Abstract: A printing device has a support and heating unit for supporting and heating a medium, a head for discharging color image ink and background image ink on the medium supported by the support and heating unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a color image printing process for executing a plurality of color image recording passes by which the head is moved relative to the medium in a moving direction, and a background image printing process. The controller is configured to execute a wait process of evacuating the head from above the support and heating unit and moving it to an evacuation position to have the head wait at the evacuation position for at least one of between the color image recording passes and between the background image recording passes.

Abstract: Techniques for creating an individual image sized to a desired print area plus a desired amount of bleed area to thereby reduce an amount of ink applied outside a desired print area are presented. In an embodiment, each of the desired print area dimensions, a default ink bleed width, and an ink bleed adjustment setting are obtained. The individual image comprises an image container sized to a desired print area plus a desired amount of bleed area. Each of the respective dimensions of the image container of the individual image is set to the corresponding respective dimension of the desired print area plus the default ink bleed width. A base image providing image content for the image container is sized to the dimensions of the image container if dimensions of the base image do not already equal the dimensions of the image container.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a character data extraction unit, a contour data extraction unit, and an image density changing unit. The character data extraction unit extracts character data, forming a character image serving as a target to be read by an image reading apparatus, from image data. The contour data extraction unit extracts contour data forming a contour image of the character image from the image data. The image density changing unit changes an image density of the contour image base on the contour data extracted from the contour data extraction unit.

Abstract: A printing device performs band printing during two-way printing, wherein the band printing uses black pigment ink and dye ink. In this printing device, in an advancing printed area for which a print head moves in an advancing direction, pigment ink dots are formed first and dye ink dots are formed second. In a retreating printed area for which the print head moves in a retreating direction, dye ink dots are formed first and pigment ink dots are formed second.

Abstract: Improved output quality of a printer used in UV curable ink jet printing is achieved by minimizing or eliminating a print artifact referred to as gloss banding or tire tracking. A same or a similar number of nozzles as used in conventional printers is used to achieve a desired throughput, but the nozzles are arranged so that any given square inch of substrate to which ink is being applied receives a lower amount of ink. A longer effective print head is provided by arranging the print heads into a longer array, where the print heads are butted substantially end-to-end. As a result, the net throughput of the printer is the same as that of a conventional printer because the printer uses the same number of print heads, but the amount of ink that is applied to any given square inch is less on a pass.

Abstract: To minimize deterioration in the dispersion of dots in an overlapping region between heads, a fluid-ejecting device includes: (A) a first nozzle column having first nozzles for ejecting a fluid; (B) a second nozzle column having second nozzles for ejecting a fluid and arranged to form an overlapping region in which an end portion toward one end in the predetermined direction overlaps an end portion at another end of the first nozzle column; and (C) a controller for ejecting a fluid from the first nozzle column and the second nozzle column in accordance with dot data indicating a dot size converted from inputted image data and ejecting the fluid from the second nozzles in the overlapping region in accordance with dot data obtained from a halftone process performed after multiplying the usage rate of the second nozzle column by incidence rate data for each of the dot sizes.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a first nozzles for ejecting first fluid are lined up in a predetermined direction; a second nozzles for ejecting second fluid are lined up in a movement direction; and a control unit which sets a first method of when formation of a main image with the first fluid and formation of a background image with the second fluid are performed to overlap the main image and the background image with each other on the medium, in a case where one of the nozzle group of the part of the first nozzles and the nozzle group of the part of the second nozzles is positioned closer to the other direction side of the predetermined direction than the other nozzle group to perform the image formation on a predetermined area of the medium in advance of the other nozzle group.

Abstract: A method for operating an inkjet printer to form images that include both high density and low density segments has been developed. The method includes operating one printhead to eject ink drops with a large size to form high density segments of the image, and operating a second printhead to eject ink drops with a small size to form low density segments of the image. The large ink drops provide high coverage in the high density segments, and the small ink drops provide improved image quality in the low density segments of the image.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet jetting apparatus including: a transporting mechanism; and a head moving mechanism configured to move the second liquid droplet jetting head between a first position facing the one surface of the object and a second position facing the other surface of the object. Under a condition that the second liquid droplet jetting head is arranged at the first position, a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row are arranged such that each of first nozzles is overlapped with one of second nozzles with respect to a nozzle-row direction.

Abstract: A method for printing an input digital image using and inkjet printer being adapted to print horizontal strips of print image data using one or more print passes. The method includes determining print image data and control channel image data for a particular strip responsive to input code values for corresponding input pixels, the control channel image data providing an indication of the number of print passes that should be used to print the input code values. A number of print passes for the particular strip is determined responsive to the control channel image data, and the inkjet printer is controlled to print the particular strip of print image data using the determined number of print passes.

Abstract: In a case where a first image is printed on a recording medium based on first dot data using the first inkjet recording device and a second image is printed based on second dot data on another recording medium using the second inkjet recording device in which ejected ink drops land onto a recording medium with a small degree of dispersion in a main scanning direction compared to the first inkjet recording device, the first dot data is converted to generate the second dot data such that data of a large dot and a medium dot is converted so as to form a plurality of dots having sizes smaller than the dot size at predetermined intervals between the dots in the main scanning direction in place of the large dot and the medium dot.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nano-ranged wide color gamut and environmental-friendly UV inkjet printing system for a hard substrate comprising a carrier, an ink supplier, a printing head and a controller. The carrier receives the hard substrate thereon and the ink supplier includes a container space for containing an ink. The color gamut of the ink comprises basic colors of RYBK. The printing head receives the ink from the ink supplier, and the controller generates a control signal to control the printing head to spray coating the ink onto the surface of the hard substrate directly. The present invention is able to print the ink directly onto the surface of the hard substrate while utilizing the UV light for curing the ink into solid. The ink exhibits the physical properties of low surface tension, nano particles, environmental friendly, UV excitable, short duration of drying, great adhesiveness and high transparency.

Abstract: A method for printing including preparing an image at a first resolution in a first direction, selecting pixels from the prepared image, reordering the selected pixels to create a translated image having a second resolution in the first direction, where the second resolution is different from the first resolution, and printing the translated image. Also included are a printing system and an article of computer readable code.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of reducing color unevenness due to variations in ejection characteristics among a plurality of nozzles when printing an image using a plurality of inks. To that end, a first image which is made up a color with noticeable color unevenness and similar colors is printed onto a print medium. The user then specifies a color and a nozzle position where color unevenness has occurred. On the basis of these results, parameters are set for a correction table referenced by an MCS processor. In so doing, it becomes possible to address the factor causing the color unevenness, and mitigate the effects of color unevenness in a focused way without incurring increases in processor load, memory requirements, or processing time as compared to the case of calibrating all lattice points.

Abstract: Provided is a printing method using a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes a head that has a nozzle array, in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a black pigment ink is arranged, and a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a color ink is arranged. The printing method includes: a step of acquiring image data of an image to be printed on a medium; a step of ejecting the black pigment ink onto the medium on the basis of the image data; and a step of ejecting the color ink onto the medium on the basis of the image data. A supply capability of the pigment ink supply section is higher than a supply capability of the color ink supply section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form a plurality of dots on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets includes: a recording head configured to eject the ink droplets of a plurality of colors including similar colors, which are colors of which densities or hues are equal to each other; a transporting unit configured to relatively move the recording head and the recording medium; a head driving circuit configured to perform a driving control of the recording head based on a control signal; and an image processing unit configured to convert an input image signal into a control signal to be supplied to the head driving circuit in a manner so that the dots of the similar colors are formed to be overlapped at a same position at a lower rate in a low density gradation range and at a higher rate in a high density gradation range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a printing head unit, a driving waveform generator that generates and outputs a driving waveform having four or more driving pulses in chronological order per driving cycle, and a selector that selects and applies one of multiple driving pulses to a pressure generator to cause a printing head unit to selectively discharge a liquid droplet of three or more different sizes. The driving waveform includes three or more driving pulses at least having a final driving pulse to collectively discharge the biggest liquid droplet. The driving waveform includes a micro-driving pulse for discharging a smallest droplet within a time period of from about 2×Tc to about 4×Tc after the driving waveform starts being outputted when Tc represents a natural vibration period of a separate liquid chamber of the printing head unit.

Abstract: Color material recording amount determination unit configured to determine a color material recording amount data according to a gradation value and colorless material recording amount calculation unit configured to determine, according to the color material recording amount data, a base colorless material recording amount data of a colorless material that is recorded as a base of the color material are included.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs pseudo gradation processing using dithering, and includes an image carrier; a plurality of light-emitting element arrays arranged in a main-scanning direction and including a plurality of light-emitting elements; an image forming unit performing lighting control of the arrays and forming a pattern image on the image carrier; a detecting unit detecting a density of the pattern image; a position detecting unit detecting a position in the main-scanning direction of the detecting unit with respect to the light-emitting element arrays; a determining unit that, based on the detected position, determines whether the detecting unit is positioned at a proper detection position with respect to the pattern image on which noise has no effect; and an operation control unit that, when the detecting unit is positioned at the proper detection position, performs an image density detection operation on the pattern image using the detecting unit.

Abstract: Curing processing is realized according to differences in absorption characteristics of activation light among inks and characteristics of layers to be formed with the inks. A scanning device reciprocally moves in a first direction an inkjet head including a first nozzle array ejecting a first ink and a second nozzle array ejecting a second ink; a relative movement device relatively moves a recording medium in a second direction with respect to the head; an ejection control device divides the nozzle array into regions in the second direction and controls ink ejection for each unit of the divided nozzle region; an activation light irradiation device irradiates the inks deposited on the medium with the activation light; an irradiation region dividing device divides an irradiation range into divided irradiation regions corresponding respectively to the divided nozzle regions; and a light quantity control device controls light quantities respectively for the divided irradiation regions.

Abstract: A plurality of control boards can be connected to each other via a high-speed bus. An image forming unit performs an image forming process, which is housed in a casing. A slot is arranged on any one of a plurality of side surfaces perpendicular to a bottom surface of the casing, which is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface and guides the control boards to inside of the casing. The control boards are connected in parallel to each other.

Abstract: A liquid jet includes a fundamental period of jet break off. A print period is defined as N times the fundamental period of jet break off where N is an integer greater than 1. Input image data is provided having M levels per input image pixel including a non-print level where M is an integer and 2<M?N+1. A charging device waveform, independent of the input image data, repeats during print periods and includes print and non-print drop voltage states. A drop formation device waveform, having a period equal to the print period, is selected in response to the input image data to form from the jet print drops having a volume corresponding to an input image pixel level. The devices are synchronized to produce a print drop charge to mass ratio and a non-print drop charge to mass ratio on drops breaking off from the jet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus that performs printing by using inks of plural colors including a white color, which includes a first nozzle group that ejects an ink of one color including a white color and at least one color other than the white color, and a second nozzle group that ejects the inks of plural colors. An image formed by the first nozzle group is an undercoat layer or an overcoat layer of an image formed by the second nozzle group.

Abstract: The present invention suppresses data processing load and processing time when generating density data for the same color that corresponds to a plurality of printing scans (or plurality of printing element groups) of a printing head and printing medium. In order to accomplish this, input image data is converted to a plurality of density data by referencing a three-dimensional lookup table that performs one-to-one correlation of input image data with a plurality of density data that corresponds to a plurality of relative movements (or plurality of printing element groups). By doing so, it is possible to perform a process of generating density data (CMYK) that corresponds to a plurality of relative movements (or plurality of printing element groups) from input image data at once, and thus it is possible to suppress an increase in data processing load and processing time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid ejection system comprising a print head unit including a fluid ejection nozzle array, wherein the fluid ejection nozzle array comprises at least a first set of nozzles having nozzles of a first fluid ejection capacity and a second set of nozzles having nozzles of a second fluid ejection capacity and nozzles of a third fluid ejection capacity, wherein the first fluid ejection capacity, the second fluid ejection capacity and the third fluid ejection capacity are different from one another, and further including a printer controller which, in a first printing mode, selects nozzles of the first and second sets for firing in proportions so that the overall color densities generated by the nozzles of second set when compared to nozzles of the first set are the same in a defined print area.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes a first process in which a coloring ink is recorded on a recording medium using an ink jet head so as to form a first image, a second process in which a background ink is recorded using the ink jet head so as to form a background image that covers the first image, and a third process in which a coloring ink is recorded using the ink jet head so as to form a second image, and a drying process is included between the first process and the third process.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a read unit and a first correction unit. The read unit reads a document and generates multilevel image data from the document. The first correction unit corrects the multilevel image data contained in a first range predetermined as a color indicating a fluorescent color so as to move the multilevel image data contained in the first range to an outside of a print color range when at least a part of the multilevel image data is contained in the first range.

Abstract: A printhead and a method of ejecting liquid droplets are provided. The method includes providing a printhead operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of drop volumes Vi, for i equal to 1 through n, where n?2, with Vj>Vi when j>i. One of the plurality of drop volumes is a minimum drop volume Vmin, and a difference in drop volumes between successively larger drops equals (Vk+1?Vk) which is less than Vmin, for k equal to 1 through n?1. The method also includes ejecting liquid drops through the printhead.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a first nozzle for ejecting clear ink to form a first dot; and a second nozzle for ejecting color ink to form a second dot, wherein, when forming a color image on a photoluminescent ground layer by means of the second dot, the first dot is formed at an area where the color image does not exist.

Abstract: An adverse effect of air flows occurring near the nozzle line with high print duty is reliably avoided by appropriately dividing and allocating the print data to a plurality of ink ejection nozzle lines. When the print head is scanning in a forward direction, a combination of a magenta ink nozzle line and a yellow ink nozzle line that do not adjoin each other is mainly used. When the print head is scanning in a backward direction, another combination of a magenta ink nozzle line and a yellow ink nozzle line that do not adjoin each other is mainly used.

Abstract: Disclosed is process of forming a regular array of rows of subpixels on a workpiece. The subpixels having four different colors, and a subpixel pitch s. Of the four colors, q colors are formed by printing and r colors are formed by a non-printing method.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of reducing color unevenness due to variations in ejection characteristics among a plurality of nozzles when printing an image using a plurality of inks. To that end, a first image which is made up a color with noticeable color unevenness and similar colors is printed onto a print medium. The user then specifies a color and a nozzle position where color unevenness has occurred. On the basis of these results, parameters are set for a correction table referenced by are MCS processor. In so doing, it becomes possible to address the factor causing the color unevenness, and mitigate the effects of color unevenness in a focused way without incurring increases in processor load, memory requirements, or processing time as compared to the case of calibrating all lattice points.

Abstract: A control device is adapted to control a recording device provided with a nozzle for discharging a color ink and a nozzle for discharging an adhesive fluid. The control device is configured to generate color image data representing a color image made up from color dots formed by the color ink, to generate adhesion image data representing an adhesion image made up from adhesion dots, which are dots formed by the adhesive fluid, wherein the adhesion image data is generated such that the adhesion dots are arranged so that the adhesive fluid is applied at an amount that corresponds to the amount of the color ink applied per unit area and the adhesion dots are arranged so that, when the amount of the color ink applied per unit area is zero, the amount of the adhesive fluid applied differs between inside and outside of a region of the adhesion image.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for dynamic image dithering for a printing device are described herein. Embodiments may include an image processing module to process a source image file to provide a dithered image file with print data for each of a plurality of image locations. Printing substance may be deposited and the image processing module may provide the dithered image file with additional print data based at least in part on the deposited printing substance. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a plurality of color separation modules. Each color separation module includes an image receiving member and a printhead module configured to eject ink drops onto the image receiving member to form a color separation on the image receiving member. The printer is configured to transfix each color separation on each image receiving member to a single sheet to produce a composite ink image on the print medium after the print medium has passed by all of the color separation modules in the printer.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for forming an image with a plurality of recording element arrays, grouped together on a plurality of recording heads, on a same area of a recording medium. The image processing apparatus sets recording data of each of the recording element arrays from input image data, and a halftone processing unit generates halftone image data to be recorded by each of the recording element arrays by performing halftone processing on the recording data of each of the recording element arrays, which is set by the setting unit. Halftone image data pieces corresponding to at least a pair of recording element arrays located on a same recording head are in phase with each other in a wider frequency band than halftone image data pieces corresponding to at least a pair of recording element arrays located on different recording heads.

Abstract: A method for operating an inkjet imaging system includes generating a coverage area map that identifies areas of an image that have different coverage area densities. Color inkjet ejectors form an image on an image receiving member, and clear inkjet ejectors eject halftone patterns on the image receiving member and on the ink forming the image. The halftone levels of the clear ink in each area on the image and image receiving member are selected in response to the coverage area density for each area.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing method are capable of not permitting a printable ratio of each printing scan to have a deviation and, even if a sudden conveyance shift occurs, outputting a uniform and smooth image in the whole area of the print medium. In order to achieve this, when performing multipass printing of 2M passes, a mask such that a printable area overlapping ratio that relates to straddling between Pass M and Pass M+1 is set higher than the printable area overlapping ratio that relates to straddling between two other consecutive passes is used. By this configuration, even if a complementary relationship of dots collapses due to a sudden conveyance shift or the like and thereby a density reduction is anticipated, by an overlapped dot being separated, increase of the density is accelerated, and it becomes possible to mitigate the above-mentioned density reduction.

Abstract: A printing device can be configured with different numbers of ink colors and ink types to print with a different cross-process direction print resolution for each ink color and ink type. The printing device includes a plurality of printhead arrays with each printhead array being configured to eject ink onto an image receiving surface at a first print resolution in a cross-process direction. Each ink supply in a plurality of ink supplies is configured to provide ink to one printhead array in the plurality of printhead arrays, and a controller is configured to operate the printhead arrays at one of at least two combinations of ink colors and ink types. The controller operates the printhead arrays ejecting a same ink color or a same ink type at a second print resolution in the cross-process direction that is different than the first print resolution.

Abstract: A printing device which prints onto a printing medium comprising: a printing head; a control section which moves the printing head in a scanning direction and relatively moves either of the head or the printing medium in a direction which intersects with the scanning direction; and a discharge control section, wherein the printing head is provided with a plurality of color nozzle rows which are arranged to line up in the intersecting direction and where a plurality of nozzles which discharge the same color of color ink are arranged in the intersecting direction for each of the color nozzles rows, and a black ink nozzle row which is a nozzle row, which is arranged to line up with the color nozzle rows and discharges black ink, and which has a black ink nozzle group of the same number as the number of rows of the color nozzles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus that performs printing by using inks of plural colors including a white color, which includes a first image forming unit that forms a first image, and a second image forming unit that forms a second image such that at least a part of the second image overlaps the first image. The second image forming unit forms at least a part of a section of the second image, which overlaps the first image, by using only a white ink, and forms at least a part of a section of the second image, which does not overlap the first image, by using inks of a white color and at least one color other than the white color.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein provide for allowing color profiles for printers to be determined based on the types of print engines installed at the printer and the types of colorants installed at the printer. In one embodiment, a printing system including a printer is disclosed. The printer comprises a colorant system, a print engine system, and a print controller. The colorant system identifies a type of colorant installed at the printer for printing to a physical media. The print engine system identifies a type of print engine installed at the printer for printing to the media using the colorant. The print controller receives a request for the type of colorant installed at the printer and the type of print engine installed at the printer to allow for a determination of a color profile for the printer.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the apparatus, a transparent inkjet head includes a first plurality of nozzles, and a color inkjet head includes a second plurality of nozzles. A color value measurement unit is configured to measure color values of ink applied to a plurality of pixels based on signals applied to the second plurality of nozzles of the color inkjet head and signals applied to the first plurality of nozzles of the transparent inkjet head. A control unit is configured to compare the measured color values of the ink applied to the plurality of pixels with a target value and to change the signals applied to the first plurality of nozzles of the transparent inkjet head such that the measured color values of the ink applied to the plurality of pixels are uniform.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for subdividing and printing regions of a substrate with multiple print heads or multiple print head assemblies which substantially decreases printing time is described. The method includes a feathering method which reduces overlap artifacts which is useful in any printing situation where adjacent regions are printed that could be misaligned, offset, or have slightly different colors.

Abstract: In a color mode, among clear ink data CL1 and CL2, only the data CL2 is set to a uniform use amount of 20%, while the use amount for the data CL1 is set to zero. Meanwhile, in a monochrome photo mode, the data CL1 indicates a usage of 10% to 40% near a white point, but starting at the intermediate gradations the data CL1 use amount decreases while the data CL2 use amount increases, with a data CL2 use amount of 20% near a black point. In so doing, it is possible to sufficiently suppress bronzing in the color mode where coloring ink data exists, without imparting a particularly strong unnatural look except for specific colors. Meanwhile, in the monochrome photo mode where coloring ink data does not exist, high-level suppression of bronzing is possible, at the cost of a slight reduction in the glossiness of the printed material.

Abstract: A method obtains color consistency over at least one printing system in order to print a digital image containing pixels and color information of the primary colors per pixel. Each printing system includes at least one engine including a plurality of containers, each of the containers containing a marking material having a primary color. The method includes the steps of, for each primary color, determining a target color which is printable by each engine on the receiving medium, determining for each container how much marking material must be ejected to establish the target color, and for each pixel of the digital image to be printed by an engine, replacing each primary color of the pixel by a corresponding target color, and printing the pixel by ejecting marking material from the containers of the engine according to the determined marking material per target color per container of the engine.

Abstract: A control section is included which performs a background image pre-printing which enables each ink to be ejected from the upstream side background color nozzle row and the downstream side color nozzle row and can land the color ink after landing the background color ink on the medium in a region concerning the transport direction, and a background image post-printing which enables each ink to be ejected from the upstream side color nozzle row and the downstream side background color nozzle row and can land the background color ink after landing the color ink on the medium in a region concerning the transport direction, the control section performing the printing so as to switch over the background image pre-printing and the background image post-printing on one medium.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet printing apparatus which can restrict each of coloring of reflected light and image clarity within an allowable range required in each of a color mode and a monochromatic mode in any of the modes to output an image with a high grade. For this end, a print duty of each of the first image improving liquid and the second image improving liquid is set in such a manner that a ratio of the print duty of the first image improving liquid having low penetratability to the print duty of the second image improving liquid having high penetratability is higher in the monochromatic mode than that in the color mode. Thereby, an appropriate ratio and an appropriate amount of appropriate kinds of the image improving liquids are applied to each of the color mode and the monochromatic mode.

Abstract: Consistent with disclosed embodiments, systems and methods for optimizing printing of a print job comprising graphics by a printer are presented. In some embodiments, the method calculating optimal granularity for the print job, based on specified resolution and page size; generating at least one trigonometric table with the calculated granularity; determining if a job command in the print job comprises a trigonometric function; and, if so, obtaining at least one trigonometric value from the at least one trigonometric table based on information in the job command. A similar process may be used to optimize printing by reducing the number of distance calculations performed by using sub tables.

Abstract: Every time density correction information corresponding to a colorimetric value of a patch is acquired, the time when the density correction information is acquired and the type of a printing medium on which the patch is printed are accumulated in association in a memory. The type of a medium for printing is specified by a user; density correction information acquired at the most up-to-date time for each chromatic color ink available for the medium of that type is read from the memory; it is determined whether or not the most up-to-date time when the density correction information is acquired for each of the chromatic color inks available for the specified medium is the same time; if the most up-to-date times are the same, density correction is performed on image data, using a correction table that corresponds to the density correction information acquired at the most up-to-date time.