Abstract: An ink jet print head is provided which can print a high-quality image with no density variation-caused lines at high speed and which can be manufactured at low cost and with ease. For this purpose, the print head of this invention has a plurality of nozzle groups each having at least one nozzle array arranged in a predetermined array direction Y crossing a relative motion direction X. A distance in the relative motion direction between the nozzles in each nozzle group adjoining each other in the array direction Y is set almost equal to a distance in the relative motion direction between the nozzle groups adjoining each other in the array direction Y.

Abstract: A printing control method of generating dot data representing a state of dot formation at each pixel in a printed image represented by an given image data, by formation of dots in respective pixels with the at least one colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit. This process includes a processing mode configured to make a quality-enhancing ink dot-recording rate for pixels belonging to a peripheral area lower than the quality-enhancing ink dot-recording rate for pixels belonging to a center area.

Abstract: If print agents used are detected by an optical sensor at different sensitivities, the present invention enables the easy setting of adjustment values for print positions resulting from these print agents. To accomplish this object, for example, the present invention substitutes and sets adjustment values for print positions resulting from cyan, light cyan, or black ink, corresponding to a high detection sensitivity, for adjustment values for print positions resulting from a light magenta, yellow, or magenta ink, corresponding to a low detection sensitivity.

Abstract: A method includes ejecting liquid having a first composition from a first droplet ejection deposition system that includes a first printhead and a first fluid source, collecting information on the behavior of the liquid under a variety of ejection conditions for the first droplet ejection deposition system, and ejecting liquid having the first material composition from a second droplet ejection deposition system that includes a second printhead and a second fluid source under the selected ejection conditions. The first printhead has a small number of flow paths, and the first fluid source is configured to hold a small volume of liquid. The second printhead has a plurality of substantially identical flow paths, each of the flow paths being substantially identical to at least one of the small number of flow paths, and there being a significantly larger number of flow paths in the second printhead than in the first printhead.

Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a plurality of deep nozzle lines each having a plurality of nozzles in a predetermined direction, for ejecting a first liquid, and a smaller number of light nozzle lines than the number of the deep nozzle lines, each having a plurality of nozzles in the predetermined direction, for ejecting a second liquid having a lighter color depth than the first liquid. A controller forms deep dots on pixels on a medium using the plurality of deep nozzle lines, and forms light dots on a smaller number of pixels than the number of the pixels on which the deep dots are formed using the smaller number of light nozzle lines.

Abstract: An image reproducing and forming apparatus comprises a recording head (14) configured to eject liquid droplets of at least one color and capable of bidirectional recording, and a controller (100) configured to control the amount of liquid adhering to a recording paper (3) so as to reduce color difference occurring in the bidirectional recording. The controller includes a gamma correction unit (133) configured to selectively perform a controlled gamma correction using a controlled gamma value adjusted so as to reduce the color difference or an ordinary gamma correction using an ordinary gamma value.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead that has an array of drop ejection apparatuses formed by lithographic etching and deposition techniques on a first side of a supporting wafer substrate. Each of the drop ejection apparatuses having a chamber with a nozzle and an actuator for ejecting drops of ink through the nozzle. A plurality of ink supply conduits extending through the wafer from a second side of the wafer to the array of drop ejection apparatuses on the first side. The array is configured into adjacent rows of the drop ejection apparatuses and each of the ink supply conduits such that each of the ink supply conduits supplies ink to the drop ejection apparatuses in two adjacent rows. By feeding adjacent rows of nozzle from a common ink supply conduit extending from the back side of the wafer, the rows can be positioned very close together. This makes the array very thin which inherently reduces the width of the print zone.

Abstract: An ink jet head movable in a main scan direction includes first and second groups of ejection outlet arrays disposed on either side of a common liquid chamber and including plural ejection outlet arrays. In the first group, amounts of liquid ejected from outlets of first and second ejection outlet arrays, which are staggered, differ from each other. In the second group, a common ejection amount ejection outlet array ejects the same amount of liquid as that of one of the first and second ejection outlet arrays and a non-common ejection amount ejection outlet array ejects an amount of the liquid that differs from that of the first ejection outlet array group. The ejection outlets of the common and non-common ejection amount ejection outlet arrays are disposed in a staggered arrangement. The ejection outlets of the second ejection outlet array group are disposed with deviation of ½ of an interval at which the ejection outlets of the first ejection outlet array group are arranged.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing control method of generating print data to be supplied to a print unit to print. The print unit comprises a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting an ink from the plurality of nozzles, and is capable of selectively forming one of N types of dots having different sizes at one pixel area with each nozzle. The print control method comprises a dot data generation step of generating dot data representing a state of dot formation at each pixel according to given image data. The dot data generation step includes a step of generating the dot data with a specific dot data generation step for at least a part of the ink types when a printing environment is a specific environment. The specific dot data generation step includes a step of generating the dot data using only a part of dot types among the N types of dots.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which use a printing head having a plurality of ejection opening arrays and enable high quality printing without causing uneven density in a conveying direction. For this purpose, by providing a plurality of ejection opening arrays to chips constituting the printing head and changing data assigning ratio of each ejection opening array, deviation in impact positions depending on the distance between the ejection opening arrays becomes inconspicuous.

Abstract: A printing apparatus divides printing elements of a printhead into blocks, time-divisionally drives the printing elements, and prints a halftone image on a printing medium in accordance with a result obtained by performing digital-halftoning for input multi-valued image data in each matrix of a predetermined size. The apparatus includes a scanner for reciprocally scanning the printhead, a conveyor for conveying the printing medium in a direction different from a scanning direction of the printhead, and a controller for printing a halftone image in each matrix. An arrayed direction of the printing elements is the convey direction of the conveyor. The controller sets a size of the block to be equal to or an integral multiple of a size of the matrix in the convey direction. The digital-halftoning increases the number of dots from a center of the matrix as a density expressed by the multi-valued image data increases.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an energy-generating element arranged on a semiconductor substrate, a barrier layer deposited on the semiconductor substrate for forming a liquid chamber in the periphery of the energy-generating element, and a nozzle sheet bonded on the barrier layer and having a nozzle formed at a position opposing the energy-generating element, in which the liquid ejection head ejects liquid contained in the liquid chamber from the nozzle as liquid droplets by the energy-generating element, and the barrier layer is provided with a plurality of depressions, each having an independent contour, arranged within a range, which is separated from the border of the barrier layer, on an adhesive region adhering to the nozzle sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a carry unit for carrying a medium in a carrying direction, and a print head that has a plurality of nozzle rows each made up of a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink lined up in the carrying direction, and that moves in an intersecting direction intersecting the carrying direction.

Abstract: A printer includes a processor, and a printhead interfaced to the processor and which is configured to print ink. The processor includes an address, data and control bus. An expander unit and a decoder unit are each coupled to the bus and configured respectively to decompress a bi-level black layer and a contone layer of a page to be printed. A halftoner/compositor unit is coupled to the bus, and is configured to halftone the decompressed contone layer to form a bi-level cyan, yellow, magenta, and black (CYMK) layer and then composite the decompressed bi-level black layer over the bi-level CYMK layer to form a bi-level CYMK image of the page to be printed. A printhead interface couples the bus to the printhead so that the printhead can print the CYMK image.

Abstract: An inkjet head includes a passage member having an ink passage formed therein. The ink passage has a first end and a second end opposite the second end, and the ink passage includes a supply port configured to receive an ink from an outside of the passage member and to dispense the ink into the ink passage, and a discharge port configured to dispense the ink from the ink passage to the outside of the passage member. Moreover, the supply port and the discharge port are each positioned adjacent to a predetermined end of the passage member.

Abstract: A printer for a web substrate, having a casing, a plurality of printhead tiles arranged adjacent each other, each of the printhead tiles having a printhead integrated circuit formed to dispense fluid, a printed circuit board to facilitate communication with a processor controlling the printing, and fluid inlet ports to receive fluid and, a plurality of fluid channel members within the casing adjacent the printhead tiles, each of the fluid channel members having a plurality of ducts such that each of the ducts are in fluid communication with one of the fluid inlet ports respectively. The fluid channel member is provided with a female end portion and a male end portion complementary to the female portion for fluid communication between the fluid channel members.

Abstract: Heretofore there has been a case where a monochromatic image having a sufficient power of expression cannot be printed because of a narrow selection range of saturation. According to the present invention, in a predetermined print head, there is adopted a construction wherein the gradation characteristic of a color region capable of being color-reproduced is enhanced while narrowing the color region with use of a cyan color ink of a low saturation, a magenta color ink of a low saturation, a yellow color ink of a high saturation, and a black color ink, and color reproduction is performed. The color tone of the printed monochromatic image can be adjusted minutely with respect to the color components of cyan and magenta. On the other hand, the color region capable of being color-reproduced is wide substantially in the direction of yellow. Therefore, it is possible to ensure a sufficient selection range of saturation and print a monochromatic image of a high image quality having a sufficient power of expression.

Abstract: A printing method includes applying at least one of a plurality of pigmented colored inks to a receiving surface. A colorless ink is applied to the receiving surface. A majority of the colorless ink is ejected from of first nozzles on a printhead used for ejecting the colorless ink. At least 30% of an area on the receiving surface, which is passed over by the first nozzles, is covered with the colorless ink during a single pass of the printhead over the area.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for backlit and dual-sided imaging are described. A print head array is provided comprising first and second print heads arranged along a single print head axis. The first print head is adapted to print first and second images on a substrate, and the second print head is adapted to print a coating layer between the first and second images. The coating layer may comprise a specialized printing fluid such as a layer of substantially white ink. The substrate may comprise a substantially translucent or substantially clear material.

Abstract: In order to obtain a desired print result, a color correction process may be performed on image data based on the characteristics of a printing device. Data called target profile (TP data) showing the characteristics of the printing device is used for the color correction process. When a user makes a request to an image processing device for image processing, it is judged whether TP data is required for the image processing or not. When TP data is required, image processing using the TP data is executed. Further, the fee for use of the TP data and the fee for the image processing are charged on the user of the requester.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, for forming an image with using distributions of two or more types of dots having different densities per unit area in a same hue, including: a threshold value matrix; and a dot formation determining section for carrying out comparison between a pixel value at a target pixel in the input image and a threshold value corresponding to the target pixel in the threshold value matrix, and for determining, whether to form or not to form any one of the two or more types of dots, wherein threshold values in the threshold value matrix are configured so that a frequency of dot formation is lower, for gradation regions in which a dot density of any of the two or more types of dots is low and/or high, than that for gradation regions in which the dot density is in average level.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a hybrid inkjet head and an inkjet head wiping device includes an array type inkjet head, the first guide part, a carrier, a shuttle type inkjet head, a paper delivery unit, a controller, and a wiping device. The array type inkjet head prints an image onto a printing medium at a stationary state and has the first nozzle unit. The first guide part is spaced apart from the array type inkjet head to dace the array type inkjet head, and the carrier is movably coupled with the first guide part and reciprocates in a width direction of the printing medium. The shuttle type inkjet head has the second nozzle unit and the paper-delivery unit delivers the printing medium to the inkjet heads. The controller controls operations of the inkjet heads and the paper-delivery unit, and the wiping device contacts a surface of the first nozzle unit to wipe out residual ink from the first nozzle unit.

Abstract: A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a wafer assembly defining a plurality of spaced apart groups of ink supply channels and a plurality of groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements in fluid communication with respective ink supply channel groups. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber structure mounted to the wafer assembly. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement also defines a nozzle chamber for receiving ink from an ink supply channel and a nozzle rim through which ink in the nozzle chamber can be ejected. An anchor extends from the wafer assembly in a location external to the nozzle chamber. An elongate thermal actuator mechanism extends from the anchor and into the nozzle chamber.

Abstract: The present invention aims to effectively perform image data transfer between an image generation controller and an image processing controller in either of color image printing and black-and-white image printing. Respective signal lines of Y, M, C and K are provided in a video interface formed between a PDL controller and the image processing controller. When the color image is printed by a printer of one-drum structure, data of a one color for four lines are simultaneously transferred by using the four signal lines, and this transfer operation is repeated for one page and for the four colors. When the black-and-white image is printed, black data for the four lines are simultaneously transferred by using the four signal lines, and this transfer operation is repeated for one page.

Abstract: Controlling ejection of ink drops with a less number of temperature sensors than the number of print heads. The present invention is an printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium. The printing apparatus comprises N print heads, M temperature sensors, and an ejection controller. M temperature sensors are allocated in the printing apparatus. An ejection controller is configured to control the ejection of the ink drops from at least part of the N print heads in response to an output of the M temperature sensors. The integer M is smaller than the integer N.

Abstract: For a horizontally arranged print head, in which nozzle rows are arranged parallel with a scanning direction of the print head, two of a plurality of ink colors used, which have the greatest hue difference, are selected. Between the nozzle rows for these two colors, at least two nozzle rows for other colors are arranged so that the nozzle rows for the two colors have a large inter-nozzle-row distance. The resulting print head is used for printing. If cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, and black are used as ink colors, the light cyan, black, yellow, and light magenta inks are arranged between the cyan and magenta inks, having a great hue difference.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an inputting unit, a half-tone processing unit, a printing unit, a correction-value storing unit, and a dot-position correcting unit. The inputting unit inputs image information on an image. The half-tone processing unit performs, based on the image information, a half-tone process for setting a plurality of dots to be printed on a recording medium. The printing unit prints the plurality of dots on the recording medium. The correction-value storing unit stores a set of correction values for correcting positions of the plurality of dots on the recording medium. The set of correction values includes at least one correction value that is provided for each of the positions of the plurality of dots. The dot-position correcting unit corrects the positions of the plurality of dots based on the set of correction values, thereby obtaining output positions for printing the plurality of dots on the recording medium.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a plurality of arrays of liquid ejecting portions each having a nozzle for ejecting a droplet. The nozzle is arranged along each of an imaginary straight line R1 and an imaginary straight line R2 that are arranged in parallel at a distance ? from each other, and a distance, with respect to the direction of the imaginary straight lines R1 and R2, between two adjacent ones of the nozzles respectively arranged on the imaginary straight line R1 and the imaginary straight line R2 is set to a fixed value P. The liquid ejecting portions arrayed along at least one of the imaginary straight lines R1 and R2 are formed so that a liquid is ejected from each of the liquid ejecting portions while being deflected to the other imaginary straight line side.

Abstract: An inkjet recording device having droplet ejection heads that respectively eject ink liquids of plural colors and a reaction liquid at a recording medium; a preparation section, that prepares dot data representing ejection-amounts of the ink liquids and the reaction liquid for each dot, based on gradation values of each pixel of an image represented by image data, such that ejection-amounts of the ink liquids of some colors, each having high in visibility, are represented by data with a predetermined number of bits, and ejection-amounts of the reaction liquid and the ink liquid of the rest color are represented by data with a number of bits smaller than the predetermined number, and a number of bits of the dot data for one dot is an integer multiple of eight bits; and a control section that controls ejection based on the prepared dot data, is provided.

Abstract: A spliced ink-jet head including head chips, each of which is capable of discharging inks of two or more colors, and which are spliced in a staggered manner which restrains the occurrence of splice streaks, white streaks caused by deflection at ends or uneven colors attributable to different landing orders of ink droplets in spliced portions of different colors when one-pass recording is carried out. The head chips is arranged such that, in a relationship between two adjoining head chips, at least one discharge port of one head chip and one discharge port of the other head chip for the same color tone ink in end portions overlap on a line in a recording material feeding direction, while discharge ports for different color tone inks do not overlap.

Abstract: Misalignments of dot forming positions are adjusted by selectively using a position adjustment value for a used bi-directional print mode out of a plurality of position adjustment values that are respectively suitable for a plurality of bi-directional print modes including a first bi-directional print mode and a second bi-directional print mode that are made available by changing ink types.

Abstract: A method for operating a printer for printing a print job requiring at least one color ink. At least one printer operating parameter is chosen which may include a remaining ink volume of the at least one color ink. A first print density for one color ink is obtained for at least one future print job without regard to the obtained printer operating parameter(s). A different second print density for the one color ink is obtained for the at least one future print job based on at least the obtained printer operating parameter(s). A user prompt is issued for user approval or non-approval to use the second print density for the one color ink when printing the at least one future print job. The second print density is used upon receiving a user reply of approval. The first print density is used upon receiving a user reply of non-approval.

Abstract: The order of the arrangement of ejection opening arrays of two types of ink overlapping in reciprocating scan is decided as follows. An ejection order is decided so that the case where the fixing areas of a main droplet and a satellite are different (dot area is increased) in the forward and backward scan first occurs. By this configuration, the area of the dot and the portion in which different colors are generated due to the difference in the overlapping order in the reciprocating scan can be reduced, compared with the case where the arrangement order is opposite to the above-described case. As a result, a difference in color between areas for which printing is completed by the reciprocating scanning is reduced and thus color unevenness of a printed image can be reduced.

Abstract: The liquid droplet discharge head comprises: a plurality of nozzles which discharge liquid droplets onto a recording medium, wherein the nozzles are arranged two-dimensionally in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed relatively with respect to the liquid droplet discharge head, and a sub-scanning direction which coincides with the conveyance direction, in such a manner that: at least a portion of dots formed by the droplets deposited on the recording medium from the nozzles overlap mutually in the main scanning direction; and with respect to a first nozzle and a second nozzle which discharge droplets to form mutually adjacent dots in the main scanning direction on the recording medium, and with respect to a third nozzle which is adjacent to the first nozzle in the sub-scanning direction, positions of the first nozzle and the second nozzle are separated in the sub-scanning direction by at least a distance equal to a multiple by an integer th

Abstract: A digital lithography system prints a large-area electronic device by dividing the overall device printing process into a series of discrete feature printing sub-processes, where each feature printing sub-process involves printing both a predetermined portion (feature) of the device in a designated substrate area, and an associated test pattern in a designated test area that is remote from the feature. At the end of each feature printing sub-process, the test pattern is analyzed, e.g., using a camera and associated imaging system, to verify that the test pattern has been successfully printed. A primary ejector is used until an unsuccessfully printed test pattern is detected, at which time a secondary (reserve) ejector replaces the primary ejector and reprints the feature associated with the defective test pattern. When multiple printheads are used in parallel, analysis of the test pattern is used to efficiently identify the location of a defective ejector.

Abstract: A multi-pass printing system and a corresponding method are provided for printing an image, which includes a plurality of continuous-tone values, based on halftone matrices having threshold values. The printed image is composed of sub-images, each of which includes dots printed in a respective pass. The sub-images present independent dot patterns at corresponding places. The printing system is arranged to obtain the sub-images by splitting the continuous-tone values into at least two pass values, an individual pass value indicating an intensity to be printed in a respective pass. Then, in one pass a first halftone matrix for printing the respective pass values, and in another pass one or more second halftone matrices are used, which are obtained by positionally shifting the threshold values of the first halftone matrix, for printing all pass values of the other pass, or at least those pass values above a highlight threshold.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet printing apparatus and a printing method capable of reducing unevenness due to a time lag. An ink jet printing apparatus comprise a printing head including a first and a second eject port array. The second eject port array is shorter than said first eject port array in said conveying direction of the printing medium. The first eject port array has a first a second. The first eject port group is disposed parallel to said second eject port array. The second eject port group is not disposed parallel to the second eject port array. In an identical printing area of the printing medium, a printing ratio of the first eject port group is lower than that of the second eject port group. The second ink contains a component that reduces dispersion stability of the first ink.

Abstract: A colour printing system comprising a combination of at least four, and preferably six colouring materials, each of a different colour, wherein these colours are selected from (1) an orange-red; (2) a violet-red; (3) a violet-blue; (4) a green-blue; (5) a green-yellow; and (6) an orange-yellow; as well as white and black. This system may be incorporated into a wide range of printing devices and provides a means of achieving a wide range of colours.

Abstract: An image having high quality is output, in which density unevenness due to a deflection in an ejecting direction is reduced, in an inkjet printer for forming an image by ejecting small droplets at a high frequency and high density. Thereby, in a mask pattern employed for multi-pass printing, a print permission rate of an ejection port positioned at the end of a ejection port array is set higher than those of ejection ports positioned at the other parts of the ejection port array. Thus, even if extremely small droplets are ejected at a high frequency and high-density, the generated density unevenness is reduced, and an image excellent in uniformity and having high definition can be output at a high speed.

Abstract: The invention obtains superior printing quality even when printing at high speed, thinning the number of multi-pass inkjet printing scans. The inkjet printing apparatus comprises a printhead composed of multiple printing element arrays that are arranged corresponding to ink colors in the main scanning direction, and a unit that makes the printing duty of at least one printing element array vary with regard to the printing duty of other printing element arrays, according to the printing element arrays.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: an acquirer acquiring M-ary (M?3) image data; a divider dividing the acquired image data into pixel areas; a calculator calculating total concentration values of pixels in the divided pixel areas; a storage unit storing a pixel area dot constitution table designating the total concentration value of each calculated pixel area and a dot constitution corresponding to the total concentration value; a calculator calculating a constitution of dots arranged in the pixel area based on the pixel area dot constitution table; a storage unit storing a dot arrangement order table designating an arrangement order of the dots in the pixel area; an arranger arranging the dots having the calculated dot constitution corresponding to the designated dot arrangement order; a generator generating print data by combining the respective pixel areas in which the dots are arranged; and a printer printing based on the print data.

Abstract: An ink-jet head includes a nozzle row which jets a black ink, and nozzle rows which jet color inks, and a nozzle row which jets a special color ink. These nozzle rows are arranged in a scanning direction, and further, the nozzle row jetting the special color ink is positioned at an extreme end with respect to the scanning direction. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a small size printer which is capable of jetting the special color ink. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the special color ink from getting mixed into a nozzle which jets an ink of other type.

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 liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes: a first liquid droplet ejecting head that is formed by joining together plural units at which nozzles that eject liquid droplets are two-dimensionally arranged; and a second liquid droplet ejecting head that is formed by joining together plural units at which nozzles that eject liquid droplets are two-dimensionally arranged, with an overlap width of the nozzles between units at joined portions of the units being greater in the second liquid droplet ejecting head than in the first liquid droplet ejecting head.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus 1 for recording an image on a recording medium using colored ink and clear ink, including: an ink dot arrangement data generator 10B for generating colored ink dot arrangement data concerning arrangement of dots of the colored ink on the recording medium; a colored ink amount calculator 10C for calculating the amount of colored ink in a predetermined print area composed of pixels from the colored ink dot arrangement data; a clear ink amount calculator 10D for calculating the amount of clear ink in the predetermined print area from the amount of colored ink in the predetermined print area calculated by the colored ink amount calculator 10C; and a clear ink arranger 10E for arranging dots of clear ink in the predetermined print area, wherein, the clear ink arranger has two or more clear ink arrangement order patterns and when a preset condition is realized, selects the clear ink arrangement order pattern according to the condition and arranges dots of clear ink in the predetermined

Abstract: An imaging method is disclosed for realizing full color printing using an ink head configured to discharge black ink and a plurality of color inks. The imaging method involves printing a monochrome image portion by printing a plurality of first rasters using black ink and an arbitrary number of the color inks, and printing a second raster in between the first rasters using pseudo black ink that is realized by the remaining number of the color inks.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention will be disclosed below. A substrate provided with a bank, comprising: a transparent substrate, and a bank including an ink-repellent agent on the transparent substrate. A contact angle of an upper apex portion of said bank with respect to a colored ink with a surface tension of 50 mN/m or less is 30°-60°. Pixels comprising a colored pattern are provided by ejecting colored inks by an ink-jet method into openings in the bank. ?Eab within the pixels is less than 1.

Abstract: Heretofore there has been a case where a monochromatic image having a sufficient power of expression cannot be printed because of a narrow selection range of saturation. According to the present invention, in a predetermined print head, there is adopted a construction wherein the gradation characteristic of a color region capable of being color-reproduced is enhanced while narrowing the color region with use of a cyan color ink of a low saturation, a magenta color ink of a low saturation, a yellow color ink of a high saturation, and a black color ink, and color reproduction is performed. The color tone of the printed monochromatic image can be adjusted minutely with respect to the color components of cyan and magenta. On the other hand, the color region capable of being color-reproduced is wide substantially in the direction of yellow. Therefore, it is possible to ensure a sufficient selection range of saturation and print a monochromatic image of a high image quality having a sufficient power of expression.

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 liquid drop ejecting head includes a cavity section which is formed by laminating a plurality of plates including at least first and second manifold plates adjacent to each other in a laminating direction. Each of the first and second manifold plates includes an opening. The openings overlap with each other when viewed in the laminating direction. At least one of the openings includes: a first opening which extends in the first direction and serves as a common liquid chamber; a second opening which is adjacent to the first opening and serves as a supply path; and a partitioning portion disposed between the first opening and the second opening.