount of each ink to be ejected in the unit area; and reducing means for reducing the amount of each ink to be ejected to the neighborhood of the bo

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material by ejecting ink with relative scanning movement between a recording head and the recording material, the ink jet recording apparatus, including obtaining means for obtaining information indicative of an amount of ink to be ejected to each of unit areas provided by dividing an area in the neighborhood of a boundary between adjacent bands of scanning recording of the recording head on the recording material; and control means for controlling an amount of being to be ejected to the unit area on the basis of the output of the obtaining means, wherein the unit areas exist astride the boundary between adjacent one of the bands.

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: 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: A printing apparatus and a printing registration method permits printing registration between a forward and a reverse scan of a head cartridge between a plurality of head cartridges without troubling a user and simply. By forward and reverse scan of the head cartridge, a plurality of patterns, in which a print start timing of the reverse scan is shifted per a predetermined amount relative to that of the forward scan, are printed. These patterns may vary an area factor by the dots formed by printing depending upon offset amount. On the other hand, the plurality of patterns are optically read an average density. By this, the timing, at which the read average density is maximum is set as the printing registration condition.