Seiko Epson Corporation

Tetsuya Matsumura

Yasutoshi Takeuchi

Naoki Sudo

Takashi Kobayashi

Tomonaga Hasegawa

Hirotaka Matsunaga

Shunichi Aoyagi

A recording device, including a transport roller whose circumference length is different from nozzle array length in a transport direction, performs TP recording control to record a group of test patterns, in which a plurality of test patterns including a first patch and a second patch with different positions in the transport direction are arranged in a main scanning direction, and in which an amount of liquid ejected for a boundary area between the first patch and the second patch is different for each test pattern, wherein, in the TP recording control, records a first TP group and a second TP group at different positions in the transport direction onto a medium, transports the medium by a first distance based on the nozzle array length as a transport between the recording of the first patch and the second patch of the TP, and, as a transport between the recording of the second patch of the first TP group and the recording of the first patch of the second TP group, transports the medium by a second distance, which is a difference between an integer multiple of the circumference length and two times the first distance.

Recording device and recording method

An image processing method includes dividing a desired image into a normal region formed with partial images and a joint region formed by overlapping the partial images, first converting image data in an RGB color space corresponding to the normal region into normal region CMYK data in a CMYK color space using a normal region LUT, second converting the image data in the RGB color space corresponding to the joint region into joint region CMYK data in the CMYK color space using a joint region LUT derived based on attribute information of the printing medium and environmental information of an environment in which the printing apparatus is to perform printing, and generating printing data based on the normal region CMYK data and the joint region CMYK data.

Image processing method, image processing device and printing system utilizing different gradation tables in overlapping regions based on attribute and environmental information

An image processing method for generating printing data includes correcting, in accordance with a degree of reduction in a dot coverage below a predetermined dot coverage in a region that undergoes printing in an overlapped manner by a first nozzle group and a second nozzle group, at least either of a first sharing ratio for the first nozzle group sharing positions of dots to be formed in an overlapping image region and a second sharing ratio for the second nozzle group sharing positions of dots to be formed to allow a total ratio of the first sharing ratio and the second sharing ratio to exceed 100%, and correcting a color conversion table based on the first sharing ratio and the second sharing ratio, after the correcting of at least either of the first sharing ratio and the second sharing ratio.

Correcting sharing ratios of nozzle groups in overlapping image region and correcting color conversion table based thereon

A printing control device is for a printing unit that is capable of adjusting a gap g between a recording head and a platen and performs main scanning to move the recording head in the main scanning direction with respect to the print substrate and sub-scanning to move the print substrate in a sub-scanning direction relative to the recording head. The printing control device includes a sub-scanning control unit that controls sub-scanning so that a first sub-scanning distance in a case in which the gap g is a first gap is shorter than a second sub-scanning distance in a case in which the gap g is a second gap broader than the first gap, in the sub scanning which corresponds to pseudo-band printing scheme and which is sub-scanning of a longer distance than a pitch of the nozzles of the nozzle line in the sub-scanning direction.

Printing control device and printing control method

In order to reduce a density difference that appears when printing whose execution number of scan operations is changed is performed, a CPU acquires a plurality of color conversion LUTs; the CPU performs printing of each of normal portions of color patches using a reference LUT and performs printing of each of hitch portions of the color patches using a corresponding one of mutually different color conversion LUTs; the CPU allows a color patch having a small density difference to be input as a selection result; the CPU identifies a color conversion LUT corresponding to the selection result; and the CPU designates the color conversion LUT corresponding to the selection result as a color conversion LUT for the hitch portion.

Liquid discharge control apparatus, liquid discharge control method, and liquid discharge control program

A sub-scanning distance in a case in which a gap between a recording head and a platen is broader than a second gap broader a first gap is lengthened more than a sub-scanning distance in a case in which the gap is the first gap more when sub-scanning which is sub-scanning of a longer distance than a pitch of nozzles of a nozzle line in a sub-scanning direction is performed. A sub-scanning distance in a case in which the record density of a print image of a specific print region is second record density higher than first record density may also be lengthened more than a sub-scanning distance in a case in which the record density is the first record density when the sub-scanning which is the sub-scanning of the longer distance than the pitch of the nozzles of the nozzle line in the sub-scanning direction is performed.

Main scanning performed two times by interposing sub-scanning of a distance longer than a pitch of nozzles of s nozzle line in the sub-scanning direction is referred to as first main scanning and second main scanning, a region in which a print image is formed at s time of the first main scanning is referred to as a first print region, and a region in which the print image is formed at a time of the second main scanning is referred to as a second print region. A printing control device for a printing unit (printing apparatus) includes a record density acquisition unit that acquires record density of the print image in a determination region including at least a part of the first print region based on the print data; and a sub-scanning control unit that changes an overlap between the first and second print regions in the sub-scanning direction.

An image formation apparatus configured to form a monochrome image by discharging ink droplets on the basis of recording data from a plurality of nozzles having black nozzles for discharging black ink droplets and color nozzles for discharging color ink droplets that produce composite black, the image formation apparatus comprising a control unit configured to form the monochrome image by discharging the black ink droplets from the black nozzles and discharging the color ink droplets that produce composite black from the color nozzles when recording density of black ink represented by the recording data is a predetermined density or higher.

Image formation apparatus and image formation method

A print control apparatus is configured to control a print head adapted to discharge ink droplets of a plurality of sizes to execute printing. The print control apparatus includes a print control unit configured to acquire a gradation value of an ink color based on image data and to determine whether or not to discharge an ink droplet of one of the plurality of sizes based on the gradation value. The print control unit is configured to determine that the ink droplet to be discharged is the ink droplet of a first size or smaller when the gradation value belongs to a maximum value-side partial range including a maximum value, and to determine that the ink droplet to be discharged is only the ink droplet of the first size when the gradation value belongs to a range towards a minimum value-side than the partial range.

Print control apparatus, print control method, and print control program

In a printing device, a print medium is transferred in a sub-scanning direction, a print head is reciprocately driven in a main scanning direction, a plurality of nozzles for ejecting same color ink in the sub-scanning direction are provided on the print head to form a nozzle array, pairs of nozzle arrays of a plurality of colors are arranged in the main scanning direction so as to be in a symmetrical sequence relative to the main scanning direction, and nozzle data for ejecting the ink at each nozzle in each nozzle array is created to perform printing. The printing device includes an inclination information acquisition part configured to obtain inclination information on an inclination of the nozzle array with respect to the sub-scanning direction, and a nozzle data allocation changing part configured to change the nozzle data to be allocated for each nozzle based on the inclination information.

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Nagano, Japan

Tetsuya Matsumura