Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method thereof for preventing degradation of image quality by a malfunctioning nozzle are disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a print head including a first nozzle line having a plurality of nozzles arranged with a predetermined pitch I and a second nozzle line disposed at predetermined distance D from the first nozzle line and having a plurality of nozzles arranged to be deviated from the nozzles of the first nozzle line with a predetermined pitch I. A controller controls the print head to inject ink to form at least a portion of dots to be overlapped by ink injected from the nozzles of the first nozzle line.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes a mask processor for performing a mask process for binary data, which is obtained by a binarization process using a dot arrangement pattern, by using mask patterns having print permitting pixels to generate binary data used for each of a plurality of scans of a print head to a same area of a print medium. A logical product pattern obtained by a logical product operation of an arrangement pattern of the print permitting pixels in at least one of the mask patterns and the dot arrangement pattern satisfies the characteristics of (a) frequency components of a low frequency region are fewer than that of a high frequency region, and (b) peaks of the frequency components do not exist in a region lower side of half of the low frequency region.

Abstract: In the case where a multipass printing and an interlace printing are used together, the present invention enables outputting an image of good quality independently of the relation between the number of passes in the multipass printing and increase in the resolution in the sub-scanning direction through the interlace printing. Data processing is executed while pixels of inputted image data are made to correspond to two or more rasters in the sub-scanning direction, so that the dots are arranged in these rasters at a substantially equal rate, in the case where the number of print scannings to be executed multiple times is not an integral multiple of the number of rasters.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing method and ink jet printing apparatus capable of outputting a smooth monochrome photograph with indistinctive beading and conveying unevenness even in monochrome black mode for printing an image by using achromatic color inks. For this object, if it is determined that printing is carried out in the monochrome black mode, different mask patterns, such as mutually-exclusive mask patterns or mask patterns having a logical product result that shows a state where low-frequency components are less than high-frequency components, are set for two or more kinds of achromatic color inks. Use of such mask patterns suppresses the generation of grains of achromatic color inks, increases dispersibility of the grains, and also makes positions where conveying unevenness appear indistinctive.

Abstract: A multipass printing apparatus is characterized by a computer-implemented controller that controls printing operation so that, on any given pass, the number of selected print locations onto which printing ink is deposited by each of N nozzles varies from nozzle to nozzle. The variation is governed in accordance with a weighted smoothing spline function, particularly a polynomial B-spline function of the order “j”, where j is a value equal to one less than the number of passes.

Abstract: This invention provides an ink jet printing method which ejects different kinds of ink from print heads onto a print medium to form an image according to print data transferred from a predetermined print data source and which can deal with both a normal print data transfer mode and an offset transfer mode. This printing method discriminates the data transfer mode of the print data transferred from the predetermined print data source and sets, in each of the print heads independently, positions of those of the plurality of nozzles that are to be used for printing. Then, the printing method controls the positions of the nozzles to be used according to the data transfer mode discriminated.

Abstract: A method of printing dots in an area on a page using a plurality of printing passes of a printhead over the area, includes processing continuous tone data representing an image through N halftoning iterations to generate N halftone patterns of dots for the area; and printing each individual halftone pattern of the N halftone patterns during the plurality of printing passes, with each individual halftone pattern of the N halftone patterns being printed on a different printing pass of the plurality of printing passes over the area.

Abstract: Provided are a recording head 6 for emitting a photocurable ink onto a recording medium, this photocurable ink being cured by application of light; an ultraviolet irradiation device equipped for applying ultraviolet light to the emitted ink; a carriage drive mechanism 11 for reciprocal scanning movement of the recording head 6 in the direction perpendicular to the direction X for conveying the recording medium P; and a control section 8 for controlling the carriage drive mechanism 11 to form one band by a plurality of reciprocal scanning movements of the recording head 7, and for controlling the recording head 6 to reduce the amount of the ink to be emitted from the recording head 6 in the last movement out of the reciprocal scanning movements required to form one band.

Abstract: An image forming method is performed by an image forming apparatus having a head mounting a plurality of writing units that form an image on a recording medium. The writing units are aligned in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to a main-scanning direction. A part of the image is formed on the recording medium by the writing units, the part of the image forming a line extending in the main-scanning direction. The step of forming a part of the image is repeated while shifting the writing units in the sub-scanning direction by a predetermined amount of shift. The amount of shift of the wiring units is varied so that an amount of misalignment in a connecting portion between the parts of the image on the recording medium is reduced.

Abstract: The image forming method for forming an image on a recording medium, wherein the image is divided into a plurality of regions the method comprising: a droplet deposition rate calculation step; a dot arrangement specification step of specifying a dot arrangement pattern from the droplet deposition rate; and a droplet deposition control step of controlling droplet deposition operation in such a manner that the dot arrangement pattern specified in the dot arrangement specification step is achieved, wherein, in at least one of the plurality of the regions where the droplet deposition rate is lower than a maximum droplet deposition rate and is higher than a prescribed reference value, a dot line in a main scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the relative conveyance direction is formed in which the dots are continuously aligned so as to mutually overlap by a prescribed overlap ratio, in accordance with the droplet deposition rate.

Abstract: The invention makes uniform, in a plane, optical properties of optical members, such as the distribution properties of light transmission of a color filter, the color display properties of a liquid crystal device, and the light emission properties of an EL luminescent plane. During main scanning of color filter formation areas of a board in the X direction with an ink jet head having a nozzle row formed of a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row, a filter material is selectively discharged from the plurality of the nozzles to each of filer element areas arranged in a dot matrix to form filter elements, producing a color filter. First, the nozzle row is moved to positions “a” and “b” by main scanning in the X direction to enhance wettability of the surface of the areas and then main scanning is executed at each of the positions while successively moving the nozzle row to positions “c” through “k” by sub-scanning, thereby repeatedly discharging ink in the same portion of the areas.

Abstract: In an inkjet recording apparatus and an inkjet recording method, recording on a first unit region, of unit regions provided on a recording medium, is performed by scanning a recording head an even number of times over the first unit region, and recording on a second unit region adjacent to the first unit region is performed by scanning the recording head an odd number of times over the second unit region. The last of the scanning motions of the recording head over the first and second unit regions is made in a first direction.

Abstract: A method for printing an image whose resolution in a first direction is higher than that in a second direction by forming first dots or smaller second dots at positions on the medium of pixels structuring the image. The second dot is formed at a position of a certain pixel if the first dot is to be formed at the position of the certain pixel, and at least one of the following conditions is met: no dot is to be formed at a position of one of two pixels adjacent, in the first direction, to the certain pixel, and no dot is to be formed at positions of two pixels adjacent, in the second direction, to that adjacent pixel; or no dot is to be formed at a position of the other of the two adjacent pixels, and no dot is to be formed at positions of two pixels adjacent, in the second direction, to the other adjacent pixel.

Abstract: An image forming device comprises a carriage on which a printing head is carried, a plurality of nozzles each discharging a droplet of printing liquid being arrayed in the printing head. A main scanning of the carriage to a sheet is performed and the sheet is fed intermittently so that an image is formed on the sheet. When a continuous printing of images to sheets is performed and quality of an image formed on a following sheet is the same as quality of an image formed on a preceding sheet, the image formation to a preceding-sheet rear edge and a following-sheet front edge is performed by a same main scanning. When the following-sheet image quality differs from the preceding-sheet image quality, the image formation to the following sheet is performed after the image formation to the preceding-sheet rear edge is completed.

Abstract: A multi swath printing method for printing an image on an ink jet printing system is used to reduce image banding. The ink jet printing system includes a printhead with one or more ink ejection nozzles. The method entails forming a set of individual print masks. Each individual print mask has one or more groupings of two dimensional patterns of different frequencies and is assigned to a color of the ink jet printing system. The method ends by inputting the set of individual print masks formed into the ink jet printing system to form an input mask set and printing images using the input mask set to create an out-of-phase composite of the image printed. Banding is substantially reduced in the printed image and the printed image comprises a resolution between 300 dpi and 4800 dpi.

Abstract: A multipass printing apparatus is characterized by a computer-implemented controller that controls printing operation so that, on any given pass, the number of selected print locations onto which printing ink is deposited by each of N nozzles varies from nozzle to nozzle. The variation is governed in accordance with a weighted smoothing spline function, particularly a polynomial B-spline function of the order “j”, where j is a value equal to one less than the number of passes.

Abstract: A computer readable medium contains a program for causing a printer to execute a multipass printing method characterized in that, on any given pass, the number of selected print locations onto which printing ink is deposited by each of N nozzles varies from nozzle to nozzle. The variation is governed in accordance with a weighted smoothing spline function, particularly a polynomial B-spline function of the order “j”, where j is a value equal to one less than the number of passes.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is adapted for printing on a printing surface of a three-dimensional object 12. The apparatus comprises an inkjet printhead 14 having a plurality of nozzles, and being operative to effect relative movement of the printhead and the object, during printing, with a rotational component about an axis of rotation and with a linear component, in which the linear component is at least partially in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of rotation and wherein the nozzle pitch of the printhead is greater than the grid pitch to be printed onto the printing surface in the nozzle row direction. In preferred examples, a substantially helical path is printed on the surface and improved ink jet printing of three dimensional objects can be achieved.

Abstract: The appearance of images printed by draft printing or the like is improved. Provided are, for example, a print head having a first dot formation section and a second dot formation section that are provided at positions that are offset from one another in a predetermined direction and that respectively form dots of different colors as said dots; and a controller for printing said image with the print head in a first resolution and in a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution based on data of pixels constituting said image to be printed, wherein, when the image is to be printed in the second resolution, the controller causes the first dot formation section and the second dot formation section to form the respective dots based on data of the same pixel in each printing operation.

Abstract: An array type inkjet head and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The method includes providing a test head in which nozzle chips are mounted, printing ejection patterns on a printing medium according to various ejection timings of the nozzle chips by controlling the test head, classifying the nozzle chips into groups according to the ejection patterns, and assembling the nozzle chips that are classified in the same group having the same ejection pattern on the array type inkjet head. Since the array type inkjet head is manufactured by grouping together the nozzle chips having the same ejection pattern, poor printing results can be prevented.

Abstract: A single-pass print head has multiple orifice plates each serving some but not all of the area to be printed.

Abstract: A printing method is provided. In the printing method, a printing head is rotated with an angle, such that all the nozzles of the printing head are aligned with the dots of the data to be printed. After being rotated, the printing head performs the printing. If some nozzles of the printing head cannot be aligned with the dots of the data to be printed after the printing head is rotated, the resolution of the data to be printed is increased to solve the misalignment.

Abstract: A method of printing dots in an area on a page using a plurality of printing passes of a printhead over the area, includes processing continuous tone data through a halftoning mechanism to generate halftone image data; and processing the halftone image data through a plurality of error diffused shingling masks, each error diffused shingling mask of the plurality of error diffused masks being used once on a particular pass of the plurality of printing passes in printing the area.

Abstract: A method of expelling ink from a printhead module is provided. The printhead module includes at least one row that has a plurality of sets of n adjacent nozzles. Each of the nozzles is configured to expel ink in response to a fire signal. The method includes providing a fire signal to nozzles at a first and nth position in each set of nozzles, and providing a fire signal to the next inward pair of nozzles in each set. In the event n is an even number, a fire signal is provided to each next inward pair until all of the nozzles in each set has been fired. In the event n is an odd number, a fire signal is provided to each next inward pair until all of the nozzles but a central nozzle in each set have been fired, and then firing the central nozzle.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus including: a line head type recording head having nozzles for jetting ink to a recording medium; a moving apparatus for moving the recording head relative to the medium in a nozzle arrangement direction; a conveyance apparatus for conveying the medium reciprocally, relative to the recording head in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arrangement direction; a head driving section for controlling the recording head so that the recording head jets ink based on inputted image information; and a control section for controlling the conveyance apparatus so that the amount of the frontward movement of the medium in an outward route is larger than the amount of the backward movement in a homeward route and for controlling the moving apparatus, when the conveyance direction is switched, so that the recording head is moved relative to the medium in the nozzle arrangement direction.

Abstract: A printing device that prints an image onto a printing medium using a printing head that includes a plurality of nozzles each being capable of dot formation to the printing medium.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: Printed pages of a stably high image quality can be produced when performing printing using a recording apparatus having an elongate joint head. The recording apparatus determines whether an end of an image to be printed is included in a joint of overlapping chips. If the end of the image is included in the joint, the recording apparatus sets groups of nozzles to be used so as to use, of nozzles corresponding to the chip joint (overlapping nozzles), continuously all nozzles included in the group of nozzles of a chip, of which nozzles other than the overlapping nozzles are used.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a MEMS inkjet type print head and the resulting device is disclosed. The method includes providing a driver component and separately providing an actuatable membrane component, the actuatable membrane component being formed in the absence of an acid etch removing a sacrificial layer. The separately provided actuatable membrane component is bonded to the driver component and a nozzle plate is attached to the actuatable membrane component subsequent to the bonding. Separately fabricating the components removes the need for hydrofluoric acid etch removal of a sacrificial layer previously required for forming the actuatable membrane with respect to the driver component.

Abstract: A recording device drives a recording head mounted on a carriage while main-scanning by moving the carriage in a direction generally orthogonal to the sheet-feeding direction of a sheet. The recording device drives a first nozzle of the recording head at an upstream side in the sheet-feeding direction of the sheet to form a first dot pattern while scanning the carriage and drives a second nozzle at a downstream side in the sheet-feeding direction of the sheet to form a second dot pattern. The recording device feeds a region where the first dot pattern is recorded to a position facing the second nozzle. The second dot pattern is recorded in a region where the first dot pattern is not recorded.

Abstract: A pattern forming method forms a pattern on a substrate by relatively moving a plurality of nozzle groups each including a plurality of nozzles arranged in a first direction and the substrate a plurality of times in a main-scanning direction to allow the nozzles to discharge liquid droplets thereon.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for printing swaths of an image in an inkjet printer with reduced memory usage for delay buffer. The present invention provides methods for allocating a memory space of M1, and M2, for the delay buffer, where M1 equals N*S*(P+1)/2, and M2 equals N*S*(P?1)/2, wherein N is the number of nozzles in a color bank of a printhead, S is the horizontal swath resolution and P is the minimum number of pass required to print the image. The proposed methods lower the hardware requirement of the physical memory by saving up to about 50% of the physical memory by implementing a memory space of M1 and more than 50% of physical memory may be saved by implementing a memory space of M2.

Abstract: A print head includes a first nozzle group which includes a plurality of first nozzles arranged linearly, and a second nozzle group and a third nozzle group which include a plurality of second nozzles and a plurality of third nozzles arranged linearly, and are disposed in parallel with each other and spaced from the first nozzle group by a first interval and a second interval at opposite sides of the first nozzle group, respectively.

Abstract: A scanning type printing device is capable of operating in a multiple printing stage mode. When operating in a multiple printing stage mode, this printing device is controlled such upon receipt of a delay signal, further printing is executed, but only the strip of the image-receiving member, whereon printing is in progress until the image portion associated with that strip is completely printed. This is done in order to overcome or at least reduce gloss variations in a printed image when printing in progress is temporarily interrupted.

Abstract: An array type inkjet printer with a multi pass structure and a method of compensating an irregular nozzle defect thereof. The array type inkjet printer includes a scattering portion that is configured to provide a nozzle selection pattern in which a plurality of ink dots per color is arranged in a zigzag shape over a predetermined ink scattering area. The scattering portion is also configured to select a dimension of the ink scattering area along which the dots are arranged in the zigzag shape on the basis of resolution selected for printing of printing data. The inkjet printer further includes a head controller that is configured to control discharge of ink from a nozzle according to the zigzag arrangement of the dots in the nozzle selection pattern.

Abstract: End portions on one side of respective heads in a head unit are inserted and arranged in respective spaces between end portions on the other side of respective heads in an adjoining head unit.

Abstract: A method of coating with a material includes the steps of moving at least one of a stage and a head relative to the other in a Y axis direction perpendicular to an X axis direction in a first pass period while positioning each ejection nozzle forming a first nozzle group in an ejectable range and positioning each nozzle forming a second nozzle group out of the ejectable range; and moving at least one of the stage and the head relative to the other in the Y axis direction perpendicular to the X axis direction in a second pass period while positioning each of the ejection nozzles forming the second nozzle group in the ejectable range.

Abstract: A method of operating an ink jet printer including printing a first image having substantially solid fill regions on a transfer surface disposed on a print drum, printing a second image on the first image, wherein the second image comprises solid or dithered fill regions that correspond to portions of some of the solid fill regions of the interlaced image, and wherein the second image has a dot density that is less than a dot density of the first image.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet printing apparatus that suppresses density unevenness caused by a difference in print time resulting from printing based on a bidirectional multi-pass printing system. With a relatively small print medium width, the time difference unevenness does not occur even in 2 pass printing. Accordingly, the 2 pass printing is selected. With a relatively large print medium width, selection of the 2 pass printing may make the density unevenness significant. Accordingly, the density unevenness is suppressed by selecting 8 pass printing. That is, in the 8 pass printing, the same area is scanned eight times, which is four times as frequent as the twice in the 2 pass printing. This reduces the size of each area having different densities, while increasing a cycle frequency at which a high and low densities are alternately repeated. As a result, the time difference unevenness is not perceived easily.

Abstract: An ink jet printing device comprises a head unit, a head-unit moving unit, a recording-medium moving unit, and a control unit controlling the head unit, the head-unit moving unit, and the recording-medium moving unit. The control unit is configured to carry out printing so that a rear-end portion of discharge nozzles in an array direction after printing of a printing region and a front-end portion of the discharge nozzles in the array direction before printing of a non-printed region overlap each other with respect to a sub-scanning direction, and invalid nozzles that do not discharge ink drops are determined from among arbitrary ones of overlapping discharge nozzles including a front-end portion and a rear-end portion in the array direction of the discharge nozzles.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a liquid droplets ejection head which has a plurality of nozzles in a main scanning direction, the liquid droplets ejection head ejecting droplets of liquid toward a predetermined recording medium from one of the nozzles selected from the plurality of nozzles according to a predetermined image signal so that an image comprising a plurality of dots corresponding to the image signal is formed on the recording medium; a relative movement device which moves the liquid droplets ejection head and the recording medium relative to each other in a sub-scanning direction by causing the liquid droplets ejection head to scan the recording medium several times in order to eject the droplets of the liquid so that the adjacent dots in the sub-scanning direction are formed by overlapping with each other; a fixing time specifying device which specifies a fixing time during which each of the dots is fixed on the recording medium; a deposition order setting device which sets a deposition o

Abstract: This invention provides a printing method of printing on a printing medium. The method includes: a dot data generating step of performing a halftone process on image data representing a input tone value of each of pixels constituting an original image, for generating dot data representing a status of dot formation on each of print pixels of a print image to be formed on the print medium; and a print image generating step of forming a dot on each of the print pixels for generating the print image according to the dot data. The halftone process is configured to give specified characteristics to all of dot patterns formed on printing pixels belonging to each of a plurality of basic pixel groups constituting the print image. The print image is formed by mutually combining dots formed on print pixels belonging to each of a plurality of pixel groups for which a physical difference is assumed with dot formation using the print image generating step, in a common print area.

Abstract: A method for compensating for failed nozzles in multi-pass printing using an inkjet printer having at least one printhead containing a plurality of nozzles to print an input image having a plurality of raster lines on a receiver media.

Abstract: A cradle unit for an inkjet printer is provided. The cradle unit has a body complementary to a removable inkjet cartridge of a type having a pagewidth printhead and an ink supply, a controller for controlling the operation of the printhead to facilitate printing, and a plurality of terminals in electrical communication with the controller for transmitting control signals from the controller to corresponding terminals provided on the cartridge. The terminals are arranged to pivotally engage with the corresponding terminals provided on the cartridge when the cartridge is received by the body.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes three sets of nozzle arrays each having a large nozzle array including a first ejection outlet group and an adjacent small nozzle array including a second ejection outlet group. The ejection outlets of the second ejection outlet group have smaller diameters than those of the first ejection outlet group. In nozzle arrays constituted by two adjacent ones of the three nozzle array sets, a large nozzle array, a small nozzle array, a small nozzle array, and a large nozzle array are arranged in the order named, in the main scanning direction. One of the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects cyan ink, the other one of the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects magenta ink, and a nozzle array set other than the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects yellow ink.

Abstract: The number of liquid droplets ejected toward a region outside a medium, which becomes a necessary evil when forming dots all the way to the edges of the medium by ejecting liquid droplets, can be decreased without greatly impairing the formation of dots at the edges. A liquid ejection apparatus for ejecting a liquid, includes: a liquid ejection section for ejecting liquid droplets toward a medium in order to form dots on the medium; wherein the liquid ejection section ejects, toward a vicinity of an edge of the medium, the liquid droplets of a number that has been thinned out by a suitable number; and wherein at least a portion of the liquid droplets ejected after thinning does not land on the medium.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus carries out printing using a connecting head formed of a plurality of chips connected together, each having an array of nozzles through which ink is ejected. Potential white stripes, which are attributed to connecting portions in each chip, can be suppressed. Each nozzle array is provided with connecting portion nozzles and non-connecting portion nozzles. The connecting portion nozzles in one of the nozzle arrays overlaps the corresponding non-connecting portion nozzles in another nozzle array in a direction in which the nozzle arrays are arranged. Ejection of ink droplets from the non-connecting portion nozzles is controlled in accordance with printing conditions.

Abstract: A recording method for use in a recording system for completing an image by multiple scans of a recording head includes the steps of reading an image recorded by a predetermined number of scans among the multiple scans of the recording head except at least the last scan, and correcting, based on a result of reading the image in the reading step, data for an image to be recorded by one or more scans subsequent to the predetermined number of scans. An image is correctively recorded by performing one or more scans subsequent to the predetermined number of scans in accordance with the corrected data.

Abstract: The main object of the present invention is to form an even pattern. In order to achieve the object, in the present invention, patterns P1 to P6 formed on a substrate 400 are formed by liquid droplets discharged from a piezoelectric driving type head unit 300. The size of each liquid droplet discharged from each orifice 300-1 to 300-n differs depending on the mechanical and electric characteristics. The liquid droplets discharged form each orifice 300-1 to 300-n are thinned out so as to have the liquid droplet amount per unit area to be impacted on each pattern p1 to P6 equally.

Abstract: A recording unit is movable in a first direction and has a plurality of dot forming portions arranged in a predetermined interval in a second direction that intersects the first direction. A conveying roller conveys the recording medium in the second direction. Recording operations and conveying operations are repeated for forming an image. A setting unit sets a number of effective dot forming portions used in a single recording operation such that a length in the second direction corresponding to the number of effective dot forming portions equals to either an even number times one half of circumference of the conveying roller or a value that is closest to an even number times one half of circumference of the conveying roller, when a required interval of dots formed on the recording medium in the second direction is less than or equal to one half of the predetermined interval.