Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of a print medium while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. Ink droplets are ejected without blank space up to the edges of the medium according to print data. The print medium is supported opposite a dot-recording head. Ink droplets are ejected to a first area lying outside of an upper edge of the print medium and to a second area lying outside of a lower edge of the print medium. A length of the second area in a sub-scanning direction is greater than a length of the first area in the sub-scanning direction. In device embodiments, control of such operations is provided by a controller.

Abstract: A printing element substrate, comprising a plurality of units configured to print on a printing medium based on print data, each of the plurality of units, including a printing element configured to print on the printing medium, a first transistor configured to operate as a source follower upon receiving a voltage at a gate terminal of the first transistor, and supply a current to the printing element, and a second transistor configured to control supply of the current to the printing element in response to a control signal input to a gate terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: Nozzle layouts for printheads are described. In an example, a printhead includes a first set of drop ejectors having orifices with circular bores, and a second set of drop ejectors having orifices with non-circular bores. A processor receives printing data representing an image to be printed to media, and provides firing data to the printhead for activating the drop ejectors. The firing data selects the drop ejectors with the circular bores to print graphic elements of the image and selecting the drop ejectors with the non-circular bores to print textual elements or line elements of the image.

Abstract: An inspection ejection unit is moved, and ink that has been ejected onto the inspection ejection unit is imaged in a region outside of a movable range of an ejecting head, whereby the ink ejecting state of the nozzle is inspected.

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: There is provided a printing apparatus that can perform print timing control while moving a print head with high precision even when variation in moving speed of the print head is relatively large. More specifically, a prediction speed is obtained based on a detected moving speed of the print head and a control target speed at the time of detection, and then a print timing of the print head is controlled based on the prediction speed. Accordingly, a correction speed of the print timing is considered to be the obtained prediction speed. This makes it possible to minimize a landing error even when a speed variation is large.

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

Abstract: A carriage including a sensor scans a printing medium, and a measurement value measured by the sensor is stored in a memory over the scanning range. When a predetermined event occurs, storage control for storing the measurement value in the memory is performed.

Abstract: According an aspect of the present invention, when causing the liquid ejection head to perform a feeding operation along a first direction, the substrate is retracted outside the projected feeding region of the liquid ejection head and the supporting member thereof prior to starting the feeding operation of the liquid ejection head, preventing dusts and other foreign matters, generated as a result of the feeding operation of the liquid ejection head and the supporting member, from being deposited on a surface of the substrate onto which the liquid is to be deposited.

Abstract: A dot position measurement method and a dot position measurement apparatus provide a plurality of common line blocks and averaging measurement values of positions of lines in each common line blocks when correcting the measurement positions in each line block by taking a common line block (reference line block) as a reference position, and it is possible to reduce effects of random positional variation in a main scanning direction of an image reading apparatus.

Abstract: An electronic instrument is adapted to communicate with another electronic instrument. The electronic instrument includes an acquisition section, a storage section, an inquiry section and a processing section. The acquisition section is configured to acquire identification information from a managed article used by the electronic instrument, the identification information being read-only information uniquely assigned to the managed article. The storage section is configured to store the identification information acquired by the acquisition section. The inquiry section is configured to inquire another electronic instrument as to whether the identification information acquired by the acquisition section is already stored in another electronic instrument. The processing section is configured to perform processing in response to a result of inquiry by the inquiry section.

Abstract: A liquid ejection device may include a liquid ejection head, a conveyor mechanism, a liquid discharging device, and a control device. The control device may be configured to determine a dimension of a recording medium, and determine one or more first ejection nozzles of the liquid discharging device, which correspond to an edge of the recording medium, based on the dimension. The control device may be further configured to control the liquid discharging device to perform a liquid discharging process after the liquid ejection head records an image onto the recording medium, wherein in the liquid discharging process, an amount of liquid discharged from each of the one or more first ejection nozzles is larger than an amount of liquid discharged from each of one or more second ejection nozzles, which correspond to a more inward area of the recording medium than an area corresponding to the one or more first ejection nozzles.

Abstract: Described herein is a method, apparatus, and system for driving a droplet ejection device with multi-pulse waveforms. In one embodiment, a method for driving a droplet ejection device having an actuator includes applying a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform to the actuator to cause the droplet ejection device to eject a first droplet of a fluid in response to the first subset. The method includes applying a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform to the actuator to cause the droplet ejection device to eject a second droplet of the fluid in response to the second subset. The first subset includes a drive pulse that is positioned in time near a beginning of a clock cycle of the first subset. The first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet.

Abstract: A control section of a printing device has a print instruction receiving section configured to receive print instructions to a printing medium including a plurality of pages, and an ink use analyzing section configured to analyze image forming dots formed on each page and to output each of ink use information and ink non-use information for each page. The control section is configured to acquire the ink non-use information of a given first page of continuous pages of the plurality of pages and the ink use information of a second page that is a next page of the first page, and to determine to use ink, that is not used in the first page shown by the ink non-use information and is used in the second page shown by the ink use information, at least for flushing dots to the first page.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet recording apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet heads of a multi-drop method, a first controller, and a second controller. The first controller controls ejection of ink drops from a first inkjet head for ejecting a first ink for which print resolution is required, in a manner that a number of ink dots formed in a main scanning direction is great, and that the number of ink drops ejected for each one of the ink dots is small. The second controller controls ejection of the ink drops from a second inkjet head for ejecting a second ink for which coverage over a recording surface of the recording medium is required, in a manner that a number of ink dots formed in the main scanning direction is small, and that the number of ink drops ejected for each of the ink dots is great.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for full bleed printing using an inkjet printing apparatus. In the method for full bleed printing, a reference pattern is applied on the receiving medium in a current swath. The carriage of the inkjet printing apparatus and the receiving medium are moved with respect to one another in the sub scanning direction and in a subsequent swath, the distance between the reference pattern and a side edge of the receiving medium is determined, and based on the determined distance between the reference pattern and the side edge of the receiving medium, dots to be printed in an area between the side edge of the receiving medium and the reference pattern are determined.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a liquid ejecting head having an ejection surface; a platen; a capping mechanism including: a first member opposed to the ejection surface with the platen interposed therebetween when image recording is performed; and a second member disposed around the head so as to cooperate with the first member to hermetically close an ejection space; a distance adjusting mechanism for adjusting a distance between the ejection surface and the first member; a platen moving mechanism for moving the platen between the facing position and a non-facing position at which the platen does not face the ejection surface; and a controller configured to control the platen moving mechanism such that the platen is located at the non-facing position and controls the distance adjusting mechanism such that the distance is equal to a members-abuttable distance that allows the second and first members to abut on each other.

Abstract: For a lenticular in which a lens body having low shape accuracy is disposed on one end portion, when the other end portion of the lenticular is detected, a position of a carriage at the time of detecting the end portion of the lenticular is stored in a buffer as a paper end position, a carriage motor is controlled such that the carriage is separated from a home position and moved in a main scanning direction, and a printing head is controlled such that an ink discharge having a color according to printing data is started at the paper end position. Since the lens body having high shape accuracy is disposed on the end portion of the lenticular, it is possible to land the ink onto a more suitable position with respect to the lens body, thereby allowing printing quality to be improved.

Abstract: When printing is performed by discharging ink from a printing head onto a lenticular, a carriage motor is controlled such that a carriage is moved in a main scanning direction at a velocity which is slower than a movement velocity of the carriage at the time of performing a normal printing process with respect to a recording medium different from the lenticular as a recording paper and further separated from a home position, and the printing head is controlled such that an ink discharge having a color according to printing data is started with respect to an end portion of the lenticular, and thus the printing of one pass is started. Since the velocity is slower than the movement velocity of the carriage at the time of performing the normal printing process, it is possible to improve printing quality at the time of performing printing with respect to the lenticular.

Abstract: A recent inkjet printing apparatus includes a large-capacitance capacitor to stabilize a heater power supply. The presence of this capacitor requires a long time to drop the heater voltage at the time of power shutdown or the like. For this reason, an unwanted heater current may flow during the drop. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, a high voltage logic circuit is provided near a printing element, and a terminal is provided so that a signal can directly be input to this circuit. Heater driving control is performed via the terminal. This makes it possible to reliably control the heater regardless of the logic power supply state even if the logic voltage abruptly drops at the time of power shutdown or the like.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage that includes a head including a black nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged and a color nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arrange, the black nozzle array being disposed at a position shifted in the sub-scanning direction downstream in a medium conveying direction with respect to the color nozzle array; a conveying unit configured to convey a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; and a control unit. The control unit forms an image by the color nozzle array in a main scanning in one direction, relatively moves the recording medium to a subsequent main-scanning position thereafter, and forms an image by the black nozzle array on the image formed by the color nozzle array in a following main scanning in the other direction so as to complete an image for one scanning area.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus which causes a liquid to be discharged through a first nozzle by applying a driving signal to a first driving element, and causes a liquid to be discharged through a second nozzle by applying the driving signal to a second driving element, and which, with respect to the first nozzle, determines on the basis of an image formed by causing the liquid to be discharged through the first nozzle whether or not the first nozzle causes a liquid discharge failure, and, with respect to the second nozzle, determines on the basis of a detection signal which is obtained by applying the driving signal to the second driving element whether or not the second nozzle corresponding to the second driving element causes a liquid discharge failure.

Abstract: A method for determining an issue with an inkjet nozzle using an impedance difference includes taking a first impedance measurement with a sensor to detect a drive bubble in an ink chamber after a drive bubble formation mechanism is activated; and subtracting the first impedance measurement from a reference.

Abstract: An inkjet recording method is performed using an inkjet recording device including a recording head provided with a nozzle, a pressure chamber, a pressure generator and a driving signal generator, the method satisfying the following requirements (1) and (2): (1) it is required to use aqueous ink having a dynamic surface tension larger by 10 mN/m or more than a static surface tension when the surface life measured at 25° C. by a maximum foaming pressure method is 15 ms and a dynamic surface tension larger by 5 mN/m or more than a static surface tension when the surface life measured by a maximum foaming pressure method is 1500 ms and (2) it is required that the signals have a drawing pulse in one print period and a meniscus of the aqueous ink is drawn into the nozzle in two stages by the drawing pulse.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a recording head having a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row that are adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of a recording medium, a plurality of nozzles being arrayed in the conveying direction in each of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, each of the nozzles ejecting one of p types of droplets including a predetermined specific type of droplets, the p being an integer equal to or greater than three; a moving unit that relatively reciprocates the recording medium and the recording head in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a control unit that controls ejection of the p types of droplets from the nozzles, wherein the nozzles in each of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are divided into (p?1) nozzle groups in the conveying direction, first nozzles of the nozzles in a k-th nozzle group (1?k?p?1) in the conveying direction and in one of the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a reference drive signal generation section that generates a reference drive signal, a signal modulation section that modulates the reference drive signal to generate a modulation reference drive signal, a signal amplification section that amplifies the modulation reference drive signal using switching elements to generate a modulation drive signal, a signal conversion section that converts the modulation drive signal to a drive signal, and a head which includes a piezoelectric element that deforms in response to the drive signal, a pressure chamber that expands and contracts due to the deformation of the piezoelectric element and has a Helmholtz resonance frequency of a period Tc, and a nozzle opening portion that communicates with the pressure chamber. A period of an alternating current component contained in the modulation drive signal is a divisor of a section of one of the drive signal.

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

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image on a transparent medium based on a selected mode, the apparatus includes: a head that ejects ink droplets from nozzles, wherein when a first mode is selected, the head prints a first image on the transparent medium, prints a background image on the first image, and prints a second image which is different from the first image on the background image, and wherein when a second mode is selected, the head prints a second image on the transparent medium, prints a background image on the second image, and prints a first image on the background image.

Abstract: A printing apparatus in which printing is performed using an ink jet method includes a first ink jet head that discharges ink droplets of ink of a first color which is a color of the same color type as an expression color that is set in advance, a second ink jet head that discharges ink droplets of ink of a second color which is a color of the same color type as the expression color and is different from the first color, and a control unit which makes the first and the second ink jet head perform printing with the expression color on a medium by setting a ratio of a discharge amount of ink of the first color by the first ink jet head to a discharge amount of ink of the second color by the second ink jet head to a discharge rate which is calculated in advance.

Abstract: This invention enhances gloss uniformity of a formed image surface by selectively using colorless inks according to dot layouts of colored inks. A dot-layout unit sets colored dot layouts for respective colors of colored ink data. A colorless-dot-layout unit sets a colorless dot layout for one colorless ink with reference to a colorless dot layout table according to the colored ink data. An image is formed according to the colored and colorless dot layouts. In the colorless dot layout table, when a specular glossiness calculated according to the colored dot layouts is high, the colorless dot layout is set to superpose a colorless ink having a low refractive index on a colored ink having a high refractive index. Conversely, when the specular glossiness is low, the colorless dot layout is set to superpose a colorless ink having a high refractive index on a colored ink having a low refractive index.

Abstract: To provide a technique when printing using a light-shielding ink and a special glossy ink, the printing device includes an affixing part for affixing ink to a printing medium, and a controller for controlling ink volumes of a colored ink, a light-shielding ink having light-shielding properties, and a special glossy ink having special gloss. The controller has a field discriminating part for discriminating an overlap field of a light-shielding ink field and a special glossy ink field; and a part for allowing, in the overlap field, the ink volume of light-shielding ink to be brought lower than the ink volume of the light-shielding ink determined in accordance with the image data, irrespective of the overlap field.

Abstract: A circuit device drives actuator elements respectively associated with a plurality of nozzles to cause droplets to be ejected from the nozzles. The circuit device includes input terminals; a receiving unit; a switching unit; and a transfer unit. The receiving unit receives, via the input terminals, input signals including a terminal arrangement signal and drive signals for driving the actuator elements. The terminal arrangement signal indicates a type of assignment of signals to be assigned to the input terminals. The switching unit switches the assignment of signals in accordance with the terminal arrangement signal. The transfer unit transfers, to the actuator elements, drive signals that are input to the input terminals after the assignment of signals has been switched.

Abstract: The advantage of the invention is to provide an inkjet recording method and the like in which an unprinted portion due to a multipath method is not left in a back end portion of a printed image and the value as a printed material is not undermined in a case where a printing operation by a multipath method is temporarily stopped in the middle and the printing operation is resumed after feeding a recording medium. A printing operation is temporarily stopped after conducting a back end portion line formation process for forming a raster line so as to prevent an unprinted portion due to an multipath method from being left in a back end portion of a printed image which has been printed halfway when temporarily stopping the printing operation in the middle.

Abstract: A method of indirect printing has been developed to split printing of an imaging revolution on the image drum. A portion of the image is printed on the drum corresponding from an intermediate edge to a trailing edge of image data, and subsequently a remaining portion is printed corresponding from a leading edge to the intermediate edge of the image data. Splitting the image revolution enables the imaging to begin earlier in the drum revolution and decreases the total number of revolutions needed to complete a printed page, increasing printer throughput.

Abstract: A method for color density correction in a printing system that includes a linehead, with one or more printheads, that jets ink onto a moving print media and an integrated imaging system that captures images of content printed on the moving print media is provided. One or more pixel data values and a measured density value trace for a printed test block are produced by scanning the test block and averaging pixel data in a print media transport direction. A color and a density of the ink in the printed test block are determined using the pixel data values. The measured density value trace is compared with a respective reference density value. It is determined whether there is a difference between the measured density value trace and a reference density value is determined. If there is a difference, ink laydown for the printhead is adjusted based on the difference.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for a printing device is provided that includes a printhead comprising non-volatile memory elements. The memory elements include memristive elements. Each memristive element includes an active region disposed between two electrodes. The active region includes a switching layer formed of a switching material capable of carrying a species of dopants and a conductive layer in electrical contact with the switching layer, the conductive layer being formed of a dopant source material that includes the species of dopants that are capable of drifting into the switching layer under an applied potential.

Abstract: There is provided a technique with which an abnormal discharge state in a discharge component can be determined on the basis of residual vibration. A printer includes a discharge component that discharges ink, a detector that detects residual vibration in the discharge component, and a tester that tests the discharge component on the basis of the change in the period of the residual vibration.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head that ejects a liquid thereby performing recording on a recording medium, and a support member disposed so as to oppose the recording head. The support member includes a deposit recess located at a position corresponding to the respective end portion of the recording medium in the width direction intersecting with the transport direction, for receiving the liquid ejected to a region deviated from the recording medium in a marginless recording process, and a support region provided upstream of the deposit recess in the transport direction so as to support a back surface of the recording medium, and most upstream nozzles in the transport direction are not used in the marginless recording process.

Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a liquid jetting head in which nozzles for jetting the liquid are formed and which has an actuator for jetting the liquid from the nozzles; an interposer substrate which is provided to the liquid jetting head and on which a driver IC is mounted; a control substrate which controls the liquid jetting head; a wire member which connects the interposer substrate and the control substrate; and a flexible circuit board which connects the interposer substrate and the actuator, wherein the interposer substrate has a first connecting portion to which the wire member is to be connected, and a second connecting portion to which the flexible circuit board is to be connected, and the driver IC is arranged nearer to the first connecting portion than the second connecting portion of the interposer substrate.

Abstract: A printer as an ink ejecting apparatus capable of ejecting sedimentation ink includes an LED as a first light emitting unit that emits light to a patch as a measurement target portion printed on a printing medium by the sedimentation ink, a light receiving sensor as a first light receiving unit that receives light transmitted from the LED and passing through the patch, and a control unit as a shielding degree determining unit that determines whether or not the patch has a predetermined shielding degree on the basis of a light reception signal output from the light receiving sensor.

Abstract: A method to control a printer carriage in which the printer carriage is controlled to move along a first axis at a first predetermined speed when a printhead, installed on the printer carriage, is ejecting printing fluid in a print zone. The printer carriage is moveable bidirectionally along the first axis in swaths to enable the printhead to print in the print zone. The printer carriage is also controlled to move along the first axis at a second predetermined speed, higher than the first predetermined speed, when the printhead is not ejecting printing fluid in the print zone.

Abstract: Printhead control systems and methods for controlling a printhead A printhead control system comprises a voltage supply control module to selectively supply an operating voltage to a printhead, and the voltage supply control module is configured to receive a first and a second control voltages, and to disconnect the supply of operating voltage to the printhead at least when the first and second control voltages have the same logical level.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) structure for a thermal inkjet printhead includes: a fire line to provide fire line data; a select line to provide selecting data; a firing cell coupled to the fire line; an EPROM cell coupled to the fire line; a selector cell coupled to the select line, the firing cell and the EPROM cell; and a data switching circuit to provide address data to the firing cell or the EPROM cell. The data switching circuit and the selector cell selectively enable transfer of the fire line data from the fire line to the firing cell or the EPROM cell as a function of state of the selecting data on the select line and the address data from the data switching circuit.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a program that detects a condition of an inkjet nozzle includes receiving measurement information from a sensor positioned to detect a drive bubble in an ink chamber of an inkjet nozzle; and modifying a program that determines a condition of said inkjet nozzle.

Abstract: An inkjet printer forms ink images from image data including colors in a device independent color space. A color profile associated with the printer maps a plurality of colors in the device independent color space and to a plurality of ink colors formed from a plurality of inks in the printer. The plurality of ink colors only includes colors that are formed with an ink mass density that is below a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing image data is described. An example of a method involves applying a first mask to image data corresponding to an overlap zone of a first print region, the first mask representing a first mask pattern and applying a second mask to image data corresponding to the overlap zone of a second print region, the second mask representing a second mask pattern. Each of the first and second mask patterns define a periodic variation in a dimension corresponding to the first direction. First and second mask patterns for at least a second image plane are spatially separated in the dimension corresponding to the first direction in relation to first and second patterns of a first image plane.

Abstract: To provide an ink jet recording apparatus in which the residual vibration of any ink can be prevented to avoid the spread of the ink at an opening portion and to perform the continuous discharge of the ink stably. An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a pressure chamber and a nozzle, the pressure chamber containing ink, the nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber and having an opening portion formed therein to discharge the ink, a piezoelectric element forming part of the pressure chamber, and a driving signal producing section producing a driving signal to be input to the piezoelectric element to change the volume of the pressure chamber.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, print position shift caused by a posture change of a print head is appropriately reduced irrespective of causes of the posture change. Specifically, a test pattern is printed, and then, an inclination of a carriage is calculated based on the read result. On this test pattern appears, for example, not only landing position shift caused by the rolling posture change of the carriage but also synthesized position shift caused by a plurality of kinds of posture changes of the carriage. That is to say, on the test pattern to be printed can appear synthesized position shift caused by a plurality of kinds of posture changes occurring on a print head at this time. The posture of the carriage is corrected in such a manner as to suppress the synthesized position shift.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first carriage movement mode, in which a stop position of a carriage in movement of this time is determined to be at a given position in a width direction on the basis of a size in the width direction of a liquid-ejected medium, and a second carriage movement mode, in which the stop position of the carriage in the movement of this time is determined on the basis of at least one of the liquid ejection data in the movement of this time or the liquid ejection data in the movement of the next time, and liquid ejection is carried out with one of the first carriage movement mode and the second carriage movement mode selected in accordance with the type of liquid-ejected medium.

Abstract: Disclosed are a multicolour overprint control method and device applicable to an intermittent printing apparatus. According to the operating characteristic of the intermittent printing apparatus, the method solves the problems of overlap and inaccurate overprint of various colours during intermittent printing by controlling the relationship between the distance between adjacent colour group modules of different colours and the motion distance between uniform segments of the intermittent printing apparatus. In addition, the method also sets different inkjet printing modes in accordance with whether the detected inkjet printing of the same colour group module is in a first period, thereby solving the problems of printing media waste and discontinuous printing data. The method achieves multicolour digital inkjet printing by combining the unique motion mode of the printing media thereof, and makes printing contents flexible and changeable on the basis of guaranteeing printing efficiency.