JP2006240062A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for complementing defective nozzles which prevents degradation of an image quality in an inkjet recorder. <P>SOLUTION: Data of the defective nozzle is transferred to the other nozzle which is adjacent in recording position on a medium to be recorded. Data processing is carried out on a storage region which stores bit data corresponding to a head nozzle in unit of transmission to a head. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium such as paper using a print head, and is used as an information output unit such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile.

  2. Description of the Related Art A serial type recording apparatus having an operation unit equipped with a recording head that reciprocates perpendicularly to the conveyance direction of a recording medium such as paper or an OHP sheet has been proposed in which recording heads using various recording methods are mounted.

  The recording head used in this serial printer includes a wire dot type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, and an inkjet type.

  Among the serial printers, the ink jet type ejects ink directly onto the recording paper, so that the running cost is easy and the noise during recording is small. In the ink jet system, the recording head is provided at a fixed interval with respect to the recording medium, and is always in a non-contact state, and the ink ejected from the recording head flies through the space between the recording head and the recording medium. Then, since the recording medium reaches the recording medium and desired recording is performed, the sliding load of the carrier is small, which is advantageous for realizing high speed.

  In recent years, such a recording apparatus has realized further high-definition recording by reducing the ejection amount per dot while increasing the density of nozzles that eject ink droplets.

  However, in a recording head including a large number of high-definition recording elements, the probability that a defective recording element exists at the time of manufacture increases. Further, in order to prevent color misregistration and improve usability, there is a high possibility that a defective recording element will be further included in a head having a multi-color integrated structure. In a high-definition image, even if only one defective element among many recording elements is included, the image quality is adversely affected.

  In order to compensate for these image degradations, a method has been used in which multi-pass printing is performed in which a predetermined area of an image is recorded by scanning a recording head a plurality of times to compensate for image degradation due to defective recording elements.

  Conventionally, when performing mask processing for selecting data in each pass in order to perform multi-pass, the data for the defective recording element is masked and the position of the defective recording element on the recording medium in another print pass in multi-pass A method of complementing with a nozzle corresponding to the above is performed.

  However, in the photographic tone high-quality recording required in recent years, if the number of passes is increased in order to obtain a sufficient image, the printing speed is reduced.

As another conventional example, Patent Document 1 can be cited.
JP-A-7-52389

  Multipass printing completes an image with multiple scans, as briefly mentioned earlier. Therefore, in each scan, ink is ejected in a form that restricts the recording operation. Specifically, there is a printing method disclosed in JP-A-7-52389. For example, when m-pass printing is performed, only 1 / m data of the final image is ejected in each printing scan. Further, these m scans are usually performed while shifting the recording medium by 1 / m of the head recording width in the sub-scanning direction, thereby reducing the influence of the head width on the recorded image. That is, when attention is paid to a predetermined area of the recording medium, the recording operation is performed so that the image is completed by m scans.

  Therefore, in each scan, a mask process is performed to limit the original print data to 1 / m. Simply put, in principle, it is possible for a certain print scan to record the data of each recording element only once in m times. However, in practice, in order to prevent the mask processing pattern from affecting the recorded image, a device for obtaining a high-quality image by using an irregular pattern has been devised.

  Here, a mask process in the case where data is complemented in a defective recording element will be described.

  As described above, when data of 1 / m is recorded by mask processing, it is possible to mask the defective recording element data in each pass by placing it in all passes. By this processing, data is not supplied to the defective recording element. Next, it is necessary to supplement the masked data with other nozzles. In m-pass printing, interpolation is performed by adding masked data to the data of the recording element corresponding to the same position on the recording portion and the recording medium due to the defective recording element.

  However, the mask processing in the multipass and the above complementing method are effective when the data to be masked and the data corresponding to the printing element are in a one-to-one relationship. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there are recording apparatuses that perform ejection of several ink droplets of a smaller size for one pixel in data processing by multi-value recording technology. Such processing is used for the purpose of enabling higher-definition image recording while suppressing an increase in data processing load by realizing gradation expression by adjusting the number of ink droplets.

  In such an image recording method, since mask processing in multi-pass is performed in units of input image processing, if an attempt is made to complement a defective recording element as it is, complementary data processing is performed by a plurality of recording elements including defective recording elements. Therefore, there is a problem that complementation cannot be performed in units of a single recording element.

  In addition, in the printing mode in which the above-mentioned multi-pass is not performed in order to attach importance to the recording speed, there is a problem that the image quality is significantly deteriorated as a white line because the image is not recorded at the printing position corresponding to the defective recording element. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even in the recording apparatus having the above configuration, a recording position on a recording medium when an abnormality that causes an image defect in a recording element of a print head occurs. However, the present invention relates to a method of complementing with a recording element adjacent to a defective recording element.

  A setting block for designating a defective recording element and determining a complementary recording element, a mask means for masking the corresponding recording data from the setting of the defective element designation block, and ejection for different nozzles to complement the recording data for the defective element It is composed of data addition blocks added as data.

  Here, the ejection element and the drive circuit and the heating means provided for each ejection port in order to eject ink from the ejection port are referred to as a recording element.

  With the configuration described above, it is possible to process data by transferring data for a defective recording element to an adjacent recording element in units of recording elements, and good recording results can be obtained even in image recording using a recording head including a defective recording element. Can be obtained.

  In particular, in the printing mode in which multipass printing is not performed in order to give the highest priority to shortening of the recording time, the presence of defective recording elements appears as white streaks in the recorded image.

  In such a print mode, white streaks can be effectively suppressed.

  Hereinafter, the details of the present invention will be described in accordance with the description of the embodiments.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the carriage 3 on which the four ink jet recording heads 2-1 to 2-4 that are responsible for the recording of each color are driven to transmit the driving force of the carriage drive motor 5. It is connected to a part of the belt 4 and is movably attached to a guide shaft 6 disposed in parallel to the scanning direction. The drive force of the carriage drive motor 5 allows the ink jet recording head 2 to move. The platen 7 disposed opposite to the ejection surface is configured to reciprocate over the entire width of the recording paper fed from a medium feeding device (not shown) to perform recording on the recording paper.

  The above-described inkjet recording head 2 has a plurality of thin pipe-shaped nozzle nozzles for discharging ink arranged in parallel on the discharge surface facing the recording surface of the recording paper, and further from an ink tank connected by a tube. A heater that gives ejection energy to the supplied ink is provided in the vicinity of the nozzle opening.

  The nozzle ports of the recording head are configured so as to be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the carriage 3, and four recording heads are arranged side by side in the carriage scanning direction.

  Further, the position encoder sensor 14 reads the interval code recorded on the encoder film when the carriage 3 moves on the guide shaft 6, detects the position in the scanning direction in the recording operation, and trigger signals for defining the discharge timing. Used to generate

  The reference position of the recording operation is moved to the limit of the movable range by moving the carriage 3 in the initial sequence when the power is turned on. When the carriage 3 can no longer move, the absolute position is grasped by utilizing the fact that the signal from the position encoder 14 stops, and then the reference position is determined.

  The above-described ink jet recording apparatus receives data such as image information and control commands input from an external host device or the like by a print control unit (not shown) described later, and develops the image data of each color according to the received data. Data is transferred to the recording head and the carriage 3 is scanned to control a series of recording operations for ejecting ink at a necessary timing.

  The print control unit and the carriage 3 are connected by a flexible cable 13 and receive various signals and power necessary for ejection.

  Next, the print control unit of the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The print control unit 30 shown in FIG. 7 performs various controls by supplementing the operations of the CPU 31, the ROM 32, RAM 33-1 and RAM 33-2 that are storage units, the interface circuit 34 for the host device 41 that is an external device, and the CPU 31. It is composed of an integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as ASIC) 38 made up of logic circuits. The ASIC 38 includes a motor control circuit 35 for driving the carriage drive motor 5 and the LF motor 10, a plurality of data processing blocks for converting print data input from an external device in accordance with the nozzle configuration of the print head 2, In order to store the head control block 37 for controlling and driving the ejection timing of the inkjet recording head 2 and the bit data converted in accordance with the ejection port configuration of the recording head, and to transfer the data in time with the movement of the recording head 2 The RAM 33-2 functioning as a buffer is configured by circuit blocks that play an important role in performing a recording operation.

  The carriage drive motor 5 is a DC motor. The ASIC 38 sends an operation signal of the carriage drive motor 5 to the motor control circuit 35 in order to move the carriage 3 in response to an instruction from the CPU 31, and at the same time, in the scanning direction by a signal from the position encoder sensor 14 mounted on the carriage. The position of the carriage 3 is grasped by managing the number of operation signals from the reference position, and necessary data processing is started when the carriage 3 approaches the print area. Further, when the carriage 3 moves and the mounted recording heads 2-1 to 2-4 reach positions where ink ejection should be performed, the head control block 37 controls to eject ink.

  The CPU 31 controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to a program stored in advance in the ROM 32 or a control command input from the host device 41 via the interface circuit 34.

  The ROM 32 stores a program for operating the CPU 31 and various table data necessary for head control.

  The operation panel 51 includes key switches for performing various user settings of the recording apparatus, such as online / offline settings, and LEDs indicating the power-on state, online state, error occurrence, and the like.

  The interface circuit 34 is an interface unit used for inputting / outputting control commands and control data from the host device 41 to the ink jet recording apparatus.

  An image obtained by expanding the temporary storage area and recording data of the recording data and control code inputted from the host device 41 via the interface circuit 34 into bit data corresponding to the nozzle of the head, or the work area at the time of calculation of the CPU 31 A print buffer or the like for storing data is configured on the RAM 33-1.

  The RAM 33-2 is configured inside the ASIC 38, and stores the image data expanded in the above-described print buffer in units of transfer to the recording head. The data stored in the RAM 33-2 is sent as it is to the recording heads 2-1 to 2-4, and directly becomes data for heating.

  4 shows the nozzle configuration of the head per color and the block number of each nozzle. Nozzle No. FIG.

  In this embodiment, the four recording heads Bk head 2-1, C head 2-2, M head 2-3, and Y head 2-4 have 648 nozzle rows arranged continuously at a pitch of 600 dpi for each color. I have books one by one.

  The two nozzle rows are nozzle rows corresponding to the ink dot landing positions in the printing result, and the nozzle rows are referred to as ODD rows and EVEN rows.

  Each nozzle arranged on the recording head is sequentially driven at a fixed period determined from a time required for ink supply and a heat time required for ejection. Each nozzle performs a discharge movement difference once in this period. This cycle is called a discharge cycle.

  As described above, the recording head 2 is mounted on the carrier 3 and ejects ink droplets while moving in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

  At that time, instead of discharging ink droplets from all the nozzles simultaneously in consideration of distributed supply of energy necessary for heating for ink supply and discharge, the above-mentioned 648 × 2 = 1296 nozzles are set to 24 blocks per heat cycle. Divide and perform sequential discharge operation. Therefore, each of the divided blocks is called a block, and each block is composed of 54 nozzles of 27 nozzles in each of the EVEN and ODD rows. That is, in one cycle, the ejection operation of 54 nozzles is performed 24 times, and ejection of 54 × 24 = 1296 is performed to form a one-column recorded image.

  The two nozzle rows are arranged in a positional relationship shifted by 1/2 pitch in the vertical direction, and are configured such that ink ejected from each nozzle lands at an interval of 1200 dpi. Each nozzle arranged in the two nozzle rows is assigned a nozzle number in order. For example, the third nozzles from the top are referred to as 3-1E and 3-1O, respectively, and indicate that they are the 3Block-1th nozzles. Therefore, the nozzles positioned at the lowermost end are 24-27E and 24-27O.

  The interval between the two nozzle rows that record the same color is arranged at an interval of 3 dots at 1200 dpi, that is, 300 dpi in the carriage scanning direction.

  As described above, a recording head for four colors is configured by four sets of two nozzle arrays shown in FIG. 4, that is, eight nozzle arrays.

  Further, the ejection circuit and ejection control of the inkjet recording head 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The HSRAM read control circuit 37-4 in the head control block 37 reads out ejection data corresponding to 1 bit for each nozzle of each recording head from the HSRAM 33-2 and sends it out through the ejection data transfer circuit 37-43. As the recording data, one block of data obtained by dividing the EVEN string and the ODD string into 24 parts is independently called and transferred to the head. The data transfer is a 4-bit Bk data signal 37-44, a C data signal 37-45, an M data signal 37-46, a Y data signal 37-47, a clock signal 37-48 common to each color, and a latch signal 37. -49.

  The data signals 37-44, 37-45, 37-46, and 37-47 are 4-bit data signals and are clock signals to the shift registers formed on the recording heads 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-4. Serial transfer is performed in synchronization with 37-48, and it is set whether or not to discharge ink to a specific nozzle in a specific block on the recording head.

  The four data signals for each color are serial data as described above, but two are assigned to the EVEN side and the ODD side, respectively. In this embodiment, the number of nozzles in one block in the EVEN / ODD nozzle row is 27. A total of 32 bits including the 27-bit data and the 24-bit block setting signal for performing the block discrimination is serially transferred.

  Therefore, the EVEN / ODD nozzle array receives a 32-bit signal through two signal lines, and the block and nozzle to be driven are determined.

  When the setting of the nozzle data to be driven in this way is completed, the heat signals 37-21, 37-22, 37-23, and 37-24 are sent from the heat timing controller 37-2 in accordance with the position of the carriage 3.

  When heat signals 37-21, 37-22, 37-23, and 37-24 are input to the nozzles for which the data set and the block are selected according to the above-described procedure, the output of the AND circuit configured in the print head is output. The drive transistors connected to the heater resistances of the nozzles are operated under the same conditions, and as a result of the heat current flowing, ink discharge occurs and the recording operation is executed.

  The heat signals 37-21, 37-22, 37-23, and 37-24 are finally used as signals for driving the discharge transistors to control the discharge timing, and at the same time, control the heat time to adjust the input energy to the heater. It is also used for the purpose.

  These operations are controlled by a trigger signal generated by the timing control circuit 37-1 from the operation signals 14-1 and 14-2 from the position encoder 14 mounted on the carriage 3, and a window signal indicating position information. FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing these trigger signals and window signals for the recording head. Reference numeral 37-14 denotes a data set window for data set to the RAM 33-2. Reference numeral 37-15 denotes a read window for reading data from the RAM 33-2. Reference numeral 37-11 denotes a heat window for controlling the discharge timing of the recording head. The Each window signal operates under an AND condition with the corresponding trigger signal. Since each data processing operation is performed in parallel, each window signal becomes active at a necessary timing in synchronization with scanning of the carriage 3 as shown in the figure, and controls the operation timing of each circuit block.

  Each window signal is an 8-bit signal. As described above, each recording head has an ODD / EVEN nozzle row and is arranged in parallel in the scanning direction. The ejection data processing for each nozzle is sequentially performed in accordance with the scanning of the carriage 3. These data processes are performed in 2 rows x 4 colors, that is, in units of 8 nozzle rows. The window signal 8 bits corresponds to each nozzle row.

  In this manner, the timing-controlled circuit blocks are sequentially processed in parallel with the processing necessary for the recording operation such as memory read / write and heat operation accompanying the data processing as the carriage 3 is scanned.

  Next, a method for complementing a specific defective recording element in the series of operations will be described.

  A recording element with a defect called a defective recording element, depending on the degree of the defect, in addition to an object that does not eject ink at all, ink is ejected but does not become regular ejection; Since the discharge is not performed, the recording quality is impaired as a result. Therefore, it is necessary to mask the data assigned to the defective recording element so that ink is not ejected by the corresponding recording element.

  In addition, the masked recording data is replaced by recording, that is, the data to be recorded by the defective recording element is replaced by a recording element that discharges ink dots on the recording medium adjacent to the ink dots recorded by the defective recording element. It is necessary to discharge.

  As described above, the complementary operation is performed by two processes of substituting the mask of the recording data allocated to the defective recording element and the masked data with another adjacent recording element.

  Next, a method for realizing the above complement processing will be described.

  In FIG. 6, 37-3 is a RAM write circuit for writing data to the RAM 33-2 independently in EVEN and ODD columns, and 37-4 is a RAM read circuit for reading data from the RAM 33-2 in blocks. Reference numeral -43 denotes a data transfer circuit for sending data to each head, and reference numeral 37-5 denotes a complement control circuit, which includes a defective element setting register 37-51 and a data complement circuit 37-52.

  The EEPROM 20 provided on the recording head also includes information on other defective recording elements such as ejection information of the recording head, that is, rank information indicating optimum driving conditions. Specifically, the defective recording element information is information indicating which number of recording elements of which color is defective.

  The defective nozzle information read from the EEPROM 5 on the head by the CPU 31 is similarly set by the CPU 31 in the above-described defective element setting register 37-51 provided in the defective element setting block 37-5. In this embodiment, five defective recording elements of each color can be registered in 37-51.

  The complementary decoding block 37-52 will be described with respect to a processing method for generating complementary data from registered defective recording element data and original recording data. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a logical operation for storing data.

  Since the EVEN nozzle row and the ODD nozzle row are alternately arranged as described above with reference to FIG. 4 and the ink dots in the printing result are arranged adjacent to each other, each nozzle row is used in the complementary data processing. Are supplemented by nozzles arranged in the opposite nozzle row.

  For this reason, the print data and defective print element settings in each nozzle row affect the other print data.

  Therefore, FIG. 1 shows the target processing steps. The data processing on one side will be described in order to perform exactly the same processing. The description will be made with respect to a process of complementing the defective recording element existing in the EVEN nozzle row with the ODD side nozzle row.

  From the defective nozzle information (D1000) of the EVEN nozzle row set in the defective element setting register 37-51, the bit corresponding to the defective nozzle is set to “1”, and the bit corresponding to the other normal nozzle is set to “0”. An inversion mask (D1004) is generated.

  The EVEN nozzle data additional mask (D1006) is generated by taking the logical product of the original EVEN data (D1002) and the EVEN nozzle inversion mask (D1004) as the recording data. The EVEN nozzle data addition mask (D1006) generated here is used when data for a defective printing element is added later.

  Next, the logical sum of the original ODD data (D1003) and the previously generated EVEN nozzle data addition mask (D1006) is calculated. As a result, when recording data exists in the defective recording element of the EVEN nozzle array, the data is set to the same nozzle number of the ODD nozzle array, that is, the adjacent recording element, and becomes complementary data added ODD data (D1010).

  Finally, the logical product of the complementary data added ODD data (D1010) and the ODD nozzle mask data (D1009) is calculated. As a result, the data supply to the defective nozzle of the ODD side nozzle is masked, and finally the complemented ODD data (D1012) is completed.

  Next, the relationship between these complementary operations, the data position on the HSRAM 33-2, and the dot position in the printing result will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink dot array landed on a recording medium and a data array on the HSRAM 33-2.

  In FIG. 2, data surrounded by six vertical columns on the left side are EVEN side recording dots, and similarly, data surrounded by six vertical columns on the right side are ODD side recording dots. In the present embodiment, as described above, the EVEN / ODD row intervals are in a positional relationship with three columns interposed therebetween, and the recording operation proceeds by moving in parallel with this positional relationship.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where the EVEN column is recorded in column 1 and the ODD column is recorded in column 5. The six vertical columns of data indicate that these data exist on the HSRAM 33-2. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the HSRAM 3-2 for one cyan color. The actual HSRAM 33-2 has similar areas for four colors.

  The numbers shown in the respective areas in FIG. 3 are the column numbers to be recorded. For both EVEN / ODD, data stored in the uppermost area, that is, 1 and 5, is transferred to the head to perform image recording.

  Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that it is column 5 and column 6 that both the EVEN / ODD column data is on the HSRAM 33-2. As described with reference to FIG. 1, both the EVEN / ODD data recorded in the same column are necessary in the complement processing. Since the data in the fifth column is being read out for recording, it needs to be complemented. Therefore, a configuration is adopted in which complement processing is performed when writing data in the sixth column.

  FIG. 5 is a flow of complement processing. When the recording operation is performed in the reciprocating direction, when the moving direction of the recording head is reversed, the ODD row is in a positional relationship preceding the previous assumption. In this case, the description here and the EVEN / ODD relationship are completely opposite, but since the respective relationships are the same, a one-way flow is shown in FIG.

  For the sake of explanation, the recording operation in the direction in which the EVEN row precedes the moving direction of the recording head will be described.

  The HSRAM 33-2 is in a standby state for a write trigger signal that prompts the writing operation (S101). When a write trigger is input, the writing area is determined (S102), and data is sequentially stored in the HSRAM 33-2 from the start of printing. If the write operation is the sixth data of the EVEN column necessary for the complement, the original EVEN data to be written is temporarily set in the complement circuit (S104). Similarly, the ODD column original necessary for the complement operation is set. Data is read out (S103) and set in the complementary circuit (S105). At this time, the defective element data and the original EVEN / ODD data set in advance in the complementary circuit are prepared, and the complementary processing data processing described in FIG. 1 is performed ( S106), the supplemented EVEN / ODD data is respectively Written in the SRAM33-2 ends the complementary processing (S107, S108).

  If the writing is an area not related to the complementary process (branch in S102), the original data is written as it is without performing the data processing process (S109).

  In this way, when the recording data for the same column on the recording medium is collected on the HSRAM 33-2, the complementary processing is sequentially performed.

  In this embodiment, the information about the defective recording element is acquired from the memory mounted on the head in advance, but it has a function of detecting the defective recording element from the ejection operation. In the image recording apparatus, the detecting means is provided. It is also possible to perform the same complement processing based on the information from

  In the first embodiment, the complementation is realized by transferring the data of the defective recording element to one adjacent recording element.

  However, in this method, complementation for defective recording elements is concentrated in a specific direction, so that the complementation effect may not be sufficiently exerted depending on the type of recording medium, for example, paper.

  Further, since the supplementary recording element is used at a frequency twice the normal frequency, it is not desirable to concentrate and increase the durable load on a specific recording element.

  Therefore, the recording elements to be complemented in the second embodiment are those performed in two recording elements whose recording positions on the recording medium are adjacent to the defective recording element. The completion destination is complemented by switching sequentially for each column.

  In the first embodiment, the process of adding complementary data in FIG. 1 is performed by taking the logical sum of the EVEN nozzle data addition mask (D1006) and the original ODD data (D1003). In the second embodiment, this process and data addition to adjacent dots on the opposite side are performed for each column.

  The addition of data to the adjacent nozzle on the opposite side that performs complementation on the opposite side does not take the logical sum with the original data with the same block number, but takes the logical sum with the original data with one block number different. By shifting the block number by one, complementary data is assigned to the adjacent nozzle on the opposite side.

(Effect of Example 2)
As a result, printing defects due to the influence of defective recording elements can be complemented from both sides, and more effective pseudo-complementation can be achieved visually.

  In addition, there is an effect that the increase in the durable load on the recording element to be complemented can be distributed without being concentrated on one recording element.

Complementary data processing of this embodiment Recording data arrangement of this embodiment and positional relationship on SRAM Configuration of HSRAM 33-2 of this embodiment Printhead nozzle configuration diagram Complementary processing flow Head control circuit details block diagram Block diagram of the entire recording device Operation trigger and window timing diagram Overview of recording device

Claims (4)

  An image recording apparatus that uses a recording head that has a plurality of ejection openings and ejects ink from the plurality of ejection openings, and performs recording by ejecting ink from the recording head to a recording medium. However, if ink discharge cannot be performed normally due to some problem, the ink discharge from the defect discharge port is replaced by the discharge port that records an image at a position adjacent to the recording position by the original defect discharge port. And an image recording apparatus.   An ejection port that ejects ink instead of a defective ejection port is any one of two ejection ports that perform image recording at positions on both sides of the recording position from the original defective ejection port on the recording medium. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image recording apparatus is performed only by the following.   The ejection port that ejects ink instead of the defective ejection port is alternately performed by two ejection ports that perform image recording at positions on both sides of the recording position from the original defective ejection port. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1.   An inkjet recording apparatus that uses a recording head that has a plurality of ejection openings and ejects ink from the plurality of ejection openings, and performs recording by ejecting ink onto a recording medium while scanning the recording head. The head has discharge ports arranged in a plurality of rows perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and if some of the discharge ports cannot perform normal ink discharge due to some problem, ink is discharged by another discharge port instead of the defective discharge port. An image recording apparatus characterized by using an ejection port arranged in an ejection port array other than the ejection port array including the defective ejection port as an ejection port for performing ink ejection instead.

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