Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and a print head recovery method are provided according to which, in an environment in which dust (e.g., paper dust) is easily attached to the periphery of an ejection port of a print head, the print head is subjected to a recovery operation depending on the level of the attached dust. The inkjet printing apparatus has a cutter unit for cutting a print medium and a recovery unit for performing the recovery operation by wiping the ejection port formation portion at which the ejection port is formed of the print head while sucking the ejection port formation portion. When the passing number showing how many times the cut part of the print medium cut by the cutter passes the printing position is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the recovery means subjects the print head to the recovery operation.

Abstract: In-image preliminary ejection is performed by use of nozzles used to print an image out of the nozzles included in an overlapping link region, and between-image preliminary ejection is performed by use of nozzles which are not used to print the image. Thus, a reduction in image quality is inhibited, while the amount of print media used in the between-image preliminary ejection is reduced.

Abstract: The invention provides a printing apparatus and a recovery method therefore which can minimize ink consumption in a recovery process for a print head of the apparatus. The invention has a control unit to cause a print head to eject ink from nozzles arrayed on the print head so as to recover ink ejecting function of the nozzles, and a specification unit to specify a set print mode selected from among a plurality of print modes. The print modes define number and position of nozzles in use for printing an image. The control unit executes a first preliminary ejection process before or after printing an image on a print medium. The first preliminary ejection process has selectively ejecting ink from both of the nozzles in use selected by the currently set print mode and the unused nozzles in the vicinity of the nozzles in use.

Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.

Abstract: In the case of printing a test pattern with an inkjet print apparatus, there are two printing mode are prepared. In one printing mode, a preliminary ejection on the printing medium is performed during printing a test pattern, and in the other print mode, the preliminary ejection on the printing medium is not performed during printing a test pattern. For a test pattern that is, if the test pattern is printed under the same condition as that for an actual image, convenient for a subsequent correction, the preliminary ejection on the printing medium is performed during printing of the test pattern. On the other hand, for a test pattern in which, if an irrelevant dot is printed within the pattern, inconvenience is taken into consideration in a subsequent correction, the preliminary ejection on the printing medium is not performed during printing of the test pattern.

Abstract: To provide an inkjet printing apparatus that suppresses occurrence of image deterioration, such as a texture, a moire, and a streak in a printing result. In order for this to be achieved, a level is set up to a overlapping portion of a chip of a print head depending on dot impact accuracy, and a print data distribution rate of each chip in the overlapping portion is determined according to the level.

Abstract: When an image is recorded using a multichip recording head including a plurality of chips each having a plurality of nozzle arrays, a change in image density can occur due to a registration error between chips in an overlapping part where two chips are connected. To suppress the change in image density, input image data is distributed to two chips such that there are dots overlapping each other between the two chips in the overlapping part.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first generation unit configured to generate N pieces of same color multi-valued image data, a second generation unit configured to generate N pieces of quantized data by performing quantization processing on the N pieces of same color multi-valued image data, and a third generation unit configured to divide at least one piece of the N pieces of quantized data into a plurality of quantized data and generate M pieces of quantized data corresponding to the M relative movements. The M pieces of quantized data includes quantized data corresponding to an edge portion of the recording element group and quantized data corresponding to a central portion of the recording element group, and a recording duty of the quantized data corresponding to the edge portion is set lower than a recording duty of the quantized data corresponding to the central portion.

Abstract: An inkjet printing device that performs printing on a print medium with a print head including a nozzle for discharging ink, includes: a transport unit transporting the print medium; a printing unit discharging the ink while transporting the print medium such that the printing unit prints an image for printing and an image formed by a preliminary discharge; a first limiting unit limiting, based on image data on the image for printing, an ink amount to be discharged such that the amount of ink per unit area is equal to or less than an upper limit Alim; and a second limiting unit limiting an ink amount to be discharged for the image formed by the preliminary discharge such that the amount of ink per unit area is more than the upper limit Alim and is equal to or less than an upper limit Blim.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein overlapping portions of the recording heads for two different colors are separated from each other with a distance therebetween in an array direction of nozzles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.

Abstract: In a line-head type inkjet printing apparatus that ejects a plurality of types of inks, an inkjet printing apparatus is provided in which the change of its ejection properties different depending on the type of ink is prevented from occurring. The line-head type printing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that counts the ejection number of liquid from each of print heads in each of a plurality of print heads. Furthermore, the printing apparatus compares the ejection number of liquid from each of the print heads counted by the acquisition unit with a threshold value set for each of the print heads. The printing apparatus includes a change unit that can move a holder in the main scanning direction when the counted ejection number of liquid exceeds the threshold value set for the print head.

Abstract: A first humidified gas is supplied through a first supply port to a sheet. A second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of an inkjet recording head are exposed through a second supply port located at a position closer to the recording heads than the first supply port, to increase atmosphere humidity in the space. The sheet portion having a moisture content increased by the humidification in advance is advanced into the space having the increased atmosphere humidity, to record on the sheet using the inkjet recording head. An amount of humidification with the first humidified gas is set according to at least one recording condition.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a drying unit to dry a printing medium on which an image was printed using an inkjet head; a humidification unit to humidify the printing medium that was dried by the drying unit so that the moisture content of the printing medium becomes the equilibrium state in the ambient environment; a colorimetric unit to perform colorimetry on the printing medium that was humidified by the humidification unit; and a calibration unit to calibrate printing properties on the basis of the result of colorimetry by the colorimetric unit.

Abstract: A waiting time Ts is decided on the basis of ink type information and ink feed amount information, referring to waiting time table A (Step 6). Along with this, a dried printing paper is carried to and stopped in a waiting area 9 (Step 7), a time period T is measured after stopping, and measurement processing in the next step is delayed until the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts. Then, when the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts, a measuring instrument 10 is used to measure a density of a patch printed on the printing paper (Steps 8 and 9).

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads are arranged in a sequence such that a print head configured to eject ink characterized by having a larger amount of volatile components evaporated within a predetermined time is located in a more upstream area.

Abstract: A cut mark is recorded in an area between one image and the next image to be printed, and the recorded cut mark is to be detected. When the cut mark cannot be detected, a position of the cut mark is estimated based on information on an already detected cut mark and information on a length of the image printed after said already detected cut mark. A first cut position and a second cut position for cutting off the area are set based on the estimation.

Abstract: A first reading unit that reads a pattern or an image formed on a sheet by a print unit for recognizing a print unit state, a second reading unit that reads a cut mark formed on the sheet on a downstream thereof, a cutter that cuts the sheet on a downstream thereof, and a reverse unit that reverses the sheet fed to the print unit again are provided. In duplex printing, the sheet where images are sequentially printed on a first surface is led to the reverse unit, the front and rear faces are reversed, and the sheet is fed to the print unit again. The sheet where images and cut marks are sequentially printed on a second surface is cut by the cutter for each piece and discharged. The sheet is cut on the basis of a reading of the cut mark by the second reading unit.

Abstract: There are provided an image processing method and an image processor which realize the processing of restricting image degradations such as “dot delay”, “banding” and “wind ripple” with a simpler circuit construction. Therefore, after the regular quantization processing is performed, in a pixel in a prohibition position the processing of limiting a predetermined quantized value to change into another quantized value is performed corresponding to the obtained quantized value and the position information of the pixel of interest. By doing this, even in the low level of the density value, it is possible to realize at a low cost the construction in which dots having different sizes are mixed for printing.

Abstract: First humidified gas is supplied from a first supply port to a sheet to be conveyed, thereby increasing the moisture content of the sheet. Simultaneously, second humidified gas is supplied to a space where nozzles of the inkjet recording head are exposed, from a second supply port provided at a position closer to the inkjet recording head than the first supply port, thereby increasing the atmosphere humidity of the space. The part of the sheet of which the moisture content has been increased is made to enter the space where the atmosphere humidity has been increased, and recording is performed by the inkjet recording head.