JP2022043904A - Printer and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce blur of colors without an increase in the size of a printing facility.SOLUTION: A printer (100) includes inkjet heads (2K to 2Y), a direct plate heater (4) facing the inkjet heads (2K to 2Y) while sandwiching the film (F), and a pair of intermediate plate heaters (5) which are arranged on a conveyance path between the inkjet heads (2K to 2Y) and face each other while sandwiching the film (F).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method, and more particularly to a printing apparatus and a printing method for printing by an inkjet method.

Conventionally, an inkjet printing device that does not require a plate such as a gravure is known. As the inkjet ink, UV ink or water-based ink is the mainstream. UV ink is less likely to cause head clogging, but has problems such as odor of printed matter and migration of uncured ink into the container. For this reason, the development of water-based inks has been progressing in recent years.

As a method for drying the water-based ink, there are (1) a method of drying the ink every time one color is printed, and (2) a method of drying all CMYK inks at once. Further, in relation to the method (2), Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus in which a plurality of inkjet heads are arranged so as to be displaced in the transport direction of the medium.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-117921

However, in the case of the above method (1), if a drying unit is arranged for each color in order to dry each color, there is a problem that the equipment becomes large. On the other hand, in the case of (2) above, since only one drying unit is required, there is an advantage that the equipment can be miniaturized and color shift is less likely to occur. On the other hand, since the next ink is printed in a state where the ink is not dry, there is a problem that color bleeding occurs.

One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method in which color bleeding is reduced without increasing the size of equipment. be.

In order to solve the above problems, a plurality of printing devices according to one aspect of the present invention are arranged at intervals along the transport path of the medium, and each of them has an inkjet head for ejecting ink of a different color and the medium. It includes a first heater that faces the inkjet head with the ink jet head in between, and a pair of second heaters that are arranged in the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads and face each other with the medium in between.

In order to solve the above problems, the printing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a ejection step of ejecting inks of different colors to the medium from a plurality of inkjet heads arranged at intervals along the transport path of the medium. And, the first heating step of heating the medium by the first heater facing the inkjet head across the medium, and the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads are arranged and facing each other across the medium. It comprises a second heating step of heating the medium with a pair of second heaters.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method in which color bleeding is reduced without increasing the size of equipment.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an arrangement of nozzles included in the inkjet head shown in FIG. 1. It is a top view which shows the facing surface of the intermediate plate heater shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of the intermediate plate heater shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the heating state of the film using the intermediate plate heater shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. However, the following description is an example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

[Overall configuration of printing equipment]
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The printing apparatus 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by an inkjet method while conveying the film (medium) F at a constant speed. The printing apparatus 100 employs a roll-to-roll method in which a roll-shaped film F is unwound for printing, and the printed film F is wound up in a roll shape. In the figure, the arrow X indicates the transport direction of the film F (the length direction of the film F), the arrow Y indicates the thickness direction of the film F, and the arrow Z indicates the width direction of the film F.

In the present embodiment, the ink used in the printing apparatus 100 is a water-based ink whose main component is water, and the film F is a plastic film such as a shrink film, a stretch film, or a non-heat shrinkable film. The printing apparatus 100 ejects ink to the front surface Fa of the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F facing the thickness direction Y to perform printing. The material of the film F is not limited to plastic, but may be paper, metal, or the like. Further, the ink is not limited to the water-based ink, and may be a solvent ink or the like whose main component is an organic solvent.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 includes a winding roller 11, a transport roller 12 to 17, and a take-up roller 18 as a transport mechanism for transporting the film F in the transport direction X. Each of these rollers 11 to 18 has a rotatably supported cylindrical shape and is arranged along the transport path of the film F. The film F unwound from the unwinding roller 11 passes through the transport rollers 12 to 17 and is wound up by the winding roller 18. During this time, ink is ejected onto the surface Fa of the film F, and the ejected ink is dried to fix the ink.

The printing apparatus 100 includes an inkjet head 2K, 2C, 2M, 2Y, a pair of preheating plate heaters 3, a direct plate heater (first heater) 4, and a pair of intermediate plate heaters (second heater) 5. , A drying unit 6 is provided.

(Inkjet head)
The inkjet heads 2K, 2C, 2M, and 2Y (hereinafter, may be referred to as inkjet heads 2K to 2Y and the like) are arranged in this order at intervals along the transport path of the film F. The inkjet heads 2K to 2Y each eject inks of different colors to the film F. Specifically, the inkjet head 2K ejects black ink, the inkjet head 2C ejects cyan ink, the inkjet head 2M ejects magenta ink, and the inkjet head 2Y ejects yellow ink. As a result, the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y eject ink to the film F in the order of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow at different positions in the transport path.

The arrangement of the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y is not limited to the above-mentioned order, and can be changed as appropriate. Further, the printing apparatus 100 may further include another inkjet head that ejects ink of a color different from that of the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y.

The inkjet heads 2K to 2Y are arranged on the surface Fa side of the film F so as to be substantially parallel to the width direction Z of the film F. The inkjet heads 2K to 2Y are line heads in which a plurality of nozzles 21 are arranged along the width direction Z of the film F on the surface 2a facing the film F (see FIG. 2). The inkjet heads 2K to 2Y eject ink from each nozzle 21 to the surface Fa of the film F. By adopting the line head type inkjet heads 2K to 2Y, it is not necessary to move the film F of the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y in the width direction Z. Therefore, the printing apparatus 100 can print at high speed.

(Preheating plate heater)
The pair of preheating plate heaters 3 are a pair of flat heaters arranged on the upstream side of 2K of the inkjet head and facing each other with the film F interposed therebetween. The pair of preheating plate heaters 3 preheat the film F before the ink is ejected by the inkjet head 2K.

The preheating plate heater 3 has a built-in heat source, and the surface facing the film F 3a is heated by this heat source. As a result, the pair of preheating plate heaters 3 heat the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F by the radiant heat from each of the facing surfaces 3a. Further, a duct 71 is connected to the preheating plate heater 3, and a blowing hole for sending the warm air A supplied from the duct 71 toward the film F is formed on the facing surface 3a. The pair of preheating plate heaters 3 heat the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F by sending warm air A from each of the facing surfaces 3a to the film F in addition to the radiant heat. Since the ink is printed on the film F warmed by the preheating plate heater 3, the ink dries easily. Further, the same effect can be obtained by the intermediate plate heater 5 described later, and the ink to be printed next becomes easy to dry.

The preheating plate heater 3 does not have a built-in heat source, and may be configured to send the warm air A supplied from the duct 71 toward the film F.

(Direct plate heater)
The direct plate heater 4 is a flat heater that is arranged directly under each of the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y and faces the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y with the film F interposed therebetween. In the present embodiment, the four direct plate heaters 4 are arranged in the transport path so that one direct plate heater 4 is arranged directly under each of the four inkjet heads 2K to 2Y. The direct plate heater 4 is arranged on the back surface Fb side of the film F and heats the back surface Fb of the film F. As a result, the ink is heated at the moment when the ink jet heads 2K to 2Y land on the surface Fa of the film F, so that the ink can be heated efficiently.

The plate heater 4 directly underneath has a built-in heat source, and the surface 4a facing the film F is heated by this heat source. As a result, the direct plate heater 4 heats the back surface Fb of the film F by the radiant heat from the facing surface 4a. Further, a duct 72 is connected to the plate heater 4 directly underneath, and a blow hole for sending the warm air A supplied from the duct 72 toward the film F is formed on the facing surface 4a. The direct plate heater 4 heats the back surface Fb of the film F by sending warm air A from the facing surface 4a to the film F in addition to the radiant heat.

(Intermediate plate heater)
The pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 are a pair of flat heaters arranged in a transport path between adjacent inkjet heads 2K and 2Y and facing each other with the film F interposed therebetween. Each of the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 is arranged on the front surface Fa side and the back surface Fb side of the film F, and heats both the front surface Fa side and the back surface Fb of the film F.

In the present embodiment, a pair of intermediate plate heaters are provided for each of the transport paths between the inkjet head 2K and the inkjet head 2C, between the inkjet head 2C and the inkjet head 2M, and between the inkjet head 2M and the inkjet head 2Y. Two 5s are arranged. These intermediate plate heaters heat the ink printed on the film F in each of the transport paths between the adjacent inkjet heads 2K and 2Y. The number of the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged in the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads 2K and 2Y is not limited to two. However, from the viewpoint of downsizing of the equipment, the number of the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged in the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads 2K and 2Y is preferably two or less.

Here, when the next ink is ejected in a state where the ink is not dry, bleeding between the inks occurs. In particular, when printing on a plastic film using water-based ink as in the present embodiment, bleeding between the inks is likely to occur.

Therefore, in the printing apparatus 100, the ink landed on the film F is heated by the plate heater 4 directly underneath and the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side thereof, and the ink is semi-dried. Semi-drying refers to a state in which at least the surface of the ink is dried (cured) to the extent that the inks do not bleed from each other. As a result, when the next ink of a different color lands on the film F, the previously printed ink is in a semi-dried state, so that bleeding between the inks of different colors can be reduced.

As described above, since the direct plate heater 4 heats the ink at the moment when it lands on the surface Fa of the film F, the ink can be semi-dried more efficiently. Therefore, by arranging the plate heater 4 directly underneath, the ink can be semi-dried even if the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side thereof is designed to be relatively small. Therefore, the printing device 100 can be downsized by arranging the plate heater 4 directly underneath.

The intermediate plate heater 5 has a built-in heat source, and the surface facing the film F 5a is heated by this heat source. As a result, the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 heat the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F by the radiant heat from each of the facing surfaces 5a. Further, a duct 73 is connected to the intermediate plate heater 5, and a blow hole for sending the warm air A supplied from the duct 73 toward the film F is formed on the facing surface 5a (see FIG. 3). The pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 heat the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F by sending warm air A from each of the facing surfaces 5a to the film F in addition to the radiant heat.

(Drying unit)
The drying unit 6 is a drying chamber arranged on the downstream side of the inkjet head 2Y. The drying unit 6 heats the film F after the inks of each color are ejected by the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y. As a result, the ink of each color printed on the film F is completely dried (hereinafter, may be referred to as total drying), and the ink is fixed on the film F.

A plurality of hot air heaters 61 are arranged inside the drying unit 6 along the transport path. The hot air heater 61 is arranged on the surface Fa side, and blows warm air onto the surface Fa of the film F. The ink and the film F are heated by the blown warm air and the heat (heated air) in the drying unit 6, and the ink of each color printed on the surface Fa of the film F is completely dried to make the ink on the film F. Is established.

[Inkjet head configuration]
Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configurations of the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y included in the printing apparatus 100 will be described. The inkjet heads 2K to 2Y have basically the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, only the configuration example of the inkjet head 2K will be described, and the description of the configuration of the inkjet heads 2C to 2Y will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement of nozzles 21 included in the inkjet head 2K shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet head 2K has a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles 21 for ejecting ink are arranged in the width direction Z of the film F on a facing surface 2a facing the surface Fa of the film F. In the illustrated example, the inkjet head 2K has three rows of nozzles arranged parallel to each other. Each of the nozzle rows is arranged with a half pitch shift in the width direction Z of the film F so that the plurality of nozzles 21 are arranged in a staggered pattern. By arranging the plurality of nozzles 21 in a staggered manner in this way, the printing speed of the printing apparatus 100 is improved. Further, the dot pitch of the printing apparatus 100 can be made finer, and the printing accuracy is improved. The nozzle rows of the inkjet head 2K are not limited to three rows, and may be two rows or four or more rows.

[Details of plate heater]
Next, the configurations of the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, and the intermediate plate heater 5 included in the printing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, and the intermediate plate heater 5 have basically the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, only the configuration example of the intermediate plate heater 5 will be described, and the description of the configurations of the preheating plate heater 3 and the direct plate heater 4 will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a facing surface 5a of the intermediate plate heater 5 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of the intermediate plate heater 5 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the intermediate plate heater 5, the facing surface 5a facing the film F is rectangular, its short side is parallel to the transport direction X, and its long side is parallel to the width direction Z of the film F. It is placed in the transport path in the direction of

A plurality of blower holes 51 for sending warm air A toward the film F are formed on the facing surface 5a of the intermediate plate heater 5. In the illustrated example, the intermediate plate heater 5 has a row of blower holes in which six blower holes 51 are lined up along the transport direction X. These blower hole rows are formed in three rows so as to be parallel to each other at predetermined intervals in the width direction Z of the film F.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a flow path 52 for guiding the warm air A supplied from the duct 73 to the air blowing hole 51 is formed inside the intermediate plate heater 5. One end 52a of the flow path 52 is connected to the duct 73, and warm air A flows from the one end 52a into the flow path 52. On the other hand, a cap is fitted to the other end 52b of the flow path 52 so that the warm air A does not leak from the other end 52b. In the illustrated example, six flow paths 52 are formed in parallel with each other along the width direction Z of the film F, and three air flow holes 51 are branched from each of the flow paths 52.

The intermediate plate heater 5 uniformly heats the film F by the radiant heat from the facing surface 5a. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which warm air is directly blown onto the film F to dry the ink, it is possible to suppress the ink printed on the film F from flowing under the influence of the wind.

Further, in addition to the above-mentioned radiant heat, the intermediate plate heater 5 sends a small amount of warm air A from the air blowing hole 51 toward the film F. As a result, the ink printed on the film F is heated more efficiently.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a heating state of the film F using the intermediate plate heater 5 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 facing each other across the film F send warm air A toward the film F from each of the facing surfaces 5a facing the film F. At this time, the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 adjust the air volume of the warm air A so that the ink printed on the film F does not flow. Therefore, the ink printed on the film F can be heated by the warm air A without flowing.

Further, in each of the pair of intermediate plate heaters, the air volume of the hot air A is adjusted so that a gap is formed between each of the facing surfaces 5a and the film F. For example, a gap D1 is generated between the front surface Fa of the film F and the facing surface 5a located on the front surface Fa side, and a gap D2 is formed between the back surface Fb of the film F and the facing surface 5a located on the back surface Fb side. The air volume of the hot air A is adjusted so as to occur. This enables floating drying in which each of the facing surfaces 5a and the film F do not come into contact with each other, and damage to the film F due to contact between the facing surfaces 5a and the film F can be prevented.

The gap D1 and the gap D2 are both preferably about 1 mm. If the gap D1 and the gap D2 are too large, the heating efficiency of the film F will decrease, and if the gap D1 and the gap D2 are too small, the film F will flutter or the film F will be adversely affected by heat. Therefore, by setting both the gap D1 and the gap D2 to about 1 mm, the film F can be efficiently heated while suppressing the above-mentioned problems.

The printing apparatus 100 may include an elevating mechanism that supports the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, and the intermediate plate heater 5 so as to be elevated. Examples of the elevating mechanism include an electric cylinder driven by a motor, a hydraulic cylinder driven by hydraulic pressure, and the like. Thereby, the heights of the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4 and the intermediate plate heater 5 can be easily adjusted according to the type of ink, the thickness of the film F, the material, and the like.

Further, the heating temperature, the air volume of the warm air A, and the like may be different in each of the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, and the intermediate plate heater 5. Thereby, the optimum heating conditions can be set according to the type of ink, the thickness of the film F, the material, and the like.

It is also possible to use a heater other than the plate heater instead of the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, or the intermediate plate heater 5. However, it is particularly preferable to use a plate heater from the viewpoint of suppressing ink flow and downsizing of equipment.

[Operation of printing device]
Next, an operation example (printing method) of the printing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In the printing apparatus 100, the preheating plate heater 3, the direct plate heater 4, and the intermediate plate heater 5 send warm air A from their respective facing surfaces 3a, 4a, and 5a toward the film F, so that the film is in a floating state. F is designed to be heated.

When printing on the film F, the printing device 100 drives a transport mechanism to transport the film F in the transport direction X at a constant speed. The film F unwound from the unwinding roller 11 first passes through a pair of preheating plate heaters 3 on the most upstream side in the transport path from the unwinding roller 11 to the winding roller 18. At this time, both sides of the film F are heated by the radiant heat from the pair of preheating plate heaters 3 and the warm air A. As a result, the front surface Fa and the back surface Fb of the film F are preheated by the pair of preheating plate heaters 3.

Next, the film F passes through the inkjet head 2K, and black ink lands on the surface Fa (ejection step). At this time, the back surface Fb of the film F is heated by the radiant heat from the plate heater 4 directly below and the warm air A (first heating step). Therefore, the black ink is heated at the moment when it lands on the surface Fa of the film F.

Next, the film F passes through a pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side of the inkjet head 2K (second heating step). At this time, both sides of the film F are heated by the radiant heat from the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 and the warm air A. As a result, the black ink that has landed on the film F in the inkjet head 2K is semi-dried without flowing.

Next, the film F passes through the inkjet head 2C, and the cyan ink lands on the surface Fa (ejection step). At this time, since the black ink landed on the inkjet head 2K is semi-dried, bleeding between the inks is reduced. Further, the back surface Fb of the film F is heated by the radiant heat from the plate heater 4 directly below and the warm air A (first heating step). Therefore, the cyan ink is heated at the moment when it lands on the surface Fa of the film F.

Next, the film F passes through a pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side of the inkjet head 2C (second heating step). At this time, both sides of the film F are heated by the radiant heat from the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 and the warm air A. As a result, the cyan ink that has landed on the film F in the inkjet head 2C is semi-dried without flowing.

Next, the film F is conveyed to the inkjet head 2M, and the magenta ink lands on the surface Fa (ejection step). At this time, since the cyan ink landed on the inkjet head 2C is semi-dried, bleeding between the inks is reduced. Further, the back surface Fb of the film F is heated by the radiant heat from the plate heater 4 directly below and the warm air A (first heating step). Therefore, the magenta ink is heated at the moment when it lands on the surface Fa of the film F.

Next, the film F passes through a pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side of the inkjet head 2M (second heating step). At this time, both sides of the film F are heated by the radiant heat from the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 and the warm air A. As a result, the magenta ink that has landed on the film F in the inkjet head 2M is semi-dried without flowing.

Next, the film F is conveyed to the inkjet head 2Y, and the yellow ink lands on the surface Fa (ejection step). At this time, since the magenta ink landed on the inkjet head 2M is semi-dried, bleeding between the inks is reduced. Further, the back surface Fb of the film F is heated by the radiant heat from the plate heater 4 directly below and the warm air A (first heating step). Therefore, the yellow ink is heated at the moment when it lands on the surface Fa of the film F.

Next, the film F on which all the inks are printed passes through the drying unit 6. The ink and the film F are heated by the warm air blown from each of the plurality of hot air heaters 61 arranged inside the drying unit 6 and the heated air in the drying unit 6. As a result, the ink of each color printed on the surface Fa of the film F is completely dried, so that the ink is fixed on the film F.

The film F on which the ink is fixed is wound by the take-up roller 18, and a series of operations of the printing apparatus 100 is completed.

[Effect of printing equipment]
As described above, a plurality of printing devices 100 according to the present embodiment are arranged at intervals along the transport path of the film F, and the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y, each of which ejects inks of different colors to the film F, and the film. A plate heater 4 directly underneath the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y facing the inkjet heads 2K to 2Y across the F, and a pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged in the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads 2K to 2Y and facing each other across the film F. Be prepared.

In the printing apparatus 100, the ink landed on the film F is heated without flowing by the plate heater 4 directly below and the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5 arranged on the downstream side thereof. Therefore, when the next ink lands, the ink that lands first is semi-dried, so that bleeding between the inks can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce color bleeding as compared with the conventional method of printing all CMYK and then drying them all at once.

Further, the printing apparatus 100 can have a structure in which each color is printed and then completely dried by using one drying unit 6. Therefore, unlike the conventional method of drying ink for each color (total drying), it is not necessary to arrange a plurality of drying units, and the printing apparatus 100 can be designed to be relatively compact. In addition, since it is not necessary to secure a space for arranging the drying unit between the inkjet heads 2K and 2Y, not only the equipment is downsized but also printing misalignment between colors is less likely to occur, enabling high-precision printing. Become. Further, the energy consumption used for drying can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100, the film F is heated by radiant heat by using the plate heater 4 directly underneath and the pair of intermediate plate heaters 5. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which warm air is directly blown onto the film F to dry the ink, it is possible to prevent the ink after landing from flowing under the influence of the wind.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize the printing apparatus 100 with reduced color bleeding without increasing the size of the equipment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the present invention relates to other embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

2K, 2C, 2M, 2Y Inkjet head 3 Preheating plate heater 4 Direct plate heater (1st heater)
4a Opposing surface 5 Intermediate plate heater (second heater)
5a Facing surface 21 Nozzle 51 Blower hole 100 Printing device D1 Gap D2 Gap F Film (medium)

Claims (4)

Inkjet heads that are arranged at intervals along the transport path of the medium and eject ink of different colors to the medium.
A first heater facing the inkjet head with the medium in between,
A pair of second heaters arranged in the transport path between adjacent inkjet heads and facing each other across the medium, and a pair of second heaters.
A printing device equipped with. The first heater and the second heater include a facing surface facing the medium.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a blower hole for sending wind toward the medium is formed on the facing surface. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first heater and the second heater blow air toward the medium from the blow holes so that a gap is formed between the facing surface and the medium. A ejection process in which inks of different colors are ejected to the medium from a plurality of inkjet heads arranged at intervals along the transport path of the medium.
A first heating step of heating the medium by a first heater facing the inkjet head with the medium sandwiched between them.
A second heating step of heating the medium by a pair of second heaters arranged in the transport path between the adjacent inkjet heads and facing each other across the medium.
Printing methods including.

Images