Abstract: An embodiment of this invention is directed to reducing waste paper caused by a margin added between images even between different jobs. According to the embodiment, a printing unit is caused to print an image based on an input job. It is determined, in accordance with a mode of a first job and a mode of a second job next to the first job, whether to provide a margin between an image printed based on the first job and an image to be printed based on the second job.

Abstract: The printing device including: a first setting unit configured to set printing mode of a main image and to set either front-surface printing mode for printing a background image on the medium and then printing the main image on the background image or rear-surface printing mode for printing the main image on the medium and then printing the background image on the main image; and a second setting unit configured to set a printing mode of an additional image printed in association with the printing of the main image and to set either front-surface printing mode for printing a background image for the additional image on the medium and then printing the additional image on the background image for the additional image or rear-surface printing mode for printing the additional image on the medium and then printing the background image for the additional image on the additional image.

Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a liquid discharge head including plural nozzle rows each arrayed with plural nozzles and discharging liquid droplets onto a workpiece by a multi-pass method using n recording passes (n is an integer of 3 or more); and a head drive section that controls driving of n nozzle groups corresponding to the n recording passes in each of the nozzle rows with a discharge duty upper limit specific to each nozzle group, and for a pair of nozzle groups adjacent across the nozzle rows, when controlling driving of one of the nozzle groups with a discharge duty upper limit being the maximum discharge duty upper limit of one nozzle row containing the one nozzle group, controls driving of the other nozzle group with a discharge duty upper limit that is not the maximum discharge duty upper limit of another nozzle row containing the other nozzle group.

Abstract: The image processing device divides image data into regions corresponding to a first pixel row, a second pixel row, a third pixel row, and a fourth pixel row, and generate output data, in which a generation rate of an ink droplet with a relatively large size, a generation rate of an ink droplet with a relatively small size, and the amount of ink discharged per unit area vary depending on a gradation value of the image data, for each of the divided regions. At the time of the generation of the output data, different output data items are generated for a third nozzle corresponding to the third pixel row when the first gradation value indicates a relatively high gradation and when the first gradation value indicates a relatively low gradation.

Abstract: A printing speed for printing an image using an inkjet printer is determined. Information regarding a measure of the nozzle firing quality of the printer as a function of printing speed and in relation to an image attribute is determined. The image to be printed is analyzed in respect of the image attribute and the information regarding the measure of the nozzle firing quality is used to determine an optimum printing speed for printing the image. Thus a determination may be made as to how fast a particular image may be printed using a particular printer arrangement without unacceptable loss of print quality of the image. Also described is a method of determining printing instructions for printing a plurality of images in which a printing speed for each image is determined, and printing instructions for printing the plurality of images is determined so as to increase the overall efficiency of printing the plurality of images.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a roll-out motor that rotates a roll body supported by a roll body support unit, a feed roller pair that transports a paper drawn from the roll body, and a load measuring unit that measures a rotation load of the roll body when the roll body is rotated at a low speed and a rotation load of the roll body when the roll body is rotated at a high speed. A rotation angle range in which the roll body is rotated at the high speed is greater than a rotation angle range in which the roll body is rotated at the low speed. In one rotation of the roll body, at least a part of the rotation angle range of the roll body rotated at the low speed overlaps with the rotation angle range of the roll body rotated at the high speed.

Abstract: When one of first to third power supply circuits breaks down, a change-over switch performs switching of electrical connection such that drive voltage is allowed to be supplied from normal one of the first to third power supply circuits also to one of the inkjet heads connected to the breakdown power supply circuit. Consequently, the power supply circuits are partially sharable with a plurality of inkjet heads, causing no necessity of stopping the apparatus for replacing one breakdown power supply circuit. As a result, suppression in decrease of throughput of the apparatus is obtainable.

Abstract: When printing a first line, a control device controls energizing heat elements corresponding to pixels where a dot is formed on a second line that is printed continuously. A control device of a thermal head having a plurality of heat elements arranged in a line includes: an acquisition unit that acquires information of pixels forming dots when printing the second line during line printing of a first line and a second line by continuous line printing by the plural heat elements; and an energization control unit that controls energizing the heat elements during the first energizing period based on image data related to printing the first line when printing the first line, and controls energizing the heat elements in the second energizing period when printing the first line based on the image data related to printing the first line and the pixel information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head having a plurality of passage modules that have individual passages, actuator modules that include a plurality of actuators and a drive unit and the liquid ejection head produced by the method. The method comprising ranking the actuator modules according to a magnitude of a capacitance of the actuators, classifying the passage modules into a terminal region group and a central region group, fixing the actuator modules to the passage modules so that the actuator modules that having a capacitance not less than a predetermined capacitance correspond to the passage modules in the terminal group and so that the actuator modules having a capacitance less than the predetermined capacitance in the actuator module ranking correspond to the passage modules in the central region group.

Abstract: A printer including: a detection unit which detects first remaining amounts of inks; a generation unit which generates a plurality of mixed color information on mixed colors having different distribution densities of the inks, the plurality of mixed color information each including a mixed color and second remaining amounts of the inks representing estimated remaining amounts of the inks based on the first remaining amounts if the mixed color were to be used for printing; and an obtaining unit which obtains mixed color information selected from the plurality of mixed color information.

Abstract: A printing device include a control section that causes the head to execute an ejection operation of forming an image forming dot for printing an image designated as a print target and a flushing dot other than the image forming dot on a printing medium, wherein the control section has an acquiring unit that acquires a prescribed parameter in printing conditions for forming the image forming dot on the printing medium, a determining unit that determines a margin area in which the flushing dot is not formed in an end portion of the printing medium based on the prescribed parameter, and an executing unit that executes the ejection operation so as not to form the flushing dot in the margin area on the printing medium.

Abstract: A apparatus including a head unit that includes first nozzles which eject a first liquid, second nozzles which eject a second liquid, third nozzles which eject a third liquid; and a control unit that controls driving of the head unit, in which, when an amount of the first liquid to be ejected from the first nozzles in order to form an image on the medium is a first ejection amount and an ejection state of the liquid ejected from the first nozzles is abnormal, the control unit increases the amount of the second liquid ejected from the second nozzles by a second ejection amount which is smaller than the first ejection amount and increases the amount of the third liquid ejected from the third nozzles by a third ejection amount which is smaller than the first ejection amount instead of allowing the first nozzles to eject the first liquid.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes an image control unit that controls rotation of image data so that a direction of a short side of a rectangular area in a printing sheet becomes a print width direction that is orthogonal to a sheet transport direction if a first warm-up time calculated by a warm-up time calculation unit is shorter than a warm-up time until an ink temperature of an overall ink discharge target width of an ink jet head reaches an appropriate temperature range.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus calculates the distribution of ink droplet numbers for every page and every color component when printing target image data is generated, determines whether or not pixel numbers corresponding to the ink droplet numbers are 0 in all color components and all pages in order of a greater ink droplet number from a maximum ink droplet number, based on the distribution of the calculated ink droplet numbers of all the pages, and determines, as a new maximum ink droplet number, a greatest ink droplet number among ink droplet numbers which are ink droplet numbers equal to or smaller than the maximum ink droplet number and of which pixel numbers are not 0, based on a determination result.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a status indicator that displays status of a battery, a controller that controls an operating mode of the information processing apparatus and supplies power to the status indicator, and an instruction acceptance unit that accepts user instruction to display to the status indicator. The controller turns off the status indicator in transitioning to the energy saving mode, and, in the energy saving mode, turns on the status indicator in response to the instruction acceptance unit accepting the user instruction to display and turns off the status indicator in response to the user instruction to display being released.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing registration errors in a printing system are disclosed. A plurality of tension zones is defined in the printing system. Tension on the web in one tension zone is controlled independently of the tension on the web in the other tension zones. The printing system also includes at least one roller for each tension zone. The rollers receive tension control commands and control the amount of tension on the web in their respective tension zones. The printing system is used to print a first copy of the print job on the web and a plurality of registration errors is determined. Tension control adjustments are computed for each tension zone based on the registration errors. The tension control adjustments are used to adjust the tension control commands to the rollers to print a second copy of the print job, thereby reducing registration errors.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, comprising a driving unit for driving a printhead including a plurality of nozzles each of which prints a dot, a conveying unit for conveying a printing medium, a memory and a unit, wherein the plurality of nozzles are arranged to form nozzle arrays adjacent to each other, the unit performs a first operation for developing printing data column by column on the memory, a second operation for assigning the printing data to each nozzle array, and a third operation for controlling the driving unit based on the assigned printing data, and, after the first operation and before the second operation, the unit specifies a portion of the printing data corresponding to a dot deviated from a correct printing region due to a tilt of the nozzle arrays and rearranges the portion.

Abstract: A printing apparatus sequentially prints a plurality of images on a first surface of a sheet, and then sequentially prints a plurality of images on a second surface that is a back surface of the first surface. When a state of a printing unit is determined not to be normal when printing on the first surface, the printing apparatus executes processing for maintenance by using a sheet different from the sheet used for printing on the first surface.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus configured to record images on both sides of a sheet includes a corrugate mechanism configured to form a sheet into a continuous corrugated shaped in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction and parallel to a recording surface of the sheet.

Abstract: An inkjet printer configured to print by ejecting ink based on print data, an inkjet head comprising a plurality of nozzles, the plurality of nozzles divided into a plurality of nozzle groups, each nozzle of a nozzle group configured to eject ink of a same color and type and a control device configured to control the inkjet head to print in a normal print mode and a low-temperature print mode.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet recording head including a first nozzle having a discharge port, a pressure chamber having therein an element, and a flow path, a second nozzle having a flow resistance lower than that of the first nozzle, and a supply port configured to, after discharge of an ink droplet from at least one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle, supply ink to the nozzle, a storage unit storing a rank value depending on a size of a portion relating to the flow resistance, a reading unit configured to read the rank value, a determination unit configured to determine a number of discharges per unit time of each nozzle based on the rank value read by the reading unit, and a control unit configured to control each nozzle to discharge the ink droplet based on the number of discharges determined by the determination unit.

Abstract: One aspect of this invention is directed to suitable drive control in accordance with an output from the temperature sensor of a printhead. More specifically, a printing apparatus by using a printhead that includes heaters and a temperature sensor on a substrate and discharges ink by driving the heaters executes the following steps. First, when printing a test pattern by using a predetermined driving pulse in a maintenance mode, a detected temperature is stored as a reference temperature in a memory. Then, in a normal printing mode, the difference between a detected temperature and the stored reference temperature is calculated, and a driving pulse for driving the printhead is selected from a plurality of driving pulses based on the difference. The printhead is controlled to be driven using the selected driving pulse and print.

Abstract: Unevenness correcting information is generated based on property information indicating a recording property of each of a plurality of recording elements which are included in a recording head, the recording elements being subjected to output correction in a first output correction unit based on unevenness correcting information obtained after a flattening processing and output correction in a second output correction unit, and the unevenness correcting information close to an appropriate value with which an image in an appropriately-corrected state can be obtained can be generated.

Abstract: Approaches for determining the delivery success of a droplet from an ink jet print head are disclosed. On approach utilizes an apparatus for the ink jet printer that includes an ejector, a spatial filter, a detector, and an analyzer. The ejector is configured to release an ink droplet along a path and the spatial filter has a plurality of features. The detector is positioned to sense light emanating from the droplet along the path with the sensed light being modulated according to the features as the droplet moves along the path relative to the spatial filter. The detector is configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal in response to the sensed light. The analyzer determines one or more physical, spatial, or dynamic characteristics of the droplet based upon the time-varying signal.

Abstract: A method of controlling a printer includes measuring a first voltage value of a power supply of the printer before energizing heat generating elements of a print head of the printer. The method also includes calculating, by a controller of the printer, the number of heat generating elements that are simultaneously energizable based on the measured first voltage value of the power supply, an end voltage value of the power supply, an internal resistance value of the power supply, a resistance value of each of the heat generating elements, and a current value of an electric current flowing through a motor of the printer for conveying recording paper. The method further includes performing printing on the recording paper by the print head using the heat generating elements of the calculated number.

Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus, the colors of ink dots are controlled to make it possible to change the colors of an image to be printed. More specifically, ink temperatures, ink permeation speeds, and the capillary occupancy rates of inks in a print medium are used to control a permeation area formed by performing printing with preceding cyan and subsequent magenta, thereby controlling the colors realized by the inks which are ejected in an overlapping manner.

Abstract: A temperature control circuit for an inkjet printhead including a temperature sensor portion that generates an output current made up of the sum of a current proportional to a sensed temperature on the inkjet printhead and an offset current, and an offset current correction portion that generates a correction current that is subtracted from the output current to at least partially compensate for the offset current, the output current as compensated by the correction current being output as a temperature control circuit output current.

Abstract: An inkjet printer including a body, a carriage, a recording head, a bendable connecting member, a memory device, and a controller is provided. The controller is configured to execute operations including a deviated amount setting operation and a discharging timing controlling operation. The deviated amount setting operation includes a first recording step, in which a first image is recorded after the carriage is placed at rest for a length being shorter than or equal to a first period; a second recording step, in which a second image is recorded after the carriage is placed at rest for a second period being longer than the first period, and a deviated amount setting step, in which the controller obtains a distance between the first image and the second image and stores the obtained distance in the memory device as a deviated amount.

Abstract: In order for skew relative to the transport direction to be detected in a sheet which is transported to a recording unit, a carriage is initially moved in a scanning direction to a first position and the sheet is transported in this state. Then, when the front edge of the sheet in the transport direction is detected by a second sensor, the carriage is moved in a direction so that the second sensor is no longer able to locate the front edge to a second position, which is separated from the first position by a regulating movement distance. Furthermore, the sheet is transported to where the second sensor locates the front edge of the sheet in the transport direction at the second position and skew in the sheet is detected based on this transport distance and the regulating movement distance.

Abstract: A system for preprocessing a print document is disclosed. The system may comprise a document inputting unit, configured to receive a print document, a document processing unit, configured to process the print document that is received by the document inputting unit, and a document outputting unit, configured to output a print document that has been processed by the document processing unit. Further, a method for preprocessing a print document is also disclosed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print head that forms an image on a target printing surface of a printing medium by relatively moving with respect to the printing medium, an elastic wave radiation unit that radiates elastic waves, in air toward the target printing surface, a reception unit that receives the elastic waves that are radiated from the elastic wave radiation unit and reflected by the target printing surface, and a control unit which measures the time of arrival taken for elastic waves, and stops relative movement when the time of arrival is shorter than a defined time, in which the defined time is a time of arrival in which a distance from the print head to the printing medium and the distance from the elastic wave radiation unit to the printing medium to an allowable minimum distance between the print head and the printing medium.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a recording element row in which multiple recording elements are disposed, with recording elements at dispersed positions in the recording element rows as blocks; a scanning unit configured to scan the recording head in a main scanning direction; a time-division driving unit configured to drive the recording elements in increments of blocks; a storing unit configured to store recording data; an obtaining unit configured to obtain information relating to the inclination of the recording element row relative to the main scanning direction; and a changing unit operable to change, in increments of individual recording elements, the storage position in the main scanning direction of recording data stored in the storing unit that is to be provided to recording elements of a group, which is configured of consecutive recording elements in each block in the recording element row, based on the obtained information.

Abstract: A printing apparatus performing printing to a print medium includes a printer having at least two line heads with a plurality of recording modules; a scanner configured to scan an image printed with the printer to obtain a scanned image; a correcting-chart printing unit configured to print first and second correcting charts in first and second line head printing areas, respectively; a scanned image collecting unit configured to collect first and second scanned images; a correction-data calculating device configured to calculate correction data by determining a reference head difference from the first scanned image, determining an individual head difference from the second scanned image, summing up the reference head difference and the individual head difference to obtain a total, the reference head difference and the total being regarded as the correction data for the first and second line heads, respectively; and an adjusting device configured to adjust a timing.

Abstract: A method of controlling a printer includes measuring a first voltage value of a power supply of the printer before energizing heat generating elements of a print head of the printer. The method also includes calculating, by a controller of the printer, the number of heat generating elements that are simultaneously energizable based on the measured first voltage value of the power supply, an end voltage value of the power supply, an internal resistance value of the power supply, a resistance value of each of the heat generating elements, and a current value of an electric current flowing through a motor of the printer for conveying recording paper. The method further includes performing printing on the recording paper by the print head using the heat generating elements of the calculated number.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: applying mask processing to an abnormal recording element based on abnormal recording element information; converting input image data such that a pixel to be formed by the abnormal recording element is excluded; applying quantization processing that converts the converted input image data to image data having a gradation number less than a gradation number of the converted input image data; and assigning each pixel forming image data after quantization processing to a normal recording element.

Abstract: A printer includes an inkjet head that includes a plurality of individual flow passages each including a nozzle and a manifold commonly communicating with the plurality of individual flow passages, a heater that heats ink in the manifold, and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of ink in the manifold. After the heater heats ink in the manifold, liquid droplets are ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head. Abnormal ejection of the nozzle is detected based on a detected change in a temperature of the ink in the manifold.

Abstract: A release agent application system includes an image receiving member, a release agent applicator roller, a release agent pad, a release agent reservoir, and an actuator. The actuator operates the release agent applicator roller to move it between a resting position, where the roller absorbs release agent from the pad, and an application position, where the roller engages a surface of the image receiving member and to transfer release agent to the image receiving member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and method. In an aspect of the present invention, uneven concentration correction and non-ejection correction are performed at the time of drawing an image. In the non-ejection correction, a non-ejecting nozzle and a deflected ejection nozzle are detected as a defective nozzle, the detected defective nozzle is not allowed to eject ink to perform the non-ejection correction. When a deflected ejection nozzle is detected, an allowable value range of a deflected ejection amount of each of nozzles with respect to a deflected ejection amount of each of nozzles at the time of creating an uneven concentration correction parameter is determined. A nozzle in which a deflected ejection amount exceeds the allowable value range so that the deflected ejection occurs is detected as a deflected ejection nozzle.

Abstract: Methods performed by a printing system are described herein. A portion of a print area is located by operating an optical sensor to respond to a color shift. The color shift is from a printed reference color. The color shift is caused by a fixer fluid applied to the portion. Printing systems and tangible machine readable storage mediums are also described herein.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a head driving section that includes a drive pulse generator and a selector. The drive pulse generator generates, as the waveforms of drive voltage to be applied to the piezoelectric elements, a plurality of drive waveforms that includes an ink-ejection drive waveform defined according to the number of times of ink ejection to be made from the corresponding nozzle, and a reset waveform which causes greater drawing of the meniscus in the corresponding nozzle than by the ink-ejection drive waveform. With respect to each nozzle, the selector selects to apply which of the drive waveforms generated by the drive pulse generator or not to apply any of the drive waveforms to the corresponding piezoelectric element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed which reads a test pattern formed by ejecting liquid droplets onto a recording medium to adjust an ejection timing of the liquid droplets. The image forming apparatus includes a reading unit; a relative movement unit; a second detected data obtaining unit; a first detected data obtaining unit; a subtraction processing unit which subtracts a value comparable to a local minimum value of first detected data sets from each of the first detected data sets and second detected data sets; and a signal correction unit which calculates a proportion of the subtracted first detected data sets relative to the subtracted second detected data sets to align a local maximum value of the first detected data sets such that it is generally constant.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which reads a test pattern formed onto a recording medium to adjust an ejection timing of liquid droplets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a reading unit; a pattern data storage unit; an image forming unit; a relative movement unit; an intensity data obtaining unit which obtains intensity data on a reflected light which is received by a light receiving unit from a scanning position of a light while the light moves over the test pattern; and a position detecting unit which applies a line position determining operation on the intensity data and detects a line position.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a print head having a plurality of nozzle arrays; a scanning unit configured to perform scanning of the print head in a first direction and in a second direction; an adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of the ink ejection from a first nozzle unit including a predetermined number of nozzles arranged at one of end positions of a first nozzle array, the number of nozzle arrays arranged at a side of the first direction from the first nozzle array is less than the number of nozzle arrays arranged at a side of the second direction from the first nozzle array; and a control unit. The adjusting unit adjusts the amount of the ink ejection such that amount of ink ejection in the scan of the first direction is smaller than amount of ink ejection in the scan of the second direction.

Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which can shorten a drying time of inks in an edge region of an image, and can form a sharp image without bleeding of the ink applied onto the edge region into a blank paper. The image processing method generates applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and lower in surface tension than the first ink, and the print medium. The image processing method generates first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generates second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

Abstract: A printing device includes a required ink amount acquisition part, an ejectable amount acquisition part, and a division printing control part. The required ink amount acquisition part is configured to determine a required ink amount based on print data of a bandwidth over which ink is ejected by driving an ink head in a main scanning direction. The ejectable amount acquisition part is configured to determine an ejectable amount based on a residual amount in an ink cartridge. The division printing control part is configured to determine whether a printing for the bandwidth is performed by one time of a main scanning operation, or the printing is performed by dividing into multiple main scanning operations based on the required ink amount and the ejectable amount, and to perform the printing in accordance with the determination.

Abstract: An inkjet printing method and system includes an arrangement that is adapted to repair a printed image using a combination of in-line imaging and feedback control of an inkjet printhead or printing with a redundant inkjet printhead. The inkjet printing method and system is further adapted to print at higher optical density than is normally possible by use of multi-pass capabilities.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide an ejection detection device with an inexpensive and simple structure that can appropriately detect conditions of nozzles, without the control of the quantity of liquid ejected from the nozzles being required. Therefore, for the ejection detection device of the present invention, a light-emitting unit emits light to a light-receiving unit in a direction in which a plurality of nozzles is arranged in a print head. The ejection detection device detects the condition of a nozzle to be detected, which ejects the liquid droplet. At this time, the emission intensity of the light-emitting unit or the responsivity of the light-receiving unit is controlled by the print head in accordance with the location of the nozzle to be detected.

Abstract: Provided is a printed matter for measuring printing precision of a printing apparatus configured to perform printing to both sides of a printing medium. The printed matter includes a plurality of positioning reference marks printed orthogonal to a transportation direction of the printing medium; and an inspecting window bored in a positioning reference mark of the plurality of positioning reference marks, the positioning reference mark corresponding to an object to be inspected. The printing medium is folded so as to make another positioning reference mark on the printing medium visible through the inspecting window, and the positioning reference mark on a side of the inspecting window is compared with the positioning reference mark visible through the inspecting window, whereby printing precision is measured.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus includes a head that is provided with nozzle holes for ejecting ink, and a control unit that performs a plurality modes, and the plurality of modes includes a first image printing mode of ejecting white-based ink from the nozzle holes to adhere the white-based ink to a first area of a printing medium and a second area different from the first area to print an image, and a second image printing mode of substantially concurrently ejecting color ink and resin ink from the nozzle holes to contact and adhere the color ink and the resin ink onto the white-based ink of the first area to print an image, and ejecting resin ink from the nozzle holes to adhere the resin ink onto the white-based ink composition of the second area to print an image.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes: a modulator adapted to pulse-modulate a drive waveform signal forming a basis of a drive signal of an actuator to obtain a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier circuit adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal to obtain a power-amplified modulated signal; a low pass filter adapted to smooth the power-amplified modulated signal to obtain the drive signal; and a power amplification stopping section operating when holding a voltage of the actuator constant.