Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Tatsuya Mori

Kiyomi Aono

In a printing apparatus and a printing method, the frequency of an operation of detecting an inappropriate ejection state of each ejection port is increased, while allowing a decrease in throughput to be suppressed. The printing apparatus includes a first ejection state sensing unit for carrying out an ejection state sensing process in which determination of whether or not ejected droplets are normal is executed, during a single process, on all the ejection ports formed in the print head. The printing apparatus further includes a second ejection state sensing unit for carrying out the ejection state sensing process on the ejection ports in a part of a plurality of ejection port groups into which the plurality of ejection ports formed in the print head are divided.

Printing apparatus and printing method

A printing apparatus and a printing method in which an ejection failure state sensing process is sufficiently carried out while a decrease in printing throughput to be suppressed are provided. The print head includes at least two ejection ports through which different amounts of ink in the same color are ejected; both ejection amounts are equal to or smaller than 5 pl. The printing apparatus carries out a first ejection failure state sensing process for sensing a first ejection ports which have the smallest opening area in the ejection ports formed in the print head. The printing apparatus also carries out a second ejection failure state sensing process for sensing an ejection state in which ink is ejected through all the ejection ports in the print head. When any ejection port is determined to be in an inappropriate ejection state, the printing apparatus carries out compensation printing.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Tatsuya Mori