JP7169812B2 - Recording device and its correction method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and its correction method, and more particularly, to a recording apparatus for recording an image formed by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a transfer body and transferring the image onto a recording medium, and its correction method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a recording apparatus provided with a full-line recording head having a recording width corresponding to the width of a recording medium. Such a full-line print head achieves a long print width by connecting a plurality of head chips (head substrates) in the nozzle array direction. In a printing apparatus having such a full-line print head, an image can be printed on almost the entire surface of the print medium by moving the print head relative to the print medium once.

In a full-line printhead that uses the inkjet method, if there is an error in the mounting position or the relative mounting position between multiple head chips, this error may cause a deviation in the ink landing position (adherence position). be. This deviation causes deterioration in recording quality.

In order to deal with the displacement of the impact position due to such mounting position error, in Patent Document 1, a test pattern recorded by a recording head is read using a CCD line sensor, and the impact position is corrected based on the result. Techniques are disclosed.

In addition, it is generally known that when ink is ejected from a plurality of nozzles in an inkjet recording head, stable ejection can be achieved by driving the plurality of nozzles in a time-divisional manner. Landing deviation occurs due to the difference in drive time between shots. Therefore, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique for reducing the effect of landing deviation.

JP 2012-163475 A JP 2018-024144 A

When correcting an error in the mounting position of the recording head, particularly when correcting the mounting inclination with respect to the recording apparatus, it is possible to correct by shifting the recording data as proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200010.

However, when the effect of landing deviation of time-division driving as described in Patent Document 2 is reduced, if the tilt is corrected by shifting the recording data, a step of one pixel occurs in the landing result, and the image quality is reduced. There is a problem that it leads to

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the inclination of formed dots when recording is performed by driving a plurality of nozzles of the recording head by time-division driving. In FIG. 10, the X direction is the print medium conveying direction, and the Y direction is the nozzle arrangement direction.

FIG. 10(a) shows a pattern printed by time-division driving of 8 nozzles at a resolution of 1200 dpi, and FIG. 10(b) shows nozzles in which impact of landing deviation due to time-division driving is reduced. Also, FIG. 10(c) shows how the droplets land when the eight nozzles shown in FIG. 10(b) are used and the time-division driving shown in FIG. 10(a) is executed. Furthermore, FIG. 10(d) shows the case where the nozzle shown in FIG. 10(b) is tilted, and FIG. 10(e) shows the nozzle shown in FIG. 10(a) using the nozzle shown in FIG. It shows how the bullets land when time-divisional driving is executed. FIG. 10(f) shows the impact in the case where the inclination correction is performed for the impact that is shifted by one column or more with respect to the resolution of 1200 dpi.

In FIG. 10(f), the arrows indicate locations where a one-pixel (one-column) displacement of ink droplets has occurred. At such locations, print quality of ruled lines, characters, and the like is degraded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus capable of achieving high-quality image recording and a correction method thereof.

In order to achieve the above objects, the recording apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a plurality of nozzle arrays each having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a predetermined nozzle array direction and energy used to eject ink provided corresponding to each nozzle of each nozzle array are generated. at least one recording head having a plurality of chips provided with energy generating elements, wherein a plurality of nozzles of each nozzle row included in the recording head are grouped by nozzles that are continuous in the nozzle array direction; A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by dividing the nozzles of each nozzle row into a plurality of groups and driving energy generating elements corresponding to the nozzles of each group,
reading means for reading a predetermined test pattern recorded on a recording medium by the recording head;
analysis means for analyzing the test pattern read by the reading means;
calculating means for calculating a tilt of the recording head with respect to a reference based on the result of analysis by the analyzing means;
The calculation means further calculates a recording deviation between the plurality of chips based on the analysis result by the analysis means,
The deviation in printing between the plurality of chips is corrected with respect to the reference line of the inclination of the printing head calculated by the calculating means, and this correction changes the driving timing of the nozzles included in each chip. It is characterized by performing by

Viewed from another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of nozzle rows, each having a plurality of nozzles, arranged in a predetermined nozzle array direction, and ink provided to correspond to each nozzle in each nozzle row are ejected. at least one recording head having a plurality of chips provided with energy generating elements that generate energy used for This is a correction method for a printing apparatus, in which continuous nozzles are treated as one group, nozzles in each nozzle row are divided into a plurality of groups, energy generating elements corresponding to the nozzles in each group are driven, and an image is printed on a printing medium. hand,
a reading step of reading a predetermined test pattern recorded on a recording medium by the recording head;
an analysis step of analyzing the test pattern read by the reading step;
a calculation step of calculating a tilt of the recording head with respect to a reference based on the analysis result of the analysis step;
the calculating step further calculates a recording deviation between the plurality of chips based on the analysis result of the analyzing step;
The printing deviation among the plurality of chips is corrected with respect to the reference line of the inclination of the printing head calculated by the calculating step, and this correction changes the driving timing of the nozzles included in each chip. It is characterized by performing by

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to correct the inclination of the recording head and achieve high-quality image recording.

1 is a schematic diagram of a recording system that is a representative embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a recording unit; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a displacement mode of the recording unit of FIG. 2; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation example of the recording system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation example of the recording system of FIG. 1; It is the figure which looked at the structure of the test|inspection unit 9B and its peripheral part from the upper direction of the recording device. It is the figure which looked at the structure of the test|inspection unit 9B and its peripheral part from this side of a recording device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the inclination of formed dots when recording is performed by driving a plurality of nozzles of the recording head by time-division driving; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how a recording head mounted on a carriage is attached; FIG. 3 is a view showing the recording head 30 viewed from the side of the ink ejection surface; It is a figure which shows a nozzle arrangement|sequence, a time-division drive, and the state of an impact. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a print medium, a print head, and an inspection unit, the print position of a test pattern, and head position deviation correction; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a detailed layout of pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023; , It is a diagram showing the correspondence between patterns 1016 and 1019 corresponding to head chips and ejection nozzles. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the correspondence between a test pattern, a printhead, and a head chip for performing color misregistration correction calculation between printheads. It is a figure which shows the calculation method of the misalignment amount between nozzle rows. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the amount of deviation between head chips in the X direction and the amount of inclination of the printhead; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state after correction of the inclination of the print head and the deviation in the X direction between the head chips; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the amount of misalignment between print heads; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing mark detection processing corresponding to a head chip; 6 is a flowchart of head position deviation correction processing performed using a test pattern for correcting head position deviation recorded on a recording medium;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described more specifically and in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions and are perpendicular to each other. Arrow Z indicates the up-down direction.

<Description of terms>
In this specification, "recording" (sometimes referred to as "printing") means not only the formation of significant information such as characters and graphics, but also meaninglessness. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not it is actualized so that humans can perceive it visually, it also represents the case of forming an image, design, pattern, etc. on a recording medium or processing the medium.

The term "recording medium" refers not only to paper used in general recording devices, but also to a wide range of materials that can accept ink, such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather. shall be

Furthermore, "ink" (sometimes referred to as "liquid") should be interpreted broadly in the same way as the definition of "print" above. Therefore, by being applied on a recording medium, it can be used for forming an image, design, pattern, etc., processing the recording medium, or treating ink (for example, solidifying or insolubilizing the coloring agent in the ink applied to the recording medium). shall represent a liquid that can be Ink components are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is assumed that a water-based pigment ink containing pigments, water, and a resin is used.

Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the term "printing elements (or nozzles)" collectively refers to ejection openings, liquid paths communicating therewith, and elements that generate energy used for ejecting ink.

The element substrate (head substrate) for the printhead used below does not simply refer to a substrate made of a silicon semiconductor, but refers to a structure provided with elements, wiring, and the like.

Furthermore, the term "on the substrate" indicates not only the top of the element substrate, but also the surface of the element substrate and the inside of the element substrate near the surface. In addition, the term "built-in" as used in the present invention does not mean simply arranging each separate element on the surface of the substrate as a separate element, but rather the term "built-in" means that each element is manufactured as a semiconductor circuit. It indicates that the device is integrally formed and manufactured on the element plate by a process or the like.

<Recording system>
FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing a recording system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The recording system 1 is a sheet-fed inkjet printer that transfers an ink image onto a recording medium P via a transfer body 2 to manufacture a recorded matter P′. The recording system 1 includes a recording device 1A and a conveying device 1B. In this embodiment, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction indicate the width direction (full length direction), depth direction, and height direction of the recording system 1, respectively. The recording medium P is conveyed in the X direction.

<Recording device>
The recording apparatus 1A includes a recording unit 3, a transfer unit 4 and peripheral units 5A-5D, and a supply unit 6. FIG.

<Recording unit>
The recording unit 3 includes multiple recording heads 30 and a carriage 31 . Please refer to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording unit 3. FIG. The recording head 30 ejects liquid ink onto the transfer body (intermediate transfer body) 2 to form an ink image of a recording image on the transfer body 2 .

In the case of this embodiment, each recording head 30 is a full-line head extending in the Y direction, and nozzles are arranged in a range covering the width of the image recording area of the maximum size recording medium that can be used. there is The recording head 30 has an ink discharge surface with nozzles on its lower surface, and the ink discharge surface faces the surface of the transfer body 2 with a minute gap (for example, several millimeters) therebetween. In the case of this embodiment, the transfer body 2 is configured to cyclically move on a circular orbit, so the plurality of recording heads 30 are arranged radially.

Each nozzle is provided with an ejection element. The ejecting element is, for example, an element that generates pressure in a nozzle to eject ink in the nozzle, and a known inkjet head technology for an inkjet printer can be applied. Examples of the ejection element include an element that ejects ink by causing film boiling in ink by an electrothermal transducer to form air bubbles, an element that ejects ink by an electromechanical transducer (piezo element), and an element that uses static electricity. Elements for ejecting ink and the like are included. From the viewpoint of high-speed and high-density recording, an ejection element using an electrothermal transducer can be used.

In this embodiment, nine recording heads 30 are provided. Each recording head 30 ejects different types of ink. Different types of inks are, for example, inks with different coloring materials, such as yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, and black ink. One recording head 30 ejects one type of ink, but one recording head 30 may be configured to eject a plurality of types of ink. When a plurality of recording heads 30 are provided in this manner, some of them may eject colorless ink (for example, clear ink or transfer accelerating liquid) that does not contain a coloring material. By ejecting the transfer accelerating liquid onto the transfer body 2 after the colored ink is ejected, the transfer of the image formed on the transfer body 2 to the recording medium is promoted, and the residual ink on the transfer body 2 after transfer is eliminated. can be significantly reduced.

A carriage 31 supports a plurality of printheads 30 . Each recording head 30 is fixed to a carriage 31 at the end on the side of the ink ejection surface. As a result, the gap between the ink ejection surface and the surface of the transfer body 2 can be maintained more precisely. The carriage 31 is configured to be displaceable while mounting the recording head 30 under the guidance of the guide member RL. In the case of this embodiment, the guide members RL are rail members extending in the Y direction, and are provided as a pair in the X direction, spaced apart from each other. A slide portion 32 is provided on each side portion of the carriage 31 in the X direction. The slide portion 32 engages with the guide member RL and slides along the guide member RL in the Y direction.

FIG. 3 shows a displacement mode of the recording unit 3, and is a diagram schematically showing the right side of the recording system 1. As shown in FIG. A recovery unit 12 is provided at the rear of the recording system 1 . The recovery unit 12 has a mechanism for recovering the ejection performance of the recording head 30 . Examples of such a mechanism include a cap mechanism that caps the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30, a wiper mechanism that wipes the ink ejection surface, and a suction mechanism that sucks the ink in the recording head 30 from the ink ejection surface with a negative pressure. be able to.

The guide member RL extends from the side of the transfer member 2 to the recovery unit 12 . The recording unit 3 is guided by a guide member RL and can be displaced between an ejection position POS1 indicated by a solid line and a recovery position POS3 indicated by a broken line. is moved by

The ejection position POS<b>1 is the position where the recording unit 3 ejects ink onto the transfer body 2 , and the position where the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30 faces the surface of the transfer body 2 . The recovery position POS3 is a position retreated from the ejection position POS1, and is a position where the recording unit 3 is positioned above the recovery unit 12. FIG. The recovery unit 12 can perform recovery processing for the printhead 30 when the recording unit 3 is positioned at the recovery position POS3. In this embodiment, the recovery process can be executed even while the recording unit 3 is moving before reaching the recovery position POS3. A preliminary recovery position POS2 is located between the ejection position POS1 and the recovery position POS3, and the recovery unit 12 performs a preliminary recovery for the print head 30 at the preliminary recovery position POS2 while the print head 30 is moving from the ejection position POS1 to the recovery position POS3. Recovery processing can be performed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the recording head 30 mounted on the carriage 31 is attached.

An actuator 33 is attached to each of the nine recording heads 30 to correct the inclination of the recording head around the z-axis orthogonal to the x-direction and the y-direction. A sliding portion and a cam mechanism (not shown) are provided between the actuator 33 and the recording head 30, and by operating the actuator 33, it is possible to adjust the tilt of the recording head about the z-axis.

<Transfer unit>
The transfer unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The transfer unit 4 includes a transfer drum 41 and an impression cylinder 42 . These cylinders are rotating bodies that rotate around a rotation axis in the Y direction, and have cylindrical outer peripheral surfaces. In FIG. 1, the arrows shown in the figures of the transfer drum 41 and the impression cylinder 42 indicate their rotational directions, the transfer drum 41 rotating clockwise and the impression cylinder 42 rotating counterclockwise.

The transfer drum 41 is a support that supports the transfer body 2 on its outer peripheral surface. The transfer body 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41 continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction. When provided continuously, the transfer member 2 is formed in an endless strip. When intermittently provided, the transfer body 2 is formed in a belt-like shape with ends divided into a plurality of segments, and each segment can be arranged in an arc shape on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41 at equal pitches.

The rotation of the transfer drum 41 causes the transfer body 2 to cyclically move on a circular orbit. Depending on the rotation phase of the transfer drum 41, the position of the transfer body 2 can be distinguished into a pre-ejection processing region R1, an ejection region R2, post-ejection processing regions R3 and R4, a transfer region R5, and a post-transfer processing region R6. The transfer member 2 cyclically passes through these regions.

The pre-ejection treatment area R1 is an area in which pretreatment is performed on the transfer body 2 before ink is ejected by the recording unit 3, and is an area in which the peripheral unit 5A performs processing. In the case of this embodiment, a reaction liquid is applied. The ejection area R2 is a formation area where the recording unit 3 ejects ink onto the transfer body 2 to form an ink image. The post-ejection processing regions R3 and R4 are processing regions in which the ink image is processed after the ink is ejected, the post-ejection processing region R3 is a region in which processing is performed by the peripheral unit 5B, and the post-ejection processing region R4 is the peripheral unit 5C. This is the area where the processing by is performed. A transfer area R5 is an area where the ink image on the transfer body 2 is transferred to the recording medium P by the transfer unit 4. FIG. The post-transfer processing area R6 is an area where post-processing is performed on the transfer body 2 after transfer, and is an area where processing is performed by the peripheral unit 5D.

In the case of this embodiment, the ejection region R2 is a region having a certain section. The other regions R1, R3 to R6 are narrower than the ejection region R2. In the case of the present embodiment, the pre-ejection treatment region R1 is approximately at the 10 o'clock position, the ejection region R2 is approximately in the range from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock, and the post-ejection processing region R3 is approximately at the dial of a clock. This is the 2 o'clock position, and the post-ejection treatment region R4 is approximately at the 4 o'clock position. The transfer region R5 is approximately at the 6 o'clock position, and the post-transfer processing region R6 is approximately at the 8 o'clock position.

The transfer member 2 may be composed of a single layer, or may be a laminate of multiple layers. When composed of multiple layers, it may include, for example, three layers of a surface layer, an elastic layer, and a compression layer. The surface layer is the outermost layer having an imaging surface on which an ink image is formed. By providing the compression layer, the compression layer absorbs deformation and disperses local pressure fluctuations, so that transferability can be maintained even during high-speed recording. The elastic layer is the layer between the surface layer and the compression layer.

Various materials such as resins and ceramics can be appropriately used as the material of the surface layer, and materials having a high compressive elastic modulus can be used in terms of durability and the like. Specific examples include acrylic resins, acrylic silicone resins, fluorine-containing resins, condensates obtained by condensing hydrolyzable organosilicon compounds, and the like. The surface layer may be subjected to a surface treatment in order to improve the wettability of the reaction liquid, the transferability of the image, and the like. Examples of surface treatment include flame treatment, corona treatment, plasma treatment, polishing treatment, roughening treatment, active energy ray irradiation treatment, ozone treatment, surfactant treatment, and silane coupling treatment. A plurality of these may be combined. Also, the surface layer can be provided with an arbitrary surface shape.

Examples of materials for the compression layer include acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylic rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, and the like. When molding such a rubber material, a predetermined amount of a vulcanizing agent, a vulcanization accelerator, etc. are blended, and a foaming agent, hollow fine particles, or a filler such as salt is blended as necessary to form a porous rubber material. may be As a result, the bubble portion is compressed with a change in volume in response to various pressure fluctuations, so deformation in directions other than the direction of compression is small, and more stable transferability and durability can be obtained. As porous rubber materials, there are continuous pore structures in which each pore is continuous with each other, and independent pore structures in which each pore is independent. You may

Various materials such as resins and ceramics can be appropriately used as the member of the elastic layer. Various elastomer materials and rubber materials can be used in terms of processability and the like. Specific examples include fluorosilicone rubber, phenylsilicone rubber, fluororubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, and nitrile rubber. Also included are ethylene propylene rubber, natural rubber, styrene rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, ethylene/propylene/butadiene copolymer, nitrile butadiene rubber and the like. In particular, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, and phenylsilicone rubber are advantageous in terms of dimensional stability and durability because of their low compression set. In addition, the change in elastic modulus due to temperature is small, which is advantageous in terms of transferability.

Various adhesives and double-sided tapes can be used between the surface layer and the elastic layer and between the elastic layer and the compression layer to fix them. Further, the transfer body 2 may include a reinforcing layer having a high compression elastic modulus in order to suppress lateral stretching when mounted on the transfer drum 41 and to maintain stiffness. Moreover, it is good also considering a woven fabric as a reinforcement layer. The transfer body 2 can be produced by arbitrarily combining each layer made of the above materials.

The impression cylinder 42 is pressed against the transfer body 2 at its outer peripheral surface. At least one grip mechanism for holding the leading edge of the recording medium P is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42 . A plurality of gripping mechanisms may be provided spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the impression cylinder 42 . The ink image on the transfer body 2 is transferred when the recording medium P passes through the nip portion between the impression cylinder 42 and the transfer body 2 while being conveyed in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42 .

A driving source such as a motor for driving the transfer drum 41 and the impression cylinder 42 is common to them, and the driving force can be distributed by a transmission mechanism such as a gear mechanism.

<Peripheral unit>
The peripheral units 5A to 5D are arranged around the transfer drum 41. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the peripheral units 5A to 5D are, in order, an application unit, an absorption unit, a heating unit, and a cleaning unit.

The application unit 5A is a mechanism that applies a reaction liquid onto the transfer body 2 before the recording unit 3 ejects ink. The reaction liquid is a liquid containing a component that increases the viscosity of the ink. Here, increasing the viscosity of the ink means that the coloring materials, resins, etc. that make up the ink chemically react or physically adsorb when they come into contact with the components that increase the viscosity of the ink. An increase in ink viscosity is observed. This increase in the viscosity of the ink is not only when the viscosity of the ink as a whole increases, but also when the viscosity increases locally due to the aggregation of some of the components that make up the ink, such as colorants and resins. is also included.

The component that increases the viscosity of the ink is not particularly limited, and may be a metal ion, a polymer flocculant, or the like. However, a substance that causes a change in the pH of the ink and agglomerates the coloring material in the ink can be used. can be used. Examples of the mechanism for applying the reaction liquid include a roller, a recording head, a die coating device (die coater), and a blade coating device (blade coater). If the reaction liquid is applied to the transfer body 2 before the ink is ejected onto the transfer body 2, the ink that reaches the transfer body 2 can be immediately fixed. As a result, bleeding in which adjacent inks are mixed can be suppressed.

The absorption unit 5B is a mechanism for absorbing liquid components from the ink image on the transfer body 2 before transfer. By reducing the liquid component of the ink image, bleeding of the image recorded on the recording medium P can be suppressed. If the reduction of the liquid component is explained from a different point of view, it can be expressed as concentrating the ink forming the ink image on the transfer body 2 . Concentrating the ink means that the liquid component contained in the ink is reduced, thereby increasing the content ratio of the solid content such as the coloring material and resin contained in the ink to the liquid component.

Absorption unit 5B includes, for example, a liquid absorption member that contacts the ink image to reduce the amount of the liquid component of the ink image. The liquid absorbing member may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller, or the liquid absorbing member may be formed in the form of an endless sheet and run cyclically. From the viewpoint of protecting the ink image, the moving speed of the liquid absorbing member may be the same as the peripheral speed of the transfer member 2 so that the liquid absorbing member is moved in synchronization with the transfer member 2 .

The liquid absorbing member may include a porous body that contacts the ink image. The pore diameter of the porous body on the surface that contacts the ink image may be 10 μm or less in order to suppress adhesion of ink solids to the liquid absorbing member. Here, the pore diameter means the average diameter, and can be measured by known means such as mercury porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption, SEM image observation, and the like. The liquid component is not particularly limited as long as it does not have a fixed shape, is fluid, and has a substantially constant volume. Examples of liquid components include water and organic solvents contained in inks and reaction liquids.

The heating unit 5C is a mechanism for heating the ink image on the transfer body 2 before transfer. By heating the ink image, the resin in the ink image is melted and the transferability to the recording medium P is improved. The heating temperature can be the minimum film-forming temperature (MFT) of the resin or higher. MFT can be measured by a generally known method, such as JIS K 6828-2:2003 or ISO2115:1996-compliant equipment. From the viewpoint of transferability and image fastness, the heating may be at a temperature higher than that of the MFT by 10° C. or more, and furthermore, at a temperature higher than that of the MFT by 20° C. or more. The heating unit 5C can use a known heating device such as various lamps such as infrared rays, a hot air fan, and the like. An infrared heater can be used in terms of heating efficiency.

The cleaning unit 5D is a mechanism for cleaning the transfer body 2 after transfer. The cleaning unit 5D removes ink remaining on the transfer body 2, dust on the transfer body 2, and the like. For the cleaning unit 5D, for example, a method of contacting the transfer body 2 with a porous member, a method of rubbing the surface of the transfer body 2 with a brush, a method of scraping the surface of the transfer body 2 with a blade, or the like can be appropriately used. can be done. Also, the cleaning member used for cleaning may have a known shape such as a roller shape or a web shape.

As described above, in this embodiment, the applying unit 5A, the absorbing unit 5B, the heating unit 5C, and the cleaning unit 5D are provided as peripheral units. , a cooling unit may be added. In this embodiment, the temperature of the transfer body 2 may rise due to the heat of the heating unit 5C. After the ink is ejected onto the transfer body 2 by the recording unit 3, if the ink image exceeds the boiling point of water, which is the main solvent of the ink, the ability of the absorption unit 5B to absorb the liquid component may deteriorate. By cooling the transfer body 2 so that the ejected ink is maintained below the boiling point of water, it is possible to maintain the ability to absorb liquid components.

The cooling unit may be a blowing mechanism that blows air to the transfer body 2 or a mechanism that brings a member (for example, a roller) into contact with the transfer body 2 and cools the member by air cooling or water cooling. Alternatively, it may be a mechanism for cooling the cleaning member of the cleaning unit 5D. The cooling timing may be a period after transfer and before application of the reaction liquid.

<Supply unit>
The supply unit 6 is a mechanism that supplies ink to each recording head 30 of the recording unit 3 . The supply unit 6 may be provided on the rear side of the recording system 1 . The supply unit 6 includes a storage section TK that stores ink for each type of ink. The storage section TK may be composed of a main tank and a sub-tank. Each reservoir TK and each recording head 30 communicate with each other through a channel 6a, and ink is supplied to the recording head 30 from the reservoir TK. The channel 6a may be a channel for circulating ink between the reservoir TK and the recording head 30, and the supply unit 6 may include a pump or the like for circulating ink. A degassing mechanism for degassing air bubbles in the ink may be provided in the middle of the flow path 6a or in the reservoir TK. A valve for adjusting the liquid pressure of the ink and the atmospheric pressure may be provided in the middle of the flow path 6a or in the reservoir TK. The height of the reservoir TK and the recording head 30 in the Z direction may be designed such that the ink surface in the reservoir TK is lower than the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30 .

<Conveyor>
The conveying device 1B is a device that feeds the recording medium P to the transfer unit 4 and discharges from the transfer unit 4 the recording material P' onto which the ink image has been transferred. The transport device 1B includes a feed unit 7, a plurality of transport cylinders 8, 8a, two sprockets 8b, a chain 8c and a recovery unit 8d. In FIG. 1, the arrows on the inside of the figure of each component of the transport device 1B indicate the rotation direction of the component, and the arrows on the outside indicate the transport path of the recording medium P or the printed matter P'. The recording medium P is conveyed from the feeding unit 7 to the transfer unit 4, and the recorded matter P' is conveyed from the transfer unit 4 to the collecting unit 8d. The side of the feeding unit 7 may be referred to as the upstream side in the transport direction, and the side of the collecting unit 8d may be referred to as the downstream side.

The feeding unit 7 includes a stacking section on which a plurality of recording media P are stacked, and also includes a feeding mechanism that feeds the recording media P one by one from the stacking section to the most upstream conveying cylinder 8 . Each transport cylinder 8, 8a is a rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis in the Y direction, and has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface. At least one gripping mechanism for holding the leading edge of the recording medium P (or the recorded matter P') is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each transport cylinder 8, 8a. Each gripping mechanism controls its gripping operation and release operation so that the recording medium P is transferred between adjacent transport cylinders.

The two transport cylinders 8a are transport cylinders for reversing the recording medium P. As shown in FIG. In the case of double-sided recording on the recording medium P, after transfer to the surface, the recording medium P is passed from the impression cylinder 42 to the transport cylinder 8a adjacent to the downstream side without being passed to the transport cylinder 8. FIG. The recording medium P is turned upside down via the two conveying cylinders 8a and transferred to the impression cylinder 42 again via the conveying cylinder 8 on the upstream side of the impression cylinder 42 . As a result, the back surface of the recording medium P faces the transfer drum 41, and the ink image is transferred to the back surface.

Chain 8c is wound between two sprockets 8b. One of the two sprockets 8b is a driving sprocket and the other is a driven sprocket. The rotation of the drive sprocket causes the chain 8c to circulate. The chain 8c is provided with a plurality of gripping mechanisms spaced apart in its longitudinal direction. The gripping mechanism grips the edge of the recorded material P'. The recorded material P′ is transferred from the conveying cylinder 8 located at the downstream end to the gripping mechanism of the chain 8c, and the recorded material P′ gripped by the gripping mechanism is transported to the collection unit 8d by the traveling of the chain 8c, and the gripping is released. be. As a result, the recorded matter P' is loaded in the collection unit 8d.

<Post-processing unit>
Post-processing units 10A and 10B are provided in the transport device 1B. The post-processing units 10A and 10B are arranged downstream of the transfer unit 4 and are mechanisms for performing post-processing on the printed material P'. The post-processing unit 10A performs processing on the front side of the recorded matter P', and the post-processing unit 10B performs processing on the back side of the recorded matter P'. As the content of the processing, for example, the image recording surface of the recorded matter P' may be coated for the purpose of protecting the image, glossing the image, or the like. Examples of coating include application of liquid, welding of sheets, lamination, and the like.

<Inspection unit>
The transport device 1B is provided with inspection units 9A and 9B. The inspection units 9A and 9B are arranged downstream of the transfer unit 4, and are mechanisms for inspecting the printed material P'.

In the case of this embodiment, the inspection unit 9A is a photographing device for photographing an image recorded on the recorded material P', and includes an imaging device such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor, for example. The inspection unit 9A captures recorded images during the continuous recording operation. Based on the image photographed by the inspection unit 9A, it is possible to check the time-dependent change of the color tone of the recorded image and determine whether the image data or the recorded data can be corrected. In the case of this embodiment, the inspection unit 9A has an imaging range set on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42, and is arranged so as to be able to partially photograph a recorded image immediately after transfer. All recorded images may be inspected by the inspection unit 9A, or may be inspected every predetermined number.

In the case of this embodiment, the inspection unit 9B is also a photographing device for photographing an image recorded on the recorded material P', and includes, for example, an imaging device such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. The inspection unit 9B takes a recorded image in the test recording operation. The inspection unit 9B captures the entire recorded image, and based on the image captured by the inspection unit 9B, can perform basic settings for various corrections related to the recorded data. In the case of this embodiment, it is arranged at a position for photographing the printed matter P' conveyed by the chain 8c. When the inspection unit 9B captures a recorded image, the running of the chain 8c is temporarily stopped and the whole is captured. The inspection unit 9B may be a scanner that scans the printed material P'.

FIG. 8 is a view of the configuration of the inspection unit 9B and its surroundings viewed from above the recording apparatus, and FIG. 9 is a view of the configuration of the inspection unit 9B and its surroundings viewed from the front of the recording apparatus.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, the recording medium P is transported in the transport direction 801, the transport is stopped in the vicinity of the inspection unit 9B, and an image is obtained using a CCD sensor unit 802 capable of scanning in a direction 803 perpendicular to the transport direction. is imaged. The head of the recording medium P is gripped by a gripping mechanism 906 installed on the chain 8c, and the chain 8c is cyclically run to convey the recording medium P to the inspection unit 9B. When an area 805 of the recording medium P is imaged, an elevator 907 that can be driven in the vertical direction 908 is moved to a pressing position 907B to bring the recording medium P closer to the CCD sensor 802 and an image of the area 805 is captured. do.

<Control unit>
Next, the control unit of the recording system 1 will be explained. 4 and 5 are block diagrams of the control unit 13 of the recording system 1. FIG. The control unit 13 is communicatively connected to a host device (DFE) HC2, and the host device HC2 is communicably connected to the host device HC1.

The host device HC1 may be, for example, a PC, which is an information processing device, or a server device. Moreover, the communication method between the host device HC1 and the host device HC2 may be wired or wireless, and is not particularly limited.

The host device HC1 generates or stores document data that is the basis of a recorded image. The manuscript data here is generated, for example, in the form of an electronic file such as a document file or an image file. This document data is sent to the host device HC2, and the host device HC2 converts the received document data into a data format that can be used by the control unit 13 (for example, RGB data representing an image in RGB). The converted data is transmitted as image data from the host device HC2 to the control unit 13, and the control unit 13 starts recording operation based on the received image data.

In this embodiment, the control unit 13 is roughly divided into a main controller 13A and an engine controller 13B. Main controller 13A includes processing unit 131 , storage unit 132 , operation unit 133 , image processing unit 134 , communication I/F (interface) 135 , buffer 136 and communication I/F 137 .

The processing unit 131 is a processor such as a CPU, executes programs stored in the storage unit 132, and controls the entire main controller 13A. The storage unit 132 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, or an SSD, stores programs and data executed by the CPU 131 (processing unit), and provides the CPU 131 with a work area. In addition to the storage unit 132, an external storage unit may be further provided. The operation unit 133 is, for example, an input device such as a touch panel, keyboard, or mouse, and receives user instructions. The operation unit 133 may have, for example, a configuration in which an input unit and a display unit are integrated. Note that user operations are not limited to inputs via the operation unit 133, and may be configured to receive instructions from the host device HC1 or the host device HC2, for example.

The image processor 134 is, for example, an electronic circuit having an image processor. The buffer 136 is, for example, RAM, hard disk or SSD. A communication I/F 135 communicates with the host device HC2, and a communication I/F 137 communicates with the engine controller 13B. Broken arrows in FIG. 4 illustrate the flow of image data processing. Image data received from the host device HC2 via the communication IF 135 is accumulated in the buffer 136. FIG. The image processing unit 134 reads the image data from the buffer 136 , performs predetermined image processing on the read image data, and stores the processed image data in the buffer 136 again. The image data after image processing stored in the buffer 136 is transmitted from the communication I/F 137 to the engine controller 13B as print data used by the print engine.

As shown in FIG. 5, the engine controller 13B includes engine control units 14 and 15A to 15E, acquires detection results of the sensor group and the actuator group 16 provided in the recording system 1, and performs drive control. Each of these control units includes a processor such as a CPU, storage devices such as RAM and ROM, and interfaces with external devices. Note that the division of the control units is an example, and a part of the control may be executed by a plurality of subdivided control units. It may be configured to be performed by one control unit.

The engine control unit 14 controls the entire engine controller 13B. The recording control unit 15A converts the recording data received from the main controller 13A into a data format suitable for driving the recording head 30, such as raster data. The recording control section 15</b>A controls ejection of each recording head 30 .

The transfer control section 15B controls the application unit 5A, the absorption unit 5B, the heating unit 5C, and the cleaning unit 5D.

The reliability control section 15C controls the supply unit 6, the recovery unit 12, and the drive mechanism that moves the recording unit 3 between the ejection position POS1 and the recovery position POS3.

The transport control section 15D controls the driving of the transfer unit 4 and the transport device 1B. The inspection control section 15E controls the inspection unit 9B and the inspection unit 9A.

Among the sensor group and the actuator group 16, the sensor group includes a sensor for detecting the position and speed of the movable portion, a sensor for detecting temperature, an imaging device, and the like. The actuator group includes motors, electromagnetic solenoids, electromagnetic valves, and the like.

<Operation example>
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the recording operation. The following steps are cyclically performed while the transfer drum 41 and impression cylinder 42 are rotated. As shown in state ST1, first, the reaction liquid L is applied onto the transfer member 2 from the application unit 5A. The portion of the transfer body 2 to which the reaction liquid L is applied moves as the transfer drum 41 rotates. When the portion to which the reaction liquid L is applied reaches below the recording head 30, ink is ejected from the recording head 30 onto the transfer body 2 as shown in state ST2. An ink image IM is thus formed. At this time, the ejected ink mixes with the reaction liquid L on the transfer body 2, thereby promoting aggregation of the coloring material. The ejected ink is supplied to the recording head 30 from the reservoir TK of the supply unit 6 .

The ink image IM on the transfer body 2 moves as the transfer body 2 rotates. When the ink image IM reaches the absorbing unit 5B, the liquid component is absorbed from the ink image IM by the absorbing unit 5B as shown in state ST3. When the ink image IM reaches the heating unit 5C, the ink image IM is heated by the heating unit 5C as shown in state ST4, the resin in the ink image IM is melted, and the ink image IM is formed. In synchronism with the formation of the ink image IM, the recording medium P is transported by the transport device 1B.

As shown in state ST5, the ink image IM and the recording medium P reach the nip portion between the transfer body 2 and the impression cylinder 42, the ink image IM is transferred to the recording medium P, and the recorded matter P' is manufactured. . After passing through the nip portion, the image recorded on the recorded material P' is photographed by the inspection unit 9A, and the recorded image is inspected. The recorded matter P' is conveyed to the collecting unit 8d by the conveying device 1B.

The portion of the transfer member 2 on which the ink image IM was formed is cleaned by the cleaning unit 5D when it reaches the cleaning unit 5D as shown in state ST6. After the cleaning, the transfer body 2 rotates once, and the transfer of the ink image to the recording medium P is repeated in the same procedure. In the above description, for ease of understanding, one rotation of the transfer body 2 is used to transfer the ink image IM onto one recording medium P once. Transfer of the ink image IM onto a plurality of recording media P can be performed continuously.

Continuing such a recording operation requires maintenance of each recording head 30 .

FIG. 7 shows an operation example during maintenance of each recording head 30 . A state ST11 indicates a state in which the recording unit 3 is positioned at the ejection position POS1. State ST12 indicates a state in which the recording unit 3 is passing through the preliminary recovery position POS2, and the recovery unit 12 executes the process of recovering the ejection performance of each recording head 30 of the recording unit 3 during passage. Thereafter, as shown in state ST13, the recovery unit 12 performs a process of recovering the ejection performance of each print head 30 while the print unit 3 is positioned at the recovery position POS3.

<Structure of recording head>
FIG. 12 is a view showing the recording head 30 viewed from the ink ejection surface side.

As shown in FIG. 12, the recording head 30 is configured by connecting a plurality of head chips (head substrates) 10 each having a parallelogram shape in the Y direction. Each head chip has 24 nozzle rows, and the nozzles forming each nozzle row are arranged obliquely in the X direction at a pitch of 600 dpi. The nozzles in each nozzle row are arranged at a pitch of 600 dpi resolution, but the nozzles are shifted by 1/4 pitch in the nozzle arrangement direction between each row. Therefore, by using a combination of four consecutive nozzle rows, for example rows 0 to 3 and rows 4 to 7, it is possible to achieve printing with a resolution of 2400 dpi in the y direction.

Also, in FIG. 12, the number indicated by blk indicates the block number assigned to each nozzle. In this embodiment, the print resolution in the X direction on the print medium is set to 1200 dpi, nozzles assigned block numbers are selected in a time division manner, and the selected print elements (heaters) are driven to print an image. conduct. In this time-division drive, 16 nozzles (seg0 to seg15) consecutive in the y direction are grouped into one group, and the nozzles of each nozzle row are divided into a plurality of groups, and the nozzles of each group are sequentially driven. As a result, seg15 is driven at a timing delayed from seg0 by a distance corresponding to (15/16)×1200 dpi with respect to printing of the same one pixel in the X direction. Recording is similarly performed by time-division driving for each column adjacent in the X direction.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the nozzle arrangement, time-divisional driving, and how the droplets land.

Here, 16 continuous nozzles forming one group in time-division driving will be described. As shown in FIG. 13(a), the 16 nozzles are staggered in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 13B, the timing of the time-divisional driving is set so that the landing of the ink droplets is eliminated in the direction of the amount of deviation accompanying this deviation. By executing such time-division driving, the ink hits straight in the Y direction as shown in FIG. 13(c). Assuming that the number of nozzles in the group is X in this way, the nozzles are arranged so as to shift by 1/X as the driving order increases by one.

Note that FIG. 13 shows an example in which 16 nozzles are displaced by an amount corresponding to (1/16)×1200 dpi in the X direction with respect to the amount of landing displacement due to the time-division driving of the 16 nozzles. rice field. Here, if the number of nozzles in one group in time-division driving is generally X, it can be said that X nozzles are arranged with a shift of an amount corresponding to (1/X) pixels. However, some of the 16 nozzles may be shifted in the X direction.

<Method for correcting positional deviation of recording head>
Here, a method for detecting positional deviation of the recording head and a method for correcting it will be described.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the print medium, the print head, and the inspection unit, the print position of the test pattern, and the head position deviation correction. Here, an example of printing a test pattern 1002 for head misalignment correction using cut paper as the print medium P is shown. Note that although the test pattern fits on one sheet of cut paper used here, the test pattern may be printed twice depending on the size of the cut paper. An arrow 1003 indicates the nozzle array direction of the printhead 30 .

Each of the plurality of recording heads 30 described here has five colors of K (black), M (magenta), C (cyan), Y (yellow), and clear ink from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium P. Yes. However, the color order of the ink ejected by the print head may be different, and the number of print heads corresponding to other colors such as G (gray), LM (light magenta), and LC (light cyan) may increase or change. may

The inspection unit 9B is arranged downstream of the recording head 30 in the direction in which the recording medium P is conveyed. The inspection unit 9B reads the test pattern 1002 recorded on the recording medium P in order to detect the amount of positional deviation of the recording head 30 .

Each recording head 30 is composed of a plurality of head chips 10 as described above. Although each recording head 30 is composed of 36 head chips 10 here, the number of head chips may be changed. 24 nozzle rows 1005 are arranged in the head chip 10 . Note that the number of nozzle rows is not limited to this, and other numbers may be used. However, considering that the printing resolution of 2400 dpi is achieved with four nozzle rows as described above, it is preferable that the number of nozzle rows be an integral multiple of four.

Next, types of head misalignment will be described. All of these deviations are caused by manufacturing errors of the head chips and nozzles of the print head, head chip placement errors, and the like.

There are misalignment between nozzle rows 1005 in the head chip 10, misalignment between chips of the head chip 10, misalignment between colors of the plurality of print heads 30, and the like. If there is such a deviation, the landing position of the ink droplets deviates from the ideal position, degrading the quality of the recorded image. The head position deviation correction is a function of correcting the ink landing position by changing the ink ejection timing of the head chip 10 or the ejection nozzles.

Here, as for the deviation in the direction perpendicular to the arrow 1003 , the positional deviation of the dots formed by changing the ejection timing of each head chip 10 constituting the print head 30 is corrected. As for the deviation in the direction of the arrow 1003, the positional deviation is corrected by changing the print data. As for the inclination of the recording head 30, the positional deviation is corrected by rotating the recording head 30 by the actuator 33 as described above.

A test pattern 1002 is a test pattern for correcting head position deviation of the print head 30 . The test pattern 1002 also includes test patterns 1006 to 1010 corresponding to the five printheads 30, each of which is a test pattern for detecting the amount of positional deviation corresponding to each printhead 30. FIG. In other words, test patterns 1006 to 1010 are test patterns corresponding to K ink, C ink, M ink, Y ink, and clear ink, respectively. Using these test patterns, the head tilt amount of the corresponding print head 30, the inter-row deviation amount between the nozzle rows of each head chip, and the inter-chip deviation amount between the head chips are calculated.

Note that the test patterns forming the test pattern 1002 may be increased or decreased from five print heads, and the order of the test patterns may be changed. A test pattern 1011 is a test pattern for calculating the amount of misregistration between colors among a plurality of print heads. This point will be explained in detail later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 14 shows a pattern 1014 that is an enlarged part of the test pattern 1006 corresponding to the K ink. It has the same shape as the test pattern 1006 . Also shown is a pattern 1015 obtained by enlarging a portion of the test pattern 1010 corresponding to clear ink. Note that these patterns are examples, and the correspondence relationship between each test pattern and ink color may be changed depending on the type of print head.

Since the pattern 1015 uses larger patterns than the pattern 1014, even if the difference in luminance value between the base color of the printing medium P and the clear ink, which is the printing color, is small, the detection accuracy is high. can be raised. In pattern 1014, region 1016 is a pattern corresponding to one head chip that ejects K, C, M, and Y inks, respectively. It is a pattern corresponding to each piece.

In each of the patterns 1014 and 1015, areas expressed in black are areas printed with the corresponding print color. Also, the area expressed in white is the background color of the recording medium P, and is an area that is not recorded in the recording color.

As shown in FIG. 12, the print head 30 has a configuration in which a plurality of head chips 10 are arranged linearly. Record linearly parallel to

Here, the configuration of the patterns 1016 and 1019 corresponding to the head chip and the printing method will be described.

A pattern 1016 corresponding to the head chip is composed of a detection mark 1017 , an alignment mark 1018 and a pattern matching pattern 1022 . On the other hand, the pattern 1019 corresponding to the head chip is composed of a detection mark 1020, an alignment mark 1021, and a pattern matching pattern 1023. It is a pattern used for pattern detection, and is a pattern recorded in a rectangular area as shown. Since each head chip has a plurality of nozzle rows, the detection marks 1017 and 1020 are printed by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzle rows. By performing printing using a plurality of nozzle arrays, even if there is an ejection failure nozzle, ink is ejected from nozzles of other nozzle arrays, so defects in the detection pattern due to ejection failure nozzles are reduced. As a result, the detection mark can be stably detected in the image analysis process.

The alignment marks 1018 and 1021 are patterns for calculating the reference positions of the analysis regions of the pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023 in image analysis processing. Alignment marks 1018 and 1021 are patterns printed in rectangular areas as shown, and are printed by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzle rows for each of pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023 corresponding to the nozzle rows.

The pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023 are patterns for detecting head misalignment in image analysis processing. use properly.

Since a pattern formed with clear ink does not easily produce a signal difference between the base color of the recording medium P and the luminance value of the recording color, the enlarged pattern matching pattern 1023 is used to detect misregistration.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a detailed layout of pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023. As shown in FIG.

15, YP indicates the number of pixels in the vertical direction of the pattern matching pattern 1022, XP indicates the number of pixels in the horizontal direction, YPL indicates the number of pixels in the vertical direction of the pattern matching pattern 1023, and XPL indicates the number of pixels in the horizontal direction. number of pixels.

In this embodiment, YP is the direction orthogonal to the nozzle row direction 1003 and XP is the direction parallel to the nozzle row direction 1003, both of which are 82 pixels in units of 1200 dpi. YPL is the direction perpendicular to the nozzle row direction 1003, and XPL is the direction parallel to the nozzle row direction 1003. Both values are 210 pixels in units of 1200 dpi. It should be noted that other values may be used as these numbers of pixels.

16A and 16B are diagrams showing the correspondence between the patterns 1016 and 1019 corresponding to the head chips and the discharge nozzles.

A nozzle row 1005 of the head chip 10 is composed of a plurality of nozzles, and here, 24 nozzle rows are arranged in one head chip. A test pattern for one head chip is printed using nozzles within the range indicated by dashed lines 1207 to 1208 among the nozzles in each nozzle row of the head chip. Note that this range may vary depending on the configuration of the head chip.

The pattern matching pattern of the pattern 1016 for one head chip is a pattern corresponding to each numbered nozzle row in the test pattern 1201, and is printed using the corresponding numbered nozzle row. Based on the arrangement of the nozzles that print the test pattern 1201, the positional deviation is calculated from the relative positions of the remaining nozzles with the 0-row pattern as a reference. However, as an exception, a pattern matching pattern 1022 shown in an area 1202 is a pattern matching pattern printed by the 20 rows of nozzles of the adjacent head chip on the left. Therefore, since it is not a pattern printed by the head chip of the inspection object itself, it is not used in calculating the positional deviation of the nozzle row.

A pattern 1016 is printed for each head chip, and from one pattern matching pattern for one nozzle of each pattern 1016, the positional deviation of each chip due to a manufacturing error and the inclination of the head are calculated. The chip-to-chip deviation of each head chip and the tilt of the head are calculated using the head chip corresponding to the pattern 1016 one inside from the left or right end of the recording medium P as a reference chip. Also, the size of the recording medium P is variable. As a result, the pattern 1016 at the left end or the right end of the recording medium P may become a missing pattern. In the case of such a pattern, if a pattern longer than the area 1203 is recorded, the right end area 1204 and the left end area 1202 are selected as patterns for calculation.

Depending on the printhead, the test pattern for one head chip may not be the pattern 1016 but may be laid out as shown in an area 1023 . Each pattern matching pattern 1022 at this time corresponds to a nozzle that prints the area 1205 . P in the area 1205 means that the pattern matching pattern 1022 is printed with a plurality of nozzles, and this is used to calculate the inclination of the print head.

Each pattern matching pattern 1023 of the test pattern 1019 for one head chip corresponds to a nozzle that prints the area 1206 . P in the area 1206 means that the pattern matching pattern 1023 is printed with a plurality of nozzles, and this is used to calculate the inclination of the printing head.

Patterns 1016 and 1023 for one head chip are printed with the print timing on the print medium P shifted by an amount that takes into account the intersection of the manufacturing error of the nozzle and the manufacturing error of the head chip. Therefore, overlapping of test patterns due to this error is prevented.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the correspondence between a test pattern, a printhead, and a head chip for performing color misregistration correction calculation between printheads.

A positional error between the printheads 30 is calculated using the test pattern 1301 shown in FIG. For this calculation, the pattern 1302 is printed using a print head that ejects the corresponding ink color. One head chip 1303 to be used for pattern printing is selected from a plurality of head chips 10 in each print head. Here, a head chip 1303 is used to record a test pattern 1011 . Now, in the test pattern 1301, the portions represented in black are the portions of the pattern printed with the corresponding recording color, and the portions represented in white are the ground color portions of the recording medium P. FIG.

In FIG. 17, a pattern matching pattern 1022 is used for printing with each ink indicated by K, C, M, and Y, and a pattern matching pattern 1023 is used for printing with clear ink indicated by T. do. Here, a pattern 1302 is printed using a print head that ejects K ink as a reference head, and the positional deviation of each print head is calculated. As the pattern of the reference head, the same pattern as the pattern matching pattern of the recording color whose deviation is to be calculated is used. Note that the corresponding pattern matching pattern may be changed depending on the color.

Note that the test pattern 1301 for calculating the inter-color misregistration of the print head is printed by shifting the timing of printing onto the print medium P by exceeding the maximum misregistration amount of the inter-color misregistration of the print head. In this way, by shifting the print timing of each print head, overlapping of test patterns is prevented.

Calculation of Amount of Deviation Between Nozzle Rows FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the amount of deviation between nozzle rows.

In this embodiment, 24 nozzle rows are arranged in one head chip, counting from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium P, the first nozzle row is the 0th row, and the last nozzle row is the 23rd row. Each nozzle row is numbered as an index. These nozzle rows are hereinafter referred to as nozzle rows 0 to 23, respectively.

Here, a method of calculating the amount of displacement between nozzle rows using a scanned image obtained by reading a pattern printed according to the layout of the test pattern 1201 shown in FIG. 18 with a scanner will be described.

In the test pattern 1201, the numerical value shown in each rectangle indicates the number of the nozzle row used in printing the pattern for pattern matching, as described with reference to FIG. 16A. For example, pattern matching pattern 1405 indicates that printing is performed using nozzle row 0 .

Hereinafter, a pattern printed using nozzle row x will be referred to as row x pattern.

As shown in FIG. 18, the test pattern 1201 is divided into four regions consisting of regions 1401-1404. In area 1401, 0-row patterns 1405 and 1406 are used as references. Similarly, in regions 1402, 1403, and 1404, row 0 patterns 1407 and 1408, 1409 and 1410, and 1411 and 1412 are used as references, respectively. In each of the regions 1401 to 1404, the amount of deviation from patterns printed using other nozzle rows is calculated using the two row 0 patterns as a reference.

As an example, a method for calculating the amount of deviation between nozzle row 0 and nozzle row 9 will be described.

18, row 0 pattern 1414 is row 0 pattern 1405 of region 1401, row 0 pattern 1415 is row 0 pattern 1406 of region 1401, and are reference row 0 patterns. be. A row 9 pattern 1416 is the row 9 pattern recorded in the area 1401 .

When each pattern is printed by nozzle row 0 and nozzle row 9, patterns are arranged so that row 9 pattern is printed on a straight line connecting row 0 patterns 1414 and 1415 if there is no landing position deviation. If there is no such landing position deviation, the row 9 pattern 1418 is printed at the ideal position.

The amount of displacement between the printing position 1416 of the row 0 pattern 1416 and the row 9 pattern 1418 printed at the ideal position is the positional displacement amount of the nozzle row 9 with respect to the nozzle row 0 . The amount of deviation is represented by a horizontal component 1417 and a vertical component 1419 .

The vertical component 1419 of the displacement amount is the length of a perpendicular drawn from the column 9 pattern 1416 to the straight line connecting the column 0 patterns 1414 and 1415 . Therefore, the vertical component 1419 of the displacement amount can be calculated from the positions of the column 0 patterns 1414 and 1415 and the column 9 pattern 1416, and similarly the horizontal component 1417 of the displacement amount can also be obtained from these positions.

By applying the method described above, it is possible to calculate the displacement amounts of the row 1 to row 23 patterns with the row 0 pattern as a reference, and to obtain the positional displacement amounts of the nozzle rows 1 to 23 with respect to the nozzle row 0.

Calculation of Amount of Deviation Between Head Chips and Amount of Inclination of Print Head FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the amount of deviation between head chips in the X direction and the amount of inclination of the print head.

Here, 36 head chips are arranged in one recording head, and with respect to the depth direction of the recording apparatus (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1), the first head chip counted from the back is chip 0, and the last is chip 0. Each head chip is numbered as a chip 35 . In FIG. 19, the right side is the back side of the recording apparatus, and the left side is the front side of the recording apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 19, a method of calculating the amount of inclination of the print head and the amount of deviation between head chips using a scanned image obtained by reading a printed pattern with a scanner according to the layout of test pattern 1201 will be described. do.

FIG. 19 shows a pattern 1501 printed according to the layout of the test pattern 1201 using the chip 35. The pattern includes a tile pattern 1502 printed with the 0th nozzle row.

A slope 1511 obtained from a reference line 1510 for determining the slope of a line connecting the center of gravity of the pattern 1502 printed by the chip 35 and the pattern 1509 printed by the chip 0 indicates the slope of the inspection unit 9B with respect to the sensor. The amount of deviation in the X direction between chips is the distance of a perpendicular drawn from the center of gravity of the tile pattern printed by the 0-row nozzle row of each chip to the reference line 1510 .

For example, the distance 1504 of the vertical line drawn from the center of gravity of the tile pattern 1503 printed by the 0th nozzle row of the chip 34 to the reference line 1510 is the deviation amount of the chips 34 in the X direction. Similarly, the distance 1506 of the vertical line drawn from the center of gravity of the tile pattern 1505 printed by the 0th nozzle row of the chip 18 to the reference line 1510 is the deviation amount of the chips 18 in the X direction. Similarly, the distance 1508 of the vertical line drawn from the center of gravity of the tile pattern 1507 printed by the 0th nozzle row of the chip 1 to the reference line 1510 is the deviation amount of the chip 1 in the X direction. Other chips not shown are similarly calculated.

The tilt amount between the print heads is calculated from the tilt amount of the reference head and the tilt amount of each head.

Here, the reference head is assumed to be a print head that ejects K ink.

Let θ_K, θ_C, θ_M, θ_Y, and θ_T be the tilts of the inspection unit 9B with respect to the sensor obtained from the reference line of each recording head.
Inclination of the recording head for C ink with respect to the reference head K = θ_C - θ_K
Inclination of the recording head for M ink with respect to the reference head K = θ_M - θ_K
Inclination of the recording head for Y ink with respect to the reference head K = θ_Y - θ_K
Inclination of clear ink recording head with respect to reference head K = θ_T - θ_K
becomes. Then, the actuator 33 is operated to correct the tilt of each recording head according to the tilt amount of each recording head for C ink, M ink, Y ink, and clear ink obtained as described above. The correction of the deviation in the X direction between the head chips of each print head is performed by changing the ejection timing according to the obtained deviation amount between the chips.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the state after the inclination of the print head and the deviation in the X direction between the head chips have been corrected. Here, FIG. 20(a) shows the reference head K, and FIG. 20(b) shows the recording head before correction. The dotted line is the reference line 1510 shown in FIG. FIG. 20(c) shows the reference head K after correction of the deviation between head chips. Here, tilt correction is not performed for the reference head. FIG. 20(d) shows the printhead after correction of the tilt and the deviation in the X direction between the head chips.

Due to the problems described above, the inclination of each head chip is not corrected. In the X direction, the manufacturing tolerance of the head chips ensures that the print position deviation due to the tilt of each head chip is less than the length of one pixel (1 pixel=1200 dpi). In this manner, the quality of characters and ruled lines is improved while correcting the inclination of the recording head.

In the above description, an example is shown in which a plurality of print heads are provided and the inclination of each print head with respect to the reference head K, which is one of them, is corrected. However, for example, in a recording apparatus having one recording head, the tilt of the inspection unit 9B with respect to the sensor obtained from the reference line of one recording head may be corrected with respect to the scanner.

・Amount of misalignment between recording heads (misalignment between colors)
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the amount of deviation between print heads.

In the following description, the recording head that ejects the first K ink counted from the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium P is head K, and the recording heads that eject C ink, M ink, and Y ink are head C, respectively. They are called head M and head Y. Also, a print head that ejects clear ink is called a head T. As shown in FIG.

Here, a method of calculating the amount of misalignment between print heads (hereinafter referred to as inter-color misalignment) using a scanned image obtained by reading a pattern printed according to the layout of the test pattern 1302 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 21, a test pattern 1011 is printed by a head chip 1303 selected or designated from a plurality of head chips, and test patterns 1301 and 1302 are used to calculate the amount of misregistration between colors. Here, the chip 18 explained in FIG. 18 is selected. For the sake of explanation, a test pattern 1301 shows an outline of the pattern, and a test pattern 1302 shows what colors of ink (that is, which printheads) are used.

As shown in test pattern 1302, patterns 1601-10 are patterns printed with head K, which is the reference head. Patterns of other ink colors are colors for which misregistration between print heads is to be calculated. Here, the pattern is printed with C ink, M ink, Y ink, and T (clear ink), but the number of printing colors may be increased or decreased. In the test pattern 1302, an area is reserved for patterns by other printheads.

Here, the C head, M head, and Y head record the pattern matching pattern 1022 shown in FIG. Therefore, the pattern matching pattern 1022 is also recorded in the K patterns 1601 to 1606 of the reference patterns corresponding to these.

On the other hand, the pattern matching pattern 1023 shown in FIG. 15 is printed on the clear ink pattern 1617 . Therefore, the pattern matching pattern 1023 is also recorded in the K patterns 1607, 1608, 1609, and 1610 of the corresponding reference patterns.

Note that the reference head and the recording head for which the inter-color misregistration is to be calculated use the same type of pattern matching pattern.

In this embodiment, when calculating the deviation amount between the reference head and the other printheads, the same method is used for each printhead. Here, as an example, a method for calculating the amount of deviation between the heads K and T will be described with reference to the diagram shown on the lower side of FIG.

In the lower illustration of FIG. 21, pattern 1620 is pattern 1607 in the upper illustration of FIG. pattern. A pattern 1622 is the pattern 1617, which is the pattern of the chip 18 of the head T, and is the pattern of the print head for which the deviation amount is to be calculated.

The patterns are arranged so that the pattern by the head T is recorded on a straight line connecting the patterns 1620 and 1621 when the patterns are recorded by the heads K and T when there is no landing position deviation. Accordingly, a pattern 1624 is recorded by the head T at an ideal position where there is no landing position deviation.

Here, it is assumed that the displacement between the pattern 1622 printed on the scanned image and the pattern 1624 printed at the ideal position is relative positional displacement of the head T with respect to the head K, and the displacement amount 1625 is shown in FIG. A deviation amount 1625 is the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the pattern 1622 with respect to a straight line connecting the patterns 1620 and 1621 . Therefore, the displacement amount 1625 can be obtained from the positions of the patterns 1620 , 1621 and 1622 . Further, when a straight line is drawn from the pattern 1624 in a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the patterns 1620 and 1621, a shift amount 1626 between the patterns 1624 and 1622 can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the calculation of print head position deviation correction is also performed in the direction orthogonal to the head position deviation amount 1625 . Therefore, the amount of head misalignment is calculated for both directions for the amount of misalignment 1625 and 1626 .

By applying the method described above, it is possible to obtain the amount of misregistration between colors of each recording head other than the head K with respect to the reference head (head K).

Mark Detection FIG. 22 is a diagram showing mark detection processing corresponding to the head chip.

Here, processing for detecting a detection mark of a pattern corresponding to a head chip from a read image of a test pattern for calculating a deviation amount will be described.

FIG. 22 shows patterns corresponding to each head chip, such as the pattern 1016 shown in FIG. In this embodiment, there are three types of test patterns corresponding to the head chips, patterns 1016, 1019 and 1023 shown in FIG. 16, but detection processing is the same. The detection process is the same for the test pattern 1301 shown in FIG. 17 for calculating the positional error between the printheads 30 . Here, as an example, the pattern 1016 shown in FIG. 16 is used for description.

The mark detection process is roughly divided into three steps.

In the first step, detection mark 1017 is detected. Based on the detected position of the detection mark 1017, the position of the test pattern for one head chip is estimated.

In a second step, alignment marks 1703 are detected based on the estimated positions of the test pattern. Since the alignment mark 1703 is recorded near each pattern matching pattern, the position of the corresponding pattern matching pattern is estimated from the detected position of the alignment mark 1703 .

In the third step, pattern position detection using pattern matching is performed based on the estimated pattern position for pattern matching.

The process of detecting the detection mark 1017 in the first step will be described.

This processing uses the luminance value of the color component having the highest density in the recording color of the recording head of the pattern to be detected from the data of the three components of each of RGB colors forming the read image. For example, the R component is used for C (cyan), the G component is used for M (magenta), and the B component is used for Y (yellow). In the case of a recording color such as K (black) in which all color components have high densities, one of the color components is specified and used.

In FIG. 22, area 1705 represents an enlarged portion of part of detection mark 1017 . A detection mark 1017 is detected based on the average density of a predetermined area of the read image. A detection mark detection area 1706 is an area for obtaining an average density. If the average density is equal to or higher than the predetermined density, the area 1706 is determined as the detection mark area, and the center position of the detection mark detection area 1706 is set as the detection mark detection position 1707 . The setting of the area and the predetermined density may be changed.

Subsequently, the upper left end position and the upper right end position of the detection mark 1017 are detected. A region 1708 and a region 1710 respectively show enlarged portions of the upper left end and the upper right end of the detection mark 1017, respectively. An area having a predetermined density or more is scanned from the detection mark detection position 1707, and the upper left end portion 1709 of the area having a predetermined density or more is set as the upper left end position of the detection mark. Similarly, the upper right end portion 1711 of the region with the predetermined density or more is set as the upper right end position of the detection mark. The alignment mark detection range is estimated by calculating the center of gravity of the predetermined area starting from the position determined based on the upper left end position 1709 of the detection mark.

By detecting the detection mark 1017 of the pattern 1016 shown in FIG. 14 in this way, the detection range of the alignment mark 1703 and the like can be estimated.

The detection processing of the alignment mark 1703 is similar to the detection processing of the detection mark 1017. An area having a predetermined density or more is scanned, and the alignment mark position is detected by calculating the center of gravity of the density area.

Next, the position of the pattern matching pattern is estimated. A region 1704 is a region indicating the upper left end position of the pattern for pattern matching. Also, the detection result of the detection mark is used to determine which chip of which recording head this pattern corresponds to. After determining the rough position of the pattern matching pattern by the above process, the final position on the image is detected by performing the position detection process including the pattern matching process.

The position of this pattern matching pattern on the image is used for calculating various amounts of deviation (manufacturing error between nozzle arrays, manufacturing error between chips, inclination of printhead, positional deviation between printheads) in head position deviation correction. This is the position for which the distance is calculated.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart showing a procedure for reading and analyzing head position deviation, that is, a flow chart of head position deviation correction processing performed using a test pattern for correcting head position deviation recorded on a recording medium.

First, in step S101, the inspection unit 9B reads the test pattern 1002 recorded on the recording medium P for head position deviation correction calculation. At this time, the inspection unit 9B reads the test pattern 1002 by performing shading correction using shading data generated by reading the white reference plate.

Here, the timing to start reading the test pattern 1002 by the inspection unit 9B may be the time after waiting for a predetermined amount of time from the start of recording the test pattern, or the recording medium P may be conveyed by a predetermined amount from the end of recording the test pattern. It may be a later time. On the other hand, the reading end timing is after the reading of a predetermined number of sub-scanning lines from the start of reading.

At step S102, the inspection control unit 15E detects a pattern corresponding to each head chip 10 from the read image of the test pattern 1002 read at step S101. The process of detecting patterns corresponding to each head chip 10 is as described in detail with reference to FIG.

Further, detection marks corresponding to each head chip 10 of each recording head 30 are detected by the signal values of RGB color component data expressing the read image, and pattern matching patterns 1022 and 1023 are finally detected. Further, the pattern corresponding to each head chip 10 is divided into one of patterns 1016, 1019, and 1023 corresponding to each head chip 10 of each printhead 30, or a pattern 1301 for positional deviation of the printhead.

In step S103, the inspection control unit 15E uses the pattern corresponding to each head chip 10 of each recording head 30 detected in step S102 to calculate the inter-nozzle array deviation correction of each head chip 10 of each recording head 30. conduct. Furthermore, the calculation of inter-chip deviation correction of each head chip 10 of each recording head 30 and the calculation of inclination correction of each recording head 30 are executed.

In step S104, the inspection control unit 15E uses the pattern 1301 for the positional deviation of the printheads 30 detected in step S102 to calculate the positional deviation correction of each printhead 30. FIG.

Therefore, according to the embodiment described above, high-quality printing can be achieved by appropriately correcting the inclination of each print head and the printing shift caused by the time-division driving of the heaters of each head chip.

<Other embodiments>
Although the recording unit 3 has a plurality of recording heads 30 in the above embodiment, it may have a single recording head 30 . The recording head 30 may not be a full-line head, and may be of a serial type that forms an ink image while scanning the recording head 30 in the Y direction.

The transport mechanism for the recording medium P may be another system such as a system in which the recording medium P is nipped and transported by a pair of rollers. In a method in which the recording medium P is conveyed by a pair of rollers, a roll sheet may be used as the recording medium P, and the roll sheet may be cut after the transfer to produce the recorded matter P'.

In the above-described embodiment, the transfer body 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41, but other systems such as a system in which the transfer body 2 is formed in an endless strip and run cyclically may be used.

Furthermore, although the recording system of the above embodiment employs a method of forming an image on a transfer body and transferring the image to a recording medium, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a recording apparatus that employs a method of forming an image by ejecting ink directly from a recording head onto a recording medium. In this case, the print head used may be a full line head or a reciprocating serial type print head.

2 transfer member, 3 recording unit, 4 transfer unit, 5A application unit,
5B absorption unit, 5C heating unit, 5D cleaning unit,
10 head substrate (head chip), 15E inspection control section, 30 recording head,
114 nozzle row, P recording medium

Claims (19)

A plurality of nozzle rows, each consisting of a plurality of nozzles, arranged in a predetermined nozzle array direction, and energy generation that generates energy used for ejecting ink provided to correspond to each nozzle of each nozzle row and at least one print head having a plurality of chips having elements, wherein a plurality of nozzles of each nozzle array included in the print head are grouped by nozzles that are continuous in the nozzle array direction. A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by dividing a row of nozzles into a plurality of groups and driving energy generating elements corresponding to the nozzles of each group,
reading means for reading a predetermined test pattern recorded on a recording medium by the recording head;
analysis means for analyzing the test pattern read by the reading means;
calculating means for calculating a tilt of the recording head with respect to a reference based on the result of analysis by the analyzing means;
The calculation means further calculates a recording deviation between the plurality of chips based on the analysis result by the analysis means,
The deviation in printing between the plurality of chips is corrected with respect to the reference line of the inclination of the printing head calculated by the calculating means, and this correction changes the driving timing of the nozzles included in each chip. A recording apparatus characterized in that the recording is performed by 2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising moving means for moving said recording head in a direction crossing said nozzle arrangement direction based on said test pattern . The recording head is rotatable about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle arrangement direction and a crossing direction that intersects the nozzle arrangement direction,
the moving means includes an actuator that rotates the recording head around the rotation axis;
3. A recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said moving means corrects inclination of said recording head by driving said actuator to rotate said recording head. The calculating means may further calculate, based on the result of the analysis by the analyzing means, a printing positional deviation in a cross direction crossing the nozzle array direction between the plurality of nozzle arrays arranged on the plurality of the chips. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized by: 5. A printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein printing deviations among said plurality of nozzle arrays are corrected by changing the driving timing of nozzles included in each chip. In a direction intersecting with the nozzle array direction, printing deviation due to inclination of each of the plurality of chips when the printing head is used as a reference, and inclination of each of the plurality of nozzle rows due to nozzle row deviation 6. A recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the recording position deviation is less than one pixel length. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination relative to the reference is an inclination relative to the reading means or the reference head, and the reference line is set with respect to the inclination relative to the reference. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a position of at least one of the plurality of nozzles in the intersecting direction is displaced in a direction of canceling landing on a recording position caused by the driving. recording device. When the number of nozzles in each of the plurality of groups is X, the nozzles forming the nozzle row in the recording head are arranged so as to be sequentially shifted by (1/X) pixels in the intersecting direction. 9. A recording apparatus according to claim 8 , characterized by: 10. A printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the time-division pattern for driving the nozzle rows in the printhead is a pattern for driving adjacent nozzles in order. 11. A recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said recording head is a full-line recording head having a recording width corresponding to the width of a recording medium. A plurality of the full line recording heads are provided,
12. A recording apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein inks of different colors are ejected from each of said plurality of full-line recording heads. 13. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording medium is an ink image forming area and a transfer body for transferring the ink image to a sheet. The test pattern has at least three tile patterns, the coordinates of three points are obtained from the tile patterns based on the result of analysis by the analysis means, and the calculation means calculates the recording head and the recording head from the coordinate information. 8. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the relative tilt of the medium is calculated. 15. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein correction for inclination of each of said plurality of chips is not performed. A plurality of nozzle rows, each consisting of a plurality of nozzles, arranged in a predetermined nozzle array direction, and energy generation that generates energy used for ejecting ink provided to correspond to each nozzle of each nozzle row and at least one print head having a plurality of chips having elements, wherein a plurality of nozzles of each nozzle array included in the print head are grouped by nozzles that are continuous in the nozzle array direction. A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by dividing a row of nozzles into a plurality of groups and driving energy generating elements corresponding to the nozzles of each group,
moving means for moving the recording head in a cross direction crossing the nozzle arrangement direction based on a predetermined test pattern recorded on a recording medium by the recording head ;
A printing apparatus , wherein a position of at least one nozzle among the plurality of groups in an intersecting direction is shifted in a direction of canceling a landing at a printing position caused by the driving . A plurality of nozzle rows, each consisting of a plurality of nozzles, arranged in a predetermined nozzle array direction, and energy generation that generates energy used for ejecting ink provided to correspond to each nozzle of each nozzle row and at least one print head having a plurality of chips having elements, wherein a plurality of nozzles of each nozzle array included in the print head are grouped by nozzles that are continuous in the nozzle array direction. A method of correcting a recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by dividing a row of nozzles into a plurality of groups and driving energy generating elements corresponding to the nozzles of each group, comprising:
a reading step of reading a predetermined test pattern recorded on a recording medium by the recording head;
an analysis step of analyzing the test pattern read by the reading step;
a calculation step of calculating a tilt of the recording head with respect to a reference based on the analysis result of the analysis step;
the calculating step further calculates a recording deviation between the plurality of chips based on the analysis result of the analyzing step;
The deviation of printing among the plurality of chips is corrected with respect to the reference line of the inclination of the printing head calculated by the calculating step, and this correction changes the driving timing of the nozzles included in each chip. A correction method characterized by performing by a moving step of moving the recording head in a cross direction crossing the nozzle array direction based on the test pattern;
The recording head is rotatable about a rotation axis in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle array direction and a direction intersecting the nozzle array direction, and the recording device rotates the recording head around the rotation axis. further comprising an actuator that causes
18. The correction method according to claim 17, wherein in said moving step, the inclination of said recording head is corrected by driving said actuator to rotate said recording head. 19. The correction method according to claim 17 , wherein the tilt of each of said plurality of chips is not corrected.

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