JP2010052248A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a printing speed from decreasing in the printing of superposing a plurality of inks or the like in a predetermined sequence to various kinds of printing media. <P>SOLUTION: A printing head 250 of a printer 200 includes nozzle arrays 251-258 in which a plurality of nozzles are formed side by side in a sub-scanning direction. The nozzle arrays 251 and 258 to eject metallic inks S are arranged at both ends of a main scanning direction of the printing head 250. The nozzle arrays 252-257 to eject color inks are arranged between the nozzle arrays 251 and 258. For example, in the case of printing of a metallic color to an opaque printing medium P1, the printer 200 ejects the metallic ink S by using only the nozzle array of the leading side of the scanning direction of the printing head 250 of the nozzle arrays 251 and 258. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus in which an image layer representing an image and a special gloss layer which is a layer different from the image layer are superimposed on a print medium.

  Conventionally, a method is known in which an undercoat layer is first formed on a print medium, and printing is further performed on the undercoat layer (for example, Patent Document 1 below). Such a method can be used for various printing methods, for example, when reproducing metallic colors of various tones.

Special Table 2002-530229

  In order to reproduce the metallic color, for example, when printing on an opaque printing medium, a layer of metallic ink may be formed on the printing medium, and the color ink may be superimposed on the layer and printed. When printing on a transparent print medium, the formation order of the metallic ink layer and the color ink layer is reversed.

  A serial type ink jet printer that performs printing by ejecting ink onto a print medium from nozzle rows arranged in the sub-scanning direction on the bottom surface of the print head while relatively moving the print head in the main scanning direction. When unidirectional printing is used, the order in which the ink layers are formed differs depending on the type of printing medium, so that it is necessary for the print head to reciprocate twice on the same raster to print one raster. May occur, resulting in a decrease in printing speed. Specifically, for example, when a nozzle for metallic ink is arranged at the end of the print head in the scanning direction, if printing is performed on an opaque print medium, each position on the print medium has a metallic mark. Since the ink is ejected before the color ink, one raster can be printed by one movement. However, when printing on a transparent print medium, the metallic ink layer and the color ink layer Since the formation order is reversed, it is necessary to form the metallic ink layer by the second movement after forming the color ink layer by the first movement.

  In addition, when bi-directional printing is performed using a serial inkjet printer, the type of ink that can be ejected first on each position on the print medium differs between the forward path and the backward path in the movement of the print head in the main scanning direction. In addition, the print head needs to reciprocate twice to form one raster, and one nozzle row needs to be divided into two for the metallic ink and the color ink in the sub-scanning direction, resulting in a decrease in printing speed. It was. Such a problem is not limited to metallic ink color printing, but is a common problem when printing is performed with a plurality of inks superimposed in a predetermined order.

  In light of the above-described problem, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent a decrease in printing speed when performing printing in which a plurality of inks and the like are superimposed in a predetermined order on various printing media.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

Application Example 1 A printing apparatus that forms an image layer representing an image and a special gloss layer that is different from the image layer on a print medium,
First connection means connectable to a storage container for storing the special gloss ink that forms the special gloss layer;
Second connection means connectable to a storage container for storing image ink forming the image layer;
A print head including a nozzle row group in which a plurality of nozzles for each ink color are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and the special gloss nozzle row that discharges the special gloss ink among the nozzle row group is the print head. An image nozzle array disposed at both ends of the head in the main scanning direction and ejecting the image ink includes a print head disposed between the special gloss nozzle arrays disposed at the both ends.
Printing is performed by ejecting the special gloss ink or the image ink from the special gloss nozzle row and the image nozzle row onto the print medium while moving the print head relative to the print medium in the main scanning direction. A printing device comprising: a printing means for performing;

  Since the printing apparatus having such a configuration includes the special gloss nozzle rows at both ends of the print head, if only one of the special gloss nozzle rows at both ends is used in accordance with the scanning direction of the print head, the same print head of the print head is used. In the scanning operation, even if ink is simultaneously ejected from both the special glossy nozzle row and the image nozzle row, the special glossy layer and the image layer can be printed in a desired overlapping order. Therefore, the printing speed is not reduced when printing is performed in any superposition order. In addition, in this application, a connection part includes the connection part of a storage container and a printing apparatus in case the storage container and printing apparatus of special gloss ink or image ink are comprised integrally.

[Application Example 2] In the printing apparatus according to Application Example 1, in the case where the special glossy layer and the image layer are superimposed on the print medium in order, the printing unit includes a special glossy nozzle array arranged at both ends. A printing apparatus that discharges special glossy ink only from the special glossy nozzle row at the head of the print head in the scanning direction.

  Since the printing apparatus having such a configuration discharges the special glossy ink only from the special gloss nozzle row arranged at both ends of the print head, the special gloss nozzle row on the head side in the scanning direction, in the same scanning operation of the print head, Even if the special gloss ink and the image ink are simultaneously ejected, a special gloss layer is first formed on the print medium, and an image layer is formed thereon. Therefore, when the special gloss layer and the image layer are superimposed on the print medium in order, the printing speed is not reduced.

[Application Example 3] In the printing apparatus according to Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, when the image layer and the special gloss layer are superimposed on the print medium in the order, the printing means includes the special gloss arranged at both ends. A printing apparatus that discharges special glossy ink only from a special glossy nozzle row on the end side in the scanning direction of the print head among the nozzle rows.

  Since the printing apparatus having such a configuration discharges the special glossy ink only from the special glossy nozzle row arranged at both ends of the print head, the special glossy nozzle row at the end in the scanning direction, in the same scanning operation of the print head, Even if the special gloss ink and the image ink are simultaneously ejected, an image layer is first formed on the print medium, and a special gloss layer is formed thereon. Therefore, when the image layer and the special glossy layer are superimposed on the print medium in this order, the printing speed is not reduced.

The above-described printing apparatus can also be applied to the special gloss ink of Application Example 4 or Application Example 5.
[Application Example 4] The printing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, wherein the special glossy ink is an ink in which the optical characteristic of the ink printed on the surface of the print medium has a reflection angle dependency.
Application Example 5 The printing apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, wherein the special glossy ink is an ink containing a pigment that expresses a metallic feeling.

A. Printing system overview:
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing system 10 as an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a printing system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a computer 100 serving as a print control apparatus, a printer 200 that actually prints an image under the control of the computer 100, and the like. The printing system 10 functions as a printing device in a broad sense as a whole.

  The printer 200 according to this embodiment includes cyan ink C, magenta ink M, yellow ink Y, black ink K, light cyan ink Lc, and light magenta ink Lm as color inks. Metallic ink S is provided. In the present embodiment, the term “color ink” includes black ink.

  The metallic ink is an ink in which a printed material exhibits a metallic feeling. As such a metallic ink, for example, an oil-based ink composition containing a metallic pigment that exhibits a metallic feeling, an organic solvent, and a resin can be used. . In order to produce a visually metallic texture effectively, the above-mentioned metal pigment is preferably tabular grains, the major axis on the plane of the tabular grains is X, the minor axis is Y, When the thickness is Z, the 50% average particle diameter R50 of the equivalent circle diameter determined from the area of the XY plane of the tabular grains is 0.5 to 3 μm, and the condition of R50 / Z> 5 is satisfied. It is preferable. Such a metal pigment can be formed of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or can be formed by crushing a metal vapor-deposited film. The concentration of the metal pigment contained in the metallic ink can be set to 0.1 to 10.0% by weight, for example. Of course, the metallic ink is not limited to such a composition, and any other composition can be adopted as long as it is a composition that produces a metallic feeling.

  In this example, the composition of the metallic ink S is 1.5% by weight of an aluminum pigment, 20% by weight of glycerin, 40% by weight of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and 0.1% by weight of BYK-UV3500 (manufactured by Big Chemie Japan Co., Ltd.). It was.

  A predetermined operating system is installed in the computer 100, and the application program 20 operates under this operating system. A video driver 22 and a printer driver 24 are incorporated in the operating system. The application program 20 inputs image data ORG from the digital camera 120 through the peripheral device interface 108, for example. Then, the application program 20 displays an image represented by the image data ORG on the display 114 via the video driver 22. The application program 20 outputs the image data ORG to the printer 200 via the printer driver 24. Image data ORG input from the digital camera 120 by the application program 20 is data composed of three color components of red (R), green (G), and blue (B).

  The application program 20 according to the present embodiment has a metallic color area (hereinafter referred to as “color area”) for an arbitrary area in the image data ORG, in addition to an area composed of R, G, B color components (hereinafter referred to as “color area”). (Hereinafter referred to as “metallic area”). The metallic area and the color area may overlap each other. That is, each area may be designated so that a color image is formed on a metallic color as a background color.

  Inside the printer driver 24, a color conversion module 42, a halftone module 44, and a print control module 46 are provided.

  The color conversion module 42, in accordance with a color conversion table LUT prepared in advance, for the color region in the image data ORG, color components (cyan (C), magenta (that can be expressed by the printer 200) for the color components R, G, B thereof. M), yellow (Y), black (K), light cyan (Lc), and light magenta (Lm).

  The halftone module 44 performs a halftone process in which the gradation of the image data color-converted by the color conversion module 42 is represented by dot distribution. In the present embodiment, a known systematic dither method is used as the halftone process. As the halftone process, an error diffusion method, a density pattern method, and other halftone techniques can be used in addition to the systematic dither method.

  The print control module 46 rearranges the data arrangement of the halftone-processed image data in the order to be transferred to the printer 200, and outputs the print data to the printer 200 as well as various print start commands and print end commands. Is output to the printer 200 to control the printer 200. Further, the print control module 46 performs dot formation with metallic ink in the metallic area designated by the application program 20.

B. Device configuration:
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a computer 100 as a print control apparatus. The computer 100 is a well-known computer configured by connecting a ROM 104, a RAM 106, and the like with a bus 116 around a CPU 102.

  The computer 100 includes a disk controller 109 for reading data such as the flexible disk 124 and the compact disk 126, a peripheral device interface 108 for exchanging data with peripheral devices, and a video interface 112 for driving the display 114. It is connected. A printer 200 and a hard disk 118 are connected to the peripheral device interface 108. Further, if the digital camera 120 or the color scanner 122 is connected to the peripheral device interface 108, it is possible to perform image processing on an image captured by the digital camera 120 or the color scanner 122. If the network interface card 110 is installed, the computer 100 can be connected to the communication line 300 to obtain data stored in the storage device 310 connected to the communication line. When the computer 100 obtains image data to be printed, the printer driver 24 controls the printer 200 to print the image data.

  Next, the configuration of the printer 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 200 is mounted on the carriage 240, a mechanism for transporting the print medium P by the paper feed motor 235, a mechanism for reciprocating the carriage 240 in the axial direction of the platen 236 by the carriage motor 230. A mechanism for driving the print head 250 to discharge ink and forming dots, and a control circuit 260 that controls the exchange of signals with the paper feed motor 235, the carriage motor 230, the print head 250, and the operation panel 266. ing.

  The mechanism for reciprocating the carriage 240 in the axial direction of the platen 236 is an endless drive between the carriage motor 230 and a slide shaft 233 that is installed in parallel with the platen 236 axis and slidably holds the carriage 240. A pulley 232 for stretching the belt 231 and a position detection sensor 234 for detecting the origin position of the carriage 240 are included.

  In the carriage 240, color ink ink cartridges 242 containing cyan ink C, magenta ink M, yellow ink Y, black ink K, light cyan ink Lc, and light magenta ink Lm as color inks, respectively. ˜247 are mounted. Further, ink cartridges 241 and 248 for metallic ink containing the same type of metallic ink S are mounted on the carriage 240. On the print head 250 below the carriage 240, six types of nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the above-described color inks and nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S are formed. When these ink cartridges 241 to 248 are mounted on the carriage 240 from above, ink can be supplied from each cartridge to the nozzle rows 251 to 258. The nozzle rows 251 and 258 are the special glossy nozzle row, the nozzle rows 252 to 257 are the image nozzle row, and the carriage 240 is the first connection means and the second connection. It corresponds to each means. In addition, the printer 200 is configured to individually mount the ink cartridges 241 and 248 for metallic ink in correspondence with the nozzle rows 251 and 258 that discharge the same type of metallic ink S. A single cartridge may be used as the cartridge.

  The control circuit 260 of the printer 200 is configured by connecting a CPU, ROM, RAM, PIF (peripheral device interface) and the like to each other via a bus, and controls the operations of the carriage motor 230 and the paper feed motor 235. The main scanning operation and the sub scanning operation of the carriage 240 are controlled. When print data output from the computer 100 is received via the PIF, each color is supplied by supplying a drive signal corresponding to the print data to the print head 250 in accordance with the movement of the carriage 240 in the main scanning or sub scanning. It is possible to drive the head. The control circuit 260 corresponds to the printing unit in the claims.

  The printer 200 having the above hardware configuration drives the carriage motor 230 to reciprocate the print head 250 (nozzle rows 251 to 258 for each color) in the main scanning direction with respect to the print medium P. By driving the paper feed motor 235, the print medium P is moved in the sub-scanning direction. The control circuit 260 performs printing by driving the nozzles at an appropriate timing based on the print data in accordance with the movement of the carriage 240 reciprocally (main scanning) or the movement of paper feeding of the printing medium (sub scanning). Ink dots of appropriate colors are formed at appropriate positions on the medium P. In this way, the printer 200 can print a color image on the print medium P. In the above-described configuration, each color ink is stored in a detachable cartridge mounted on the printer 200. However, the ink is stored in an ink storage tank configured separately from the printer 200, and the storage tank. And the printer 200 may be connected. Or you may accommodate in the storage container comprised integrally with the printer 200 so that attachment or detachment is impossible.

  The printer 200 according to the present embodiment has a basic setting of bidirectional printing that allows high-speed printing by ejecting ink in both the forward path and the backward path of the reciprocating movement of the print head 250 in the main scanning direction. By the operation using 20, the ink can be discharged only during the movement in one direction among the reciprocation of the print head 250, and one-way printing capable of high-quality printing can also be performed. Further, the printer 200 can use an opaque print medium such as plain paper or coated paper as a print medium P, or a transparent print medium such as an OHP film.

C. Print head details:
Details of the print head 250 described above are shown in FIG. This figure schematically shows the bottom surface of the print head 250 (the surface facing the print medium P). As shown in the figure, the print head 250 includes nozzle rows 251 to 258 in which a plurality of nozzles are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, each nozzle row is formed of 180 nozzles. These nozzle rows 251 to 258 correspond to the ink colors of the cartridges mounted on the carriage 240, the nozzle rows 251 and 258 eject the metallic ink S, and the nozzle rows 252 to 257 are respectively cyan ink C. , Magenta ink M, yellow ink Y, black ink K, light cyan ink Lc, and light magenta ink Lm. In this embodiment, the nozzle row corresponding to each ink color is configured by arranging the nozzles in a single row, but the arrangement of the nozzles in one nozzle row is not particularly limited. A plurality of rows of nozzles may be arranged in a staggered pattern.

  Further, as shown in the figure, in the print head 250, nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S are arranged at both ends of the print head 250 in the main scanning direction, and between the nozzle row 251 and the nozzle row 258. In addition, nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to color inks are arranged.

D. Printing process:
Next, print processing executed by the computer 100 by the operation of the printer driver 24 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the printing process in this embodiment. Note that the print medium P1 used in the present embodiment is an opaque print medium. When the printing process is started, the computer 100 inputs image data in which a metallic area and a color area are designated from the application program 20 by the printer driver 24 (step S400).

  When the image data is input, the computer 100 converts the RGB format image data into the CMYKLcLm format image data for the color area in the image data (step S410). When the image data in the CMYKLcLm format is obtained, the computer 100 performs halftone processing using the halftone module 44 and generates data that can be transferred to the printer 200 (step S420).

  Following the halftone process, the computer 100 determines whether the raster to be printed includes a metallic region (step S430). As a result, if it is not the metallic region (step S430: NO), only the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink are used among the nozzle rows 251 to 258 included in the print head 250, and the nozzle row corresponding to the metallic ink S is used. 251 and 258 decide not to use (step S480).

  On the other hand, if the raster to be printed includes a metallic area (step S430: YES), the computer 100 acquires the metallic ink amount for the metallic area in the image data, and performs halftone processing on the metallic ink data. (Step S440).

  Next, the computer 100 determines whether or not the scanning operation of the print head 250 to be performed is the forward operation of the reciprocating motion in the main scanning direction (step S450). As a result, if the operation is the forward operation (step S450: YES), the computer 100 causes the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink and the nozzles corresponding to the metallic ink S as shown in FIG. Of the rows 251 and 258, it is determined that the nozzle row 251 on the head side in the scanning direction of the print head 250 is used (the nozzle row 258 on the tail side in the scanning direction is not used) (step S460).

  On the other hand, if the scanning operation of the print head 250 to be performed is not the forward movement of the reciprocating movement in the main scanning direction, that is, if it is the backward movement (step S450: NO), the computer 100 performs FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink and the nozzle row 258 on the head side in the scanning direction of the print head 250 among the nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S are used. It is determined that the nozzle row 251 at the end in the scanning direction is not used (step S470).

  When the use nozzle row is determined, the computer 100 controls the printer 200 to perform printing by discharging metallic ink or color ink from the use nozzle row determined in steps S460 to S480 while scanning the print head 250 once. Execute (step S490).

  When the print head 250 is scanned once, the computer 100 determines whether or not printing of all rasters is completed (step S500). As a result, if printing has not been completed (step S500: NO), the computer 100 returns the process to step S430, and continues the printing process for a raster that has not been printed. On the other hand, if it is determined that printing has been completed (step S500: YES), the computer 100 ends the printing process.

  In such a printing process, the nozzle row 251 corresponding to the metallic ink S is first placed at a predetermined printing position on the print medium P1, regardless of whether the print head 250 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction, either forward or backward. 258 reaches before the other nozzle rows, and the metallic ink S is ejected before the color ink. Thereafter, as the print head 250 moves, the nozzle rows 252 to 257 reach the predetermined position, and the color ink is ejected. As shown in FIG. 6C, the printed matter printed in this manner is such that the metallic ink layer MR in which dots are formed by the metallic ink S is positioned on the print medium P1, and is superimposed on the color ink layer MR. The color ink layer CR in which dots are formed by ink is positioned. Such a printed matter is observed as a metallic color when viewed from the color ink layer CR side toward the printing medium P1.

  According to the printing process described above, the metallic ink S and the color ink are simultaneously ejected onto the opaque print medium P1 in both the forward and backward paths of the reciprocating movement of the print head 250 in the main scanning direction. Since printing can be performed, metallic color printing can be suitably performed without reducing the printing speed.

E. Variation:
A modification of the above embodiment will be described.
E-1. Modification 1:
In the embodiment, the processing for performing printing in the metallic color on the opaque print medium P1 has been exemplified. However, the print medium used for printing may be the transparent print medium P2. In such a case, in step S460, as shown in FIG. 7A, among the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink and the nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S, the print head 250 is set. It is determined that the nozzle row 258 at the end in the scanning direction is used (the nozzle row 251 at the head in the scanning direction is not used).

  On the other hand, in step S470, as shown in FIG. 7B, among the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink and the nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S, the end of the print head 250 in the scanning direction. The nozzle array 251 on the side is used (the nozzle array 258 on the head side in the scanning direction is not used).

  In this way, when printing a metallic color on the opaque print medium P2, the printer 200 is compatible with the metallic ink S disposed at both ends of the print head 250 in the reciprocating motion of the print head 250 in the main scanning direction. Of the nozzle rows 251 and 258, only the nozzle row on the end side in the scanning direction of the print head 250 is used.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, the printed matter printed in this way first has the color ink layer CR positioned on the print medium P2, and the metallic ink layer MR is positioned so as to overlap therewith. Such a printed matter is observed as a metallic color when observed from the printing medium P2 side toward the metallic ink layer MR. Even when such printing is performed, printing can be performed while discharging the metallic ink S and the color ink at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to suitably perform the printing of the metallic color without reducing the printing speed.

E-2. Modification 2:
In the embodiment and the first modification, the configuration in which metallic color printing is performed by bidirectional printing has been illustrated, but the printer 200 may perform unidirectional printing. When the metallic color is printed on the opaque print medium P1 by the unidirectional printing, the above steps S450 and S470 can be omitted, and in step S460, the computer 100 displays the color ink as shown in FIG. And the nozzle row 251 on the head side in the scanning direction of the print head 250 among the nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S (the nozzle row 258 on the tail side in the scanning direction is used). Not to use).

  The printed matter printed in this way has the configuration shown in FIG. 6C, as in the example. Even when such printing is performed, printing can be performed while discharging the metallic ink S and the color ink at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to suitably perform the printing of the metallic color without reducing the printing speed.

  On the other hand, when the metallic color is printed on the transparent print medium P2 by the unidirectional printing, the above steps S450 and S470 can be omitted. In step S460, the computer 100, as shown in FIG. Of the nozzle rows 252 to 257 corresponding to the color ink and the nozzle row 258 on the trailing side in the scanning direction of the print head 250 among the nozzle rows 251 and 258 corresponding to the metallic ink S, the nozzle row on the leading side in the scanning direction is used. 251 is not used).

  The printed matter printed in this way has the configuration shown in FIG. Even when such printing is performed, printing can be performed while discharging the metallic ink S and the color ink at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to suitably perform the printing of the metallic color without reducing the printing speed.

E-3. Modification 3:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the metallic ink S layer and the color ink layer are formed on the print medium so as to be superimposed on each other, and the metallic color printing is exemplified. The present invention is not limited to the combination of the ink S layer and the color ink layer, and any layer that superimposes an image layer representing an image and various special glossy ink layers may be used. Special gloss ink is an ink that exhibits special gloss on the surface of the printed media, and reflects the optical properties of the ink printed on the surface of the print medium in addition to the metallic ink containing a pigment that expresses a metallic feeling. The ink may have angle dependency and may have various appearances depending on the viewing angle. Specifically, as the ink, in addition to the metallic ink, a pearly ink containing a pigment that develops a pearly luster after fixing on the medium surface, a so-called lame sensation caused by irregular reflection after fixing on the medium surface. A laminar ink or a pigmented ink containing a pigment having fine irregularities so as to express a textured background can be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the special glossy ink, but can be applied to the case where the image layer and an auxiliary layer for assisting the image layer are superimposed. As the auxiliary layer, for example, a layer for assisting the expression of the image layer can be used. Here, “assisting the expression of the image layer” means to exhibit or change the color expression of the image layer. As an auxiliary material for forming the auxiliary layer, for example, the color expression of the image layer is exhibited. For example, white ink used as a base or various inks with concealment may be used.

  The auxiliary layer may be a layer that protects or hides the image layer, for example. As an auxiliary layer for protecting or concealing the image layer, an overcoat agent for protecting the image layer by preventing ink peeling or deterioration, or forming a layer of porous fine particles, etc. You may form with an undercoat agent etc. for improving fixability. Or you may form with an ink with small fixing power for creating a scratch card.

  As described above, when printing is performed with various layers and image layers superimposed, the order of forming the auxiliary layers and the image layers on the print medium is taken into consideration, as in the above-described embodiments and modifications. It is only necessary to determine which nozzle row to use among the nozzle rows corresponding to the auxiliary layers arranged at both ends of the print head 250. Further, the image layer is not limited to the color inks of a plurality of colors as in the embodiment, and may be a single color ink such as black ink K, for example.

E-4. Modification 4:
In the above-described embodiment, the printing process illustrated in FIG. 5 is performed in the printing system 10 (broadly defined printing apparatus) configured by the computer 100 and the printer 200. The CPU in the control circuit 260 of the printer 200 is A process equivalent to the printing process may be executed. In this way, image data can be input from a digital camera, various memory cards, and the like, and suitable printing can be performed by the printer 200 without using the computer 100.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to such embodiment, Of course, in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can implement in a various aspect. For example, the present invention is not limited to the form as a printing apparatus, but can be realized as a program or the like.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing system 10 as an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a computer 100 as a print control apparatus. 2 is a configuration diagram of a printer 200. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the print head 250. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a printing process. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a driving state of a print head in printing processing. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a driving state of a print head in printing processing as a modification. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a driving state of a print head in printing processing as a modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printing system 20 ... Application program 22 ... Video driver 24 ... Printer driver 42 ... Color conversion module 44 ... Halftone module 46 ... Print control module 100 ... Computer 102 ... CPU
104 ... ROM
106 ... RAM
108 ... peripheral device interface 109 ... disk controller 110 ... network interface card 112 ... video interface 114 ... display 116 ... bus 118 ... hard disk 120 ... digital camera 122 .. Color scanner 124 ... Flexible disk 126 ... Compact disk 200 ... Printer 230 ... Carriage motor 231 ... Drive belt 232 ... Pulley 233 ... Slide shaft 234 ... Position detection Sensor 235 ... Paper feed motor 236 ... Platen 240 ... Carriage 241 to 248 ... Ink cartridge 250 ... Print head 251 to 258 ... Nozzle array 260 ... Control circuit 266 ... Operation panel 300 ... Communication line 310 ... Storage device ORG ... Image data LUT ... Color conversion table S ... Metallic ink ... Cyan ink M ... Magenta ink Y ... Yellow ink K ... Black ink Lc ... Light cyan ink Lm ... Light magenta ink P, P1, P2 ... Print media MR ... Metallic ink layer CR ... Color ink layer

Claims (5)

A printing apparatus that forms an image layer representing an image and a special gloss layer that is different from the image layer on a print medium,
First connection means connectable to a storage container for storing the special gloss ink that forms the special gloss layer;
Second connection means connectable to a storage container for storing image ink forming the image layer;
A print head including a nozzle row group in which a plurality of nozzles for each ink color are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and the special gloss nozzle row that discharges the special gloss ink among the nozzle row group is the print head. An image nozzle array disposed at both ends of the head in the main scanning direction and ejecting the image ink includes a print head disposed between the special gloss nozzle arrays disposed at the both ends.
Printing is performed by ejecting the special gloss ink or the image ink from the special gloss nozzle row and the image nozzle row onto the print medium while moving the print head relative to the print medium in the main scanning direction. And a printing device. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
When superimposing the special gloss layer and the image layer on the print medium in the order, the printing means includes a special gloss nozzle array arranged at both ends of the special gloss nozzle array on the head side in the scanning direction of the print head. A printing apparatus that ejects the special glossy ink only from the glossy nozzle row. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
In the case where the image layer and the special glossy layer are superimposed on the print medium in the order, the printing unit includes a special glossy nozzle array arranged at both ends of the special glossy nozzle array on the end side in the scanning direction of the print head. A printing apparatus that ejects the special glossy ink only from the glossy nozzle row.   4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the special glossy ink is an ink in which an optical characteristic of ink printed on the surface of the print medium has a reflection angle dependency. 5.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the special glossy ink is an ink containing a pigment exhibiting a metallic feeling.

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