JP2009000836A - Ink jet recording device and ink jet recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recording device and an ink jet recording method suppressing a harmful influence on an image without reducing recording speed even when a recording head is inclined. <P>SOLUTION: The ink jet recording device comprising the recording head having nozzle groups each with a plurality of ink discharging nozzles arranged along the conveyed direction of a recording medium, allows the recording head to scan the same recording area of the recording medium a plurality of times to record the image on the same recording area by the different nozzle groups, wherein a data generating means is provided for generating recording data of each scan of the plurality of times using mask patterns corresponding to the nozzle groups, and the thinning-out rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group upstream in the conveyed direction of the recording medium differs from the thinning-out rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group upstream in the conveyed direction of the recording medium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method for performing multipass recording.

  An ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording medium, and has a relatively high definition as compared with recording apparatuses using other recording methods. Easy. In addition, it has the advantages of high speed and quietness and low cost. In particular, in recent years, the demand for color output has increased, and it has been developed to output high-quality images comparable to silver halide photographs.

  The ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head formed by integrating a plurality of recording elements in order to improve recording speed. In addition, many color heads equipped with a plurality of such recording heads are provided.

  By the way, such an ink jet recording apparatus often employs a multi-pass recording method in which an image is formed by scanning a recording head a plurality of times. In the multi-pass printing method, printing main scanning is executed by thinning out image data that can be printed in one printing main scanning with a predetermined mask pattern. In the next recording scan, the image data thinned out by the mask pattern complementary to the already used mask pattern is recorded. During each recording scan, a transport operation of an amount shorter than the recording width of the recording head is performed.

  For example, in the case of 2-pass multi-pass printing, the mask pattern applied in each printing main scan thins out image data to about 50%. Further, the conveyance amount of the recording medium in the conveyance operation is ½ of the recording width of the recording head. In an image formed by repeating such a recording operation, dots arranged in the main scanning direction are recorded by two different nozzles. Therefore, even if there is some variation in the discharge amount of individual nozzles, this variation is recorded by being halved on the recording medium, which is more than in the case of 1-pass recording without multi-pass recording. A smooth image can be obtained. Therefore, in multi-pass printing, a smoother image can be obtained as the number of multi-passes (number of divisions) increases.

  On the other hand, if the number of passes is increased, the number of printing main scans and transport operations increases, and the time required for output increases. For this reason, in order to reduce the output time as much as possible, for example, bi-directional multi-pass printing in which ink is ejected in both forward scanning and backward scanning of the recording head has become mainstream in recent years.

  By the way, in multi-pass printing, if there is an ink landing error due to the inclination of the printing head or the like, there may be image adverse effects such as image unevenness or roughness (graininess). For example, when the nozzle row of the recording head is inclined in the main scanning direction, the landing positions in the main scanning direction of the dots ejected from the upstream nozzle and the dots ejected from the downstream nozzle are shifted. In particular, the greater the number of nozzles and the longer the nozzle row, the greater the misalignment of the landing positions in the main scanning direction between the upstream side and the downstream side of the nozzle, and the worsening of image defects.

  In order to suppress such image deterioration due to the tilt of the recording head, a method is known in which the head tilt is mechanically corrected to suppress the deviation of the landing positions upstream and downstream of the nozzles (for example, Patent Document 1). Also, a method is known in which the nozzle array of the recording head is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the landing deviation upstream and downstream of the nozzles is corrected by appropriately correcting the ejection timing in each block (for example, Patent Document 2).

  In addition, the inclination of the recording head may differ between scanning in the forward direction of the carriage and scanning in the backward direction. That is, a clearance necessary for the operation of the mechanical component is provided between the member that supports the carriage and the sliding member of the carriage. When the clearance becomes large due to the use of the printer for many years, the carriage is tilted to a certain degree or more by the action of the rotational moment corresponding to the scanning direction when the carriage moves. In order to prevent the deviation of the landing position of the ink droplet due to the difference in inclination between the forward and backward scans, the landing deviation in the transport direction is changed by changing the transport amount of the recording medium in the forward and backward scans. A correction method is known (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-193458 A JP 2006-007635 A JP 2005-335343 A

  However, the method of mechanically correcting the tilt as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not efficient because the mechanical adjustment must be performed again when the tilt changes due to durability or the like. . Further, the method of correcting at the ejection timing as disclosed in Patent Document 2 increases the amount of data to be processed, and the recording speed may be slow. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 3, it is not possible to correct landing misalignment in the main scanning direction only by changing the carry amount in accordance with the scanning direction, and thus it may not be possible to suppress image adverse effects.

  Thus, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the configuration for directly correcting the deviation of the landing position due to the inclination of the nozzle row requires a process added to the normal recording operation or process, There is a problem that the device or control becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the number of dots of ink deviated from the normal landing position can be reduced by being ejected from a recording head having an inclination. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method that suppress image detriment without reducing the normal recording operation recording speed.

  In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus of the present invention has a recording head having a nozzle group in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording medium with respect to the same recording area of the recording medium. An inkjet recording apparatus that scans a plurality of times and records an image in the same recording region by different nozzle groups, and uses the mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group to record the recording data of each of the plurality of scans. The thinning rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group on the upstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium is different from the thinning rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group on the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above configuration, by selecting a mask pattern for each nozzle group, the recording duty can be lowered depending on the location of the nozzle row. As a result, a mask pattern corresponding to the inclination can be selected to reduce the probability of ink ejected from the upstream nozzle or the downstream nozzle. Thereby, the number of dots formed by the ink ejected from the upstream or downstream nozzle can be reduced, and as a result, the number of dots formed by shifting in the main scanning direction can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method that suppress image defects without reducing the recording speed even when the recording head is inclined.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The ink cartridge 1101 is mounted with an ink tank containing ink of four types of color materials of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). In addition, a recording head 1102 corresponding to these inks is provided.

  The carriage 1106 supports the ink jet cartridge 1101, and the recording is performed by the recording head 1102 by scanning the carriage 1106. The carriage 1106 waits at the home position h when recording is not being performed, or when recovery processing of the recording head 1102 is performed.

  The pair of paper feed rollers 1105 feeds the recording medium P by rotating while holding the recording medium P. The recording medium P is conveyed in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction) while being held by the paper feed roller 1103 and the auxiliary roller 1104. The paper feed roller 1105 rotates while holding the recording medium P, like the rollers 1103 and 1104, but its rotational speed is slightly lower than that of the paper feed roller 1103. Thereby, an appropriate amount of tension can be applied to the recording medium P.

  When a recording start command is input to the recording apparatus, the carriage 1106 arranged at the home position h moves in the X direction (main scanning direction), and a plurality of nozzles 1201 arranged in the recording head 1102 have a predetermined frequency. Ink is ejected. Before the second recording scan starts after the end of the first recording scan, the paper feed roller 1103 rotates to convey the recording medium in the y direction by a predetermined amount. An image based on the recording data can be formed on the recording medium P by repeatedly performing the scanning operation and the conveying operation of the recording head in the same recording area.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a state in which ejection openings for one color (hereinafter also referred to as nozzles) provided in the recording head 1102 are viewed from the Z direction shown in FIG. The discharge ports 1201 are discharge ports arranged in the form of d nozzles with a density of D nozzles per inch (Ddpi) on the recording head 1102. The recording head 1102 scans in the main scanning direction, whereby an image having a width of d / D inches is formed on the recording medium P.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a control configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. The CPU 700 executes control and data processing of each unit such as head drive control, carriage drive control, and data processing via the main bus line 705 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 702. The RAM 701 is used as a work area for data processing by the CPU 700. In addition to the ROM 702 and the RAM 701, the CPU 700 is also provided with a memory such as a hard disk.

  The image input unit 703 has an interface with a host device (not shown) connected to the outside, and temporarily holds image data input from the host device. The image signal processing unit 704 executes data processing such as color conversion processing and binarization processing. The operation unit 706 includes keys and the like, and enables control input by the operator.

  The recovery system control circuit 707 controls the recovery operation according to the recovery processing program stored in the RAM 701. That is, by driving the recovery system motor 708, the cleaning blade 709, the cap 710, the suction pump 711, and the like are operated with respect to the recording head 1102.

  The head drive control circuit 715 controls the drive of the electrothermal transducers provided in the individual recording elements of the recording head 1102, and causes the recording head 1102 to perform preliminary ejection and ink ejection for recording. Further, the carriage drive control circuit 716 and the paper feed control circuit 717 also control carriage movement and paper feed according to the program.

  A heat retaining heater is provided on the substrate on which the electrothermal transducer of the recording head 1102 is provided, and the ink temperature in the recording head can be adjusted by heating to a desired set temperature. A thermistor 712 is also provided on the substrate in the same manner, and measures a substantial ink temperature inside the recording head 1102. The thermistor 712 may be provided outside the substrate as long as it is in the vicinity of the recording head 1102.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement configuration of ejection ports (nozzles) of the recording head 1102 applied to the present embodiment. In the ejection port of the recording head 1102, a nozzle row 801 for black ink, a nozzle row 802 for cyan ink, a nozzle row 803 for magenta ink, and a nozzle row 804 for yellow ink are arranged. These four color nozzle arrays are respectively composed of an Odd nozzle array and an Even nozzle array. That is, the nozzle row 801 includes 801a and 801b rows, the nozzle row 802 includes 802a and 802b rows, the nozzle row 803 includes 803a and 803b rows, and the nozzle row 804 includes 804a and 804b rows.

  Hereinafter, the arrangement of the ejection ports will be described in detail by taking the Odd nozzle row 801a and the Even nozzle row 801b of the black ink nozzle row 801 as an example.

  In the odd nozzle row 801a and the even nozzle row 801b, 240 discharge ports are arranged at a pitch of 600 dpi. The Odd nozzle row 801a and the Even nozzle row 801b are arranged with a displacement of 1200 dpi in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction). That is, by discharging ink while the recording head scans in the X direction (main scanning direction), an image having a width of about 10.16 mm can be recorded in the sub scanning direction at a resolution of 1200 dpi.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the cyan, magenta, and yellow nozzle rows also have the same configuration as the black nozzle row 801, and these four colors are arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction as shown in the drawing. .

  Next, the recording method in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the nozzle array of the recording head 1102 is shifted by θ1 on the downstream side in the transport direction compared to the upstream side in the transport direction. In the following, one color material will be described, but the same processing procedure is performed for other color materials.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting a mask pattern used for data generation in this embodiment.

  First, a test pattern for detecting the amount of inclination is recorded (step S1). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a test pattern in the present embodiment.

  Each of the test patterns is recorded by scanning the recording head 1102 a total of two times with 160 nozzles that are upstream in the transport direction and 160 nozzles that are downstream in the transport direction. At this time, the landing timing of the downstream 160 nozzles is shifted from −20 μm to +20 μm in steps of 5 μm with respect to the upstream 160 nozzles. Here, the + direction is a direction in which the discharge timing is delayed from the specified timing, and the − direction is a direction in which the discharge timing is advanced from the specified timing. Since the ejection timing is changed in this way, the landing in the main scanning direction is shifted between the downstream ink droplet and the upstream ink droplet. The test pattern has a low density because the dot coverage changes if there is an ink droplet landing deviation between the upstream side and the downstream side. That is, when there is no inclination of the recording head, the pattern at 0 μm has the highest density.

  Next, the tilt amount of the recording head 1102 is detected (step S2). As described above, when there is no inclination of the recording head, the density of the test pattern of pattern number 5 which is a 0 μm test pattern is the highest. However, the recording head 1102 of this embodiment is shifted by θ1 between the upstream side and the downstream side. Therefore, in the test patterns 1 to 9 of FIG. 6, the density is the highest when the pattern number is 7, that is, the landing deviation amount of the ink droplet in the main scanning direction is 10 μm. Therefore, an inclination is generated between the upstream nozzle and the downstream nozzle of the recording head according to the present embodiment, and landing is shifted by −10 μm in the main scanning direction. That is, the shift amount of θ1 in the main scanning direction is −10 μm. Since the pattern is recorded in increments of 5 μm, strictly speaking, an error of ± 2.5 μm is included.

  Based on the above result, the amount of inclination with the highest density is detected visually (step S2), and test pattern information (No. 7 in the present embodiment) corresponding thereto is input on the user interface (UI) (step S3). ). As a result, a mask pattern corresponding to the tilt amount is selected (step S4). The selected mask pattern is used for generating the recording data.

  FIG. 7 shows a mask pattern set corresponding to the tilt amount. In the present embodiment, a nozzle row composed of 480 ejection openings is divided into three in the sub-scanning direction, and printing is performed by applying one type of mask pattern to a partial nozzle group of one block. That is, multi-pass printing by three passes is performed. In this embodiment, multi-pass printing with three passes will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to three-pass printing, and main scanning with four or more passes is performed even in multi-pass printing with two passes. Thus, multi-pass printing for forming an image may be used.

  The inclination detection pattern numbers 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3, 7, 4, and 6 have the same absolute value of the landing deviation due to the inclination and are opposite in the amount shifted in the main scanning direction. In the pattern 5 when the recording head 1102 is not inclined, each block of the mask has an equal recording duty, that is, a thinning rate. As the amount of inclination increases, the recording duty by the downstream nozzle group decreases.

  As described above, when the print head is inclined, the thinning rate is increased by reducing the print duty of the nozzle group of the nozzle array having a large inclination. Thus, there is an effect on the landing deviation between the upstream nozzle and the downstream nozzle. On the other hand, when the recording head has a small inclination, the recording dots are distributed and recorded by a larger number of nozzles by multi-pass, so that the influence of ejection failure of each nozzle can be reduced. Therefore, in the present invention, in order to make the image degradation due to the tilt of the print head and the multipass effect coexist, a mask pattern corresponding to the tilt amount is provided.

  Note that each mask pattern is not limited to that shown in FIG. 7, and any mask pattern may be used as long as the total recording duty is 100% when image recording is completed by multipass recording.

  In the present embodiment, it is described that the inclination pattern is detected visually, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the determination may be made automatically by an optical sensor or the like. In the present embodiment, the nozzle row of one color has been described. However, the same mask pattern may be set for the nozzle rows of other colors, or the mask pattern may be set independently.

  Further, the detection width of the inclination detection pattern is set to a width of −20 μm to 20 μm, and corresponds to the case where the inclination of the recording head is different every 5 μm. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the mask and the printing scan in this embodiment. In this figure, six recording scans from the first recording scan to the sixth recording scan are shown, and an amount of paper feeding operation corresponding to one nozzle group is performed between the recording scans. Here, the recording head moves relative to the recording medium. In FIG. 8, the number written in each block is the recording duty of the mask pattern. The mask pattern of each block in each scan has a complementary relationship. That is, since the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment performs three-pass printing, an image is formed by three printing scans. For this reason, when the numerical values of the mask patterns of the partial nozzle groups are summed, 40% + 40% + 20% = 100%.

  In the present embodiment, the printing duty of the mask pattern of the partial nozzle group on the downstream side of the nozzle row is lowered to 20%, so that the ratio of printing by the downstream nozzle is compared with the printing by the partial nozzle group of other blocks. The total discharge amount is low. That is, when the ink discharge amount of each block is made equal, the recording duty of the mask pattern (mask pattern 5 corresponding to patch number 5) is 33.3%. However, in this embodiment, by setting the recording duty of the nozzle row of the downstream block to 20%, it is possible to prevent image deterioration due to deviation of the dot landing position due to the inclination θ1 of the recording head 1102.

  Thus, by selecting a mask pattern for each partial nozzle group, the recording duty can be lowered depending on the location of the nozzle row. Thereby, a mask pattern corresponding to the inclination can be selected, and the probability of dots ejected from the partial nozzle group of the block having a large absolute value of the inclination can be reduced. Therefore, the number of dots formed by shifting in the main scanning direction can be reduced. As a result, even when the recording head has an inclination, it is possible to suppress image defects without reducing the recording speed.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the case where the inclination of the recording head 1102 with respect to the recording medium P is the same in forward scanning and backward scanning has been described. However, in the present invention, the inclination of the recording head 1102 with respect to the recording medium P may be different between forward scanning and backward scanning. That is, as described above, due to the clearance between the carriage supporting member and the carriage swinging member, the carriage is tilted more than a certain amount by the action of the rotational moment according to the main traveling direction when the carriage moves. Move. The deviation of the landing positions of the ink droplets may be suppressed by the difference in inclination between the forward and backward scanning.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting a mask pattern used for data generation in this embodiment.

  First, a test pattern for detecting the tilt amount is recorded (step S21). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a test pattern in the present embodiment. Each test pattern is recorded by scanning the recording head 1102 twice in total with 80 nozzles upstream in the transport direction and 80 nozzles downstream in the transport direction. Also, two types of patterns are recorded: a pattern to be recorded by scanning the recording head 1102 in the forward direction and a pattern to be recorded by scanning in the backward direction.

  In the test pattern of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ejection timing of the downstream 160 nozzles is shifted from the upstream nozzle to +20 μm in increments of −20 μm to 5 μm. The + direction is a direction in which the discharge timing is delayed from the specified timing, and the − direction is a direction in which the discharge timing is set earlier than the specified timing. That is, when the recording head is not tilted, the pattern at 0 μm has the highest density.

  Based on the above result, the amount of inclination with the highest density is detected visually, and the test pattern information (in this embodiment, pattern number 6 is for forward scanning and pattern 9 is for backward scanning) according to the detected user interface (UI ) Input above (step S22). Then, it is detected whether or not the amount of inclination of the scan in the forward direction and the scan in the backward direction is the same (step S23). As a result, if the amount of inclination of the forward scan and the backward scan is the same, a mask pattern corresponding to the pattern number is selected as in the first embodiment (step S24). On the other hand, if the forward scan and the backward scan are not the same in inclination, the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, if the inclination amounts of the forward scan and the backward scan of the recording head are different, it is determined whether the absolute values of the forward scan and the backward scan are larger in the forward scan. When the absolute value of the inclination amount of the forward scanning is larger, if the absolute value of the inclination amount of the outward scanning is 10 μm or more (step S26), the mask pattern A is selected (step S27). On the other hand, if the absolute value of the inclination amount of the forward scanning is smaller than 10 μm (step S26), the mask pattern B is selected (step S28). In step S25, if the absolute value of the inclination amount of the backward scanning is larger, if the absolute value of the inclination amount of the backward scanning is smaller than 10 μm (step S29), the mask pattern C is selected (step S31). ). On the other hand, if the absolute value of the inclination of the backward scanning is 10 μm or more (step S29), the mask pattern D is selected (step S30). The selected mask pattern is used for generating the recording data.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a mask pattern set corresponding to the amount of inclination in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a nozzle array composed of 480 discharge ports is divided into three in the sub-scanning direction, and one type of mask pattern is used for each of the forward scanning and the backward scanning for a partial nozzle group of one block. Apply to to record. That is, multi-pass printing by three passes is performed. By using these mask patterns, when image recording is completed by three passes, the total is 100%.

  In this embodiment, multi-pass printing with three passes will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to three-pass printing, and main scanning with four or more passes is performed even in multi-pass printing with two passes. Thus, multi-pass printing for forming an image may be used. Further, the mask patterns are not limited to those shown in FIG. 11, and any mask patterns may be used as long as the total print duty is 100% when image recording is completed by multipass printing.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a mask pattern in the case where the inclination of the recording head 1102 is different between forward scanning and backward scanning in the present embodiment. In this case, the inclination of the forward scanning is θ1, and the inclination of the backward scanning is θ2. Further, θ1 <θ2.

  That is, in the test pattern shown in FIG. 10, the forward scan has the darkest color at pattern number 6, and the backward scan has the darkest color at pattern 9. That is, landing in the forward scanning is shifted by −5 μm in the main scanning direction, and landing in the backward scanning is shifted by −20 μm in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the amount of landing deviation in the main scanning direction between the upstream nozzle and the downstream nozzle due to the inclination θ1 is −5 μm, and the amount of landing deviation in the main scanning direction between the upstream nozzle and the downstream nozzle due to the inclination θ2 is −20 μm. At this time, since the absolute value of the inclination amount of the backward scanning is larger than that of the forward scanning and the difference is 15 μm, the mask pattern D is selected.

  In the mask pattern shown in FIG. 12, in this embodiment, the recording duty of the mask pattern of the partial nozzle group of each block in the forward scanning is 40%, 40%, and 20% from the upstream nozzle group. On the other hand, the printing duty of the mask pattern of each block in the backward scanning is 50%, 40%, and 10% from the upstream nozzle group. Since the backward scan has a larger inclination than the forward scan, the rate of decreasing the recording duty of the downstream partial nozzle group is large. In addition, since the mask pattern is changed between the forward path and the return path, it is possible to achieve both the effect of suppressing landing deviation due to inclination and the effect of multipath.

  As described above, even when the inclination of the print head in the forward scan and the backward scan is different, a set of mask patterns corresponding to the tilt is selected and ejected from the nozzle group of the block having a large absolute value of the tilt. Can reduce the probability of dots. Thereby, a mask pattern corresponding to the inclination can be selected, and the probability of dots ejected from the partial nozzle group of the block having a large absolute value of the inclination can be reduced. Therefore, the number of dots formed by shifting in the main scanning direction can be reduced. As a result, even when the recording head has an inclination, it is possible to suppress image defects without reducing the recording speed.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a state in which ejection openings for one color arranged in the recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention are viewed from the Z direction shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a control configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement configuration of ejection openings of a recording head applied to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which selects the mask pattern in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the test pattern in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mask pattern set corresponding to the amount of inclination in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the mask and recording scan in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which selects the mask pattern in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the test pattern in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mask pattern set corresponding to the amount of inclination in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the mask and recording scan in 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1101 Inkjet cartridge 1102 Recording head 1103 Paper feed roller 1104 Auxiliary roller 1105 Paper feed roller pair 1106 Carriage

Claims (5)

The same recording area of the recording medium is scanned a plurality of times with a recording head having a nozzle group in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and the same nozzle is used for the same recording area. An inkjet recording apparatus that records an image in a recording area,
Using a mask pattern corresponding to the nozzle group, comprising data generation means for generating print data for each of the plurality of scans,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein a thinning rate of a mask pattern corresponding to a nozzle group on the upstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium is different from a thinning rate of a mask pattern corresponding to a nozzle group on the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium. . Means for forming, on the recording medium, a plurality of test patterns for detecting an inclination amount of the nozzle group by the upstream nozzle group and the downstream nozzle group;
Means for inputting test pattern information selected from the plurality of test patterns;
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a mask pattern setting unit based on the input test pattern information.   The recording head includes a plurality of color material inks and has a plurality of nozzle groups that eject ink corresponding to each of the plurality of color materials, and the mask pattern is different for each nozzle corresponding to each color material. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is provided.   4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask pattern is different between forward scanning and backward scanning of the recording head. A recording head having a nozzle group in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged in the conveyance direction of the recording medium is scanned a plurality of times with respect to the same recording area of the recording medium, and the same recording area is formed by different nozzle groups. An ink jet recording method for recording an image on
An ink jet recording method, wherein mask patterns corresponding to the nozzle group on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and the nozzle group on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium are different mask patterns.

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