JPH11192772A - Recorder and method for recording test pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recorder for recording a test pattern for facilitating a regulating operation, and a method for recording the test pattern. SOLUTION: An operator records previously registered test patterns 401, 402 by different recording heads in the case of judging a registration of a printer. As a result, when the patterns 401 and 402 are aligned on one straight line at a position of a reference line 403, a regulation is unnecessary. When the patterns 401, 402 are aligned on the straight line at different positions from the position of the line 403, the head which outputs a first recording colorant and the head which outputs a second recording colorant are not set to predetermined positions to display a necessity of the regulation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a recording method for recording characters and images on a recording medium such as paper, and more particularly to a recording apparatus and a test pattern recording method capable of recording a test pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a recording apparatus for recording characters and images, a pre-registered test pattern is used as a means for adjusting the expression (registration) of characters and images recorded by the recording apparatus. Some have the function of recording on a recording medium such as The test patterns to be used include, for example, various duty block patterns and character patterns.

[0003]

However, in a recording apparatus having a plurality of recording heads prepared for different recording colorants, an image recorded for each recording head is printed on a recording medium such as paper by dots. The unit may shift. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the deviation of the image for each recording color material so that the registrations of all the recording heads coincide.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus for recording a test pattern and a test pattern recording method capable of easily performing an adjustment operation.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a recording apparatus comprising a plurality of recording means and a control means for recording a predetermined pattern for each of the recording means, wherein the control means sets a reference recording position among the plurality of recording means. A first recording means for recording a plurality of straight lines on a recording medium in parallel as a first predetermined pattern at predetermined intervals on a recording medium, and displacing the first recording means with respect to the reference recording position; Is characterized in that a plurality of straight lines centering on the reference line are recorded on the recording medium in parallel at a predetermined interval different from the predetermined interval as a second predetermined pattern by different recording means.

Further, for example, the control means is further characterized in that the control means further records a value relating to a position of the straight line from the reference line in correspondence with a plurality of straight lines constituting the first predetermined pattern.

[0008] For example, the control means may set the value of the straight line at the position of the reference line among the plurality of straight lines constituting the first predetermined pattern in the recording apparatus as a value related to the position from the reference line. The recorded value may be recorded, and using that value as a reference value, a value relating to a position from the reference line with respect to a straight line other than the straight line at the position of the reference line may be recorded.

Alternatively, in order to achieve the above object, a test pattern recording method according to the present invention has the following configuration.

That is, a recording method for recording a predetermined test pattern different for each of the recording means by a plurality of recording means provided in the recording apparatus, wherein a reference recording position is determined among the plurality of recording means. The first recording unit records a plurality of straight lines on a recording medium in parallel as a first predetermined pattern at a predetermined interval around a reference line, and the first recording unit displaced with respect to the reference recording position. A plurality of straight lines centered on the reference line are recorded on the recording medium in parallel at a predetermined interval different from the predetermined interval as a second predetermined pattern by different recording means.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a test pattern according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a color printer system used as a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the internal configuration of the color label printer used as the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a color label printer 200 includes an external device 102 such as a host computer.
And a cable 101. CPU25
The control unit 250 provided with the memory card 2
10 and the recording data stored in the cable 101.
It is possible to record an image on the roll paper 105 as a recording medium set in the roll paper folder 213 based on data such as image information received via the.

As shown in FIG. 2, the color label printer 200 includes a plurality of ink jet type recording heads as recording means. However, the present invention is not limited to this type. Needless to say, it is applicable. Needless to say, the recording medium is not limited to roll paper.

The color label printer 200 includes a recording head 201 for yellow ink and a recording head 20 for cyan as ink jet recording heads as recording means.
2, four recording heads, a magenta recording head 203 and a black recording head 204. The cartridges 205, 206, 207, and 208 store ink as recording colorants used by four recording heads for image recording, respectively. Control unit 250
Prints an image on roll paper by appropriately using four print heads based on print data stored in the memory card 210 in advance and / or an image received from an external device.

The image recording processing by the control unit 250 and the roll paper transport processing performed in accordance with the image recording processing adopt a general method.
Detailed description of the present embodiment will be omitted.

Next, a test pattern according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a test pattern recorded by the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This test pattern is stored in the RAM 2 in the control unit 250.
52, etc., and the instruction operation from the external device 102 by the operator or the color card printer 2
It is output in response to an operation from the operation unit 00.

In the figure, a plurality of lines on the right side indicate a recording head 201 for yellow ink and a recording head 20 for cyan.
2. A test in which one of the yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks was used as the first recording colorant by using any of the magenta recording head 203 and the black recording head 204 This is a pattern 401. A plurality of lines on the left side indicate test patterns 40 recorded by a recording head different from the recording head used for recording the test pattern 401, using the ink used by the recording head as the second recording colorant.
2.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the test patterns 401 of the first recording colorant are recorded at regular intervals of X, and the test pattern of the second recording colorant is used. In the pattern 402, the line intervals are recorded at equal intervals of (X + 1). Here, one unit of the line interval may be one dot, and X may be, for example, a plurality of predetermined dots in the image forming process of the control unit 250. The registration may be determined based on whether or not the test pattern 401 and the test pattern 402 are aligned at the position of the reference line 403. At this time, if the test pattern 401 and the test pattern 402 are aligned in a straight line at a position different from the position of the reference line 403, the recording head that outputs the first recording color material and the second recording color material This indicates that the output recording head is not set at a predetermined position and that adjustment is required.

Similarly, the recording head 20 for yellow ink
1, two of the four print heads, that is, a cyan print head 202, a magenta print head 203, and a black print head 204, may be selected to print a test pattern similar to that shown in FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the line interval of the test pattern 401 and the line interval of the test pattern 402 are recorded at intervals different by one pixel. By observing these test patterns, the operator can easily recognize the registration state of the recording head used for recording the patterns in units of one dot,
Adjustment work can be easily performed.

<Modification of the First Embodiment>
In the embodiment of the present invention, the line spacing between the left and right test patterns is set to be different from each other by one pixel, thereby enabling adjustment on a pixel-by-pixel basis. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the line interval is X and (X + n) and the difference between them is n dots, the registration adjustment can be performed in units of n dots as shown in FIG. Needless to say.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Since the present embodiment is based on the first embodiment described above, the description of the same configuration will be omitted, and the characteristic portions will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a test pattern recorded by the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, in addition to the test patterns 401 and 402 similar to those in the first embodiment, the data is further stored in the RAM 252 or the like in advance corresponding to each line of the test pattern 401 on the left side. The fixed reference value 404 is recorded. The fixed reference value 404 is a fixed reference value that is always expressed by the same numerical value regardless of the current registration adjustment value and the like. , Reference line 40
Numerical values with signs “+” and “−” corresponding to the positions from 3 are displayed.

In this embodiment, when the registration adjustment value currently set in the color card printer 200 is an appropriate value, the test patterns 401 and 402 are recorded in a straight line at the position of the reference line 403. Further, for example, it is assumed that the test patterns 401 and 402 are recorded in a straight line at a portion where the fixed reference value 404 is “+3”. At this time, the color card printer 20
The registration adjustment value set to 0 indicates that adjustment is required for three dots. In this case,
The operator may adjust the adjustment value by +3 dots in accordance with the display of the fixed reference value 404. In other words, the fixed reference value 404 indicating the position where the registration between the print head that outputs the first recording color material and the print head that outputs the second recording color material coincides with the current color card printer 200. Indicates the value that needs to be adjusted for the set value.

Similarly, in this embodiment, two recording heads are selected from four recording heads: a recording head 201 for yellow ink, a recording head 202 for cyan, a recording head 203 for magenta, and a recording head 204 for black. FIG.
The same test pattern and the fixed reference value 404 may be recorded.

As described above, in this embodiment, the fixed reference value 404 is recorded in addition to the test patterns 401 and 402. The operator can easily perform the adjustment operation according to the fixed reference value 404.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the above-described second embodiment, even if the registration is satisfactorily adjusted by, for example, adjusting by +3 dots in the first adjustment, the test pattern is renewed by repeating use of the color card printer 200, for example. When you record
At the position "6", there is a possibility that the left and right test patterns are recorded in a straight line. In this case, the worker needs to readjust the result of the test pattern recorded this time and the registration adjustment value currently set in the color card printer 200. Therefore, in the present embodiment, such an inconvenience is eliminated and an easier adjustment operation is realized.

Since the present embodiment is based on the first embodiment described above, the description of the same components will be omitted, and the characteristic portions will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a test pattern recorded by the recording apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, in addition to the test patterns 401 and 402 similar to the first embodiment, a fluctuation guide value 405 is recorded. The recording position of the fluctuation reference value 405 is stored in the RAM 252 or the like in advance corresponding to each line of the test pattern 401 on the left side.
As the respective values, the registration adjustment value (+2 in the example of FIG. 5) currently set in the color label printer 200 is recorded at the position of the reference line 403, and above and below the variation adjustment at the position of the reference line 403. “+” Based on the low price 405 and according to the position from the reference line 403,
It is displayed with a numerical value with a “-” sign. That is, by setting the fluctuation reference value 405 as a variable that fluctuates according to the registration adjustment value currently set in the color label printer 200, the registration of the two recording heads used for recording the test pattern is actually performed. The value indicated by the coincident part indicates the registration adjustment value to be currently set. For example, in FIG. 5, the left and right test patterns are actually fluctuation reference values 405.
Is recorded in a straight line at the portion of "+5", it indicates that the registration adjustment value needs to be adjusted by +5 dots.

The recording of the fluctuation reference value 405 is performed in advance by the RO
It goes without saying that the control unit 250 controls according to the program stored in M253 or the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the fluctuation reference value 405 is recorded in addition to the test patterns 401 and 402. The operator can more easily perform the adjustment operation according to the fluctuation reference value 405 of the portion where the left and right test patterns are recorded in a straight line.

<Modification of Third Embodiment> Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, if the orientation of the pattern of FIG. 5 described above is rotated by 90 degrees and recorded, the registration adjustment by the pattern of FIG. The registration adjustment can be performed in a direction 90 degrees different from the direction in which registration is possible. This change in orientation may be performed in response to an instruction operation from the external device 102 by an operator or an operation from the operation unit of the color card printer 200.

The present invention can be applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.) as in the above-described embodiment. (For example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, etc.).

An object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
And MPU) read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instructions of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A recording apparatus and a test pattern recording method for recording a test pattern that can easily perform an adjustment operation are provided.

[0043]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a color printer system used as a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an internal configuration of a color label printer used as the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a test pattern recorded by the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a test pattern recorded by a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a test pattern recorded by a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a test pattern recorded by a recording apparatus as a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a test pattern recorded by a recording apparatus as a modification of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101: Printer connection cable, 102: Host computer, 105: Roll paper, 200: Color label printer, 201: Printhead (yellow), 202: Printhead (magenta), 203: Printhead (cyan), 204: Printhead (Black), 205: ink cartridge (yellow), 206: ink cartridge (magenta), 207: ink cartridge (cyan), 208: ink cartridge (black), 210: memory card, 213: roll paper holder, 250: control Unit, 251: CPU, 252: RAM, 253: ROM,

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A recording apparatus comprising: a plurality of recording units; and a control unit that records a predetermined pattern for each of the recording units, wherein the control unit sets a reference recording position among the plurality of recording units. A first recording means for recording a plurality of straight lines on a recording medium in parallel as a first predetermined pattern at predetermined intervals on a recording medium, and displacing the first recording means with respect to the reference recording position; A recording device for recording a plurality of straight lines on the recording medium in parallel as a second predetermined pattern at a predetermined interval different from the predetermined interval on the recording medium by different recording means. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further records a value related to a position of the straight line from the reference line, in correspondence with the plurality of straight lines constituting the first predetermined pattern. 2. The recording device according to 1. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the value relating to the position from the reference line indicates a degree of adjustment required for the recording apparatus. 4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of straight lines constituting the first predetermined pattern, a straight line at the position of the reference line is set in the recording apparatus as a value related to a position from the reference line. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recording device records the value of the reference line, and records a value related to a position from the reference line with respect to a straight line other than the straight line of the position of the reference line using the value as a reference value. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined pattern and the second predetermined pattern have different colors of a recording colorant. 6. A recording method for recording a predetermined test pattern different for each recording means by a plurality of recording means provided in a recording apparatus, wherein a reference recording position is determined among the plurality of recording means. First
A plurality of straight lines centered on a reference line at a predetermined interval as a first predetermined pattern in a recording medium, and recording different from the first recording means displaced with respect to the reference recording position. A test pattern recording method, wherein a plurality of straight lines centered on the reference line are recorded on the recording medium as a second predetermined pattern at a predetermined interval different from the predetermined interval. 7. The test pattern according to claim 6, wherein a value relating to a position of the straight line from the reference line is further recorded in correspondence with a plurality of straight lines constituting the first predetermined pattern. Recording method. 8. The test pattern recording method according to claim 7, wherein the value relating to the position from the reference line represents a degree of adjustment required for the recording apparatus. 9. A value that is currently set in the recording device as a value related to a position from the reference line in a straight line at a position of the reference line among a plurality of straight lines forming the first predetermined pattern is recorded. The test pattern recording method according to claim 7, further comprising, using the value as a reference value, recording a value relating to a position from the reference line with respect to a straight line other than the straight line at the position of the reference line.