JP2023108818A - Liquid discharge device, liquid discharge system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide means that can reduce density unevenness of a formed image, when variation occurs in amount of liquid that is discharged from a nozzle.SOLUTION: A head 32 includes a plurality of nozzle rows in which a plurality of nozzles 33 are arranged in a sub scanning direction at predetermined pitch. The nozzles 33 are positioned at positions deviated in the sub scanning direction, between the plurality of nozzle rows. An EEPROM 44 of a printer 10 memorizes first error information concerning discharge amounts of ink from the first nozzle in the first nozzle row and second error information concerning discharge amounts of ink discharged from the second nozzle in the second nozzle row. A control part 40 performs density correction to a first line of the image data, on the basis of the first error information and the second error information to obtain first data showing the discharge amounts of ink discharged from the first nozzle and second data showing the discharge amounts of ink discharged from the second nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus, a liquid ejection system, and a program for ejecting liquid onto a sheet.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200012 describes a liquid ejection apparatus capable of forming dots on a medium with high resolution and high speed. This liquid ejecting apparatus has a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at the same pitch. and a second nozzle row that is shifted in the arranging direction, and forms dots in either the first mode or the second mode. In the second mode, the first dot row formed by the nozzles in the first nozzle row and the second dot row formed by the nozzles in the second nozzle row are shifted in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles are arranged. The distance between the first dot rows is set larger than in the first mode.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-320110

In a liquid ejecting apparatus, variations occur in the nozzle diameter. Therefore, when liquid of the same color is ejected from nozzles in a plurality of nozzle rows, the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles varies, resulting in density unevenness in the image formed on the sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a means capable of reducing density unevenness of a formed image even when the amount of liquid ejected from nozzles varies. That is.

(1) The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention has a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in a first direction, and a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction. a head including at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row; a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a controller; and a memory. ing. The nozzles in the second nozzle row are located at positions shifted in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row. The control unit performs an acquisition process for acquiring image data of an image to be formed, and first data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row for one line of the image data. and second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle corresponding to the first nozzle in the second nozzle row; and an ejection process of ejecting liquid from the first nozzle based on the data and ejecting liquid from the second nozzle based on the second data. The memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle. In the conversion process, the control unit performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory, and converts the first data into and acquire the second data.

According to the liquid ejecting apparatus, when forming one line of an image by ejecting the liquid from the first nozzle and the second nozzle, the density of the image data is calculated based on the first error information and the second error information. Correction is made. Therefore, even if the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles varies, the density unevenness of the formed image can be reduced.

(2) Preferably, in the ejection process, the controller moves the carriage in a first direction along the second direction to eject the liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data. Also, a first ejection process of ejecting liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data, and moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the liquid in the first nozzle row , a third nozzle different from the first nozzle, and a fourth nozzle different from the second nozzle in the second nozzle row to eject the liquid. The memory further stores third error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the third nozzle and fourth error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the fourth nozzle. In the conversion process, the control section performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first to fourth error information stored in the memory, and 2 Get data.

(3) Preferably, in the conversion process, the control unit performs, based on the first to fourth error information stored in the memory and the coverage ratios set for the first to fourth nozzles, Density correction is performed on one line of the image data to acquire the first data and the second data.

(4) Preferably, in the conversion process, the control unit performs density correction for one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory. and performing density correction for one line of the image data based on the first to fourth error information stored in the memory is switched for each line of the image data.

(5) Preferably, the memory stores, for each nozzle included in the head, error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle.

(6) Preferably, the memory stores, for each nozzle row included in the head, error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles included in the nozzle row.

(7) Preferably, the controller acquires the total amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles included in the head based on the first data and the second data.

(8) The liquid ejection system of the present invention comprises a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction, and a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at the predetermined pitch in the first direction. a head including at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row; a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a first controller; and a memory. The nozzles in the second nozzle row are located at positions shifted in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row. The first control unit performs an acquisition process for acquiring image data of an image to be formed, and a first control unit for representing the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row for one line of the image data. 1 data and second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle corresponding to the first nozzle in the second nozzle row. The second control unit moves the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data, and ejects liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data. to run. The memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle. In the conversion process, the first control section performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory. 1 data and the second data are acquired.

(9) A program according to the present invention comprises a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in a first direction; a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction; a head including the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row; a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a controller; The nozzles in the second nozzle row are programs of the liquid ejecting apparatus located at positions displaced in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row. The program instructs the control unit to perform acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed; and second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle corresponding to the first nozzle in the second nozzle row; and an ejection process of ejecting liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data and ejecting liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data. The memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle. The program causes the control unit to perform density correction for one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory in the conversion process, Acquire the first data and the second data.

(10) A program according to the present invention comprises a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in a first direction; a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction; a head including the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, a first controller, and a second controller. , and a memory, wherein the nozzles in the second nozzle row are positioned at positions shifted in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row. The program instructs the first control unit to perform acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed; a conversion process for converting the first data indicating the amount and the second data indicating the amount of the liquid ejected from the second nozzle corresponding to the first nozzle in the second nozzle row. The second control unit moves the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data, and ejects liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data. to run. The memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle. The program causes the first control unit to perform density correction for one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory in the conversion process. to obtain the first data and the second data.

According to the present invention, even when the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles varies, the density unevenness of the formed image can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a printing system including printer 10 and computer 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the arrangement of the nozzles 33 in the head 32, FIG. 4B is an enlarged diagram of an image printed in high-quality mode, and FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of an image printed with . FIG. 5 is a flowchart of high-speed mode print processing. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of error information. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of image data, FIG. 7B is a diagram showing error information for each nozzle, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing ejection control data; FIG. 8(A) is a diagram showing an area where an image is printed by partial shingling printing, and FIG. 8(B) is an enlarged view of area B shown in FIG. 8(A). FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of image data, FIG. 9B is a diagram showing error information of each nozzle, and FIG. is a diagram showing ejection control data for a preceding pass when performing . FIG. 10A is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print system according to an embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print system according to a modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, progress from the starting point of the arrow to the end point is expressed as direction, and movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as direction. A vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the state in which the printer 10 is installed for use (the state shown in FIG. 1), and a front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface of the printer 10 on which the opening 13 is formed as the front surface. is defined as viewed from the front. The up-down direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other.

[Overview of Printer 10]
The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is an example of a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid onto a sheet using an inkjet printing method. The printer 10 is a monochrome printer that ejects black ink (an example of liquid) onto a sheet. The printer 10 may be a so-called "composite machine" having functions such as a facsimile function, a scan function, and a copy function.

The printer 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped housing 11 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, inside the housing 11 are a feed tray 14, a feed roller 21, a transport roller 22, a carriage 31, and a plurality of nozzles 33 mounted on the carriage 31. , a platen 23 facing the head 32 , an ejection roller 24 , an ejection tray 15 , a sub-tank 35 , a mounting case 36 in which a cartridge 37 can be mounted, a cartridge 37 mounted in the mounting case 36 and A tube 34 communicating with the head 32 is located.

The printer 10 drives the feed roller 21 and the transport roller 22 to transport the sheet supported by the feed tray 14 to the position of the platen 23 along the transport path (the path indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2). . Next, the printer 10 causes the nozzles 33 of the head 32 to eject ink supplied from the cartridges 37 mounted in the mounting case 36 via the sub-tanks 35 and the tubes 34 . As a result, the ink lands on the sheet supported by the platen 23, and the image to be formed is printed on the sheet. The printer 10 drives the discharge roller 24 to discharge the sheet on which the image is printed to the discharge tray 15 .

The carriage 31 is supported by two guide rails (not shown) extending in the left-right direction 9, and reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 that intersects the conveying direction of the conveying rollers 22 (the front-rear direction 8). The printer 10 ejects ink from the nozzles 33 of the head 32 while the carriage 31 moves in the left-right direction 9 . As a result, an image is printed on a partial area of the sheet facing the head 32 . Next, the printer 10 causes the transport rollers 22 to transport the sheet so that the area where the image is to be printed next faces the head 32 . An image is printed on the sheet by alternately and repeatedly executing these processes.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 11 has a cover 18 on the front surface 12 of the housing 11 and at the right end in the left-right direction 9 . An opening (not shown) is formed at the position of the cover 18 . The cover 18 is rotatable between a position that closes the opening (the position shown in FIG. 1) and a position that opens the opening. One mounting case 36 is positioned in the accommodation space inside the housing 11 that extends to the depth of the opening. A cartridge 37 storing black ink is attached to the attachment case 36 .

The cartridge 37 has a liquid chamber 38 (see FIG. 2) capable of storing ink. When the cartridge 37 is attached to the attachment case 36 , the ink stored in the liquid chamber 38 flows into the sub-tank 35 via the ink flow path 39 communicating the liquid chamber 38 and the sub-tank 35 . The sub-tank 35 temporarily stores the ink that has flowed in. Ink stored in the sub-tank 35 is supplied to the head 32 via the tube 34 .

[Control unit 40]
A controller 40 shown in FIG. 3 is located inside the housing 11 . The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41 , ROM 42 , RAM 43 , EEPROM 44 and ASIC 45 . The ROM 42 stores programs and the like for the CPU 41 to execute various processes. The RAM 43 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data and signals used when the CPU 41 executes programs, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 44 stores information to be retained even after the power is turned off. ROM 42 , RAM 43 , and EEPROM 44 are examples of memory of printer 10 .

The ASIC 45 is for operating the feed roller 21 , the transport roller 22 , the discharge roller 24 and the head 32 . The control unit 40 rotates the feeding roller 21 , the conveying roller 22 and the discharging roller 24 by driving a motor (not shown) through the ASIC 45 . The control unit 40 causes ink to be ejected from the nozzles 33 of the head 32 by outputting drive signals to drive elements (not shown) of the head 32 through the ASIC 45 . The ASIC 45 outputs drive signals corresponding to the amount of ink to be ejected from the nozzles 33 .

A display 16 and an operation panel 17 are connected to the ASIC 45 . The display 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display 16 displays, for example, the status of the printer 10 on the screen. The operation panel 17 outputs an operation signal to the control section 40 according to the operation by the user. The operation panel 17 may have push buttons, for example, and may have a touch sensor superimposed on the display 16 .

A communication interface 46 is connected to the ASIC 45 . The communication interface 46 is an interface for communicating between the printer 10 and other devices. The communication interface 46 is, for example, a wireless or wired communication interface such as USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark). The printer 10 communicates with other devices connected to the printer 10 by controlling the communication interface 46 .

[Computer 100]
In the printing system shown in FIG. 3, a printer 10 is connected to a computer 100 . Computer 100 is any type of computer connectable to printer 10 . The computer 100 is, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone, or the like. The computer 100 has a CPU 101 , a RAM 102 , a storage section 103 , an input section 104 , a display section 105 and a communication interface 106 . The CPU 101 , RAM 102 and storage section 103 function as a control section 110 of the computer 100 . The storage unit 103 is, for example, a hard disk or an SSD drive. The storage unit 103 stores programs and the like for the CPU 101 to execute various processes. Programs stored in the storage unit 103 include a printer driver for controlling the printer 10 . The RAM 102 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data and signals used when the CPU 101 executes programs, or as a work area for data processing. A communication interface 106 is an interface for communicating with the printer 10 .

The printing system shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a liquid ejection system. The controller 110 is an example of a first controller of the liquid ejection system. The controller 40 is an example of the controller of the liquid ejection device and also an example of the second controller of the liquid ejection system. The RAM 102 and storage unit 103 are examples of the memory of the liquid ejection system.

The control unit 40 of the printer 10 executes various processes by causing the CPU 41 to execute programs stored in the RAM 43 . The control unit 110 of the computer 100 executes various processes by causing the CPU 101 to execute programs stored in the RAM 102 . These programs may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. Non-transitory media include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs in addition to ROMs, RAMs, EEPROMs, hard disks and SSD drives. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, an electrical signal that carries a program downloaded from a server on the Internet is a computer-readable signal medium, which is a kind of computer-readable medium, but is a non-transitory computer-readable storage. Not included in media.

[Arrangement of Nozzle 33]
FIG. 4A shows the arrangement of the nozzles 33 in the head 32. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4A, the horizontal direction is the moving direction of the carriage 31, and the vertical direction is the sheet conveying direction. In the following description, the former is called the main scanning direction and the latter is called the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction are orthogonal. The white circles shown in FIG. 4A indicate the positions of the nozzles 33 when the head 32 is viewed from above.

The head 32 includes a first nozzle row K1, a second nozzle row K2, a third nozzle row K3, and a fourth nozzle row K4. The first nozzle row K1 is formed by arranging a plurality of nozzles 33 at a pitch P in the sub-scanning direction. Each of the second to fourth nozzle rows K2 to K4 has the same number of nozzles 33 as the first nozzle row K1 arranged at the same pitch P in the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the pitch P is 1/300 inch. The second nozzle row K2 is positioned to the right of the first nozzle row K1. The third nozzle row K3 is positioned to the right of the second nozzle row K2. The fourth nozzle row K4 is positioned to the right of the third nozzle row K3. Note that the distance in the main scanning direction between the two nozzle rows is arbitrary.

The positions of the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 in the sub-scanning direction are shifted from the positions in the sub-scanning direction of the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 by 1/4 of the pitch P (that is, 1/1200 inch). there is The position of the nozzles 33 in the third nozzle row K3 in the sub-scanning direction is shifted by half the pitch P from the position in the sub-scanning direction of the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1. The positions of the nozzles 33 in the fourth nozzle row K4 in the sub-scanning direction are shifted from the positions in the sub-scanning direction of the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 by 3/4 of the pitch P. The sub-scanning direction is an example of the first direction. The main scanning direction is an example of the second direction.

The nozzles 33 in the first to fourth nozzle rows K1 to K4 are divided into groups of four in the order of arrangement in the sub-scanning direction, and the four nozzles 33 in each group correspond to each other. For example, the nozzles 33 located in the 1st to 4th rows correspond to each other, and the nozzles 33 located in the 5th to 8th rows correspond to each other.

Although four nozzles 33 are shown for each nozzle row in FIG. 4A, the actual number of nozzles 33 in each nozzle row is more than four. Also, although the head 32 includes four nozzle rows, the head 32 may include two, or an even number of nozzle rows of six or more.

The method of arranging a plurality of nozzles 33 in the manner shown in FIG. There is a method in which a plurality of nozzles 33 are formed in the head 32 so that the positions of the nozzle rows are the same, and the head 32 is tilted by a small angle (rotated by a small angle in the horizontal plane) and attached to the carriage 31. be.

[Operation Mode of Printer 10]
Printer 10 operates in either a high quality mode or a high speed mode. FIG. 4B shows an enlarged image printed in the high quality mode. FIG. 4C shows an enlarged image printed in the high-speed mode. Black circles shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C indicate dots formed by ink ejected from the nozzles 33 .

In the high image quality mode (FIG. 4B), the carriage 31 moves at a predetermined speed in the main scanning direction, and every time the carriage 31 moves in the main scanning direction by 1/600 inch, the first to fourth nozzle rows K1 Ink is ejected from the nozzles 33 in .about.K4. In this case, one line of an image is formed by a dot group of ink ejected from one nozzle 33 . Therefore, in the high image quality mode, an image having a resolution of 600 dpi in the main scanning direction and a resolution of 1200 dpi in the sub-scanning direction is printed on the sheet.

In the high-speed mode (FIG. 4C), the carriage 31 moves in the main scanning direction at a faster speed than in the high-quality mode. Ink is ejected from the nozzles 33 in the columns K1 to K4. However, the ink ejection timing from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 and the fourth nozzle row K4 is determined by the carriage 31 more than the ink ejection timing from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 and the third nozzle row K3. It is slower by the time it moves 1/600 inch in the scan direction.

In this case, one line of an image is formed by a dot group of ink ejected from one nozzle 33 and a dot group of ink ejected from an adjacent nozzle 33 . Specifically, the odd-numbered lines of the image are formed by a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 and a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2. It is formed. The even-numbered lines of the image are formed by a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the third nozzle row K3 and a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the fourth nozzle row K4. The spacing in the main scanning direction between dots is 1/600 inch. Therefore, in the high-speed mode, an image with a resolution of 600 dpi in the main scanning direction and a resolution of 600 dpi in the sub-scanning direction is printed.

The distance in the main scanning direction between dots of ink ejected from the first nozzle row K1 is 1/600 inch in the high image quality mode and 1/300 inch in the high speed mode. Thus, the distance in the main scanning direction between dots of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 in the high-speed mode is the same as the distance in the main scanning direction of the ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 in the high-quality mode. greater than the distance in the main scanning direction between dots by

[High-speed mode printing that considers the variation in ejection volume]
In the printer 10, variations occur in the nozzle diameter. Therefore, the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 also varies. For example, even if the nozzle 33 is controlled to eject 30 pL of ink, if the nozzle diameter is smaller than the design value, the nozzle 33 may eject less than 30 pL of ink. When a completely black image is printed by a conventional printer in which nozzle diameters vary, luminance unevenness occurs in the printed image.

The control unit 40 of the printer 10 executes the high-speed mode printing process shown in FIG. 5 when receiving the high-speed mode printing instruction. As described below, in the high-speed mode printing process, the control unit 40 acquires ejection control data by performing density correction on the image data based on the error information stored in the EEPROM 44, and acquires ejection control data. Ink is ejected from the nozzles 33 of the head 32 based on the control data.

At the beginning of the high-speed mode printing process (FIG. 5), the control unit 40 sets the ink ejection timing from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 and the fourth nozzle row K4 to the first nozzle row K1 and the third nozzle row K3. The ink ejection timing from the inner nozzles 33 is delayed by the time required for the carriage 31 to move by 1/600 inch (S11).

Next, the controller 40 feeds the sheet supported by the feed tray 14 (S12). The controller 40 drives the feeding motor (not shown) in S12. As a result, the feed roller 21 feeds the sheet supported by the feed tray 14 to the conveying path. The control unit 40 also drives a transport motor (not shown). Thus, when the leading edge of the sheet fed to the conveying path by the feeding roller 21 reaches the conveying roller 22, the conveying roller 22 conveys the sheet forward along the conveying path.

Next, the control unit 40 acquires image data for one pass of the image to be formed (S13). In S<b>13 , the control unit 40 receives image data output from the computer 100 via the communication interface 106 via the communication interface 46 and stores the received image data in the RAM 43 .

Next, the control unit 40 converts the image data acquired in S13 into ejection control data (S14). In S14, the control unit 40 corrects the density of one line of the image data based on the error information stored in the EEPROM 44, thereby indicating the amount of ink ejected from the odd-numbered nozzles 33. Ejection control data and ejection control data indicating the amount of ink ejected from the even-numbered nozzles 33 are acquired. The former is an example of first data, and the latter is an example of second data. Details of S14 will be described later.

Next, the control unit 40 prints one pass on the sheet (S15). In one pass of printing, the control unit 40 causes the nozzles 33 of the head 32 to eject ink while moving the carriage 31 once in the horizontal direction 9 . In S<b>15 , the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 to eject ink from all the nozzles 33 included in the head 32 .

Next, the control unit 40 determines whether printing for one sheet has been completed (S16). When the control unit 40 determines in S16 that printing for one sheet has not been completed (S16: No), the process proceeds to S17. In this case, the controller 40 conveys the sheet by a predetermined amount (S17). In S<b>17 , the control unit 40 drives the conveying motor to cause the conveying roller 22 and the discharge roller 24 to convey the sheet by a predetermined amount. After that, the control unit 40 proceeds to S13.

When the control unit 40 determines in S16 that the printing for one sheet has been completed (S16: Yes), the process proceeds to S18. In this case, the control unit 40 ejects the sheet (S18). In S<b>18 , the control unit 40 causes the conveying rollers 22 and the discharge rollers 24 to convey the sheet by a predetermined amount and discharge it to the discharge tray 15 .

Next, the control unit 40 determines whether or not all printing has been completed (S19). When the control unit 40 determines in S19 that all printing has not been completed (S19: No), the process proceeds to S12. In this case, the control unit 40 executes S12 to S18 to print the next page. When the control unit 40 determines in S19 that all printing has been completed (S19: Yes), the high-speed mode printing process ends.

Note that the control unit 40 may complete acquisition of image data necessary for printing for one pass and conversion to ejection control data before printing for one pass. For example, after S12, the control unit 40 may acquire image data necessary for printing one sheet and convert the acquired image data into ejection control data. Alternatively, the control unit 40 may acquire more image data than one pass in S13. The control unit 40 may acquire image data and convert it into ejection control data in parallel with sheet feeding or sheet transport. S13 is an example of an acquisition process. S14 is an example of conversion processing. S15 is an example of the ejection process.

Details of S14 will be described with reference to FIGS. The EEPROM 44 stores a table containing error information for each nozzle 33 included in the head 32 (see FIG. 6). Each row of the table shown in FIG. 6 indicates the first to fourth nozzle rows K1 to K4, respectively. Each row of the table indicates a nozzle position. The nozzle positions are determined by sequentially assigning numbers 1, 2, 3, . The nozzle position of the nozzle 33 is equal to the group number to which the nozzle 33 belongs.

The error information is information regarding the error in the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 . In the example shown in FIG. 6, the error information indicates the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 when the reference value is 100. In the example shown in FIG. Error information of 100 indicates that the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 is equal to the design value. The error information of 110 indicates that the amount of ink ejected from the nozzle 33 is 1.1 times the design value. The error information of 90 indicates that the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 is 0.9 times the design value. The printer 10 according to the present embodiment is equipped with only the head 32 in which the amount of ink ejected from each nozzle 33 falls within the range of 0.9 to 1.1 times the reference value. is considered to be a defective product and is not mounted on the printer 10 .

The error information is determined based on design information when the head 32 is designed, for example. The error information may be determined based on a test image printed on a sheet during an inspection process or maintenance process before shipment of the printer 10 . In this case, the error information is determined by inputting the printed result of the test image into the computer using the camera and performing image processing on the computer. Note that the error information is not limited to the information shown in FIG.

FIG. 7A shows an example of image data. Xij (i and j are natural numbers) shown in FIG. 7(A) indicates the image data of the i-th line and the j-th column. The i-th line and j-th column image data indicates the density value of the i-th line and j-th column of the image to be formed. FIG. 7B shows the arrangement of the nozzles 33 on the head 32 and the error information stored in the EEPROM 44. FIG. Cpq (p and q are natural numbers) shown in FIG. p indicates the nozzle position of the nozzle 33 in the sub-scanning direction. q indicates in which nozzle row of the first to fourth nozzle rows K1 to K4 the nozzle 33 is arranged (the number of the nozzle row to which the nozzle 33 belongs). For example, C11 indicates the error information of the nozzle 33 positioned in the first row, and C22 indicates the error information of the nozzle 33 positioned in the sixth row.

FIG. 7C shows dots of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 and ejection control data used to form each dot. Yij shown in FIG. 7(C) indicates the ejection control data used to form dots in the j-th row of the i-line. The ejection control data is data for causing the nozzles 33 to form dots of a predetermined size determined according to the density value indicated by the image data. Since the size of a dot is determined, for example, according to the droplet size of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 , the ejection control data specifies the droplet size of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 . When the density correction is performed so that the density value indicated by the image data is increased, the ejection control data is obtained such that the nozzle 33 ejects a droplet of a large size accordingly.

In S<b>12 , the control unit 40 obtains ejection control data for one line by performing density correction on one line of image data based on the error information stored in the EEPROM 44 . Each line of ejection control data is associated with two nozzles 33 and two pieces of error information. For example, the ejection control data for the first line is associated with the error information C11 for the nozzles 33 positioned on the first line and the error information C12 for the nozzles 33 positioned on the second line. The ejection control data for the second line is associated with the error information C13 for the nozzles 33 positioned on the third line and the error information C14 for the nozzles 33 positioned on the fourth line.

Based on the error information C11 of the nozzles 33 positioned on the first line and the error information C12 of the nozzles 33 positioned on the second line, the control unit 40 performs By performing density correction, corrected image data X11′, X12′, . . . of the first line are calculated. The ejection control data Y11, Y12, . . . of the lines are obtained. Based on the error information C13 of the nozzles 33 positioned on the third line and the error information C14 of the nozzles 33 positioned on the fourth line, the control unit 40 performs By performing the density correction, corrected image data X21′, X22′, . . . of the second line are calculated. The ejection control data Y21, Y22, . . . of the lines are obtained. The control unit 40 acquires the ejection control data for the third and subsequent lines in the same manner as for the image data for the third and subsequent lines.

Based on the image data X11 of the first line and the first column and the error information C11 and C12, the control unit 40 calculates the corrected image data X11′ of the first line and the first column according to the following equation (1).
X11'
= {X11(200-C11)/100
+X11(200-C12)/100}/2 (1)
Subsequently, the control unit 40 performs a predetermined process on the calculated corrected image data X11′ of the first line and the first row, and obtains ejection control data Y11 of the first line and the first row. The predetermined processing includes, for example, binarization processing and multi-value processing. The control unit 40 also applies the corrected image data X12', X13', . are calculated, the above-described predetermined processing is performed on the calculated corrected image data X12′, X13′, . to get . The ejection control data Y11, Y13, . The ejection control data Y12, Y14, .

Based on the image data X21 of the second line and the first column and the error information C13 and C14, the control unit 40 calculates the post-correction image data X21' of the second line and the first column according to the following equation (2).
X21'
= {X21(200-C13)/100
+X21(200-C14)/100}/2 (2)
Subsequently, the control unit 40 performs the above-described predetermined processing on the calculated corrected image data X21′ of the second line and the first column, and obtains ejection control data Y21 of the second line and the first column. The control unit 40 also for the image data X22, X23, . are calculated, the above-described predetermined processing is performed on the calculated corrected image data X22′, X23′, . to get . The ejection control data Y21, Y23, . The ejection control data Y22, Y24, .

In this manner, the control unit 40 corrects the density value indicated by the image data based on the average value of the error information of the two nozzles 33, and acquires the ejection control data used for dot formation from the corrected density value. do.

The control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 along the left-right direction 9, and causes the nozzles 33 positioned in the first row to eject ink in amounts corresponding to the ejection control data Y11, Y13, . . . By ejecting the amount of ink corresponding to the ejection control data Y12, Y14, . , and ejects the amount of ink corresponding to the ejection control data Y22, Y24, . The control unit 40 forms the third and subsequent lines of the image in a similar manner.

The nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 are an example of first nozzles. The nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 are an example of second nozzles. The error information about the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 is an example of the first error information. The error information about the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 is an example of the second error information. The ejection control data indicating the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 (ejection control data indicating the amount of ink ejected from the odd-numbered nozzles 33) is an example of the first data. . The ejection control data indicating the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 (ejection control data indicating the amount of ink ejected from the even-numbered nozzles 33) is an example of the second data. .

[Effect]
As described above, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes the first nozzle row K1 and the second nozzle row K2 in which the plurality of nozzles 33 are arranged at the pitch P in the sub-scanning direction, and the first nozzle row K1 and the second nozzle row K2. It is provided with a head 32 including two nozzle rows K2, a carriage 31 on which the head 32 is mounted and which moves in the main scanning direction, a control section 40, and an EEPROM 44. The EEPROM 44 stores error information (first error information) regarding errors in the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzles K1 and error information regarding errors in the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzles K2. information (second error information). The control unit 40 executes an acquisition process (S13), a conversion process (S14), and an ejection process (S15). In the conversion process, the control unit 40 performs density correction for one line of image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the EEPROM 44, and corrects the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1. and ejection control data (second data) indicating the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2.

According to the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, when ink is ejected from the nozzles 33 in the first nozzle K1 and the nozzles 33 in the second nozzle row K2 to form one line of an image, the first error information and Density correction is performed on the image data based on the second error information. Therefore, even if the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 varies, the density unevenness of the formed image can be reduced.

The EEPROM 44 stores error information regarding the amount of ink ejected from each nozzle 33 included in the head 32 . Therefore, density correction is performed on the image data based on error information for each nozzle 33, and a high-quality image can be formed.

The EEPROM 44 may store error information regarding the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 included in each nozzle row included in the head 32 . According to this configuration, the memory capacity can be reduced, and the density correction can be performed on the image data based on the error information for each nozzle row.

[First modification]
A case where the printer 10 performs partial shingling printing will be described as a first modified example with reference to FIGS. A rectangle shown in FIG. 8A indicates an area where an image is printed by one pass of printing while the carriage 31 moves once in the horizontal direction 9 . The control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 rightward to print an image in the area A1 of the height H1. Next, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 leftward to print the image in the area A2 of the height H1. Next, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 rightward to print the image in the area A3 of the height H1. Next, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 leftward to print the image on the area A4 of the height H1. In order to facilitate understanding of the drawing, in FIG. 8A, the regions A1 to A4 are shown shifted in the horizontal direction. Further, the control unit 40 may perform so-called unidirectional printing, in which the carriage 31 is moved rightward to print images in the areas A1 to A4, and no image is printed when the carriage 31 is moved leftward.

As shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), adjacent areas A1 and A2 have an overlapping portion of height H2 (hereinafter referred to as shingling area). The control unit 40 performs two-pass printing in the singling area. In the preceding pass, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 rightward and prints the image according to the first print rate based on the image data. In the subsequent pass, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 leftward to print the image according to the second print rate based on the image data. The first printing rate and the second printing rate are ratios of timings at which ink is actually ejected among all ink ejection possible timings. The first print rate and the second print rate are values that change complementarily, and decrease toward the end of each area. For example, if the first print rate is 2/3 and the second print rate is 1/3, ink is ejected at two of the three possible ink ejection timings in the preceding pass, and three times in the subsequent pass. Ink is ejected at one of the ink ejectable timings. In the subsequent pass, ink is ejected to positions where ink was not ejected in the preceding pass. By performing complementary printing in two passes in the shingling area in this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a blank area (streak) where no image is printed between adjacent areas.

Of the image data for six lines shown in FIG. 9A, the image data for the a-th line and the b-th line are used when printing an image in the area A1, and the image data for the e-th line and the f-th line are used when printing the image in the area A1. is used when printing the image in the area A2, part of the image data of the c-th line and the d-th line is used when printing the image in the area A1, and the rest is used when printing the image in the area A2 be used.

In FIG. 9B, n is the number of nozzles 33 in the first nozzle row K1 (in the first nozzle row K1, the nozzle position of the nozzle 33 farthest from the nozzle 33 located in the first row), and m is (n−1). Cm1 to Cm4 indicate the error information of the nozzles 33 located in the (4n−7)th to (4n−4)th rows, respectively. Cn1 to Cn4 respectively indicate the error information of the nozzles 33 located on the (4n−3)th to 4nth rows. In FIG. 9C, black circles indicate dots of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the previous pass. A hatched circle indicates a dot of ink ejected from the nozzle 33 in the subsequent pass. The c-th line and d-th line of the image are formed by a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the preceding pass and a dot group of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 in the subsequent pass. Yij (where i and j are natural numbers) indicates ejection control data used to form dots in the jth row of the i line in the previous pass. Zij (where i and j are natural numbers) indicates ejection control data used to form dots in the i-th row and the j-th row in the subsequent pass.

For the portion other than the shingling area, the control unit 40 acquires one line of ejection control data by performing density correction on one line of image data based on the two pieces of error information. For example, based on the error information Cm1 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n−7)th row and the error information Cm2 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n−6)th row, the control unit 40 determines the By performing density correction on the image data Xa1, Xa2, . . . , ejection control data Ya1, Ya2, . Based on the error information Cm3 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n-5)th row and the error information Cm4 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n-4)th row, the control unit 40 calculates the image data of the b-th line. By performing density correction on Xb1, Xb2, . . . , ejection control data Yb1, Yb2, .

For the shingling area, the control unit 40 corrects the density of one line of the image data based on the four pieces of error information and the printing ratios set for the four nozzles 33, thereby controlling ejection. Get one line of data. For example, the control unit 40 controls the error information Cn1 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n−3)th row, the error information Cn2 of the nozzle 33 located in the (4n−2)th row, and the nozzle 33 located in the 1st row. c-th line image data Xc1, Xc2, . . . Among them, image data Xc1, Xc2, Xc4, Xc5, . to get .

The control unit 40 outputs error information Cn3 of the nozzle 33 located on the (4n−1)th row, error information Cn4 of the nozzle 33 located on the 4nth row, and error information C13 of the nozzle 33 located on the 3rd row. , the error information C14 of the nozzles 33 positioned on the 4th line, and the printing ratios set for these four nozzles 33, the second print out of the image data Xd1, Xd2, . . . Density correction is performed on the image data Xd3, Xd6, . . . selected according to the rate, and ejection control data Yd3, Yd6, .

In the preceding pass, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 rightward, and applies ink in an amount corresponding to the ejection control data Yc1, Yc5, . . . By ejecting ink from the nozzles 33 located in the position and ejecting the amount of ink corresponding to the ejection control data Yc2, Yc4, . . . , the c-th line of the image is formed according to the first printing rate, and the amount of ink corresponding to the ejection control data Yd3, . . . , and an amount of ink corresponding to the ejection control data Yd6, . It is formed according to the first print rate. In the subsequent pass, the control unit 40 moves the carriage 31 leftward, and similarly causes the nozzles 33 located in the first and second rows to eject ink, thereby making the c-th line of the image the second image. The d-th line of the image is formed according to the second printing rate by ejecting ink from the nozzles 33 positioned on the third and fourth lines while forming according to the printing rate. This forms the c-th line and the d-th line of the image.

Based on the image data Xc1 of the first column of the c line, the four pieces of error information Cn1, Cn2, C11, C12, and the four printing ratios, the control unit 40 calculates the c line after correction according to the following equation (3). Image data Xc1' for the first column is calculated.
Xc1'
= {F1 Xc1(200-Cn1)/100
+F2·Xc1(200-Cn2)/100
+F3・Xc1(200-C11)/100
+F4·Xc1(200−C12)/100}/2 (3)
However, F1 to F4 are the printing rates set for the nozzles 33 located in the (4n-3)th, (4n-2)th, 1st and 2nd rows, respectively. The printing ratios F1 to F4 are, for example, F1=F2=2/3 and F3=F4=1/3.

As shown in FIG. 9C, in the preceding pass, ejection is performed from the nozzles 33 located in the (4n-3)th row based on part of the ejection control data Yc1, Yc5, . Dots are formed by the applied ink. In the subsequent pass, dots are formed with ink ejected from the nozzles 33 located in the first row based on the remainder Zc3, . The printing rate F1 indicates the ratio of dots formed by ink ejected from the nozzles 33 located in the (4n−3)th row among the dots formed based on the ejection control data for the odd-numbered column of the cth line. . The print rate F3 indicates the ratio of dots formed by ink ejected from the nozzles 33 located in the first row among the dots formed based on the ejection control data for the odd-numbered column of the c line. The print rate F2 indicates the ratio of dots formed by ink ejected from the nozzles 33 located in the (4n−2)th row among the dots formed based on the even-numbered column ejection control data of the c line. The print rate F4 indicates the ratio of dots formed by ink ejected from the nozzles 33 located in the second line among the dots formed based on the ejection control data for the even-numbered lines of the c line.

Note that the nozzles 33 positioned in the (4n-3)th, (4n-2)th, 1st, and 2nd rows are examples of the first to fourth nozzles, respectively. The error information regarding the nozzles 33 located in the (4n−3)th, (4n−2)th, 1st, and 2nd rows are examples of first to fourth error information, respectively. The printing of the preceding pass is an example of the first ejection process. Printing the subsequent pass is an example of the second ejection process.

According to the first modification, when performing partial shingling printing in which one line of an image is formed by two ejection processes in the shingling area, density unevenness of the formed image can be reduced. In addition, in the shingling area where one line of an image is formed by two ejection processes, density correction can be performed on the image data according to the printing rate. Further, it is determined whether to perform density correction for one line of image data based on two pieces of error information or to perform density correction for one line of image data based on four pieces of error information. By switching for each line, the density correction method for the image data can be switched for each line.

[Second modification]
As a second modification, a case will be described in which the control unit 40 acquires the total amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 included in the head 32 based on the ejection control data. In the following, it is assumed that there are three sizes of droplets of ink ejected from nozzles: large, medium, and small.

A conventional printer controller counts the number of droplets of each size based on the image data, and calculates the total amount of ink ejected from the nozzles based on the amount and number of droplets of each size. . For example, when the amounts of large, medium, and small droplets are Ql, Qm, and Qs, respectively, and the numbers of large, medium, and small droplets are Nl, Nm, and Ns, respectively, the conventional control unit performs the following: The total amount Q of ink ejected from the nozzles is calculated according to equation (4).
Q=Nl・Ql+Nm・Qm+Ns・Qs (4)

The controller 40 of the printer according to the second modification acquires ejection control data by performing density correction on one line of the image data based on the error information stored in the EEPROM 44, and acquires the acquired ejection control. Based on the data, the total amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 included in the head 32 is acquired. For example, when density correction is performed to increase the density value indicated by the image data, ejection control data is acquired to increase the number of large droplets, and the density value indicated by the image data is reduced. When such density correction is performed, ejection control data that increases the number of small droplets is acquired. Therefore, when the numbers of large, medium, and small droplets are Nl′, Nm′, and Ns′ as a result of performing density correction on the image data, the control unit 40 performs formula (4). Instead, the total amount Q of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 included in the head 32 is calculated according to the following equation (5).
Q=Nl', Ql++Nm', Qm+Ns', Qs (5)
The obtained total ink amount Q is used, for example, to notify the user that the ink in the printer 10 has run out.

According to the second modification, the liquid is ejected from the nozzles 33 included in the head 32 based on the ejection control data including the first data and the second data obtained by performing density correction on the image data. can accurately obtain the total amount of

[Third Modification]
In the above embodiment, the EEPROM 44 of the printer 10 stores the error information, and the control unit 40 of the printer 10 performs the acquisition process, the conversion process, and the ejection process (see FIG. 10A). In the third modification, the RAM 102 of the computer 100 stores error information, the control unit 110 of the computer 100 performs acquisition processing and conversion processing, and the control unit 40 of the printer 10 performs ejection processing (see FIG. 10B). ).

The memory (RAM 102 and storage unit 103) of the computer 100 stores a program that causes the control unit 110 to execute acquisition processing and conversion processing. The control unit 110 performs acquisition processing and conversion processing by executing this program. In the acquisition process, the control unit 110 acquires, for example, image data stored in the storage unit 103, image data generated by an application program, and the like. In the conversion process, the control unit 110 acquires ejection control data by performing density correction on one line of image data based on the error information stored in the RAM 102 . The ejection control data is output from the computer 100 to the printer 10 .

The control unit 40 of the printer 10 performs ejection processing by executing a program stored in the memory (ROM 42, RAM 43, and EEPROM 44) of the printer 10. FIG. The controller 40 causes ink to be ejected from the nozzles 33 of the head 32 based on the ejection control data output from the computer 100 .

The printing system according to the third modified example or the program of the control unit 110 according to the third modified example can also achieve the same effect as the above embodiment (even if the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 33 varies, can reduce the density unevenness of the printed image).

[Other Modifications]
The printer 10 according to the above embodiment has the sub-tank 35 . A printer according to the modification may not have the sub-tank 35 . In the printer 10 , the cartridge 37 is mounted in the mounting case 36 outside the carriage 31 . In a modified printer, the cartridge 37 may be mounted in a mounting case on the carriage 31 . Further, the printer 10 is assumed to be a cartridge type printer in which the cartridge 37 is detachably attached to the mounting case 36 . The printer according to the modification may be a tank-type printer that includes a tank and fills the tank with ink.

The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus in which the number of nozzle rows included in the head 32 is two, or an even number of six or more. In a liquid ejecting apparatus including N (N is an even number) nozzle rows, the pitch of the nozzles 33 in each nozzle row in the sub-scanning direction (hereinafter referred to as nozzle pitch) is the same. The nozzles in the nozzle row may be shifted by 1/N of the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction. For example, in a liquid ejection device including two nozzle rows, the nozzles in the second nozzle row may be shifted from the nozzles in the first nozzle row by 1/2 of the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction. In a liquid ejection device including six nozzle rows, the nozzles in the second nozzle row are shifted from the nozzles in the first nozzle row by ⅙ of the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction, and the nozzles in the third nozzle row The nozzles are displaced from the nozzles in the first nozzle row by 1/3 of the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction, and the nozzles in the fourth nozzle row are displaced from the nozzles in the first nozzle row by the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction. The nozzles in the fifth nozzle row are displaced from the nozzles in the first nozzle row in the sub-scanning direction by 2/3 of the nozzle pitch, and the nozzles in the sixth nozzle row are displaced from the nozzles in the first nozzle row by 2/3 of the nozzle pitch. It may be shifted by 5/6 of the nozzle pitch in the sub-scanning direction from the nozzles in one nozzle row.

In the above embodiment, the nozzle pitch is 1/300 inch, and in the high-speed mode, an image is formed with a resolution of 600 dpi in the main scanning direction and a resolution of 600 dpi in the sub-scanning direction. , and the resolution of the formed image is not limited to the above values. The present invention can also be applied to liquid ejecting apparatuses having other nozzle pitches and liquid ejecting apparatuses that form images with other resolutions.

10 Printer (liquid ejection device)
31 Carriage 32 Head 33 Nozzle 40 Control section (second control section)
110... Control unit (first control unit)

Claims (10)

a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a first direction at a predetermined pitch;
a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in the first direction at the predetermined pitch;
a head including at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row;
a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction;
a control unit;
with memory and
the nozzles in the second nozzle row are located at positions displaced in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row;
The control unit is
Acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed;
One line of the image data is divided into first data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row, and second data corresponding to the first nozzles in the second nozzle row. a conversion process for converting into second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle;
an ejection process of moving the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data and ejecting liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data;
the memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle;
In the conversion process, the control unit performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory, and converts the first data into and a liquid ejection device that acquires the second data. In the ejection process, the controller moves the carriage in a first direction along the second direction to eject the liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data, and the second data. a first ejection process of ejecting liquid from the second nozzles based on the above, and moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction to eject the first nozzles in the first nozzle row and a second ejection process of ejecting liquid from a third nozzle different from the second nozzle row and a fourth nozzle different from the second nozzle in the second nozzle row,
The memory further stores third error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the third nozzle and fourth error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the fourth nozzle,
In the conversion process, the control section performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first to fourth error information stored in the memory, and 2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two data are obtained. In the conversion process, the control unit converts one line of the image data based on the first to fourth error information stored in the memory and the printing ratios set for the first to fourth nozzles. 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first data and the second data are obtained by performing density correction for each minute. In the conversion process, the control unit performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory, or stores the density in the memory. 4. The liquid according to claim 2, wherein, based on the stored first to fourth error information, whether to perform density correction for one line of the image data is switched for each line of the image data. discharge device. 5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the memory stores, for each nozzle included in the head, error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle. 5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the memory stores, for each nozzle row included in the head, error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles included in the nozzle row. 7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit acquires the total amount of liquid ejected from nozzles included in the head based on the first data and the second data. a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a first direction at a predetermined pitch;
a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in the first direction at the predetermined pitch;
a head including at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row;
a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction;
a first control unit;
a second control unit;
with memory and
the nozzles in the second nozzle row are located at positions displaced in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row;
The first control unit is
Acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed;
One line of the image data is divided into first data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row, and second data corresponding to the first nozzles in the second nozzle row. a conversion process for converting into second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle;
The second control unit moves the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data, and ejects liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data. and run
the memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle;
In the conversion process, the first control section performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory. A liquid ejection system that acquires the first data and the second data. a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction; a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at the predetermined pitch in the first direction; and at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row. a head including a nozzle row; a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a controller; A program for a liquid ejection device positioned at a position shifted in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row,
In the above control unit,
Acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed;
One line of the image data is divided into first data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row, and second data corresponding to the first nozzles in the second nozzle row. a conversion process for converting into second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle;
an ejection process of moving the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data and ejecting liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data;
the memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle;
In the conversion process, the control unit performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory, and converts the first data into the first data. and a program for acquiring the second data. a first nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the first direction; a second nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged at the predetermined pitch in the first direction; and at least the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row. a head including a nozzle array; a carriage on which the head is mounted and which moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first controller; a second controller; A program for a liquid ejection system in which the nozzles in the nozzle row are positioned at positions displaced in the first direction from the nozzles in the first nozzle row,
In the first control unit,
Acquisition processing for acquiring image data of an image to be formed;
One line of the image data is divided into first data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzles in the first nozzle row, and second data corresponding to the first nozzles in the second nozzle row. a conversion process for converting into second data indicating the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle;
The second control unit moves the carriage to eject liquid from the first nozzles based on the first data, and ejects liquid from the second nozzles based on the second data. and run
the memory stores first error information regarding an error in the amount of liquid ejected from the first nozzle and second error information regarding the amount of liquid ejected from the second nozzle;
In the conversion process, the first control unit performs density correction on one line of the image data based on the first error information and the second error information stored in the memory. 1 data and a program for acquiring the second data.

Images