JP3347567B2 - Ink jet printing method, ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printed matter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet printing method and a printing apparatus capable of obtaining a high-quality image on a printing material, and more particularly to a printing ink and a coloring material in the printing ink on the printing material. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an inkjet printing method and a printing apparatus for ejecting a printing property improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating a liquid, and a printed matter.

[0002] The present invention is applicable to all devices that use printing materials such as paper, cloth, leather, nonwoven fabric, OHP paper, and even metal. Specific examples of applicable equipment include office equipment such as printers, copiers, and facsimile machines, and industrial production equipment.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printing method has
Low noise, low running cost, easy to downsize equipment,
It is used for printers and copiers because of easy colorization.

[0004] However, when an image is obtained on a printing material called a so-called plain paper by these printing apparatuses to which the ink-jet printing method is applied, when the water resistance of the image is insufficient, or when a color image is obtained. However, it was impossible to achieve both a high-density image free from feathering and an image free from bleeding between colors, and a color image with good image fastness and good quality was not obtained.

[0005] As a method for improving the water resistance of an image, an ink in which a color material contained in the ink has water resistance has been put to practical use in recent years. However, the water resistance is still insufficient, and in principle, the ink is difficult to dissolve in water after drying, so the nozzles of the print head are easily clogged, and the apparatus configuration becomes complicated to prevent this. In some cases.

[0006] Also, a number of techniques for improving the robustness of a print substrate have been disclosed. JP-A-53-24
No. 486 discloses a technique in which the dye is raked and fixed by post-treatment of the dye to improve the wet fastness of the dye.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-43733 discloses a method of printing using two or more components which, when they come into contact with each other, increase in film formation density at normal temperature or when heated, using an ink jet printing method. A printed matter is obtained in which a coating film is formed which is tightly adhered by contact of each component on the printing material.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-150396 discloses a method in which a water-resistant material for forming a lake with a dye is applied after inkjet printing of an aqueous dye ink.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-128882 discloses an ink jet printing method in which an image position to be recorded is identified in advance, and a printing ink and a printability improving liquid are drawn in an overlapping manner. A printing method that forms an image prior to ink, a printing method that draws a printability improving liquid on a previously drawn print ink, or a print method that draws a print ink on a previously drawn printability liquid Further, there is disclosed a printing method in which a printability improving liquid is further drawn.

The effects of improving light fastness, water fastness, image density, and saturation by separately applying the printability improving liquid and the print ink are known.

[0011]

However, the above publication discloses recovery means for maintaining ejection reliability, a head configuration, a tank configuration, and the like, which are unique to an ink jet printing apparatus.
It does not disclose a print mode or the like for improving the quality of a print image.

As described in JP-A-58-128862, when the printing ink and the printability improving liquid are applied onto the printing material, the printing pixels are different if the order of the printing is different. Show properties.

FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically show the spread of the print ink and the printability improving liquid on the paper.
FIG. 1A shows a case where a printability improving liquid is injected before printing ink. In this case, the coloring matter of the printing ink is improved because the coloring matter such as the dye in the printing ink remains relatively on the surface of the paper surface in the depth direction, and the dot shape is a circular dot with little feathering. it is conceivable that. On the other hand, at the same time as the print ink lands on the print material, aggregation with the printability improving liquid starts, so that the dye component in the print ink does not penetrate into the print material, and the size of the dots tends to be small.

FIG. 1B shows a case where the printability improving liquid is superimposed on the previously ejected printing ink, contrary to the case shown in FIG. 1A. When the print ink is applied first, the print ink has higher water resistance than when the printability improving liquid is not applied.However, since the print ink penetrates the inside of the paper surface in the depth direction first, the print ink is used. The color development does not change much.

Further, if the order of applying the printing ink and the printability improving liquid is different, the hue may be different between the two. It is considered that such a difference in hue occurs because the distance between the dye components such as the dye on the print material differs between the two depending on the manner of aggregation of the inks even with the same amount of print ink.

As described above, the formed image is different due to the difference in the order in which the printing ink and the printability improving liquid are applied.

The color development, hue, dot shape, and the like also differ depending on where in the depth direction of the paper the print ink and the printability improving liquid are mixed. Such a state occurs when the time interval from when the printability improving liquid lands to when the print ink lands differs from pixel to pixel, and this greatly affects the formed image.

The effects of these properties on images in a conventional ink jet printing system will be described below.

1) A printing method for forming an image prior to printing ink using a printing property improving liquid disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-128862, or a method of superimposing a printing ink on a previously drawn printing property improving liquid When printing is performed by a printing method in which a printability improving liquid is used, the dot diameter tends to be smaller than when no printability improving liquid is used. In the case of having two print modes of printing using the printability improving liquid and printing not using the printability improving liquid, the conventional discharge amount design without using the printability improving liquid was used and the printability improving liquid was used. In printing, the image becomes conspicuous with streaks.

2) In the case of conventional monochrome printing such as Bk,
Reciprocating printing was performed for high-speed printing.However, in prints where the printability improving liquid head and the print liquid head were simply placed side by side, the printability improving liquid and print ink were printed in the forward and reverse directions. Since the order of implantation into the materials is different, band unevenness (color unevenness, density unevenness, uneven streaks) of the head width, which has not occurred conventionally, occurs.

3) FIGS. 2 (a), 2 (b) and 2
(C) is a case of an ideal head, 1 is a head, 2 is a discharge nozzle, and 3 is a discharged ink droplet. FIG.
2A shows a state in which ink droplets are ejected from the head, FIG.
FIG. 2B shows the state of dots formed on the printing material, and FIG. 2C shows the distribution of the density of ink ejection in the paper. 3 (a), 3 (b) and 3
(C) shows the case of an actual head. In an actual head, a nozzle distribution (discharge amount distribution, discharge direction) due to manufacturing variations occurs in the process of forming the nozzles, so that the print ink density on the printing material is different, and density unevenness and stripes on the image are generated. become. Similarly, when applying the printability improving liquid, a density difference of the printability improving liquid on the print-receiving material occurs, and the reaction amount with the printing ink differs for each nozzle, resulting in uneven density, color unevenness, and streaks on the image. appear.

4) In a conventional head unit combining color heads for colors, in the positioning method between the heads (depending on the configuration of the head and the main body), it is difficult to accurately adjust the registration between the heads because of manufacturing variations. It is difficult for such reasons. For this reason, a certain degree of deviation is allowed within a range that does not affect the image. Since the registration order between the printability improving liquid and the print ink and the printing ink and the printability improving liquid is changed, the order and interval of the printing ink and the printability improving liquid are changed, so that density unevenness, color unevenness, and streaks occur on an image.

5) In the printing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-128862, in which the printing ink is drawn over the printing property improving liquid described above, the coloring property of the printing ink is not much improved. No improvement in feathering of the dot shape was observed.

[0024]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a printing method for forming an image prior to printing ink with a printability improving liquid, a printing method for forming an image on a printing ink previously drawn, As conventionally disclosed, such as a printing method in which the printability improving liquid is overlaid on, or a printing method in which the printing ink is overlaid on the previously drawn printability improving liquid, and the printing method in which the printability improving liquid is further overlaid. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a printing method that takes into account the problems that are not sufficiently improved by the method of applying the printing ink and the printing property improving liquid, and the difference in the order of printing between the printing ink and the printing property improving liquid and the difference in the printing time. And

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet printing method and apparatus capable of obtaining a printed image having high print density, no print unevenness, and excellent weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, excellent image storability. To provide.

Further, the object of the present invention is to provide a printed material having improved weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, image storability, a low feathering and intercolor bleed, a good color development, and a high print density. An object of the present invention is to provide a printed matter having a high quality image such as a high quality image.

[0027]

[0028]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems are as follows.

That is, the method of the present invention uses both a color ink containing a color material and a printability improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink to form an image on a print material. In an inkjet printing method for performing printing, pixels printed with only the color ink at least once on the printing material,
After applying the printability improving liquid at least once or more, the pixels printed with the colored ink at least once or more to the pixels that are in contact with at least a part of the printable improving liquid, at least once after printing the colored ink,
A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a portion thereof comes into contact with the colored ink print pixel. After printing with the colored ink at least once or more, the printability is such that at least a portion thereof comes into contact with the colored ink print pixel. After applying the improving liquid, and then further printing the colored ink at least once more on the pixels, after applying the printing property improving liquid at least once more, the pixels at least partially in contact with the printing property improving liquid After printing the colored ink at least once or more, and then applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the colored ink print pixel, printing at least once or more with the colored ink, Press so that at least a part of the pixel contacts the colored ink print pixel. A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied, and thereafter, the color ink is printed at least once more, and then the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof contacts the pixel, and at least one time After applying the printability improving liquid,
Printing the color ink at least once on the pixels that are at least partially in contact with the printability improving liquid, and then applying the printability improvement liquid at least once on the positions that at least partially contact the colored ink print pixels. And thereafter forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of the pixels printed with the color ink at least once on the color ink print pixels. In this case, an image is formed by mixing the two or more different types of pixels while the print head for applying the colored ink and the printability improving liquid is main-scanned in the main scanning direction with respect to the printing material. In this case, it is preferable that pixels of the same type are not continuous with each other by 420 μm or more in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The ratio of the total amount of the colored ink and the printability improving liquid applied to the print material is (colored ink) :( printability improving liquid) = 1.0:
It is preferably 0.1 to 1.0. Further, the printability improving liquid preferably contains a cationic substance of a low molecular component and a high molecular component, and the ink preferably contains an anionic dye. Further, the printability improving liquid contains a cationic substance of a low molecular component and a high molecular component, and the ink may contain an anionic dye or at least an anionic compound and a pigment. According to another method of the present invention, an image is printed on a printing material using both a color ink containing a color material and a printability improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. In the inkjet printing method, after the printability improving liquid is landed on the print-receiving material, the time interval from when the colored ink lands on the landed printability improvement liquid is within a first specific time. An image is formed by mixing a pixel A and a pixel B having a time interval longer than a second specific time interval longer than the first specific time interval. In this case, the pixels A and B at different time intervals are mixed while the print head for applying the colored ink and the printability improving liquid is main-scanned in the main scanning direction with respect to the print material. When an image is formed, similar pixels are set to 420 in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction.
It is preferable not to make it continuous more than μm. Further, the printability improving droplet and the colored ink droplet that are landed at the first specific time interval to form the pixel A are droplets printed in the same scan of a print head, and It is preferable that the printability improving liquid and the colored ink droplets, which are landed at a specific time interval or more and form the pixel B, are droplets printed by different print head scans. Further, the ratio of the total amount of the colored ink and the printability improving liquid applied to the printing material is (colored ink) :( printability improving liquid) = 1.
0: 0.1 to 1.0 is preferable. Preferably, the printability improving liquid contains a low molecular component and a high molecular component cationic substance, and the ink contains an anionic dye. Further, the printability improving liquid may contain a low molecular component and a high molecular component cationic substance, and the ink may contain an anionic dye or at least an anionic compound and a pigment. The apparatus according to the present invention includes an ink ejection unit for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improvement liquid ejection unit for ejecting a printability improvement liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. And an ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printability improving liquid from the ink discharge unit and the printability improving liquid discharge unit, using only the color ink at least once. Pixels printed by
After applying the printability improving liquid at least once or more, the pixels printed with the colored ink at least once or more to the pixels that are in contact with at least a part of the printable improving liquid, at least once after printing the colored ink,
A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a portion thereof comes into contact with the colored ink print pixel. After printing with the colored ink at least once or more, the printability is such that at least a portion thereof comes into contact with the colored ink print pixel. After applying the improving liquid, and then further printing the colored ink at least once more on the pixels, after applying the printing property improving liquid at least once more, the pixels at least partially in contact with the printing property improving liquid After printing the colored ink at least once or more, and then applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the colored ink print pixel, printing at least once or more with the colored ink, Press so that at least a part of the pixel contacts the colored ink print pixel. A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied, and thereafter, the color ink is printed at least once more, and then the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof contacts the pixel, and at least one time After applying the printability improving liquid,
Printing a color ink at least once on a pixel at least partially in contact with the printability improving liquid, and then applying the printability improvement liquid at least once at a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel; And thereafter forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of the pixels printed with the color ink at least once on the color ink print pixels. In this case, it is preferable that the ink discharge section and the printability improving liquid discharge section include an electrothermal converter as an energy generating element for generating thermal energy for causing film boiling of the ink or the printability improving liquid. Another apparatus of the present invention includes an ink ejection unit for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improvement liquid for ejecting a printability improvement liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus for forming an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printing property improving liquid from the ink discharging unit and the printing property improving liquid discharging unit using a discharging unit; After the printability improving liquid has landed on the pixel A, the time interval until the colored ink lands on the landed printability improving liquid is within a first specific time,
An image is formed by mixing pixels B having a time interval equal to or longer than a second specific time interval longer than the first specific time. In this case, it is preferable that the ink discharge section and the printability improving liquid discharge section include an electrothermal converter as an energy generating element for generating thermal energy for causing film boiling of the ink or the printability improving liquid. Still another method of the present invention is an image forming an image on a printing material using both an ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid that insolubilizes or aggregates the coloring material in the colored ink. In the forming method, the presence area of only the printability improving liquid, the existence area of only the ink area formed by one or a plurality of the inks,
An ink region having the printability improving liquid as the final surface and an ink region downward, a first lamination portion having the printability improving liquid, and the printability improving liquid and the ink region having the ink region as the final surface and downward. It is characterized in that any two of the portions referred to as the second laminated portions form an image in a substantially adjacent state. Another method of the present invention is to form an image on a material to be printed by using both an ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid that insolubilizes or aggregates the coloring material in the colored ink. In the method, the relative time difference between the time when the printability improving liquid lands on the print material and the time when the ink forming the ink area lands on the print material is made different in pixel units. , These pixel units form an image in a substantially adjacent state. In the method and apparatus of the present invention described above, the printability improving liquid may react with the colored ink to improve the “water resistance” of an image formed by the colored ink, and may react with the colored ink. To improve the "density" of the image formed by the colored ink, or to improve the "lightfastness" of the image formed by the colored ink. To improve the "storability" of the image.

In the present invention, improvement of printability means improving image quality such as density, saturation, sharpness degree of edge portion, dot diameter, etc., and improving ink fixability.
Increasing weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, improving image storability.

The printability improving liquid does not necessarily need to be ejected separately from the ink. Even if it is ejected in a state of being mixed with an ink of a plurality of colors which does not affect the printability improving liquid. Good.

The term “substantially adjacent” in the present invention includes the case where pixels are separated when they are hit with ink, but at least a part of the medium is adjacent to each other due to liquid penetration. .

In the present invention, the term “ejection section” refers to an ejection nozzle array of ink or printability improving liquid. The head chip is a chip in which the discharge section is formed with a discharge nozzle group on one substrate, and a head unit is configured by combining a plurality of head chips.

Further, as described above, the discharge section is not necessarily formed on one head chip, but also includes a case formed over different chips.

Further, the ink jet head of the present invention refers to a collective portion of discharge units in a so-called ink jet printing apparatus, and may be integrated with the apparatus or may be separate. In the case of a separate body, the head unit is included, and the number of head chips in this case is not particularly limited.

In the color ink jet head of the serial type according to the present invention, the arrangement direction of the heads of each color may be a horizontal line parallel to the main scanning direction of the heads or a vertical line perpendicular to the main scanning direction. Is also good.

According to the above printing method, an image having both image uniformity and color developability can be provided.

That is, after printing the color ink on the print material at least once, the printability improving liquid is applied at least once on the color ink print area, and the image to which the printability improvement liquid is applied is applied. By printing the area with the color ink at least once more, there is a pixel having the printability improving liquid applied on the color ink immediately adjacent to the pixel having the color ink applied on the printability improving liquid having a low coverage. In addition, since the coverage can be averaged as a whole, printing with both image uniformity and color development can be achieved.

Further, after applying the printing property improving liquid at least once or more, and then performing printing with the color ink at least once or more, further applying the printing property improving liquid at least once and then at least once. A similar effect can be obtained by performing printing with colored ink.

In the ink jet printing using both the printability improving liquid and the colored ink, the pixel where the colored ink lands at least once after the printability improving liquid, and the printability improving liquid lands after the colored ink at least once. A pixel to be printed, a pixel to which the printability improving liquid has landed at least once after the colored ink has landed at least once, and a pixel to which the colored ink has landed at least once more after that, and the printable liquid at least once to land After that, an image is formed by mixing at least two or more types of pixels among the four types of pixels where the colored ink has landed at least once or more and the printability improving liquid has landed at least once or more. This makes it possible to form a macroscopically uniform image while mixing pixels of different properties microscopically. That.

The time T from when the printability improving liquid lands on the material to be printed to when the print ink lands is less than the pixel A within the first specified time, and the time T is longer than the first specified time. By mixing the pixels B for the second specific time or longer on the printing material, it is possible to form a macroscopically uniform image while mixing pixels having different properties microscopically.

In the printing method of the present invention, it is preferable that an image is formed by a pixel which is landed with colored ink at least last, and such a pixel needs to be present at least in the image.

Here, the printability improving liquid may include a liquid that insolubilizes the dye in the ink, a liquid that causes the pigment in the ink to cause dispersion destruction, a printability improving liquid, and the like. Here, the insolubilization means that the anionic group contained in the dye in the ink and the cationic group of the cationic substance contained in the printability improving liquid ionically interact with each other to form an ionic bond. This is a phenomenon in which the uniformly dissolved dye separates from the solution. In the present invention, even if all the dyes in the ink are not necessarily insolubilized, effects such as suppression of color bleed, improvement of color development, improvement of character quality, and improvement of fixability as described in the present invention can be obtained. Aggregation is used in the same meaning as insolubilization when the colorant used in the ink is a water-soluble dye having an anionic group. When the colorant used in the ink is a pigment, a pigment dispersant or a cationic group of a cationic substance contained in the printability improving liquid and the pigment surface causes ionic interaction to disperse the pigment. This includes destruction and an increase in pigment particle size. Normal,
With the aggregation described above, the viscosity of the ink increases. In the present invention, even if not all the pigments or pigment dispersants in the ink are agglomerated, the effects of suppressing color bleeding, improving color development, improving character quality, and improving fixability, as described in the present invention, can be obtained. can get.

According to the present invention, it is possible to form an image having both image uniformity and color development. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink jet printing method and apparatus capable of obtaining a print image having a high print density, no unevenness, and having good weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, good image storability. it can. Further, according to the present invention, a printed matter having improved weatherability, i.e., image storability such as water resistance and light fastness, good feathering and less bleeding between colors, good color development, and high print density, etc. A printed matter having a high-quality image can be obtained.

[0045]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 4 shows a printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a single color (Bk)
5 is an example of a printing method using the printing ink and the printability improving liquid (S). Here, the printability improvement by the printability improving liquid means that the density, the saturation, the sharpness degree of the edge portion, the image quality such as the dot diameter are improved, the fixability of the ink is improved, and the water resistance, Includes improving weather resistance such as light resistance, that is, image storability.

On a carriage (not shown), a Bk head 1001 and an S head 1002 of a printability improving liquid are mounted. In the example shown in the figure, when printing is performed when the head corresponding to the odd-numbered scan moves from left to right (forward direction), the printability improving liquid and Bk ink are applied to the print material in this order. Further, in printing when the head corresponding to the even-numbered scan moves from right to left (return direction), the head is driven into the printing material in the order of ink → printability improving liquid.

First, the original image data of Bk is staggered by the first scan (forward direction) using the nozzles of the print area 1 corresponding to the lower half of the head nozzle width L with respect to the first image area. Prints thinned out. The data of the printability improving liquid is Bk printed during the same scan.
It is the same as the data. After printing the first image area, the printing medium is fed by a width of L / 2. Printing is performed by thinning out the images in a reverse zigzag manner in a form that complements the image formed by the first scan by the second scan (backward direction). The first image area is printed in print area 2 (upper half) of the print head, and the second image area is printed in print area 1 (lower half) of the print head. At this time, the first image area is printed by thinning the image data in the reverse staggered order in the order of the printability improving liquid → Bk ink on the print pixels that were not printed in the first scan, and printing all the images. Data printing is completed. At this time, in the first image area, the printability improving liquid is staggered → Bk ink, and B is staggered.
k ink → in the order in which the printability improving liquid lands, and in the second image area, half of the image data
Printed in the order of impact of the printability improving liquid.

Further, after the printing material is fed by L / 2 width paper, in the third scan (forward direction), the image data is thinned out in a staggered manner as in the first scan, and the second image area is reduced to the upper half. The nozzle prints the third image area with the lower half nozzle. Printing of the second image area is completed by the third scan. Here, the second image area is printed on the inverted staggered print pixels in the order in which the Bk ink → the printability improving liquid lands, and in a complementary manner, in the staggered printability improving liquid → the Bk ink lands. . By repeating in the same manner, the image areas on the printing material divided into the width of the print head L / 2 are sequentially printed, and the printing of all the print data is completed.

The effects of this embodiment will be described below.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show a comparison between this embodiment method and a general printing method. FIG.
(A) and (b) show the configuration of a four-nozzle head for easy understanding of examples of the Bk ink and the printability improving liquid. A print pixel 1101 is a pixel that prints in the forward direction when the head unit moves from left to right, and is printed on the print material in the order of printability improving liquid (S) → ink (K), and a print pixel 1102 is right to left. , The pixels which are printed in the backward direction and are ejected in the order of ink (K) → printability improving liquid (S). In a general printing method, 1101 and 1102 form a band for each nozzle width in one-pass reciprocal printing, and the print pixels 1101 are concentrated, so that the coverage in that area is reduced and stripes become conspicuous ( FIG.
(A)). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the pixels are arranged in a zigzag or inverted zigzag,
The same area must be printed by two or more scans, but both are mixed and the coverage is low. There is a printability improvement liquid → a pixel of the printability improvement liquid in the immediate vicinity of the print ink pixel. The overall coverage is averaged, and the occurrence of streaks is prevented.

In the method of the present embodiment, 50% of the image is composed of pixels having high color developing properties and is uniformly distributed on an average macroscopically. Thus, a uniform image having good color developability is formed without greatly impairing the effect of (1). Further, with respect to water resistance, an excellent image can be obtained regardless of the order in which the printability improving liquid and the ink are applied.

Further, although color unevenness and density unevenness due to the order in which the printability improving liquid and the printing ink are applied occur in dot units, the two are mixed microscopically and the uniformity is disturbed. Specifically, an image having high uniformity can be formed by averaging, and a uniform image can be seen even in the case of bidirectional printing using a printability improving liquid.

Further, by performing such printing, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) and 6 (c), printing is performed by using different nozzles on the same raster which is a printing method using a conventional printing ink. And the effect of multi-pass printing of preventing nozzle unevenness can be obtained. For this reason, the mixing amount of the reacting ink and the printability improving liquid becomes uniform as a whole, and the occurrence of density unevenness and color unevenness due to this can be suppressed.

Even if the order of the ink and the printability improving liquid is partially changed due to the misregistration between the heads, the printing method according to the present invention may cause the pixels having the different order of the prints to be originally disturbed to perform the printing. Therefore, the formed image is not greatly disturbed, and an image with high uniformity can be obtained.

That is, the image of the conventional printability improving liquid → print ink has high color developability but has many streaks and low uniformity, and the image of print ink → printability improver liquid has high uniformity but lacks color developability. In contrast, according to the printing method of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image having high coloring properties and high uniformity. In addition, even during bidirectional printing using a printability improving liquid, it is possible to prevent a decrease in image uniformity and eliminate nozzle unevenness by multi-pass printing.

In this embodiment, an example of a single color and a printability improving liquid is shown. However, the same applies to a case where a plurality of printing inks are used as in color printing. Print ink 2
Macroscopically uniform images can be obtained while microscopically mixing the pixels of the above and the print ink 2 → the print ink 1 → the pixels of the printability improving liquid.

Further, in this embodiment, the case of two-pass bidirectional printing has been described. However, if the number of print scans required for forming an image is further increased, the printing speed is reduced, but the influence of nozzle unevenness is further reduced. A reduced high image quality can be obtained.

In this embodiment, a staggered / inverted staggered mask has been described as a thinning mask. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
It can be changed depending on the required image quality or print mode. For example, in a print mode in which color development is valued on an image, the mask pattern may be determined so that pixels to which ink is injected after the printability improving liquid are predominantly present in the image.

(Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the printing method of this embodiment. In the first embodiment, the printability improving liquid is used for all of the ink print pixels. However, in the case of color printing using a plurality of inks, the printability improving liquid is used for all such ink print pixels. In addition, the consumption of the printability improving liquid is required several times for one color of the printing ink. On the other hand, as an effect of the printability improving liquid, it has been obtained by experiments by the inventors that the effect is not remarkably reduced even when printing is thinned out by about 50 to 25% with respect to print ink (ink and printability improvement). It differs slightly depending on the composition of the liquid). Therefore, in this embodiment, the entire consumption of the printability improving liquid is reduced, and the same effect as the printing method of the first embodiment is obtained.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which the use amount of the printability improving liquid is set to 50% of the print pixels. 1001 in the figure
And 1002 denote the heads of Bk and printability improving liquid, respectively. In the drawing, both the print ink and the printability improving liquid perform bidirectional printing according to two types of 4 × 4 masks. In the first scan, printing is performed on the first image area according to the mask patterns K1 and S1. As a result, 25% of the first image area is pixels of printability improving liquid → ink, and 25% are pixels of only print ink. Thereafter, the paper is fed by L / 2 (four nozzles in the figure), and the mask patterns K2 and S2 are fed in the second scan.
The printing is performed on the pixels according to. Thereby, printing is performed on the remaining pixels in the first image area, and the printing is completed. In the second image area, 25% are pixels of ink → printability improving liquid, and 25% are pixels of only print ink.
Further, L / 2 width paper feed is performed, and printing is performed using the same mask as in the first scan. Thus, printing of the second image area is completed. That is, the printability improving liquid uses a mask of 25% for each of the odd-numbered scan and the even-numbered scan.
Print 0%. The printing ink prints 50% of each of the odd-numbered scan and the even-numbered scan.
Perform printing of 00%. As a whole, the printability improving liquid → print ink, print ink → pixels of printability improving liquid and print ink alone are 25% and 25%, respectively.
%, 50%.

In the formed image, other pixels are arranged around the pixels of the printability improving liquid → ink, and no streak occurs. The density unevenness and color unevenness due to the presence or absence of the printability improving liquid and the difference in the order of printing are macroscopically uniform while mixing pixels having different properties microscopically as in the first embodiment. An image is being formed. As a whole, the above-described effect can be obtained while reducing the consumption of the printability improving liquid to such an extent that the effect is not lost.

In this embodiment, an example in which the number of pixels using the printability improving liquid is 50% is shown. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the number of pixels using the printability improving liquid is 25%. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 8, as the printability mask, mask patterns K3 and K4 in which 50% of the pixels to be printed are used as in the above-described example, but 12.5% of the pixels to be printed are used as the mask of the print improving liquid. Of the mask patterns S3 and S4.

(Third Embodiment) A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 9 shows a printing method according to this embodiment. The printing method according to the present embodiment is to prevent the occurrence of uneven streaks by printing the printability improving liquid → ink. The drawing shows the case of a single color (Bk) print ink and a printability improving liquid. Reference numerals 1001 and 1002 denote a Bk head and a printability improving liquid head, respectively. The head scan direction during printing is always only the forward direction.
In the first scan, the printability improving liquid performs printing with the original image data of Bk thinned out by the mask pattern K3. The data of the printability improving liquid is 100% of the Bk image data printed in the first image area (mask pattern S5).
And printing is performed in the first scan. After printing in the first scan, the paper is not fed, the head is not printed,
Return to home position by empty scan. Then, the image is masked with the mask pattern K in a manner that complements the Bk image printed in the first scan with respect to the first image area by the second scan.
4 is printed out. At this time, printing of the printability improving liquid is not performed (mask pattern S6). By this scanning, printing of the image of the entire first image area is completed. After that, the paper is returned to the home position by the paper feed of the head width and the idle scanning of the head. Then, in the second image area, an image is formed by the third scan and the fourth scan using the same print as the first scan and the second scan. An image is completed by repeating such printing.

That is, in the (2n-1) th (n is a natural number) scan, the printability improving liquid is applied to the 1st of the print data.
The data (mask pattern K3) with the print ink thinned out is printed at 00%, and the print ink is (2n-1) in the 2n-th scan without paper feed.
To complement the print in (mask pattern K4)
Perform printing. In all areas, printing of print ink is performed after printability improving liquid,
The time from when the printability improving liquid lands according to the thinning pattern until the print ink lands (landing interval T)
Are very different. The landing interval T is short in the pixel corresponding to the pattern K3, and long in the pixel corresponding to the pattern K4.

The effect of the time (landing interval) T from when the printability improving liquid lands on the material to be printed until the print ink lands will be described below. First, focusing on the landing interval T and the dot diameter (equivalent circular diameter) of the printed print ink, the shorter the T, the smaller the dot diameter, and the longer the T, the larger the dot diameter. FIG. 10 shows an experimental result on the relationship between the landing interval T and the dot diameter (equivalent circular diameter) of the print ink. This shows the result when the printability improving liquid and the print ink landed with an ideal overlap. The horizontal axis of the graph is the time from when the printability improving liquid lands to the time when the print ink lands, and the vertical axis is the dot diameter (equivalent circular diameter) of the print ink on the printing material. Assuming a 360 dpi print, it was found that if the landing interval T was increased to some extent (250 msec or more), an image with high uniformity with no noticeable streaks could be obtained.

On the other hand, in terms of color development, the landing time T
It is understood that the shorter the is, the higher the color development of the image can be obtained. This is because when T increases, the reaction component of the printability improving liquid has time to penetrate in the depth direction of the printing material, and accordingly, the dye component in the printing ink also permeates into the printing material from the printing material surface, It is thought to be established. According to an experiment, it was found that the effect of further improving the color developability of the printability improving liquid was obtained in about 150 msec.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, printing of Bk is performed in a different scan from the same scan as printing of the printability improving liquid, so that pixels having different landing intervals T are mixed by the mask patterns K3 and K4. ing. As a result, areas where two types of printing with different landing intervals T are performed are microscopically mixed. As a result, since the print pixels having a short landing interval T and the print pixels having a long landing interval T are adjacent to each other, the overall coverage is increased, and an image with less noticeable streaks is obtained. Further, as for the color developing property, since the image is composed of pixels having a high color developing property of 50% and is evenly distributed on average when viewed macroscopically, the color developing property is good without greatly impairing the effect of the printability improving liquid. A uniform image is formed.

In this embodiment, the mask pattern is set to two pixels.
× 2 are arranged in a zigzag and inverted zigzag pattern. However, this pattern is merely an example of the present invention, and depends on the composition of the ink and printability improving liquid, the head configuration, the print data, the image quality required by the user, or the print speed, etc. Changes can be made in the same manner as in the other embodiments.

In the present embodiment, the case where the landing interval T is different in the order of the printing property improving liquid → the printing ink driving order is shown. Also in the case where it differs for each area, the formed dots have different dot diameters and coloring properties. Therefore, even in such a case, similarly, pixels having different landing intervals may be mixed in small area units to realize a macroscopically uniform image.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) show the permeation state of the ink and the printability improving liquid in the depth direction of the paper at the time of printing in this embodiment. On the other hand, printing is performed in the order of ink → printability improving liquid → ink. In this case, the printing ink is applied twice for one image data, but the printing is performed such that the total amount of the printing ink which is applied in the two printings is substantially equal to the amount of the printing ink which does not use the printability improving liquid. Is performed, and the ink amount is preferably about 50% each. In this case, the printability improving liquid is sandwiched between the ink (printing ink 1) to be discharged first and the ink (printing ink 2) to be discharged later. → The reaction area is larger than in the case where a printability improving liquid is injected, and the effect can be obtained more stably. In addition, since the printing ink 1 is first in the paper surface, the reaction component of the printability improving liquid remains on the relatively surface of the paper surface, and the dye such as the dye of the printing ink 2 that is subsequently ejected stays on the paper surface, so that the coloring is good. Become. Further, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of streaks, which may occur due to the reduced dot diameter in the case of the printability improving liquid → ink.

Hereinafter, an example of a head configuration and a printing method for realizing this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12 in the case of ink → printability improving liquid → ink. In this embodiment, the ink is described as an example of a single color of Bk, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In FIG. 12, 2000 is a head unit, 2001, 2002 and 2003 are Bk, respectively.
1, the printability improving liquid and the head of Bk2 are shown. An image area 2011 of the printing material 2100 is an area where printing is performed when the head scans in the forward direction. First, while the head moves in the forward direction, the area of 2011 corresponding to the nozzle width L is changed to Bk2 → printing property improving liquid → B
After printing in the order of k1, the paper is fed by the nozzle width L. Then, the image area 2021 is printed while the head scans in the backward direction, and the paper is fed by L width to perform printing 201.
2 is printed to form an image. By repeating this, the entire image is formed. That is, the image area 2010
In the image area 2020, an image landed in the order of Bk2 → printing property improving liquid → Bk2 is formed in the order of Bk2 → printing property improving liquid → Bk1.

In this embodiment, the printability improving liquid head is 2
Although an example of a head configuration sandwiched between two Bk heads has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when Bk and the printability improving liquid have a single head configuration, the number of print passes is increased. Similar effects can be achieved.

In the printing method of this embodiment, the reaction area between the printability improving liquid and the ink is increased, and the printing order is a problem of the printability improving liquid → the ink when the coverage is lowered or the ink → the printability. It is possible to prevent the dye from sinking into the paper surface, which is a problem in the case of the improving liquid, and it is possible to provide an image having high coloring property and good uniformity.

In the present embodiment, a single color print is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when two or more types of print inks are used, such as in the case of color print, the print ink 1 → When a print such as printability improvement liquid → print ink 2 is performed, the reaction area between both print inks and printability improvement liquid is smaller than that of printability improvement liquid → ink1 → ink2. As a result, the effect of the printability improving liquid such as water resistance can be sufficiently obtained.

In FIG. 11B, printing is performed in the order of printability improving liquid → ink → printability improving liquid. Contrary to the above case, the printability improving liquid is applied twice for one image data, but the total amount of the printability improving liquid applied in two printings is as shown in FIG.
It is carried out so that the amount of the printability improving liquid in (a) is almost the same, and preferably each is about half the amount.
Even in this case, the reaction area between the print ink and the printability improving liquid is increased, and the effect of the printability improving liquid can be more stably obtained. In the similar printing method in the known example, there is no description about the amount of the printability improving liquid as in the present invention. If the printing is performed such that the amount of the printing property improving liquid to be applied first is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 11A, a sufficient reaction occurs between the printing property improving liquid and the printing ink previously printed. However, the formed recording dots are not different from the dots formed by the printability improving liquid → ink, so that an image with conspicuous streaks during solid recording. On the other hand, when the amount of the printability improving liquid to be injected first is small, an image having coloration and feathering, such as an image of the ink → the printability improvement liquid, tends to be formed. For this reason, it is preferable that the amount of each of the shots is about half the printability improving liquid amount in FIG.

Further, according to the idea of the present invention, the number of times of printing of the printing ink and the printing property improving liquid required to form one pixel is further increased, and printing is performed in a divided manner. → Printability improving liquid → By performing printing using ink, the reactivity between the ink and the printability improving liquid can be further increased, and a more stable effect of the printability improving liquid can be obtained. However, in this case, the method cannot be realized unless the number of heads is increased or the print speed is reduced, and the method of realization differs depending on the user's desired main body cost, print speed, print quality, and the like. At this time, it is preferable to set a single application amount so that the total application amount of the ink and the printability improving liquid does not exceed the ink receiving amount of the printing material.

(Fifth Embodiment) A fifth embodiment will be described below.

In FIG. 13, reference numerals 1101 and 1102 denote a color print head and a printability improving liquid head, respectively. This color print head 110
Reference numeral 1 denotes a CMY color integrated chip in which cyan, magenta, and yellow are integrated in one head, as shown in FIG. The printing of the printability improving liquid is performed in the same manner as the pixel data of the color data printed by the same scan.

FIG. 13 shows a printing method according to this embodiment.
For explanation, a blue print using C (cyan) and M (magenta) will be described. First, printing is performed on the image area 1c in the order of printability improving liquid → C ink by the first scan. Thereafter, the paper is fed by 48 nozzles, and the printability improving liquid → C ink is printed on the image area 2c, and simultaneously the printability improving liquid → M ink is printed on the image area 1m. Is completed. The image areas 1c and 1m are shifted from each other by an amount corresponding to eight nozzles for the inter-color sealing width of the head. Therefore, the print width of the image area 1m is 40 nozzles wide. Thereafter, the paper is fed with a width of 48 nozzles and the image area 3
The printability improving liquid → C ink is printed on c, and the printability improving liquid → M ink is printed on the image area 2m. The print area by the M head has a width of 48 nozzles in the area after the image area 2m. By repeating such printing, an image is formed.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described. By analogy with the conventional printing method, it is common to print the data of the printability improving liquid by taking the logical sum of the C ink and M ink in the order of printability improving liquid → C ink → M ink. It is considered to be. However, in the printing method of this embodiment, the printability improving liquid is always printed immediately before printing the ink. That is,
Printability improving liquid 1 → C ink → Printability improving liquid 2 →
Print like M ink. In the former conventional printing method, the effect of the printability improving liquid, such as the improvement of the color developing property, is not sufficient for the M ink to which the printability improving liquid is later injected. This is because the time interval from when the printability improving liquid lands to when the M ink lands is large, and at this time the printability improving liquid component has sufficiently penetrated into the printing material, and the ink and the printability improving liquid Is considered to occur at a relatively deeper part of the surface of the print material. On the other hand, in the latter printing method in the present embodiment, printing of the printability improving liquid 2 is performed immediately before M ink printing. As a result, the landing interval between the M ink and the printability improving liquid 2 is shortened, and the M ink is applied before the printability improvement liquid 2 sufficiently penetrates into the print-receiving material. The reaction with the liquid occurs sufficiently, and the effect of improving the color development can be obtained without loss.

Further, C (cyan) and Y (yellow)
In the case of ink, in the former printing method, the landing interval between the printing property improving liquid and the Y ink becomes large, and the effect of the printing property improving liquid cannot be sufficiently obtained. However, a sufficient printability improving liquid effect can be obtained. Further, in the case of multi-pass printing for high image quality, the former printing method increases the landing interval between the printability improving liquid and the ink, and the printing method of the present invention is more effective.

Considering the case where the printability improving liquid head and the heads of the inks of the respective colors which are different from each other are arranged side by side,
In the conventional method that does not use the printability improving liquid, a thinning mask is used so that a plurality of inks are printed on the same pixel by different scans so that a large amount of ink is applied to one pixel at a time and ink overflow does not occur. You have set. When this printing method is applied to a printing method in which the logical sum of the printing ink is used as data of the printing property improving liquid, the landing interval between the printing property improving liquid and the second printing ink to be applied to the printing material as described above. Becomes large. Therefore, by using the printing method as in the present embodiment, it becomes possible to perform printing in which the overflow of the ink is prevented and the effect of the printability improving liquid is sufficiently obtained.

In contrast to the printing method of this embodiment, when bidirectional printing is performed to improve the printing speed, the printing method as described in the first embodiment is used, so that ink and printing can be performed. Disturbance of uniformity due to a difference in the order of injection of the property improving liquid can be prevented.

(Sixth Embodiment) A sixth embodiment will be described below.

The printing method of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16A, 16B and 16C. In FIG. 15, reference numerals 1201 and 1202 denote a monochromatic (Bk) head and a printability improving liquid head, respectively. Here, for the sake of explanation, the monochrome ink is Bk,
The present invention is not limited to this. These heads can discharge ink droplets having different discharge amounts from one nozzle. That is, as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, two fluids 12 are provided in the liquid path 12 communicating with one nozzle 11.
Two heaters 13A and 13B are arranged in parallel, and each heater is driven independently. A normal discharge amount can be obtained by both heaters, and a discharge amount of about half of the normal discharge amount can be obtained by one heater. Vdk1 = 8 as the ejection amount of the Bk head
0 pl, Vdk2 = 40 pl, and the printability improving liquid head has Vds1 = 40 pl and Vds2 = 20 pl.

In the method shown in FIG. 15, the printability improving liquid of the ejection amount Vds2 and the Bk ink of Vdk2 are printed on the first image area by the first scan.
Print in zigzag in the order of k inks. Then, the paper feed and the idle scanning for the width of L / 2 are performed in the backward direction, and the head is returned to the home position. Thereafter, printing is performed in the second scan. At this time, the first staggered pixel is
In the same manner as in the scanning, the printing is performed with the discharge amounts of Vds2 and Vdk2 in the order of the printability improving liquid → Bk ink. For the remaining pixels in the reverse zigzag arrangement, Vds1 and Vdk1 are arranged in the order of the printability improving liquid → Bk ink.
Printing is performed with the discharge amount of. As a result, pixels are formed in the first image area in the order of the printability improving liquid, the Bk ink, the printability improving liquid, and the printability improving liquid in a staggered manner, and in the reverse staggered printability improving solution → Bk order. Thus, printing of the first image area is completed. At this time, the total ejection amount of the ink and the printability improving liquid to each pixel is equal. Thereafter, paper feeding of L / 2 width and empty scanning of the head are performed, and the printability improving liquid (Vds2) → Bk (V
dk2) is printed. As a result, the printing of the second image area is completed, and in the same manner as in the first image area, the printability improving liquid → Bk → the printability improving liquid → the printability improving liquid, and the printability is reversed in a staggered manner. Improvement liquid → B
Pixels are formed in the order of k. By repeating this, an image is formed.

That is, the printability improving liquid (Vds2) → Bk ink (Vdk)
Perform divided printing as in 2), and after feeding L / 2 paper,
The printability improving liquid (Vds2) → the Bk ink (Vdk2) is printed in a staggered manner, and the printability improving liquid (Vds1) → Bk ink (Vdkl) is printed in the reverse zigzag. This makes the printability improving liquid in a zigzag pattern → B
Printing is performed such that pixels of k ink → printing property improving liquid → Bk ink are arranged in a staggered manner, and pixels of printing property improving liquid → Bk ink are arranged.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described. In the printing (split printing) method such as the printability improving liquid → print ink → printability improvement liquid → print ink or print ink → printability improvement liquid → print ink as described in the fourth embodiment, the printability is improved. The reaction area between the improving liquid and the ink is large, and the effect of the printability improving liquid is sufficiently obtained. However, when such printing is performed on the front side of the image, the durability of the head is required to be about twice that in the case of normal printing. Therefore, in the printing method of the present embodiment, the print duty (Duty) of half of the print is set as the ink → the printability improving liquid → the pixel of the print ink, and the other half is the printability improving liquid →
Printing is performed separately for the print ink pixels. This is a printing method capable of maintaining the remarkably excellent effect of the printability improving liquid as in the case of performing divided printing at a relatively high level, and extending the durability of the head. As a mixing method, as described in the first embodiment, pixels having different properties are mixed microscopically, so that macroscopically uniform images are obtained.

In this embodiment, as an example of divided printing, printability improving liquid → print ink → printability improving liquid →
Although an example of print ink has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and print ink → printability improving liquid → print ink may be used.

(Seventh Embodiment) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the mask pattern was staggered and inverted zigzag, and an example in which 4 × 4 was set as one unit area and arranged in zigzag and inverted zigzag. An example is shown in this embodiment.

FIG. 17 shows a case where the driving order is printing property improving liquid → ink and ink → printing property improving liquid. In this example, the total print width in the head main scanning direction is 360
Printing is performed so that areas printed in the order of printability improving liquid → ink at dpi and one pixel width and areas printed in the order of ink → printability improving liquid are alternately arranged. As described above, even if a band having a constant width is repeated, a macroscopically uniform image can be formed unless the width has a certain size.

FIG. 18 shows an example in which the same pixels are arranged in the paper feed direction and pixels having different properties are alternately arranged in the head main scanning direction. In this case, the same effect can be obtained. In these examples, pixels having the same property are arranged at 360 dpi and 1 pixel width. However, according to an experiment, when this width is gradually increased, band unevenness was not conspicuous up to 360 dpi and 5 pixel widths. 360 dpi, 6 pixel width,
It was found that when the width was about 420 μm, band unevenness became large and image uniformity was reduced. That is, in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction of the head, by mixing different pixels so that the same pixels having a certain width (about 430 μm) or more are not continuous, uniformity can be obtained without greatly deteriorating image quality. A high image is obtained.

In this embodiment, the case of the ink → the printability improving liquid is shown. However, the same effect can be obtained when different kinds of pixels are mixed on the image in the second, third and sixth embodiments.

In the first to sixth embodiments, the ideal case where the print ink and the printability improving liquid land on the same pixel is shown. However, it is possible to reduce the registration deviation and the ink consumption. When printing is performed with the landing position of the printability improving liquid intentionally shifted from the print pixels for the purpose, even if the pixels are separated by ink, even if the pixels are separated, at least a part of the print material will be penetrated by the permeation of the liquid. Therefore, even in a substantial case including a case where the print ink and the printability improving liquid are adjacent to each other, the effects of the above embodiment can be sufficiently obtained.

(Eighth Embodiment) In the above embodiment, the ratio of the amounts of the printability improving liquid and the printing ink applied to the material to be printed will be described.

In the printing method shown in FIGS. 4, 5 (a) and 5 (b) shown in the first embodiment, the print ink and the printability improving liquid are applied to each pixel to be printed the same number of times. According to the experiments by the present inventors, the effect of the printability improving liquid differs depending on the ratio of the amount of ejection to the recording medium. However, considering the water resistance and the streak of the image, (the amount of ejection of the print ink): (printability) Improving solution amount) = 1: approximately 0.1-1.

The present inventors performed printing of print ink (Bk of an additional type) on a grid point of 360 dpi with a head having a discharge amount of 80 ng, and discharged a printability improving liquid of 5 to 5 grid points.
The experiment was performed while changing the range in about 100 ng. When this ratio was greater than 1: 0.1, the water resistance was lost. Also, when the amount of the printability improving liquid exceeds 1: 1 and exceeds the amount of the printing ink,
Depending on the type of print ink, streaks may be conspicuous in the image. Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the print head, in consideration of variations in the discharge amount and changes in the use environment, etc., (printing amount of the printing ink) :( printing amount of the printing property improving liquid) = 1: 0.25 to 0.5. A ratio of about 75 is preferred.

Here, the example in the first embodiment is shown, but in the other second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments, the total amount of ink applied onto the printing material and the printability are also described. Almost the same effect was obtained when the ratio of the total injection amount of the improving liquid was the above value. That is, the effect of the present invention can be obtained not by the ratio of the driving amounts in the microscopic region but by the ratio of the macroscopic averaged driving amounts.

(Supplementary Example) An example of an ink jet printing apparatus for carrying out the above-described first to eighth embodiments of the method of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing an ink jet printing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In the ink jet printing apparatus 100, the carriage 101 is slidably engaged with two guide shafts 104 and 105 extending parallel to each other. Accordingly, the carriage 101 can move along the guide shafts 104 and 105 by a driving motor and a driving force transmission mechanism such as a belt for transmitting the driving force (both are not shown). On the carriage 101, an ink jet cartridge 103 having an ink jet head and an ink tank as an ink container for storing ink used in the head is mounted.

The ink jet cartridge 103 comprises a head for discharging the ink and the printing property improving liquid as the printing property improving liquid, and a tank as a container for storing the ink or the printing property improving liquid supplied thereto. That is, black (Bk), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inks, and five heads for ejecting the printability improving liquid, respectively, and five heads provided for each of these heads Is mounted on the carriage 101 as an ink jet cartridge 103. Each head and the tank are detachable from each other, and are provided so that only the tank can be replaced for each individual ink color etc. as necessary, such as when the ink or printability improving liquid in the tank is exhausted. I have. Of course, only the head can be replaced as needed. The configuration of attaching and detaching the head and the tank is not limited to the above example, and it goes without saying that the head and the tank may be integrally formed.

The paper 106 serving as a printing material is inserted from an insertion port 111 provided at the front end of the apparatus, and finally its transport direction is reversed, and is transported by a feed roller 109 to a lower portion of the moving area of the carriage 101. Is done. As a result, printing is performed from a head mounted on the carriage 101 to a print area on the sheet 106 supported by the platen 108 as the head is moved.

As described above, printing is performed on the entire sheet 106 while alternately repeating the printing of the width corresponding to the width of the discharge port arrangement of the head and the feeding of the sheet 106, and the sheet 106 is discharged to the front of the apparatus. You.

At the left end of the movable area of the carriage 101, there is provided a recovery system unit 110 which can oppose each head on the carriage 101 at a lower portion thereof, so that the ejection port of each head can be used when recording is not performed. Capping operation and operation of sucking ink from the ejection port of each head can be performed. The predetermined position at the left end is set as the home position of the head.

On the other hand, an operation unit 107 having switches and display elements is provided at the right end of the apparatus. The switches here are used for turning on / off the power of the apparatus, setting various print modes, and the like, and the display element plays a role of displaying various states of the apparatus.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the print head unit 103 shown in FIG. This example uses black,
In this case, all the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks and the tank for the printability improving liquid are configured to be independently replaceable.

A print head 102 for discharging Bk, C, M, and Y and a printability improving liquid is provided on a carriage 101;
Bk tank 20K, C tank 20C, M tank 2
A tank 20Y for 0M and Y and a tank 21 for the printability improving liquid are mounted. Each tank is connected to the print head via a connection with the print head, and supplies ink or a printability improving liquid to the discharge ports.

In addition to this example, for example, the printability improving liquid and the tank for Bk may have an integral structure, or the tanks for C, M and Y may have an integral structure.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the heating element of the print head. In the ink jet printing apparatus of this example, a heating element, which is an electric-to-heat converter, is arranged on a substrate corresponding to each ink ejection port, and a drive signal corresponding to print information is applied to the heating element to cause a discharge from the ejection port. A printing method for ejecting ink droplets 35 is employed.

Here, the heating element 30 is configured to be capable of independently generating heat for all nozzles. More specifically, the ink in the nozzle, which has been rapidly heated by the heat generated by the heating element 30, forms bubbles due to film boiling, and the pressure of the bubble generation causes the ink droplets 35 to form the printing material 31.
To form characters and images on the printing material 31. At this time, the volume of each color ink droplet to be ejected is 15 to 80 ng.

Each of the discharge ports 23 is provided with an ink liquid path 34 communicating with the discharge port 23.
A common liquid chamber 32 for supplying ink to these liquid paths 34 is provided behind the portion where is disposed. Discharge port 23
Are provided in the ink liquid paths 34 corresponding to the
A heating element 30, which is an electric-to-heat converter for generating thermal energy used to eject ink droplets 35 from the ink jetting element 3, and electrode wiring for supplying electric power to the heating element 30 are provided.
These heating elements 30 and electrode wirings are formed on a substrate 33 made of silicon or the like by a film forming technique. Heating element 30
A protective film 36 is formed on the substrate so that the ink and the heating element do not come into direct contact with each other. Further, the discharge port 23, the ink liquid path 34, the common liquid chamber 32, and the like are formed by laminating a partition wall 34 made of a resin or a glass material on the substrate 33.

As described above, the printing method using the heating element 30 which is an electric / heat converter uses bubbles formed by applying thermal energy at the time of ejecting ink droplets. Have been.

FIG. 22 shows the recovery unit 1 shown in FIG.
It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of FIG. A cap 112 for Bk, a cap 114 for C, a cap 115 for M, and a cap 1 for Y corresponding to the print head.
16 and a cap 113 for a printability improving liquid. Each of the caps 112 to 116 is configured to be vertically movable. When the print head is located at the home position, the print head is joined to the print head portion and capped, thereby preventing ejection failure due to thickening or sticking due to evaporation of ink in the ejection openings of the print head.

Each cap 112-of the recovery unit 110
116 communicates with the pump unit 119. The pump unit 119 is used to generate a negative pressure during a suction recovery process for joining the cap unit and the print head and sucking ink from the discharge ports of the print head when the print head has a discharge failure. The pump unit is provided independently for the printability improving liquid and for each ink head, and the waste liquid is sent to the waste liquid tank through independent paths. This is to prevent insolubilization in the pump caused by contact between the printing color ink and the printability improving liquid in the cap and the pump. The pump unit may be two for the printability improving liquid and for the color ink to be printed.

The recovery unit further includes a printability improving liquid blade 117 for wiping the discharge port of the printability improving liquid discharge head, and a color ink blade 118 for wiping the discharge port of the print ink discharge head. Are provided.

Each of these blades 117 and 118
Is a blade formed of an elastic member such as rubber for wiping ink or printability improving liquid attached to the discharge port forming surface of the print head. The blade is configured to be vertically movable by a lifting device (not shown) so that a position where the blade is raised to wipe the print head surface and a position where the blade is lowered so as not to interfere with the print head surface are obtained.

In order to prevent the print ink and the printability improving liquid from being mixed and hardened near the discharge port forming surface of the print head by wiping, the printability improving liquid blade 117 for wiping the printability improvement liquid discharge portion.
In addition, a color ink blade 118 for wiping the print ink discharge portion is provided independently, and furthermore, it is configured to be able to move independently, so that it can be moved up and down.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the ink jet printing apparatus of the embodiment. Character or image data to be printed (hereinafter referred to as image data) is input from the host computer to the reception buffer 401 of the printing apparatus 100. Further, data for confirming whether data is correctly transferred and data for informing the operation state of the printing apparatus are transferred from the printing apparatus to the host computer. Under the control of the control unit 402 having a CPU, the data input to the
The data is transferred to the M-type memory unit 403 and temporarily stored. The mechanical control unit 404 drives a mechanical unit 405 such as a carriage motor or a line feed motor, which is a power source of the carriage 101 and the feed roller 109 (both refer to FIG. 4), according to a command from the control unit 402. The sensor / SW control unit 406 sends a signal from the sensor / SW unit 407 including various sensors and SWs (switches) to the control unit 402. The display element control unit 408 includes:
In accordance with a command from the control unit 402, the display of a display element unit 409 including an LED of a display panel group, a liquid crystal display element, and the like is controlled. The head control unit 410 controls each of the heads 30K, 30C, 30M, 30 according to a command from the control unit 402.
Y and 31 are individually controlled. Further, temperature information indicating the state of each of these heads is transmitted to the reading control unit 402. Note that the control unit 402 includes an image processing unit that performs image processing.

(Ninth Embodiment) FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus which can carry out an embodiment of the ink jet printing method of the present invention. In this figure,
701 is an ink cartridge. These are black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), which are four color inks, and a printability improving liquid (hereinafter, referred to as P) for insolubilizing or aggregating the coloring material in the ink.
(Also referred to as a liquid) and a multi-head 702. FIG. 25 shows the state of the multi-nozzles arranged on the multi-head 702 from the z direction.
It is a multi-nozzle arranged above. In FIG. 24, 70
Reference numeral 3 denotes a paper feed roller, which rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 24 while suppressing the print paper as a print target material together with the auxiliary roller 704, and feeds the print paper in the y direction as needed. Reference numeral 705 denotes a paper feed roller which feeds print paper and also plays a role of suppressing print paper, similarly to 703 and 704. A carriage 706 supports the five ink cartridges and moves them together with printing. The carriage 706 stands by at the home position (h) at the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 24 when printing is not being performed or when performing a multi-head recovery operation or the like.

In this embodiment, the discharge section of each ink jet cartridge discharges liquid droplets by causing a state change in the ink using thermal energy. Here, the ejection unit may be a part of the same head or a different head.

Here, the 5 mounted on the carriage 706
The individual inkjet cartridges are arranged such that the inks are superposed in the order of P liquid, black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink when the carriage moves forward.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the ink jet printing apparatus shown in FIG. 12 in the figure
A control unit 01 mainly includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each unit of the apparatus according to a program stored in the ROM. Reference numeral 1202 denotes a driver for driving a carriage motor 1205 for moving (main scanning) the carriage 706 in the x direction based on a signal from the control unit 1201. Reference numeral 1203 denotes a paper feed roller 705 based on a signal from the control unit 1201. And a driver 1204 for driving a paper feed roller 703 and for driving a transport motor 1206 for transporting (sub-scanning) the print material in the y direction, based on print data from the control unit 1201, and each of the multi-heads 1207 to 1211 ( 24, an operation display unit for inputting various keys and various displays, and a host device 1213 for supplying print data to the control unit 1201.

Before the start of printing, the carriage 706 at the position h (home position) shown in FIG. 24 is moved in the x direction by the n number of multi-nozzles 801 on the multi-head 702 when the print start command is received. Print on top. When the printing of data is completed up to the end of the paper surface and the paper reaches the reversing position, the paper is fed by a predetermined width in the y direction by the paper feed roller 703, and the carriage starts moving backward in the home position direction and prints the data again. I do. In this manner, data printing on one sheet is completed by repeating the multi-head printing and paper feeding for each carriage one scan (main scan).

Basically, the image data of the ink jet head for the P liquid is created as the logical sum data of the image data sent to each ink jet print head, and in some cases, the image data is printed with thinned image data.

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram for explaining a ninth embodiment of the ink jet printing method of the present invention.

FIG. 27 shows a state in which printing is performed using an 8-nozzle head for convenience of explanation. In the present embodiment, first, a carriage 70 on which an ink jet print head for ink and an ink jet head for P liquid are mounted
6 prints the ink image and the P liquid image to the pixel indicated by the image data 301 in the forward direction while moving in the direction of the arrow (first scan). As can be seen from the view 301, in the first scan, the image data of the P liquid is not thinned out at all, and the image data of the ink is printed at a position where it is thinned out in a staggered manner. At this time, the arrangement of the heads mounted on the carriage is P liquid, K,
Since the pixels are arranged in the order of C, M, and Y, the ink lands in each pixel after the P liquid lands. Next, the carriage is inverted from this state without feeding the paper, and the head performs the reprinting in the direction opposite to the first scanning (second scanning). At this time, the image data of only the ink is printed on pixels thinned out in a reverse zigzag without ejecting the P liquid, thereby completing the image of the print area of the head from above. Here, an arrow y in the figure is drawn by a paper feed roller.
By performing the paper feed for eight pixels (for the print area of the print head) in the direction, the print head becomes 30 in FIG.
The printer is caused to stand by at a position corresponding to the print state of No. 3, and forward printing of the image data of the P liquid and the ink is performed while proceeding in the arrow direction as in the first scan (third scan). After that, the fourth
It leads to scanning. By doing so, it is possible to cause the P liquid to land before the ink in all the pixels, and since the image data of the ink in each scan is thinned out, the inkjet head for the P liquid is used. It is possible to print without increasing the power supply capacity even if the number of prints increases, and there is no reduction in throughput due to the reciprocal printing.

In this embodiment, since the ink is applied after all the pixels are applied with the P liquid, a high print density and a clear print image without unevenness are obtained.

In this embodiment, all pixels can be printed without thinning out the P liquid data at the time of forward printing. However, printing may be performed with the P liquid data thinned out. FIG. 28 shows a modification of this embodiment as an example. This is obtained by thinning out the P liquid data in a staggered manner in the same way as the ink data in the above-described second embodiment and the first and third scans in the forward printing. Usually, the amount of the ink droplet is designed to be larger than the area given to each pixel on the paper surface. This is to make the blank area completely invisible in the area of the printing rate 100% data. As described above, even if only 50% of the printing pixels are printed on the printing material, as shown in FIG. Most of the area is covered as shown in FIG. Therefore,
When printing in a zigzag pattern in forward printing as in the first scan or the third scan, since most of the area is covered with the P liquid, sufficient water resistance can be obtained even when the P liquid is not ejected during the return printing. Is exhibited. Further, by thinning out the P solution data, the consumption amount of the P solution could be greatly reduced. The thinning rate of the P liquid data is not particularly limited, and may be thinned with other duties. In the present embodiment, the image is completed by two scans of the same area. However, the image may be completed by a larger number of scans.

Here, an example of the formulation of the ink and the P liquid used in this embodiment is shown below.

Y Ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Acetinol EH (Kawaken Chemical) 1.0% by weight Dye C.I. I. Direct Yellow 142 2.0% by weight Water 82.0% by weight M Ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Acetinol EH (Kawaken Fine Chemical) 1.0% by weight Dye C . I. Acid Red 289 2.5% by weight Water 81.5% by weight C ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Acetinol EH (Kawaken Fine Chemical) 1.0% by weight Dye C . I. Direct Blue 199 2.5% by weight Water 81.5% by weight Bk ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Isopropyl alcohol 4.0% by weight Dye food black 23.0% by weight % Water 78.0% by weight Printability improving liquid (P liquid) Polyallylamine hydrochloride 5.0% by weight Benzalkonium chloride 1.0% by weight Diethylene glycol 10.0% by weight Acetinol EH (Kawaken Fine Chemical) 0.5% % Water 83.5% by weight Here, an example in which a dye is used as a coloring material of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a pigment using a pigment as a coloring material, or A mixture of a dye and a pigment may be used. The same effect can be obtained by using an optimal printability improving liquid in which the respective inks containing the coloring materials aggregate.

(Tenth Embodiment) FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram for explaining a tenth embodiment of the ink jet printing method of the present invention. Here, as in the previous embodiment, a state in which printing is performed using an 8-nozzle head is shown for convenience of explanation. In this embodiment, first, the carriage 706 shown in FIG. 24 on which the ink jet print head for ink and the ink jet head for P liquid are mounted, in the forward pass printing, the image data is shifted to 311 pixels in a zigzag pattern.
While proceeding in the direction of the arrow, the ink image and the P liquid image are printed (first scan). At this time, the heads mounted on the carriage are arranged in the order of printability improving liquid, Bk, C, M, and Y from the right side of the carriage. Comes to land. Next, the arrow y in the figure is moved by the paper feed roller.
By performing paper feed for four pixels in the direction, the print head is relatively at a position corresponding to the state of 312 in the figure. From this state, the print head performs return printing in the direction of the arrow (second scan). At this time, the image data of only the ink is printed on the pixels thinned out in an inverted zigzag without ejecting the P liquid, so that the image of four pixels from the top is complemented and completed. Here, the paper feed roller also feeds the paper by four pixels in the direction of arrow y in the figure, so that the print head stands by at a position corresponding to the print state of 313 in the figure, and while the print head advances in the direction of the arrow, the P liquid and the ink are moved. Forward printing is performed on pixels obtained by thinning out image data in a staggered manner (third scan). Thereafter, the process similarly proceeds to the fourth scan.

Also in this embodiment, since the ink always lands where the P liquid is printed, the image density is high, and the ink dots are caused by the nozzle variation and the connecting streak by the division printing method. A clear image without unevenness can be obtained. And the P liquid image is 50
%, The consumption of the P solution can be greatly reduced. Paying attention to the print pixels of the P solution, although the split printing method is not used, since the printability improving liquid is almost colorless or pale color, the influence was hardly observed.

In the present embodiment, the thinning is performed in a staggered manner. However, the thinning rate is not particularly limited to 50%, and the thinning may be performed at any other duty. In the present embodiment, the image is completed by two scans of the same area. However, the image may be completed by a larger number of scans.

(Eleventh Embodiment) FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram for explaining an eleventh embodiment of the ink jet printing method of the present invention. Here also, for convenience of description, the configuration is an eight nozzle head.

First, the carriage 2 carrying the ink jet print head for ink and the ink jet head for printability improving liquid prints the ink image and the P liquid image on the pixel indicated by 321 in the forward path printing while moving in the direction of the arrow. (First scan). Here, printing is performed without thinning out the P liquid data at all, and printing of ink data is allowed only on pixels that are thinned out in a staggered manner. At this time, since the arrangement of the head mounted on the carriage is arranged in the order of P liquid, Bk, C, M, and Y in order from the right side of the carriage, the P liquid is first applied to each pixel on which ink is printed. To land on Next, the paper feed roller performs paper feed by four pixels in the opposite direction to the normal direction, that is, in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow y in the figure, so that the print head relatively comes to a position corresponding to the state of 322 in the figure. . From this state, the print head performs return printing in the direction of the arrow (second scan). At this time, by printing only the ink data on the pixels thinned out in an inverted zigzag without printing the P liquid data, the image of four pixels from the top is complemented and completed. Since the area printed on the return path is the area already printed by the forward scan, the P liquid has already been applied to the pixels printed on the return path. Therefore, the pixels printed on the return path are also applied with the printability improving liquid and then overlaid with ink, similarly to the forward path. Next, the head is made to stand by at a position 323 in the figure by feeding paper by 12 pixels (the total number of nozzles + 4 pixels) in the direction of arrow y in the figure by the paper feed roller, and the forward printing is performed again (third scan). After that, the process proceeds to the fourth scan.

In this embodiment, since the ink is applied after the P liquid is applied to all the pixels, the print density is high and a clear print image without unevenness is obtained. In this embodiment, as compared with the embodiment, it is possible to cause the p liquid to land on all pixels on which ink is printed first without thinning out the P liquid data.

In this embodiment, all pixels can be printed without thinning out the P liquid data at the time of forward printing. However, the P liquid data may be thinned out and printed. FIG. 32 shows a modification of the present embodiment as an example. This is obtained by thinning out the P liquid data in a staggered manner in the first and third scans of the second embodiment as in the ink data. Even if the P solution data was thinned out to 50%, sufficient water resistance was obtained as described in Example 1. Further, by thinning out the P solution data, the consumption amount of the P solution could be greatly reduced. The thinning rate of the P liquid data is not particularly limited, and may be thinned with other duties. In the present embodiment, the image is completed by two scans of the same area. However, the image may be completed by a larger number of scans.

In the above-described mixing of the P liquid (liquid composition) and the ink, according to the present invention, the above-mentioned P liquid and the ink are mixed on the print material or at a position where the ink permeates the print material, resulting in a reaction. As the first step, among the cationic substances contained in the liquid P, a low molecular weight component or a cationic oligomer is used for a water-soluble dye or pigment ink having an anionic group used for the ink. The anionic compound associates with the anionic compound by ionic interaction, and instantaneously separates from the solution phase. As a result, dispersion destruction occurs in the pigment ink, and an aggregate of the pigment is formed.

Next, as the second stage of the reaction, the aggregate of the above-mentioned dye and the low molecular weight cationic substance or cationic oligomer or the aggregate of the pigment is adsorbed by the polymer component contained in the P solution. In addition, the size of the aggregate of the dye or the aggregate of the pigment generated in the association is further increased,
It becomes difficult to enter the gaps between the fibers of the print-receiving material, and as a result, only the liquid portion that has undergone solid-liquid separation penetrates into the recording paper, thereby achieving both print quality and fixability. At the same time, the aggregate formed by the low molecular component of the cationic substance or the cationic oligomer and the anionic dye and the cationic substance formed by the mechanism described above or the aggregate of the pigment increases in viscosity, and with the movement of the liquid medium, Since there is no movement, even if adjacent ink dots are formed of different colors of ink as in the case of forming a full-color image, they do not mix with each other and bleeding does not occur. Also, the agglomerates are essentially water-insoluble and the formed images have perfect water resistance. Further, it also has an effect of improving the light fastness of an image formed by the shielding effect of the polymer.

One example of the insolubilization or agglomeration used herein is a phenomenon of only the first stage, and another example is a phenomenon including both the first stage and the second stage.

(Twelfth Embodiment) The twelfth embodiment relates to an ink-jet printing method employing a two-pass printing method using the ink-jet printing apparatus shown in FIGS.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a printing process of two-pass printing.

In FIG. 33, the print material 106 is A
This shows a state in which the head unit 103 performs printing while relatively moving on the plain paper of four sizes. S in FIG. 3 indicates discharge ports of the printability improving liquid which are located on the rightmost side in the head unit 103 and are vertically arranged in a line. Similarly, Bk, C, M, and Y are Bk,
The ejection openings for ejecting C, M, and Y inks are shown. The head unit 103 performs a forward printing operation in the arrow X1 direction,
Further, the printing operation of the return path is performed in the direction of arrow X2. The numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the right side in the figure indicate the number of times that the head unit 103 has performed the printing operation in the main scanning direction, and the parentheses of the numbers indicate the printing ranges during those printing operations. FIG. 33 shows a state of the printing operation in the middle of the fourth scanning. Since printing is performed twice for the unit print area, it is generally called two-pass printing. In this case, since the printing operation is performed on both the forward path and the return path, two-pass bidirectional printing is performed.

FIGS. 34 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) show a mask for ejection data of the printability improving liquid in the two-pass printing method, and Y, M, C and B.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a print data mask for each color ink of k. FIG. 2A is a mask for the ejection data of the printability improving liquid in the first pass (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “S mask”), and FIG. 2B is an S mask in the second pass. FIG. 3C shows a matrix M set in the print area.
It is a figure explaining each s1. FIG. 4D shows Y,
A mask for print data of the first pass of each color ink of M, C, and Bk, and FIG. 11E illustrates a mask for print data of the second pass of each color ink of Y, M, C, and Bk. FIG. FIGS. 9D and 9E are complementary. Also, FIGS.
In each of the masks (d) and (e), X is the main scanning direction.
This is equivalent to a size of (4 × 2) pixels based on four pixels in the direction and two pixels in the Y direction, which is a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the X direction. 34 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) indicate the minimum print pixel.

The mask for S uses the matrix Ms1 in FIG. 34C as a basic matrix, and discharge data (hereinafter referred to as “S
Data). The elements of the matrix Ms1 are m11, m12, m13, m14, m21, m2
2, 8 pixels of m23 and m24. Therefore, the actual size of the matrix Ms1 is four pixels (about 70 μm × 4) in the X direction and two pixels (about 70 μm × 4) in the Y direction.
2).

The process of creating S data will be described below.

First, in the first pass, print data of Y ink (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “Y print data”)
7A, the S data Ms1-Y1 in FIG.
To determine. That is, for the matrix Ms1, m1
Attention is paid to a (2 × 2) sub-matrix of 1, m12, m21, and m22, and Y print data (hereinafter, “Y ejection”) for ejecting the Y ink to any of those m11, m12, m21, or m22. Data)), the S data corresponding to m11 is turned ON (discharge of the printability improving liquid). If there is no Y ejection data in any of m11, m12, m21, and m22, m1
The S data corresponding to No. 1 is turned off (the printability improving liquid is not discharged). In the S data Ms1-Y1, m12,
The S data corresponding to m21 and m22 is always OFF, and the S data corresponding to m13, m14, m23, and m24 is always OFF. Thus, the S data Ms1-Y1 in the first pass corresponding to the Y print data
Is determined.

Similarly, the S data Ms1-M1 in FIG. 34A is determined in relation to the print data of M ink (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "M print data"). That is, m11, m12, m21, or m22
If there is M print data (hereinafter, referred to as “M ejection data”) for ejecting M ink in any of
ON S data corresponding to 2 (Discharge of printability improving liquid)
To Their m11, m12, m21 or m2
If there is no M ejection data in any of 2, the S data corresponding to m12 is turned off (the printing property improving liquid is not ejected). In the S data Ms1-M1, m11, m21,
The S data corresponding to m22 is always OFF, and
The S data corresponding to m13, m14, m23, and m24 is always OFF. In this way, the first pass S data Ms1-M1 corresponding to the M print data is determined.

Similarly, the S data Ms1-C1 in FIG. 34A is determined in relation to the print data of the C ink (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "C print data"). That is, m11, m12, m21, or m22
If there is C print data (hereinafter referred to as “C discharge data”) for discharging C ink in any of
ON S data corresponding to 2 (Discharge of printability improving liquid)
To Their m11, m12, m21 or m2
If there is no C ejection data in any of 2, the S data corresponding to m22 is turned off (the printing property improving liquid is not ejected). In the S data Ms1-C1, m11, m12,
The S data corresponding to m21 is always OFF, and
The S data corresponding to m13, m14, m23, and m24 is always OFF. In this way, the first pass S data Ms1-C1 corresponding to the C print data is determined.

Similarly, the S data Ms1-Bk1 in FIG. 34A is determined in relation to the Bk ink print data (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "Bk print data"). That is, m11, m12, m21, or m2
If there is Bk print data for ejecting Bk ink (hereinafter, referred to as “Bk ejection data”) in any of 2, S data corresponding to m21 is turned ON (printability improving liquid ejection). If there is no Bk ejection data in any of those m11, m12, m21, or m22, m
The S data corresponding to 21 is set to OFF (non-ejection of printability improving liquid). In S data Ms1-Bk1, m1
The S data corresponding to 1, m12, and m22 is always OFF, and the S data corresponding to m13, m14, m23, and m24 are always OFF. In this way, Bk
S data Ms1- in the first pass corresponding to print data
Bk1 is determined.

The S data in the first pass is Y,
It is created as the logical sum of the data Ms1-Y1, Ms1-M1, Ms1-C1, and Ms1-Bk1 corresponding to the M, C, and Bk print data, respectively.

In the second pass, the S data Ms1-Y2 in FIG. 34B is determined in relation to the Y print data. That is, m13, m14, m23, or m2
If there is Y ejection data in any one of S4, S data corresponding to m13 is turned ON (printability improving liquid ejection). If there is no Y ejection data in any of these m13, m14, m23, or m24, the S data corresponding to m13 is turned OFF (the printability improving liquid is not ejected). In the S data Ms1-Y2, the S data corresponding to m14, m23, and m24 is always OFF, and m11, m
S data corresponding to 12, m21, m22 must be OFF
It is. In this way, the second pass S data Ms1-Y2 corresponding to the Y print data is determined.

Similarly, S data Ms1-M2, Ms1 in the second pass corresponding to M, C, and Bk print data
-C2 and Ms1-Bk2 are determined.

The S data in the second pass is Y,
It is created as the logical sum of the data Ms1-Y2, Ms1-M2, Ms1-C2, and Ms1-Bk2 corresponding to the M, C, and Bk print data, respectively.

These S data correspond to the CP data shown in FIG.
Memory unit 4 in which U402 stores data to be printed
03 is accessed and the data to be printed is sent to the head control unit 410, and is processed and created in real time by a program stored in the CPU 402. The S data is sent to the head control unit 410 in the same manner as the print data of each color ink. Then, based on the S data and the print data of each color ink, the head 102 is driven in correspondence with the print position to be printed, and the printability improving liquid and each color ink are ejected. As described above, the S data creation processing is performed by the internal program. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a method in which the S data is processed in advance by the host computer and then transferred to the printing apparatus may be used. Alternatively, a hardware unit that executes the arithmetic processing of the S data may be provided in the printing apparatus.

In this example, the sub-matrix of (2 × 2) pixels on the left side of the matrix Ms1 is used to generate S data in the first pass, and the sub-matrix of (2 × 2) pixels on the right side is used as the sub-matrix. It was used to create S data in the second pass.

As described above, the matrix Ms1 for (4 × 2) pixels is divided into two sub-matrices for (2 × 2) pixels, and each is made to correspond to a different path.
In the two-pass printing method, the printability improving liquid can be uniformly discharged in the first pass and the second pass.
That is, all the printability improving liquids are discharged in the first pass and the printability improving liquids are not discharged in the second pass,
Alternatively, the non-uniformity of the discharge of the printability improving liquid in the first pass and the second pass, such as the case where most of the printability improving liquid is discharged in the first pass and the printability improving liquid is hardly discharged in the second pass, is considered. Can be eliminated. Such uniform discharge of the printability improving liquid in each pass leads to uniform mixing or uniform reaction between the printability improving liquid and the ink, and maximizes the effect obtained by mixing or reacting the printability improving liquid and the ink. Will be demonstrated. Specifically, only the ink of the pixel printed in the first pass has water resistance, and the ink of the pixel printed in the second pass has no non-uniformity such as insufficient water resistance. Water resistance performance was obtained in the printed pixels.

The mask for the print data of Y, M, C, and Bk is (4 ×) as shown in FIGS. 34 (d) and (e).
2) It is associated with each pixel matrix Ms1, and the first pass and the second pass have a complementary relationship for each ink. In FIGS. 34 (d) and (e),
For example, a pixel corresponding to a white portion is turned on (ink ejection) if there is ejection data of the corresponding ink, and is turned off (non-ink ejection) if there is no ejection data of the ink. In FIGS. 34 (d) and 34 (e), a pixel corresponding to a black portion is turned off (ink is not ejected) regardless of the presence or absence of print data of the corresponding ink.

When the pixel unit is viewed microscopically, a portion (SI portion) where the printability improving liquid is first discharged to the print material 106 and then the ink is discharged, and the ink is first discharged to the print material 106. Next, a part (IS part) from which the printability improving liquid is discharged is generated, and the hue may be different between the SI part and the IS part depending on the characteristics of the printability improving liquid. However, as described above, since the mask for S data and the mask for print data of each ink are different, macroscopically, the SI portion and the IS portion are uniformly dispersed. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a print image having a uniform hue.

Further, in printing using inks of a plurality of colors, since the mask for S data and the mask for print data of each ink in each pass are all different as described above, the uniformity of the printability improving liquid is improved. It was possible to perform ejection, and the effect of the printability improving liquid was uniformly obtained for each ink.

Here, if the printability improving liquid is discharged to a specific pixel, the ink is subsequently discharged, and the printability improving liquid is further discharged, the printability improving liquid is applied to the same pixel. It will be ejected twice. Such two discharges of the printing property improving liquid may be unavoidable in order to bring out the effect, but it is desirable that the printing property improving liquid is dispersed in pixel units. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, the logical product of the S data in the first pass and the second pass is set to zero for each pixel, that is, the number of ejections of the printability improving liquid per pixel is set to at most one. Such a problem is solved by determining the S data as follows.

In the first pass, the logical product of the S data of each pixel becomes zero, and in the second pass, the logical product of the S data of each pixel also becomes zero. The corresponding S data is dispersed on a pixel-by-pixel basis,
The effect obtained by mixing or reacting the printability improving liquid with each ink also becomes uniform.

As described above, since the logical product of the S data of each pixel in the first pass and the second pass and the logical product of the S data of each pixel in each pass are zero, printability is improved. The effect obtained by mixing or reacting the liquid with each ink is greater.

Here, regarding the ejection of each of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks, in the case of a uniform print area using monochromatic ink, the printability improving liquid is ejected at a rate of 25% per pixel. This is because the effect obtained on the water resistance and the like, which is the effect of the printability improving liquid, is equal to the 100% ratio. When discharging the printability improving liquid, which is originally unnecessary for image formation, minimizing the necessary amount of the printability improving liquid is effective in minimizing the running cost. Further, when a large amount of the printability improving liquid as a liquid is discharged onto the printing material 106 shown in FIG. 19, the printing material 106 absorbs the liquid component and becomes uneven. This unevenness not only directly deteriorates the quality of the printed material, but also, in particular, the printing material 1 during the printing operation during multi-pass printing.
06, the head 102 and the print material 106
And the distance between them changes, causing a deviation in the landing position of each ink on the printing material 106, leading to a problem of deteriorating the print quality. For this reason, it is desirable to discharge a minimum volume of the printability improving liquid.

Further, if data processing is performed to simply eject the printability improving liquid at a rate of 25% with respect to the logical sum of the print data of Y, M, C, and Bk, these inks may be used in two colors. For the secondary colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue) that are combined one by one, Y, M, C
The printability improving liquid is discharged at a rate of substantially 12.5% of each color ink, and the mixing ratio between the printability improving liquid and each ink is reduced. The characteristics such as water resistance, which is the effect of the above, are deteriorated. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, at least the mask for S data corresponding to the print data of Y, M, and C is made different, and the logical product of the S data for each pixel is set to zero.
That is, in the first pass, the data Ms1-Y1, Ms1-M
1, the logical product of each pixel of Ms1-C1 is set to zero, and the data Ms1-Y2, Ms1-M2, M
By setting the logical product of each pixel of s1-C2 to zero, as described above, the printability improving liquid is ejected at a rate of 25% for each pixel, and the printability improving liquid and the ink have the same ratio. It became possible to mix.

In this embodiment, the logical product of the S data for each pixel is set to zero for all the pixels. However, there may be some pixels where the logical product does not become zero, and the number of pixels should be minimized. This makes it possible to mix the printability improving liquid and the ink for each pixel at a substantially uniform ratio.

As described above, the S data is simply expressed as Y, M, C
Is not determined based on the logical sum of the print data, but is determined in consideration of the logical product of each pixel.
The S data for the next color is more than の of the duty of the S data for the primary color, and has the same maximum duty as the S data for the primary color. Compared to calculating S data from the logical sum of
The duty of the S data in the secondary color was increased, and the effect of the printability improving liquid in the secondary color could be enhanced.

It should be noted that creating S data with a 25% duty using four color inks as in the present embodiment is also advantageous in terms of data processing. In general, (n of 2
The exponentiation (n is an integer of 1 or more) × 100% is easy for the processing device to perform. Here, since four colors of ink are used, S data corresponding to the print data of each ink is used. This leads to the advantage that an independent different mask can be prepared as a mask for use.

By creating S data with a duty of 25% or less for each color, the logical product of the S mask corresponding to each color can be made zero. The smaller the duty is, the better the effect of the printability improving liquid is.

In the head 102 having a plurality of discharge ports 23 for discharging the ink and the printability improving liquid, the plurality of discharge ports 23 for the printability improvement liquid are related to the discharge of the printability improvement liquid during multi-pass printing. Can be used uniformly to prolong the life of the printability improving liquid discharge section. Further, even if there are variations in the plurality of printability improving liquid discharge ports 23, the print material 106
, A uniform printability improving liquid can be discharged.

If the S data is simply determined based on the logical sum of the Y, M, C, and Bk print data, the preceding specific one of the printability improving liquid discharge ports 23 is used. The frequency increases. In other words, even in multi-pass printing, the probability that the printability improving liquid is discharged in the first first pass increases, and the life of the preceding discharge port of the specific printability improving liquid is shortened. Further, in the first pass printing, the non-uniformity such as the discharge amount or the deviation (discharge direction) of the printability improving liquid from the plurality of discharge ports 23 appears as it is, and the printing operation is divided into a plurality of times. In addition, it is impossible to cancel the non-uniformity such as the discharge amount of the printability improving liquid from the plurality of discharge ports and the deviation. The present invention solves these problems.

Here, the formulas of the used ink and the printability improving liquid are as follows.

Y (Yellow) Ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Isopropyl alcohol 4.0% by weight Acetylenol EH (Kawaken Fine Chemical) 1.0% by weight Dye C. I. Direct Yellow 142 2.0% by weight Water 78.0% by weight M (magenta) ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Isopropyl alcohol 4.0% by weight Acetylenol EH (River) 1.0% by weight of dye C.I. I. Acid Red 289 2.5% by weight Water 77.5% by weight C (cyan) ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Isopropyl alcohol 4.0% by weight Acetylenol EH (River 1.0% by weight of dye C.I. I. Direct Blue 199 2.5% by weight Water 77.5% by weight Bk (black) ink Glycerin 5.0% by weight Thiodiglycol 5.0% by weight Urea 5.0% by weight Isopropyl alcohol 4.0% by weight Dye food black 2 3.0% by weight Water 78.0% by weight S (Printability improving liquid) Polyallylamine hydrochloride group 5.0% by weight Benzalkonium chloride 1.0% by weight Diethylene glycol 10.0% by weight Acetylenol EH (Kawaken Fine Chemical) 0 5.5% by weight Water 83.5% by weight As described above, 1.0% of acetylenol EH as a surfactant is added to the Y, M and C inks compared to the Bk ink to improve the permeability. Therefore, the Y, M, and C inks have better fixability than the Bk ink. On the other hand, the Bk ink has a slightly lower permeability than the Y, M, and C inks, but has a high print density and a good edge portion sharpness, and thus is suitable for printing characters and line drawings. Also, acetylenol EH is added to the printability improving liquid at a concentration of 0.5% to slightly improve the permeability.

In carrying out the present invention, the ink used is not particularly limited to a dye ink, but a pigment ink in which a pigment is dispersed may be used. What causes it to be used can be used. The following can be mentioned as an example of the pigment ink which causes aggregation by mixing with the above-mentioned colorless liquid A1. That is, as described below, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color inks each containing a pigment and an anionic compound, Y2,
M2, C2 and K2 can be obtained.

Black Ink K2 Anionic polymer P-1 (styrene-methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate, acid value 400, weight average molecular weight 6,0
00, an aqueous solution having a solid content of 20%, a neutralizing agent: potassium hydroxide) as a dispersant, the following materials were charged into a batch-type vertical sand mill (manufactured by Imex), and glass beads having a diameter of 1 mm were filled as a medium. The dispersion treatment was performed for 3 hours while cooling with water. The viscosity after dispersion was 9 cps and the pH was 10.0. The dispersion was centrifuged to remove coarse particles, thereby producing a carbon black dispersion having a weight average particle diameter of 100 nm.

(Composition of Carbon Black Dispersion) ・ 40 parts of P-1 aqueous solution (solid content: 20%) ・ 24 parts of carbon black Mogul L (manufactured by Cablack) ・ 15 parts of glycerin ・ 0.5 parts of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether ・Next, the dispersion obtained above was sufficiently diffused to obtain a black ink K2 for inkjet containing a pigment. The solids content of the final preparation was about 10%.

Yellow Ink Y2 Anionic polymer P-2 (styrene-acrylic acid-methyl methacrylate, acid value 280, weight average molecular weight 1
1,000, an aqueous solution having a solid content of 20%, and a neutralizing agent: diethanolamine) as a dispersant, and using the materials described below, a dispersion treatment was performed in the same manner as in the preparation of the black ink K2, and the weight average particle size was determined. A 103 nm yellow dispersion was prepared.

(Composition of Yellow Dispersion) 35 parts of P-2 aqueous solution (solid content: 20%) C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 180 24 parts (Nova Palm Yellow PH-G, manufactured by Hoechst) Triethylene glycol 10 parts Diethylene glycol 10 parts Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether 1.0 part Isopropyl alcohol 0.5 part Water 135 parts Obtained above The yellow dispersion thus obtained was sufficiently diffused to obtain an inkjet yellow ink Y2 containing a pigment. The solids content of the final preparation was about 10%.

Using the anionic polymer P-1 used in the production of the cyan ink C2 and the black ink K2 as a dispersant, and using the following materials, the same dispersion treatment as in the case of the carbon black dispersion described above was performed. Was carried out to produce a cyan dispersion having a weight average particle size of 120 nm.

(Composition of Cyan Color Dispersion) 30 parts of P-1 aqueous solution (solid content: 20%) I. Pigment Blue 15: 3 24 parts (Fast Genble-FGF, Dainippon Ink and Chemicals) ・ Glycerin 15 parts ・ Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether 0.5 parts ・ Isopropyl alcohol 3 parts ・ Water 135 parts Cyan color dispersion obtained above Was sufficiently stirred to obtain a cyan ink C2 for inkjet containing a pigment. The solids content of the final preparation was about 9.6%.

Magenta Ink M2 Using the anionic polymer P-1 used in the preparation of the black ink K2 as a dispersant, the following dispersion treatment was carried out using the following materials and using the following materials. Was carried out to produce a magenta color dispersion having a weight average particle size of 115 nm.

(Composition of Magenta Dispersion) 20 parts of P-1 aqueous solution (solid content 20%) C.I. I. Pigment Red 122 (Dainippon Ink and Chemicals) 24 parts ・ Glycerin 15 parts ・ Isopropyl alcohol 3 parts ・ Water 135 parts The magenta color dispersion obtained above is sufficiently diffused to contain a pigment-containing magenta ink for inkjet. M2
I got The solids content of the final preparation was about 9.2%.

In the above-described mixing of the printability improving liquid (liquid composition) and the ink, in the present invention, the above-described printability improving liquid and the ink are mixed at a position on the print material or at a position where the ink permeates the print material. As a result, a water-soluble dye or pigment having a low molecular weight component or a cationic oligomer and an anionic group used in the ink among the cationic substances contained in the printability improving liquid as the first stage of the reaction. The anionic compound used in the ink is associated with the anionic compound by ionic interaction, and instantaneously separates from the solution phase. As a result, dispersion destruction occurs in the pigment ink, and an aggregate of the pigment is formed.

Next, as the second stage of the reaction, an aggregate of the above-mentioned dye and the low molecular weight cationic substance or cationic oligomer or an aggregate of the pigment is adsorbed by the polymer component contained in the printability improving liquid. Therefore, the size of the aggregate of the dye or the aggregate of the pigment generated in the association is further increased, and it is difficult to enter the gap between the fibers of the print-receiving material. By penetrating inside, compatibility between print quality and fixability is achieved. At the same time, the aggregate formed by the low molecular component of the cationic substance or the cationic oligomer and the anionic dye and the cationic substance formed by the mechanism described above or the aggregate of the pigment increases in viscosity, and with the movement of the liquid medium, Because it does n’t move,
Even when adjacent ink dots are formed of different color inks as in the case of full-color image formation, they do not mix with each other, and bleeding does not occur.
Also, the agglomerates are essentially water-insoluble and the formed images have perfect water resistance. Further, it also has an effect of improving the light fastness of an image formed by the shielding effect of the polymer.

As the insolubilization or agglomeration used herein, one example is a phenomenon of only the first stage, and another example is a phenomenon including both the first stage and the second stage.

In practicing the present invention, it is not necessary to use a cationic polymer substance having a high molecular weight or a polyvalent metal salt as in the prior art. Since it is only necessary to use it supplementarily to further improve the effect, the amount of use can be minimized. As a result, another problem of the present invention is that the decrease in the coloring property of the dye, which has been a problem in the case of using a conventional cationic polymer substance or a polyvalent metal salt to obtain a water resistance effect, is eliminated. This can be mentioned as an effect.

The printing material used in carrying out the present invention is not particularly limited, and so-called plain paper such as copy paper and bond paper which have been conventionally used can be suitably used. Of course, a coated paper or a transparent film for OHP specially prepared for inkjet printing can be suitably used, and general high-quality paper or glossy paper can also be suitably used.

(Thirteenth Embodiment) In the twelfth embodiment,
(2) on the left side of the matrix Ms1 in FIGS.
× 2) The print data for the pixels is used to generate the S data in the first pass, and the (2 ×) on the right side in FIGS. 34A to 34C is used.
2) The print data for the pixels was used for creating the S data in the second pass. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is possible to uniformly discharge the printability improving liquid by dividing the matrix Ms1 into a plurality of sub-matrices for each color and printing each of the sub-matrices with different passes.

FIGS. 35 (a), (b) and (c) are diagrams showing another example of the mask for S data at the time of two-pass printing. First corresponding to Y, M print data
To create the S data Ms2-Y1 and Ms2-M1 of the pass, print data of (2 × 2) pixels on the left side is used, and the S data of the first pass corresponding to the C and Bk print data is used.
To create the data Ms2-C1 and Ms2-Bk1, print data for the right (2 × 2) pixels is used. In the second pass, print data on different sides was used.

By this processing, compared to the first embodiment,
More average S data can be created for all inks of Y, M, C, and Bk.

(Fourteenth Embodiment) In the twelfth embodiment,
The method for realizing uniform ejection of the printability improving liquid during two-pass printing has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also effective in all multi-passes of two or more passes such as four passes and eight passes.

FIGS. 36 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are diagrams showing masks for S data during 4-pass printing. FIG. 13A shows the first pass, FIG. 14B shows the second pass, FIG. 14C shows the third pass, and FIG. 14D shows the fourth pass.
This is a mask for S data in each pass.
From the left, S data corresponding to Y, M, C, and Bk print data is shown.

Here, the matrix Ms3 for (4 × 4) pixels is divided into four sub-matrices for (2 × 2) pixels for each ink, and each is printed by a different pass, thereby forming a four-pass matrix. At the time of printing, it has become possible to uniformly discharge the printability improving liquid for each ink.

As for the S data corresponding to the Y print data, the sub-matrix of the (2 × 2) pixels on the upper left side in the figure is used to generate the S data Ms3-Y1 in the first pass, and the sub-matrix on the upper right side is used. The sub-matrix of (2 × 2) pixels is used to generate the S data Ms3-Y2 of the second pass, and the sub-matrix of (2 × 2) pixels at the lower right is used as the S-matrix of the third pass. It is used to create the data Ms3-Y3.
× 2) The sub-matrix for the pixels is used to generate the S data Ms3-Y4 in the fourth pass. FIG. 36 shows S data corresponding to M, C, and Bk print data.
As shown in (a) to (d), the sub-matrices used in this order are shifted clockwise. In each sub-matrix of (2 × 2) pixels, Y, M, C, Bk
S data corresponding to each of the print data
The position corresponding to N was defined as the upper left corresponding to Y, the upper right corresponding to M, the lower left corresponding to C, and the lower left corresponding to Bk.

Here, for example, in the first pass, the S data corresponding to the Y print data is in the upper left (2 × 2) pixel sub-matrix of the (4 × 4) pixel matrix Ms2. m11, m12, m21, or m
If the Y ejection data is present in any one of S22, the S data at the position m11 is turned ON, and the S data at the other m12, m21, and m22 positions are turned OFF. Similarly, data processing is performed for M, C, and Bk, and their data Ms3-Y
1. The logical sum of Ms3-Y2, Ms3-Y3, and Ms3-Y4 is defined as S data of the first pass. Data processing is similarly performed for the first to fourth passes. Here, the configuration of the mask for the print data of Y, M, C, and Bk does not matter.

(Fifteenth Embodiment) In the twelfth embodiment,
Regarding the ejection of each of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks, in the case of a uniform print area over the entire surface, the printability improving liquid was ejected at a rate of 25% per pixel. However, it is not limited to this.

If the print area of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks is not a uniform print area over the entire surface but is sparsely printed in minimum pixel units, the discharge of the discharge liquid S is 25 on average. It can happen that the percentage is higher than the percentage.

Therefore, for example, for S data corresponding to the Y print data of the first pass in FIG.
If there are at least two or more Y ejection data among four of 11, m12, m21, and m22, m of S data
Turn 11 ON. If there is no two or more Y ejection data among the four, m11 of the S data is turned off. The S data of the other m12, m21, and m22 are always turned off. Also, the S data of m13, m14, m23, and m24 is always turned off. In this way, the S data Ms1-Y1 of the first pass corresponding to the Y ink data is determined. The sub-matrix is for (2 × 2) pixels, and the S data ON is used to determine whether or not there are two or more Y ejection data among them.
Condition. This is equivalent to the condition that the ratio of the Y ejection data in the sub-matrix is 50% or more.

Similarly, data of the first pass corresponding to the print data of M, C, and Bk is created, and the logical sum of the data of the first pass is set as S data. Further, it is created in the same manner as the S data of the second pass.

As described above, for each ink, S is determined in accordance with the proportion of ink ejection data in the sub-matrix.
By determining ON / OFF of the data, the average ejection amount of the printability improving liquid is not increased even in a sparsely printed area.

In this case, the ratio of the existence of the ejection data of the ink, which is the reference for determining ON / OFF of the S data, is set to 50%. However, this ratio is optimal according to the characteristics of each ink and the printability improving liquid. Value can be selected. First
In the case where the ink of Example was used, a good effect was obtained by setting it to 25 to 75%.

(Sixteenth Embodiment) In the first embodiment,
Regarding the ejection of each of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks, in the case of a uniform print area over the entire surface, the printability improving liquid was ejected at a rate of 25% per pixel. However, it is not limited to this. Depending on the characteristics of the ink to be used and the printability improving liquid, for example, the printability improving liquid may be ejected at a rate of 50% per pixel for each ink.

FIGS. 37 (a), (b) and (c) show masks for S data when the printability improving liquid is discharged at a rate of 50% for each ink. This example is an example in the case of two-pass printing. FIG. 13A shows a mask for S data in the first pass, FIG. 14B shows a mask for S data in the second pass, and FIG. 14C shows a matrix Ms4 set in the print area. FIG. First and second passes of Y, M, C, Bk print data
The pass mask may be the same as that of the twelfth embodiment.

The mask for S data has four pixels in the X direction, which is the main scanning direction, and Y, which is a sub scanning direction orthogonal to the X direction.
This is a mask corresponding to the size of the matrix Ms4 for (4 × 2) pixels based on two pixels in the direction. In the figure, the smallest cell indicates the smallest print pixel.

The mask for S data is the matrix Ms4
As a basic matrix, and S
Determine the data. The element of the matrix Ms4 is m1
1, m12, m13, m14, m21, m22, m2
Equivalent to 8 pixels of 3, m24. Therefore, the actual size of the matrix Ms4 is (about 70 μm
× 4), and the Y direction is (about 70 μm × 2).

Hereinafter, the process of creating the S data will be described.

In the first pass, for the S data corresponding to the Y print data, attention is paid to the left (2 × 2) pixel sub-matrix in the matrix Ms4.
If there are 2 (= N4) or more Y ejection data in four of m12, m21, and m22, m11 and m12 of the S data are turned ON (printability improving liquid ejection), and the other m13, m1
4, m21, m22, m23, and m24 are set to OFF (the printability improving liquid is not discharged). Further, if there are no 2 (= N4) or more Y ejection data, all the S
Data is turned off. In this manner, the first pass S data Ms4-Y1 corresponding to the Y print data is determined.

Similarly, for S data corresponding to M print data, m11 and m1 in the left sub-matrix
If there are 2 (= N4) or more M ejection data among 2, m21 and m22, m12 and m22 of the S data are turned ON, and the other m11, m13, m14, m21, m23, m
24 is turned off. If there are no more than 2 (= N4) M ejection data, all S data m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the first pass S data Ms4-M1 corresponding to the M print data is determined.

Similarly, for S data corresponding to C print data, m13 and m1 in the right sub-matrix
If there are 2 (= N4) or more C ejection data among 4, m23, and m24, m23 and m24 of the S data are turned ON, and the other m11, m12, m13, m14, m21, m
22 is turned off. If there are no more than 2 (= N4) C ejection data, all S data m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the first pass S data Ms4-C1 corresponding to the C print data is determined.

Similarly, S corresponding to the Bk print data
For data, m13 and m in the right sub-matrix
14 or more (= N4) Bk of m23 and m24
If there is ejection data, turn on m13 and m23 of S data
And other m11, m12, m14, m21, m22,
m24 is turned off. In addition, 2 (= N4) or more B
If there is no k ejection data, all S data of m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the first pass S data Ms4-Bk1 corresponding to the Bk print data is determined.

The S data in the first pass is Y,
Data Ms4-Y corresponding to each of M, C, and Bk
1, Ms4-M1, Ms4-C1, and Ms4-Bk1.

In the second pass, for the s data corresponding to the Y print data, m1 in the left sub-matrix is used.
2 (= N4) out of 4 of 3, m14, m23, and m24
If there are more than one Y ejection data, m13 and m of S data
14 to ON, and the other m11, m12, m21, m2
2, m23 and m24 are turned off. Also, 2 (= N
4) If there are no more Y ejection data, m11 to m24
Are turned off. In this manner, the S data Ms4- in the second pass corresponding to the Y print data
Y2 is determined.

Similarly, for the S data corresponding to the M print data, m13, m1
If there are 2 (= N4) or more M ejection data among 4, m23, and m24, m14 and m24 of the S data are turned ON, and the other m11, m12, m13, m21, m22, m
23 is turned off. If there are no more than 2 (= N4) M ejection data, all S data m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the second pass S data Ms4-M2 corresponding to the M print data is determined.

Similarly, for S data corresponding to C print data, m11 and m1 in the left sub-matrix
If there are 2 (= N4) or more C ejection data among 2, m21, and m22, the S data m21 and m22 are turned ON, and the other m11, m12, m13, m14, m23, m
24 is turned off. If there are no more than 2 (= N4) C ejection data, all S data m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the second pass S data Ms4-C2 corresponding to the C print data is determined.

Similarly, S corresponding to Bk print data
For data, m11, m in the left sub-matrix
More than 2 (= N4) Bk in 12, m21, m22
If there is ejection data, turn on S11 m11 and m21
And other m12, m13, m14, m22, m23,
m24 is turned off. In addition, 2 (= N4) or more B
If there is no k ejection data, all S data of m11 to m24 are turned off. In this way, the second pass S data Ms4-Bk2 corresponding to the Bk print data is determined.

The S data in the second pass is Y,
Data Ms4-Y corresponding to each of M, C, and Bk
2, Ms4-M2, Ms4-C2, and Ms4-Bk2.

In this example, N4 = 2, but N4 = 3 or N4 depending on the characteristics of the printability improving liquid and the ink.
4 = 4.

For the creation of S data corresponding to the Y and M print data, the left sub-matrix is processed as the target pixel in the first pass and the right sub-matrix is processed in the second pass. In the first pass, the right sub-matrix was processed as the target pixel in the second pass, and the target sub-matrix was processed as the target pixel for the creation of S data corresponding to the print data of Bk and Bk. Alternatively, the target pixel may be different for each color.

(Seventeenth Embodiment) In the embodiments described so far, the head 102 has a plurality of ink discharge units and printability improving liquid discharge units arranged in the main scanning direction, but is not limited to this. Instead, for example, a plurality of ink discharge units and printability improving liquid discharge units may be arranged in the sub-scanning direction.

FIG. 38 is a diagram showing another configuration of the head 102. In FIG. The head 102 has Y, M, and C ink ejection units arranged in the sub-scanning direction (P). The printability improving liquid discharge section and the Bk ink discharge section are arranged in the main scanning direction (Q). Also in the case of the head 102, the concept of the relationship between each ink discharge unit, printability improving liquid discharge unit, and print pixel is the same. The difference is that the Y, M, and C ink ejection units do not print at the same print position in the same main scan. However, the ejection of the Y, M, C, and Bk inks and the printability improving liquid in pixel units by the main scanning and the sub-scanning operation of the print material 106 a plurality of times is performed according to the arrangement of the head 102 shown in the first embodiment. This is the same as in the case, and does not depend on the arrangement of each ink ejection unit or printability improving liquid ejection unit in the head 102.

In the above embodiments, the head 10
2 shows an example in which a heating element 30 is provided as an electric / heat converting element, but the present invention is not limited to this.
A device that discharges ink or a printability improving liquid using a mechanical conversion element may be used.

FIG. 39 shows a configuration example of a head using an electro-mechanical conversion element. Here, reference numeral 38 denotes a piezoelectric element as an electromechanical conversion element. In addition, the configuration of the head does not matter.

In each of the embodiments described above, the so-called multi-pass system in which the print ink is ejected by scanning a plurality of times over the same area of the printing material is employed. Applicable to

FIG. 40 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

When the printing operation is started, the print quality improving liquid is first discharged from the head 31 to the print material 106 at a position corresponding to the discharge number of each color head according to the print data. Discharge, and then discharge from the Y, M, and C heads 30Y, 30M, and 30C are sequentially performed. Thereby, first, S and Bk are mixed and insolubilized. Next, S and Y, M and C are mixed and insolubilized.

FIG. 40 shows a process in which the carriage on which the head is mounted performs the fourth main scan (hereinafter also referred to as scan).

The printing operation is performed only in the direction in which the head moves rightward as indicated by arrow R, and is not performed during the back scan in which the head moves leftward. In addition, the same print area is printed by one scan for each ink. That is, one-pass one-way printing is performed.

In FIG. 40, the lengths indicated by C1 to C4, M2 to M4, and Y3 and Y4 are C head 30C and M head 3
0M and the Y head 30Y respectively, the n-th time of the head unit 102 (n = 1, 2, 3, 3 in the example of the figure)
The scan area (width) to be printed in the scan of 4) is shown. As is clear from this, with respect to the Y, M, and C inks, in the first scan at the start of printing, only a part of the ejection orifice group of the C head 30C is ejected, and printing is performed in the area of the width C1. At this time, it goes without saying that the S head 31 and the K head 30K also perform ejection to the scanning region having the width C1 according to the respective ejection data. Also, after the second scan shown below, the same area as the area where the ejection of the C head 30C is performed for the K head 30K, and C and C for the S head 31.
Ejection is performed according to the respective ejection data to the same area as the area where each of the M and Y heads ejects.

In the second scan, the C head 30C has the width C
The M head 30M discharges to the scanning region of width M2 for the second scanning region. At this time, as is apparent from the drawing, printing is performed by the M head 30M so as to overlap a part of the area (C1) printed by the C head 30C in the previous first scan (width M2).

In the third scan, the Y head 30Y
Is also printed in the area indicated by Y3 (area Y
3) For the first time in the fourth scan, printing is performed using all the ejection openings of the C, M, and Y heads.

In FIG. 40, the area that is being printed by the fourth scan as described above is indicated by oblique lines.

That is, the Y head 30Y has CMY-x in the x direction (main scanning direction) and Yy in the y direction (sub scanning direction).
Print the area indicated by. The M head 30M prints an area indicated by CMY-x in the x direction and My in the y direction. The C head 30C prints an area indicated by CMY-x in the x direction and Cy by the y direction. The Bk head prints an area indicated by Bk-x in the x direction and Cy by the y direction.

Here, the ejection from the S head 31 is performed on the areas corresponding to the print areas of the inks of the respective colors which overlap in the main scanning direction as described above. As a result, Y
The printability improving liquid for the ink is S-x, y in the x direction.
The liquid is discharged in a region indicated by Y-y in the direction. With respect to the M ink, the printability improving liquid is discharged to the area indicated by Sx in the x direction and My in the y direction. For C and Bk inks, an area indicated by Sx in the x direction and Cy by the y direction is printed.

(Others) It should be noted that the present invention includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for discharging ink, particularly in an ink jet recording system. An excellent effect is obtained in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a type in which the state of ink is changed by the thermal energy. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described, for example, in US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
Although it can be applied to any type of continuous type, in particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to a sheet holding liquid (ink) or an electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and giving a rapid temperature rise exceeding the nucleate boiling, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and film boiling occurs on the heat acting surface of the recording head. Liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis.
This is effective because air bubbles inside can be formed. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat.
A configuration using the specification of Japanese Patent No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an aperture for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium on which a recording apparatus can record. Such a recording head may have a configuration that satisfies the length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as one integrally formed recording head.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type as described above, a recording head fixed to the apparatus main body or an electric connection with the apparatus main body or ink from the apparatus main body by being mounted on the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be supplied or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself is used.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the printhead, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as a configuration of the printing apparatus in the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. . If these are specifically mentioned, capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressurizing or suction means, preheating means using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element or a combination thereof, Performing a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing is also effective for performing stable printing.

The type and number of recording heads to be mounted are, for example, different from those provided only with one ink corresponding to a single color ink and those corresponding to a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. A plurality may be provided. That is, for example, the printing mode of the printing apparatus is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, but may be any of integrally forming a printing head or a combination of a plurality of printing heads. The present invention is also extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of full colors by color mixture.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or below and which softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet system In general, the temperature of the ink itself is controlled within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. Anything can be used. In addition, the temperature rise due to thermal energy can be positively prevented by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or ink that solidifies in a standing state to prevent evaporation of the ink can be used. In any case, the ink is liquefied by the application of the thermal energy according to the recording signal, and the ink is liquefied, and the liquid ink is discharged. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink that liquefies for the first time by energy is used. In such a case, the ink is disclosed in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60
As described in JP-A-71260, a configuration may be adopted in which a liquid or solid substance is held in a concave portion or through hole of a porous sheet and opposed to an electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as a mode of a recording apparatus provided with a recording mechanism using the liquid jet recording head of the present invention, a recording apparatus used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer and a reader may be used. Copier,
Further, a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function may be used.

FIG. 41 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration when the recording apparatus of the present invention is applied to an information processing apparatus having functions as a word processor, a personal computer, a facsimile apparatus, and a copying apparatus.

In the figure, reference numeral 1801 denotes a control unit for controlling the entire apparatus, such as a CPU such as a microprocessor and various I / Os.
Ports are provided to output control signals, data signals, and the like to each unit, and to control by inputting control signals and data signals from each unit. A display unit 1802 displays various menus, document information, image data read by the image reader 1807, and the like on the display screen. Reference numeral 1803 denotes a transparent pressure-sensitive touch panel provided on the display unit 1802. By pressing the surface of the touch panel with a finger or the like, it is possible to input items, coordinate positions, and the like on the display unit 1802.

Reference numeral 1804 denotes FM (Frequency M).
music information created by a music editor or the like in the memory unit 1810 or the external storage device 18.
Digital data is stored in the memory 12 and read from the memory or the like to perform FM modulation. FM
The electric signal from the sound source unit 1804 is converted into an audible sound by the speaker unit 1805. The printer unit 1806 is the one to which the recording apparatus of the present invention is applied as an output terminal of a word processor, a personal computer, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine.

An image reader 1807 for reading and inputting original data photoelectrically is provided in the middle of the original transport path, and reads various originals such as facsimile originals and copy originals. 1808 is the image reader unit 18
A facsimile transmission / reception unit for facsimile transmission of original data read in step 07 and reception / decoding of the transmitted facsimile signal, and has an external interface function. Reference numeral 1809 denotes a telephone unit having various telephone functions such as a normal telephone function and an answering machine function.

Reference numeral 1810 denotes a ROM for storing a system program, a manager program, other application programs, character fonts, a dictionary, and the like;
A memory unit including an application program and document information loaded from the external storage device 1812 and a video RAM.

Reference numeral 1811 denotes a keyboard for inputting document information and various commands.

An external storage device using a floppy disk or a hard disk as a storage medium.
Reference numeral 12 stores document information, music or audio information, user application programs, and the like.

FIG. 42 is a schematic external view of the information processing apparatus shown in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1901 denotes a flat panel display using a liquid crystal or the like, which displays various menus, graphic information, document information and the like. By pressing the surface of the touch panel 1803 on the display 1901 with a finger or the like, coordinate input and item designation input can be performed.
1902 is a handset used when the device functions as a telephone. The keyboard 1903 is detachably connected to the main body via a cord, and can input various document information and various data. The keyboard 1903 is provided with various function keys 1904 and the like. Reference numeral 1905 denotes a slot for inserting a floppy disk into the external storage device 212.

[0258] Reference numeral 1906 denotes a paper placing portion for placing a document to be read by the image reader portion 1807, and the read document is discharged from the rear of the apparatus. In the case of facsimile reception or the like, recording is performed by the inkjet printer 1907.

In the above, the display unit 1802 is
Although RT may be used, a flat panel such as a liquid crystal display using a ferroelectric liquid crystal is desirable. This is because the weight can be reduced in addition to the reduction in size and thickness.

When the information processing apparatus functions as a personal computer or a word processor, various information input from the keyboard unit 211 is processed by the control unit 1801 according to a predetermined program, and
06 is output as an image.

When functioning as a receiver of a facsimile apparatus, facsimile information input from a facsimile transmission / reception unit 1808 via a communication line is received and processed by a control unit 1801 according to a predetermined program.
Is output as a received image.

When functioning as a copier, a document is read by an image reader 1807 and the read document data is sent to a printer 18 via a controller 1801.
06 is output as a copy image. When functioning as a facsimile receiver, the image reader unit 1
The original data read by 807 is transmitted to control unit 180.
After transmission processing according to a predetermined program by 1
The data is transmitted to the communication line via the facsimile transmission / reception unit 1808.

The information processing apparatus described above may be an integral type having an ink jet printer built in the main body as shown in FIG. 43. In this case, portability can be further improved. 42, parts having the same functions as those in FIG. 42 are denoted by the corresponding reference numerals.

By applying the recording apparatus of the present invention to the multifunctional information processing apparatus described above, a high-quality recorded image can be obtained at high speed and with low noise, so that the function of the information processing apparatus is further improved. It is possible to do.

[0265]

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the image quality due to the difference in the order of the ink and the printability improving liquid and the difference in the time of the injection, and to achieve both the uniformity of the image and the coloring. An image can be formed.

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printing method and apparatus capable of obtaining a printed image having a high print density, no unevenness, and excellent weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, excellent image storability. Can be.

According to the present invention, a printed matter having improved weather resistance such as water resistance and light resistance, that is, an image storability, a good coloring property with little feathering and inter-color bleed, and a good print density can be obtained. A printed matter having a high-quality image such as high quality can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams each showing a problem to be solved by the present invention.

FIGS. 2 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams each showing a problem to be solved by the present invention.

FIGS. 3 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams each showing a problem to be solved by the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5 (a) and (b) respectively show a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram comparing the embodiment method of the present invention with a conventional method.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are explanatory views showing a printing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a printing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are explanatory views showing a printing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a printing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views showing a printing method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a discharge unit. FIG. 3B is a front view of the discharge section of FIG. 3A as viewed from the direction of the discharge port, and FIG. 3C is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing method according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a printing method according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of a discharge unit.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an inkjet printing apparatus for performing the printing method of the present invention.

20 is a perspective view showing an ink jet cartridge that can be mounted on the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a heating element of a print head mounted on the printing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the recovery unit of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the device of FIG. 19;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 25 is a partial configuration diagram of a print head used in the ink jet printing apparatus shown in FIG.

26 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the inkjet printing apparatus illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 27 shows a ninth embodiment of the inkjet printing method of the present invention.
It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the Example of this.

FIG. 28 is a ninth embodiment of the inkjet printing method of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing a dot formation state when pixels are printed in a staggered array pattern.

FIG. 30 shows a first example of the inkjet printing method of the present invention.
It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating Example of 0.

FIG. 31 shows a first example of the inkjet printing method of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining one embodiment.

FIG. 32 shows a first example of the inkjet printing method of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a twelfth embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of a printing process of two-pass printing by a head unit in the printing apparatus shown in FIG.

34 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) are explanatory views of the ink and the printability improving liquid mask in the ink jet printing apparatus of FIG. 19, respectively.

FIGS. 35 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views of a printability improving liquid mask in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

FIGS. 36 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are explanatory views of a printability improving liquid mask in a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

FIGS. 37 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views of a printability improving liquid mask in a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 38 is an explanatory diagram of a head according to a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 39 is a sectional view of a head according to a modification of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram illustrating a printing process according to the single pass method of the present invention.

FIG. 41 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system using the inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention.

42 is an external perspective view of the information processing system shown in FIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is an external view showing another example of the information processing system using the inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 color ink tank 21 black ink tank 22 discharge port surface 23 discharge port 30 heating element 31 printing material 32 common liquid chamber 33 substrate 34 partition wall 35 ink droplet 38 piezoelectric element 100 printing device 101 carriage 102 print head 103 Control head unit 104 Guide shaft a 105 Guide shaft b 106 Printed material 107 Switch unit and display element unit 108 Platen 109 Feed roller 110 Recovery unit 202 Control data determination means 203 Maximum ink ejection rate determination means 401 Receive buffer 402 Control unit 403 Memory Unit 404 Mechanical control unit 405 Mechanical unit 406 Sensor / SW control unit 407 Sensor / SW unit 408 Display element control unit 409 Display element unit 410 Print head unit Control unit 411 printhead 701 ink cartridge 702 multihead 703 paper feed roller 704 auxiliary roller 705 paper feed roller 801 multihead

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Jiro Moriyama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Taka 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inside (72) Inventor Minoko Kato 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Yutaka Kurabayashi 3-30-2, Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hitoshi Sugimoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Masaya Uezuki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-58-128882 (JP, A) JP-A-64-63185 (JP, A) JP-A-6-128514 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name ) B41J 2/01 B41J 2/04-2/055 B41J 2/205 B41J 2/21 B41J 29/00 B41M 5/00

Claims (25)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet printing method for printing an image on a printing material using both a color ink containing a color material and a printability improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. In the above, on the print-receiving material, pixels printed at least once with the color ink only, after applying the printability improving liquid at least once, and then at least partially contacting the pixels with the printability improving liquid A pixel printed with the colored ink at least once or more, a pixel applied with a printability improving liquid such that at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the printed pixel of the colored ink after the printing of the colored ink at least once, After printing by the above, at least a part of the colored ink print pixel comes into contact. To which the printability improving liquid is applied, and thereafter, the pixels on which the colored ink is printed at least once more, and after at least one time the printability improving liquid is applied, at least a portion of the pixel contacts the printability improving liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, at least a portion of the color ink print pixel contacts the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
And a pixel formed by applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially contacting the color ink print pixel, and then printing the color ink at least once more on the color ink print pixel. An ink-jet printing method comprising forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 2. The ink-jet printing method according to claim 1, wherein the print head for applying the colored ink and the printability improving liquid is main-scanned in the main-scanning direction with respect to the print target material. When forming an image by mixing two or more different types of pixels, the same type of pixels should not be continuous by 420 μm or more in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. An inkjet printing method characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. The ink jet printing method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total amount of the colored ink and the printability improving liquid applied to the printing material is (colored ink) :( printability). Improvement liquid) = 1.0: 0.
An ink-jet printing method, which is 1 to 1.0. 4. The ink jet printing method according to claim 1, wherein the printability improving liquid contains a low molecular component and a high molecular component cationic substance, and the ink is an anionic dye. An inkjet printing method comprising: 5. The ink-jet printing method according to claim 1, wherein the printability improving liquid contains a cationic substance of a low molecular component and a high molecular component, and the ink is an anionic dye. Or an at least an anionic compound and a pigment. 6. An ink jet printing method for printing an image on a printing material using both a color ink containing a color material and a printability improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. In the above, after the printability improving liquid has landed on the print-receiving material, the time interval between the landing of the colored ink on the landed printability improvement liquid and the pixel A within a first specific time period is determined. An ink-jet printing method, wherein an image is formed by mixing pixels B having a time interval longer than a second specific time interval longer than the first specific time interval. 7. The ink-jet printing method according to claim 6, wherein the print head for applying the color ink and the printability improving liquid is main-scanned in the main scanning direction with respect to the print target material. When an image is formed by mixing the pixels A and B at different time intervals, the similar pixels are connected to each other in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction by 420 μm.
An ink-jet printing method characterized in that the ink does not continue for m or more. 8. The ink jet printing method according to claim 6, wherein the printability improving droplets and the colored ink droplets which are landed at the first specific time interval to form the pixels A are formed. The printability improving liquid and the colored ink droplets, which are droplets printed in the same scan, and landed at time intervals equal to or longer than the second specific time to form the pixels B, are printed by different print head scans. An ink-jet printing method, characterized by being droplets to be printed. 9. The ink jet printing method according to claim 6, wherein a ratio of a total amount of the colored ink and the printability improving liquid applied to the printing material is (colored). Ink): (Printability improving liquid) = 1.0: 0.
An ink-jet printing method, which is 1 to 1.0. 10. The ink-jet printing method according to claim 6, wherein the printability improving liquid contains a low molecular component and a high molecular component cationic substance, and the ink is an anionic dye. An inkjet printing method comprising: 11. The ink-jet printing method according to claim 6, wherein the printability improving liquid contains a low molecular component and a high molecular component cationic substance, and the ink is an anionic dye. Or an at least an anionic compound and a pigment. 12. An ink ejection unit for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improvement liquid ejection unit for ejecting a printability improvement liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printability improving liquid from the ink discharge unit and the printability improving liquid discharge unit, using at least one time only the colored ink A printed pixel, a pixel printed with the colored ink at least once or more to a pixel at least partially in contact with the printable liquid after applying the printable liquid at least once, a colored ink at least once After printing, print so that at least a part of the pixel contacts the colored ink print pixel. A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied, after printing with the color ink at least once, the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the color ink print pixel, and then the color is further printed at least once more After printing the ink-printed pixels, at least once the application of the printability improving liquid, printing the colored ink at least once on the pixels that at least partially contact the printability improving liquid,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, and at least a portion of the pixel contacted with the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and that the printability improving liquid is at least partially contacted with the printability improvement liquid at least once after the application of the printability improvement liquid. Print the color ink at least once on the pixel to be printed, and then apply the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel, and then at least further apply the color ink print pixel Pixels printed with colored ink at least once,
An ink-jet printing apparatus for forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 13. An ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said ink discharge section and said printability improving liquid discharge section generate heat energy which causes film boiling of said ink or said printability improvement liquid. An ink-jet printing apparatus comprising an electrothermal converter as a generating element. 14. An ink ejection unit for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improvement liquid ejection unit for ejecting a printability improvement liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the color material in the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus for forming an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printing property improving liquid from the ink discharging unit and the printing property improving liquid discharging unit, wherein the printing is performed on the printing material. The pixel A whose time interval until the colored ink lands on the landed printing property improving liquid after the liquidity improving liquid lands is within a first specific time, and the time interval is the first specific time. An ink-jet printing apparatus, wherein an image is formed by mixing pixels B having a second specific time interval longer than a predetermined time interval. 15. The ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the ink discharge section and the printability improving liquid discharge section generate heat energy that causes film boiling of the ink or the printability improvement liquid. An ink-jet printing apparatus comprising an electrothermal converter as a generating element. 16. An image forming method for forming an image on a printing material using both an ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the coloring material in the colored ink, A region where only the printability improving liquid is present; a region where only the ink region formed by one or a plurality of the inks is present; Any two of the first laminated portion, the portion having the ink region as the final surface, the printability improving liquid and the second laminated portion having the ink region, and the lower portion are substantially adjacent to each other. An image forming method comprising forming an image. 17. An image forming method for forming an image on a printing material using both an ink containing a coloring material and a printing property improving liquid for insolubilizing or aggregating the coloring material in the colored ink, The relative time difference between the time when the printability improving liquid lands on the print material and the time when the ink forming the ink area lands on the print material is different for each pixel, An image forming method, wherein an image in which pixel units are substantially adjacent to each other is formed. 18. A printing method using a colored ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid that reacts with the colored ink to improve the water resistance of an image formed by the colored ink. In the ink-jet printing method for printing an image on the printing medium, the pixels printed with the color ink at least once or more on the material to be printed are provided. A pixel printed with the color ink at least once on a pixel at least partially in contact with the ink, and after printing the color ink at least once, apply a printability improving liquid so that at least a part of the pixel contacts the color ink print pixel After printing with the colored ink at least once or more, Pixels to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixels come into contact with the pixels and that the color ink is printed at least once more, and that the printability improving liquid is applied at least once or more, and then the printing is performed. Printing the colored ink at least once on a pixel at least partially in contact with the property improving liquid,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position where the pixel is in contact with the color ink print pixel; Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
And a pixel formed by applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially contacting the color ink print pixel, and then printing the color ink at least once more on the color ink print pixel. An ink-jet printing method comprising forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 19. An ink ejection section for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and ejecting a printability improving liquid which reacts with the color ink to improve water resistance of an image formed by the color ink. And a printability improving liquid discharger for discharging the ink and the printability improvement liquid from the ink discharger and the printability improver discharger to form an image on the printing material. A pixel printed with the color ink at least once or more, printing the color ink at least once or more on a pixel which at least partially contacts the print property improving liquid after applying the print property improving liquid at least once or more; After printing the colored ink at least once, the number of Pixels to which the printability improving liquid has been applied so as to partially contact them, and after printing with the color ink at least once or more, applying the printability improving liquid so that at least a portion thereof contacts the color ink print pixels, And after that, the pixels on which the colored ink is printed at least once more, and after the printing property improving liquid is applied at least once, the pixels at least partially contact with the printing property improving liquid are at least once. And print
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, at least a portion of the color ink print pixel contacts the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the color ink at least once on the pixel to be printed, and then apply the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel, and then further apply the color ink print pixel at least once. Pixels printed with colored ink at least once,
An ink-jet printing apparatus for forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 20. A printing method using both a colored ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid that reacts with the colored ink to improve the density of an image formed by the colored ink. In the ink-jet printing method for printing an image, the printing material is printed on the printing material at least once at least once with the color ink only, and the printing property improving liquid is applied at least once at least. Pixels printed with the color ink at least once on the pixels that at least partially contact, After printing the color ink at least once, the printability improving liquid is applied so that the color ink print pixels at least partially contact the pixels. Pixel, after printing with the colored ink at least once, the colored ink print The printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a portion thereof comes into contact with the element, and thereafter, the pixels on which the color ink is printed at least once more, and the printability improving liquid is applied at least once more, and then the printing is performed. Printing the colored ink at least once on a pixel at least partially in contact with the property improving liquid,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position where the pixel is in contact with the color ink print pixel; Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
And a pixel formed by applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially contacting the color ink print pixel, and then printing the color ink at least once more on the color ink print pixel. An ink-jet printing method comprising forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 21. An ink ejection section for ejecting a color ink containing a color material, and an ink ejection section for ejecting a printability improving liquid that reacts with the color ink to improve the density of an image formed by the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus that uses the printability improving liquid ejecting section to form an image on the printing material by ejecting the ink and the printability improving liquid from the ink ejecting section and the printability improving liquid ejecting section. Pixels printed with the colored ink only at least once or more, and after applying the printability improving liquid at least once or more, the color ink was printed at least once or more on the pixels at least partially in contact with the printable liquid. Pixels, after printing the colored ink at least once or more, at least Pixels to which the printability improving liquid has been applied so that a part thereof also contacts, after printing with the color ink at least once or more, the printability improvement liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof contacts the color ink print pixel, And after that, the pixels on which the colored ink is printed at least once more, and after the printing property improving liquid is applied at least once, the pixels at least partially contact with the printing property improving liquid are at least once. And print
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, at least a portion of the color ink print pixel contacts the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the color ink at least once on the pixel to be printed, and then apply the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel, and then further apply the color ink print pixel at least once. Pixels printed with colored ink at least once,
An ink-jet printing apparatus for forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 22. An ink jet for printing an image on a printing material using both a colored ink containing a coloring material and a printability improving liquid for improving the light fastness of an image formed by the colored ink. In the printing method, the pixel printed on the printing material at least once with only the colored ink is applied. At least once, the printing property improving liquid is applied, and then the printing property improving liquid is at least partially contacted. A pixel on which the pixel is printed with the color ink at least once, a pixel on which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the color ink print pixel after printing the color ink at least once, at least once After printing with the colored ink, at least a part of the colored ink print pixels A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so as to be touched, and thereafter, the pixel on which the colored ink is printed at least once more. Printing the colored ink at least once on the pixels in contact with the part,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, and at least a portion of the pixel contacted with the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and that the printability improving liquid is at least partially contacted with the printability improvement liquid at least once after the application of the printability improvement liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
And a pixel formed by applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially contacting the color ink print pixel, and then printing the color ink at least once more on the color ink print pixel. An ink-jet printing method comprising forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 23. An ink discharge section for discharging a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improving liquid for discharging a printability improving liquid for improving the light fastness of an image formed by the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus for forming an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printability improving liquid from the ink discharger and the printability improving liquid discharger, using at least one colored ink A pixel printed with only the ink, a pixel printed with the color ink at least once or more on a pixel at least partially in contact with the printability improving liquid after applying the printability improving liquid at least once, at least once or more After the printing of the colored ink, at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the colored ink print pixel. Pixels to which the printability improving liquid has been applied. After printing with the color ink at least once, the printability improvement liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixels is in contact with the color ink print pixels, and thereafter at least one more time. After printing the colored ink on the pixel, applying the printability improving liquid at least once, and then printing the colored ink on the pixel at least partially in contact with the printable improving liquid at least once,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, at least a portion of the color ink print pixel contacts the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the color ink at least once on the pixel to be printed, and then apply the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel, and then further apply the color ink print pixel at least once. Pixels printed with colored ink at least once,
An ink-jet printing apparatus for forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 24. An ink jet apparatus for printing an image on a printing material by using both a color ink containing a color material and a printability improving liquid for improving the storability of an image formed by the color ink. In the printing method, the pixel printed on the printing material at least once with only the colored ink is applied. At least once, the printing property improving liquid is applied, and then the printing property improving liquid is at least partially contacted. A pixel on which the pixel is printed with the color ink at least once, a pixel on which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the color ink print pixel after printing the color ink at least once, at least once After printing with the colored ink, at least a part of the colored ink print pixels A pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so as to be touched, and thereafter, the pixel on which the colored ink is printed at least once more. Printing the colored ink at least once on the pixels in contact with the part,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position where the pixel is in contact with the color ink print pixel; Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the colored ink at least once on the pixels
And a pixel formed by applying the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially contacting the color ink print pixel, and then printing the color ink at least once more on the color ink print pixel. An ink-jet printing method comprising forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: 25. An ink discharge section for discharging a color ink containing a color material, and a printability improving liquid for discharging a printability improving liquid for improving the storability of an image formed by the color ink. An ink jet printing apparatus for forming an image on the printing material by discharging the ink and the printability improving liquid from the ink discharger and the printability improving liquid discharger, using at least one colored ink A pixel printed with only the ink, a pixel printed with the color ink at least once or more on a pixel at least partially in contact with the printability improving liquid after applying the printability improving liquid at least once, at least once or more After the printing of the colored ink, at least a part of the pixel is contacted with the colored ink print pixel. Pixels to which the printability improving liquid has been applied. After printing with the color ink at least once, the printability improvement liquid is applied so that at least a part of the pixels is in contact with the color ink print pixels, and thereafter at least one more time. After printing the colored ink on the pixel, applying the printability improving liquid at least once, and then printing the colored ink on the pixel at least partially in contact with the printable improving liquid at least once,
A pixel to which at least a portion of the color ink print pixel is applied with the printability improving liquid at least once at a position in contact with the color ink print pixel, at least a portion of the color ink print pixel contacts the color ink print pixel after printing with the color ink at least once Printability improving liquid, and then print the colored ink at least once more,
And a pixel to which the printability improving liquid is applied so that at least a part thereof comes into contact with the pixel, and after the printability improvement liquid is applied at least once or more, at least a part of the pixel contacts the printability improvement liquid. Print the color ink at least once on the pixel to be printed, and then apply the printability improving liquid at least once to a position at least partially in contact with the color ink print pixel, and then further apply the color ink print pixel at least once. Pixels printed with colored ink at least once,
An ink-jet printing apparatus for forming an image by mixing at least two or more different pixels selected from the group consisting of: