WO2021009834A1

WO2021009834A1 - Sublimation printer and printing control method

Info

Publication number: WO2021009834A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/027888
Authority: WO
Inventors: 沖中　潮広
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2019-07-16
Filing date: 2019-07-16
Publication date: 2021-01-21

Abstract

A sublimation printer 100 specifies a target region that is one or both of a high density region Rg1 and an edge part Rg3 in an image. A protective material 6op in a non-transfer state includes a first protective material for covering the target region in the image and a second protective material for covering, in the image, a region that is different from the target region. An energy setting unit 33 sets application energy to be applied to each of the first protective material and the second protective material such that the level of glossiness of the first protective material in a transfer state becomes higher than the level of glossiness of the second protective material in the transfer state. The application energy is thermal energy to be applied by a thermal head 3 to the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state in a printing process.

Description

Sublimation printer and print control method

The present invention relates to a sublimation printer that performs processing related to glossiness and a print control method.

In a sublimation printer, the thermal head heats the ink sheet to perform printing processing to print an image on paper. In the following, yellow, magenta and cyan are also referred to as "Y", "M" and "C", respectively. Y, M, and C inks (dye) are applied to the ink sheet.

In the following, the image of the Y component is also referred to as a "Y image". Further, in the following, the image of the M component is also referred to as an “M image”. Further, in the following, the image of the C component is also referred to as a “C image”. Further, in the following, the area for printing an image in the paper is also referred to as a “printing area”.

Specifically, the sublimation printer transfers the Y image, the M image, and the C image to the printing area of the paper in the order of the Y image, the M image, and the C image. As a result, a color image is printed in the printing area of the paper.

Further, in the sublimation printer, after the image (color image) is printed on the printing area of the paper, the overcoat layer is transferred to the printing area. As a result, the light resistance of the image, the fingerprint resistance of the image, and the like are improved.

The overcoat layer is a material that protects the image formed on the printing surface (printing area) of the paper. The overcoat layer is a material for improving the smoothness of the surface of the paper. Further, since the overcoat layer is formed on the surface side of the printed matter, the surface of the printed matter has gloss.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for transferring an overcoat layer (film-like sheet) (hereinafter, also referred to as "related configuration A"). In the related configuration A, the applied energy of the overcoat layer is controlled according to an arbitrary pattern so that the surface of the printed matter does not have gloss, and the overcoat layer is transferred. Specifically, the unevenness pattern data for transferring the overcoat layer is generated by the calculation. The applied energy of the overcoat layer is controlled based on the unevenness pattern data, and the unevenness pattern is formed on the entire surface of the printing area of the paper.

International Publication No. 97/39898

The protective material as the overcoat layer has glossy properties. The gloss property is a property that the glossiness of the protective material changes according to a change in the thermal energy applied to the protective material. The high density region, edge portion, etc. in the image are formed on the paper by applying high thermal energy to the ink material (dye). Therefore, irregularities and the like are likely to be formed in the high density region, the edge portion, and the like of the image transferred to the paper.

Therefore, when the protective material to which the same thermal energy is applied to the entire protective material covers the transferred image, it may appear that the glossiness of the high-concentration region, the edge portion, etc. is reduced. Therefore, it is desirable that the thermal energy for covering the region is set according to the characteristics of the region of the image.

Therefore, for each region of the image, it is required to set the thermal energy to be applied to the protective material for covering the region. The related configuration A cannot meet this requirement.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a sublimation printer capable of setting a thermal energy to be applied to a protective material for covering the region of an image for each region of the image. Etc. are intended to be provided.

In order to achieve the above object, in the sublimation printer according to one aspect of the present invention, the thermal head heats an ink sheet provided with an ink material for expressing an image and a protective material, and the ink material. Then, a printing process is performed to transfer the protective material to paper. In the printing process, after the ink material is transferred to the paper, the protective material is transferred to the paper so that the protective material covers the ink material expressing the image, and the protective material is transferred to the paper. In the state of, there are a transfer state in which the protective material is transferred to the paper by the printing process and a non-transfer state in which the protective material is provided on the ink sheet, and the protection The material has a gloss property, which is in response to a change in thermal energy applied to the non-transfer state protective material in order to transfer the non-transfer state protective material to the paper. It is a characteristic that the glossiness of the protective material in the transferred state changes, and the sublimation printer identifies a target region which is one or both of a high density region and an edge portion in the image, and the high density region. Is a region of the image represented by a density equal to or higher than a set threshold value of a reference density, the edge portion is a region showing an edge shown in the image, and the sublimation printer has heat. The thermal head is provided with an energy setting unit for setting applied energy, which is the thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state by the thermal head in the printing process. The protective material includes a first protective material for covering the target region of the image and a second protective material for covering a region of the image different from the target region, and the first protective material in the transferred state. The energy setting unit is to apply to each of the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the protective material is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. Set the applied energy.

According to the present invention, the sublimation printer identifies a target region in an image, which is one or both of a high density region and an edge portion. The non-transferred protective material includes a first protective material for covering the target region of the image and a second protective material for covering a region of the image different from the target region. Since the energy setting unit applies to each of the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. Set the applied energy of. The applied energy is the thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state by the thermal head in the printing process.

Thereby, for each region of the image, the thermal energy to be applied to the protective material for covering the region can be set.

The purpose, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the main hardware of the sublimation type printer which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which mainly shows the structure for performing a printing process among the sublimation type printer which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of an ink sheet. It is a figure which shows the structure of a paper. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the operation of the sublimation type printer in the print control process which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the correction part which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of an image. It is a graph which shows the characteristic curve which shows the relationship between applied energy and glossiness. It is a flowchart of print control processing which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a graph which shows the characteristic curve which shows the relationship between applied energy and glossiness. It is a figure which shows an example of an image. It is a graph which shows the characteristic curve which shows the relationship between applied energy and glossiness. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the operation of the sublimation type printer which concerns on modification 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the characteristic functional structure of a sublimation type printer. It is a hardware block diagram of a sublimation type printer.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings below, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of the components with the same reference numerals are the same. Therefore, detailed description of a part of each component having the same reference numeral may be omitted.

<Embodiment 1>
(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of main hardware of the sublimation printer 100 according to the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 does not show components (for example, power supplies) that are not related to the first embodiment. Further, FIG. 1 also shows a PC (Personal Computer) 200 which is not included in the sublimation printer 100 for the sake of explanation. The sublimation printer 100 performs a printing process P for printing an image on paper, although details will be described later.

The PC 200 is, for example, a host PC. The PC 200 is a device that controls the sublimation printer 100. The PC 200 is operated by the user. When the user performs a printing operation on the PC 200, the PC 200 transmits the printing instruction and the image data D1 to the sublimation printer 100.

The printing execution operation is an operation for causing the sublimation printer 100 to execute the printing processing P. Further, the printing instruction is an instruction for causing the sublimation printer 100 to execute the printing process P. The image data D1 is image data for printing on paper. That is, the image data D1 is data for printing. The image indicated by the image data D1 is composed of a Y image, an M image, and a C image.

In the following, the image for printing on paper is also referred to as "target image". That is, the image data D1 indicates a target image. The target image is composed of k pixels arranged in a matrix. "K" is an integer of 2 or more. The k pixels form a matrix of m rows and n columns. Each of m and n is an integer of 2 or more. That is, the target image has m rows and n lines (columns).

"N" is the number of pixels arranged in the horizontal (horizontal) direction of the target image. “M” is the number of pixels arranged in the vertical (vertical) direction of the target image. “K” is a value calculated by the formula (m × n).

Each pixel is represented by a gradation value (pixel value) indicating the density. In the following, data indicating a pixel gradation value (pixel value) is also referred to as “gradation data” or “pixel data”. Further, in the following, the highest density that can be expressed by a pixel is also referred to as "highest density". Further, in the following, the lowest density that a pixel can express is also referred to as "minimum density". Further, in the following, the concentration intermediate between the maximum concentration and the minimum concentration is also referred to as "intermediate concentration". The intermediate concentration is, for example, 0.5 times the maximum concentration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram mainly showing a configuration for performing printing processing in the sublimation printer 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the ink sheet 6 and the roll paper 2r are attached to the sublimation printer 100.

The ink sheet 6 is a long sheet. The ink roll 6r is formed by winding one end of the ink sheet 6 in a roll shape. The ink roll 6r is attached to the reel 11a described later. The ink roll 6rm is formed by winding the other end of the ink sheet 6 in a roll shape. The ink roll 6rm is attached to a reel 11b described later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the ink sheet 6. Further, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink sheet 6 along the longitudinal direction of the ink sheet 6. The configuration of the ink sheet 6 will be described later.

The roll paper 2r is composed of a long paper 2 wound in a roll shape. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the paper 2. Further, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the paper 2 along the longitudinal direction of the paper 2. Paper 2 is a recording medium for printing an image. The structure of the paper 2 will be described later.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sublimation printer 100 includes a housing Ch1, a communication unit 8, a storage unit 9, a control unit 10, an image processing unit 30, a platen roller 4, and a thermal head 3. A thermal head controller 12, an ink sheet driving unit 14, a paper transport unit 13, a cutter 7, and a data bus B1 are provided.

The housing Ch1 accommodates each component included in the sublimation printer 100. A plurality of components included in the sublimation printer 100 of FIG. 1 are connected to the data bus B1. As a result, the plurality of components of FIG. 1 can perform data communication with each other.

The communication unit 8 has a function of communicating with the PC 200. The printing instruction and image data D1 transmitted by the PC 200 are transmitted to the control unit 10 via the communication unit 8.

The storage unit 9 is a memory for storing various data, programs, and the like. The storage unit 9 is composed of, for example, a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. Volatile memory is a memory that temporarily stores data. The volatile memory stores, for example, image data D1. The volatile memory is, for example, RAM. A control program, initial setting values, and the like are stored in the non-volatile memory.

Although the details will be described later, the control unit 10 performs various processes on each unit of the sublimation printer 100. The control unit 10 performs the various processes according to the control program stored in the non-volatile memory of the storage unit 9. The control unit 10 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The image processing unit 30 has a function of processing image data.

The thermal head controller 12 controls the thermal head 3. The thermal head 3 has a function of generating heat. Specifically, the thermal head 3 includes a heat generating element h1 having a function of generating heat. The thermal head controller 12 controls the heat generating element h1 so that the heat generating element h1 is driven. That is, the thermal head controller 12 controls the thermal head 3 (heating element h1) so that the thermal head 3 (heating element h1) generates heat.

In the following description, in order to make the process easier to understand, "heat generated by the heat generating element h1 of the thermal head 3" is also simply referred to as "heat generated by the thermal head 3." Further, in the following, the heat generated by the thermal head 3 is also referred to as "heat energy" or "transfer energy".

The paper transport unit 13 has a transport roller pair 5. The paper transport unit 13 controls the transport roller pair 5. The transport roller pair 5 is a roller pair for transporting the paper 2. The transport roller pair 5 is composed of a grip roller 5a and a pinch roller 5b. The grip roller 5a rotates according to the control of the paper transport unit 13.

The platen roller 4 is provided so as to face a part of the thermal head 3. The platen roller 4 is movably configured by a drive unit (not shown). The platen roller 4 comes into contact with the thermal head 3 (heating element h1) via the paper 2 and the ink sheet 6.

In the following, the state of the platen roller 4 in the state where the platen roller 4 is in contact with the thermal head 3 via the paper 2 and the ink sheet 6 is also referred to as a “platen contact state”. The platen contact state is a state in which the paper 2 and the ink sheet 6 are sandwiched between the platen roller 4 and the thermal head 3.

When the thermal head 3 heats the ink sheet 6 in the platen contact state, the dye (ink) of the ink sheet 6 is transferred to the paper 2.

The ink sheet drive unit 14 has a function of rotating the reel 11b. The reel 11b rotates so that the ink roll 6rm winds up the ink sheet 6. The reel 11a rotates as the reel 11b rotates. The reel 11a rotates so that the ink sheet 6 is supplied from the ink roll 6r. The cutter 7 has a function of cutting a part of the paper 2.

With reference to FIG. 3, the ink sheet 6 includes a long base film 6a. The base film 6a is made of a heat-resistant plastic film material. In the base film 6a of the ink sheet 6, ink regions R10 are periodically arranged along the longitudinal direction of the base film 6a.

The ink region R10 is provided with

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and a protective material 6op. Each of the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and the protective material 6op is a transfer material that is transferred to the paper 2 by being heated by the thermal head 3. Each of the

dyes

6y, 6m, and 6c is an ink material showing a color. The ink material is a material for expressing an image.

The

dyes

6y, 6m, and 6c represent the colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively. In the following, each of the Y dye, the M dye, and the C dye is also referred to as a "color dye". Each of the

dyes

6y, 6m and 6c is a color dye.

With reference to FIG. 4, the paper 2 is composed of a base material 2a and a receiving layer 2b. The base material 2a is made of a material such as a plastic film or paper. The receiving layer 2b is made of a material that receives the color dye.

The protective material 6op is a material (overcoat layer) for protecting the color dye transferred to the paper 2. Specifically, the protective material 6op is a material for protecting the image printed on the paper 2 with the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c. Further, the protective material 6op is a member for improving light resistance, scratch resistance and the like.

The protective material 6op has translucency. Further, the protective material 6op is a transparent material. In the following, the protective material 6op is also referred to as an “OP material”. Further, in the following, the area for printing an image in the paper 2 is also referred to as a “printing area”.

Next, the printing process P will be described. The printing process P is a process in which the thermal head 3 heats the ink sheet 6 provided with the ink material (color dye) and the protective material 6 op, and transfers the ink material and the protective material 6 op to the paper 2. ..

Specifically, in the printing process P, the unit printing process is performed. In the unit printing process, the transfer roller pair 5 simultaneously conveys the ink sheet 6 and the paper 2 while the thermal head 3 heats the transfer material of the ink sheet 6 in the platen contact state. As a result, the transfer material is transferred to the printing area of the paper 2 line by line.

The above unit printing process is repeated for each of the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and the protective material 6op, which are transfer materials. As a result, the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and the protective material 6op are transferred to the printing area of the paper 2 in the order of the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and the protective material 6op.

That is, in the printing process P, the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c, which are ink materials (color dyes), are transferred to the paper 2, and then the protective material 6op is transferred to the paper 2. As a result, the image is expressed by the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c which are the transferred ink materials (color dyes). Further, in the printing process P, the protective material 6op is transferred to the paper 2 so that the protective material 6op covers the ink material (color dye) expressing the image.

As a result, an image is printed on the printing area of the paper 2, and the image is protected by a protective layer made of a protective material 6 op. As a result, the light resistance of the image, the fingerprint resistance of the image, and the like are improved.

In the following, an image printed on the printing area of paper 2 is also referred to as a "printed matter". A protective material 6op is formed on the surface side of the printed matter. The printed matter is a part of paper 2.

The cutter 7 cuts the paper 2 so that the printed matter is separated from the paper 2. As a result, the printed matter is discharged to the outside of the sublimation printer 100.

In the unit printing process of the printing process P, if the thermal energy applied to the color dye is unreasonably high, uneven gloss occurs in the high density area, the edge portion, etc. in the printed image. The edge portion is a boundary portion between the high-concentration region and the region around the high-concentration region.

Next, the cause of uneven gloss will be described. In the following, the thermal energy for the thermal head 3 to apply to the transfer material is also referred to as “applied energy”.

In the unit printing process, the applied energy applied to the color dye in the high density region is higher than the applied energy applied to the color dye in the low density region. When the color dye of the ink sheet 6 is transferred to the paper, the higher the applied energy, the more fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the paper. Therefore, the flatness of the surface of the paper is lowered. As a result, the state of the surface of the paper becomes a state in which the surface is scorched and a state in which the surface is dull.

That is, the flatness of the high-concentration region on the surface of the paper after the transfer of the color dye is lower than the flatness of the low-concentration region of the surface due to the different applied energies corresponding to the high-concentration region and the low-concentration region. Therefore, uneven gloss occurs.

Also, large heat concentration is likely to occur even at the edge of the high concentration region. Therefore, only the edge portion of the high density region of the printed image, which is the image printed on the paper, may appear to be bordered by a non-glossy line. Such local gloss unevenness is called relief-like unevenness or embossed (unevenness) -like unevenness.

(Printer operation)
In the present embodiment, the sublimation printer 100 performs the following print control processing in order to suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned uneven gloss. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of the sublimation printer 100 in the print control process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the components of the sublimation printer 100 that are mainly used in the print control process.

With reference to FIG. 5, the sublimation printer 100 includes

frame memories

9y, 9m, 9c, 9op, a correction unit 30a, an image adjustment processing unit 30b, and a memory controller 9mc. Each component in the sublimation printer 100 of FIG. 5 performs the processing described later under the control of the control unit 10.

The

frame memories

9y, 9m, 9c, 9op, and the memory controller 9mc are included in the above-mentioned storage unit 9. The memory controller 9mc controls the

frame memories

9y, 9m, 9c, 9op. The

frame memories

9y, 9m, and 9c are memories for storing the Y image, the M image, and the C image, respectively. The frame memory 9op is a memory for storing OP data.

The correction unit 30a and the image adjustment processing unit 30b are included in the image processing unit 30 described above. A detailed description of each component of FIG. 5 will be described later.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the correction unit 30a according to the first embodiment. The correction unit 30a includes a region specifying unit 31, an edge specifying unit 32, and an energy setting unit 33. A detailed description of each component of FIG. 6 will be described later.

Next, the operation of the sublimation printer 100 in the print control process will be briefly described. First, the PC 200 transmits the image data D1 to the sublimation printer 100. The image data D1 is, for example, the data of the target image described above. The target image is composed of a Y image, an M image, and a C image.

Image data D1 includes YMC data and OP data. The YMC data is data of a Y image, an M image, and a C image. The OP data is data used for transferring the protective material 6op (overcoat layer) to the paper 2.

The OP data shows, for example, k energy values corresponding to each of the k pixels constituting the target image. Further, the OP data is configured so that, for example, the coordinates (positions) of k pixels corresponding to k energy values can be specified.

The OP data includes, for example, a table Tb showing k energy values arranged in a matrix. The k energy values shown in Table Tb form a matrix of m rows and n columns. For example, the energy values in the 1st row and 1st column correspond to the pixels in the 1st row and 1st column of the target image. The pixels in the first row and first column are the pixels that are at the upper end of the target image and are present at the left end of the target image. The k energy values shown in Table Tb are set to the same values as initial values.

The format of OP data is not limited to the above format using Table Tb. The format of the OP data may be a format in which the coordinates (positions) of k pixels can be specified, and may be another format that does not use the table Tb.

The target image is, for example, the image G11 of FIG. With reference to FIG. 7, the image G11 has, as an example, a high density region Rg1 and a low density region Rg2. The high density region Rg1 is a region represented by the highest density in the image G11. The shape of the high density region Rg1 of the image G11 may be different from the rectangular shape. Further, the number of high-concentration regions Rg1 contained in the image G11 is not limited to 1, and may be 2 or more.

In the following, the concentration contained in the range from the above-mentioned intermediate concentration to the above-mentioned maximum concentration is also referred to as "high concentration". Further, in the following, a pixel showing a high density is also referred to as a “high density pixel”. The high density region Rg1 is represented by a plurality of high density pixels. The low density region Rg2 is represented by a plurality of low density pixels. A low density pixel is a pixel represented by a density lower than the intermediate density.

Next, amnestics are performed. In the storage process, the image data D1 is stored in the storage unit 9. The YMC data of the image data D1 is stored in the

frame memories

9y, 9m, 9c. Specifically, under the control of the memory controller 9mc, the Y image, the M image, and the C image constituting the target image are stored in the

frame memories

9y, 9m, and 9c, respectively. Further, the OP data of the image data D1 is stored in the frame memory 9op.

Next, under the control of the memory controller 9mc, the YMC data stored in the

frame memories

9y, 9m, 9c is transmitted to the image adjustment processing unit 30b. Further, under the control of the memory controller 9mc, the OP data stored in the frame memory 9op is transmitted to the correction unit 30a.

Next, the image adjustment processing unit 30b performs image adjustment processing on the YMC data. That is, the image adjustment processing unit 30b performs image adjustment processing on the target images (Y image, M image, and C image) of the YMC data. The image adjustment process includes a color conversion process, a sharpness process, and a gamma conversion process. That is, color conversion processing, sharpness processing, and gamma conversion processing are performed on the target image. Since the color conversion process, the sharpness process, and the gamma conversion process are general processes, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

By performing the image adjustment processing, YMC data for printing can be obtained. The print YMC data is data for printing the target image (Y image, M image, and C image) that has undergone image adjustment processing on the paper 2. The YMC data for printing includes data of a target image (Y image, M image, and C image) for which image adjustment processing has been performed. The image adjustment processing unit 30b transmits the printing YMC data to the thermal head controller 12 and the correction unit 30a. The process included in the image adjustment process is not limited to the above three processes. The process included in the image adjustment process may be, for example, a color conversion process and a gamma conversion process.

Next, a process for printing the target image is performed in the printing area of the paper 2. Specifically, the unit printing process described above is performed on each of the

dyes

6y, 6m, and 6c of the ink sheet 6. Since the unit printing process has been described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The unit printing process will be briefly described below. In the unit printing process of the printing process P, the thermal head controller 12 controls the thermal head 3 based on the printing YMC data so that the thermal head 3 (heating element h1) generates heat. As a result, the target image is printed in the printing area of the paper 2.

Further, the area specifying unit 31 of the correction unit 30a performs the high-concentration area specifying process described later. Further, the edge specifying unit 32 of the correction unit 30a performs an edge specifying process described later. Further, the energy setting unit 33 of the correction unit 30a performs the energy setting process described later.

Then, a process for printing the protective material 6op on the printing area of the paper 2 is performed. As a result, the print control process is completed.

Here, the protective material will be explained. In the following, the state in which the protective material 6op is transferred to the paper 2 by the printing process P (unit printing process) is also referred to as a “transfer state”. Further, in the following, the state in which the protective material 6op is provided on the ink sheet 6 is also referred to as a “non-transfer state”. The non-transfer state is a state in which the protective material 6op provided on the ink sheet 6 is not transferred to the paper 2. That is, the state of the protective material 6op includes a transfer state and a non-transfer state.

The protective material 6op has glossy properties. The gloss property is a property that the glossiness of the protective material 6op changes when the thermal energy applied to the protective material 6op changes.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a characteristic curve L1 showing the relationship between applied energy and glossiness. The characteristic curve L1 shows the gloss characteristics of the protective material 6op. In FIG. 8, the “glossiness” on the vertical axis is the glossiness of the protective material 6op. Specifically, the "glossiness" is the glossiness of the surface of the protective material 6op. Further, in FIG. 8, the “applied energy” on the horizontal axis is the thermal energy applied to the protective material 6op in the unit printing process of the printing process P. That is, the “applied energy” on the horizontal axis is the thermal energy applied to the non-transferred protective material 6op in order to transfer the non-transferred protective material 6op to the paper 2.

Further, FIG. 8 shows the thermal energies E01, E02, E3, and the regions R1, R2, R3. The thermal energy E01 is the thermal energy for transferring the protective material 6op to the paper 2. The region R1 is a region where the applied energy is less than the thermal energy E01.

Region R1 is a region where the protective material 6op is not transferred to the paper 2. The applied energy in the region R1 is low. In the state where the protective material 6op is not transferred to the paper 2, the glossiness of the paper 2 is low.

Regions R2 and R3 are regions where the applied energy is thermal energy E01 or higher. Regions R2 and R3 are regions where the protective material 6op is transferred to the paper 2. Therefore, the gloss characteristic of the protective material 6op shown by the characteristic curve L1 in the regions R2 and R3 is a characteristic that the glossiness of the protective material 6op in the transferred state changes according to the change of the applied energy.

The applied energy corresponding to the region R2 is an appropriate thermal energy. The region R2 is a region where the applied energy is the thermal energy E01 or more and the applied energy is the thermal energy E3 or less. Further, the region R3 is a region where the applied energy is higher than the thermal energy E3.

In the region R2, in the range where the applied energy increases from the thermal energy E01 to the thermal energy E02, the glossiness rapidly increases to the maximum value (Gmax). Further, as the applied energy becomes higher than the thermal energy E02, the glossiness gradually decreases.

When the applied energy becomes higher than the thermal energy E3, the surface of the protective material 6op becomes uneven, and the glossiness drops sharply. The region R3 is a region where the surface of the protective material 6op in the transferred state is matted. That is, the region R3 is a region where the protective material 6op in the transferred state has no gloss.

In the following, the state of the protective material 6op in the transferred state in which the glossiness of the entire protective material 6op is the same is also referred to as "same gloss state". The protective material 6op having the same gloss state is generated by applying the same thermal energy to the entire protective material 6op in the unit printing process described above.

Further, in the following, the state of the image in the situation where the image is printed on the paper 2 by the printing process P is also referred to as "printing state". Further, in the following, the state of the image in the situation where the protective material 6op in the same gloss state covers the entire image in the printed state is also referred to as “the same gloss covering state”. The image in the same glossy covering state is an image represented by the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c in a situation where the

dyes

6y, 6m, 6c and the protective material 6op are transferred to the paper 2.

In the following, the high-density pixel in which the glossiness of the high-density pixel of the image covered with the same gloss seems to be lower than the glossiness of the pixel different from the high-density pixel is also referred to as "low-gloss pixel".

Further, in the following, in the image G11 of FIG. 7, the region other than the high-concentration region Rg1 is also referred to as a “non-high-concentration region”. In the image G11 in the same gloss-covered state, the high-density region Rg1 is a region in which the glossiness of the high-density region Rg1 appears to be lower than the glossiness of the non-high-density region. The high-density region Rg1 of the image G11 in the same gloss-covered state is represented by a plurality of low-gloss pixels (high-density pixels).

Further, in the present embodiment, the high density region Rg1 in FIG. 7 is a region of the image G11 represented by a density equal to or higher than the reference density. "Concentration above the reference concentration" includes both the same concentration as the reference concentration and a concentration higher than the reference concentration.

The reference concentration is a preset threshold value T. The threshold value T (reference density) is a value for specifying that a pixel having a density equal to or higher than the reference density is a low-gloss pixel. The threshold value T (reference concentration) is, for example, a fixed value.

An appropriate value is set for the threshold value T (reference concentration), for example, by repeating an experiment or the like. The experiment is, for example, a printing process P, a change of an image to be a target of the printing process P, a confirmation of a glossy state of a printed matter by an operator, and the like.

The threshold value T (reference concentration) is not limited to the above. The threshold value T (reference density) may be a value for specifying that a pixel having a density equal to or higher than the reference density is a high density pixel. In this case, the reference concentration is, for example, a concentration equal to or higher than the intermediate concentration, and the threshold value T is a value corresponding to the reference concentration. Further, in this case, the reference concentration is, for example, a concentration in the range from 0.7 times the above-mentioned maximum concentration to the maximum concentration.

Next, the print control process will be described in detail. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the print control process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 shows only the main steps included in the print control process. In order to make an example of the print control process easy to understand, the print control process performed under the following premise Pm1 will be described.

In the premise Pm1, the sublimation printer 100 receives the image data D1 from the PC200. Further, in the premise Pm1, the target image indicated by the image data D1 is the image G11 of FIG. 7. Further, in the premise Pm1, the high density region Rg1 of the image G11 is a target region to be a specific target.

Further, in the premise Pm1, the above-mentioned storage process and the above-mentioned image adjustment process have already been executed. Further, in the premise Pm1, the correction unit 30a receives the YMC data for printing obtained by performing the image adjustment processing. Further, in the premise Pm1, the correction unit 30a has already received the OP data. Further, in the premise Pm1, the high-concentration area identification process of the area identification process of step S100 is performed, and the edge identification process of the area identification process is not performed.

In the print control process in the premise Pm1, first, the high-density area identification process of the area identification process is performed (step S110). In the high-concentration region identification process in the premise Pm1, the region identification unit 31 of the correction unit 30a specifies the high-concentration region. Specifically, the area specifying unit 31 identifies low-gloss pixels (high-density pixels) having a density equal to or higher than the reference density (threshold value T) among the k pixels constituting the target image indicated by the print YMC data. ..

In the premise Pm1, the target image is the image G11 of FIG. 7. Therefore, the region specifying unit 31 identifies the high density region Rg1 represented by a plurality of low gloss pixels (high density pixels).

The above high density region identification process is performed on each of the Y image, the M image, and the C image. The high-density region identification process may be performed only on any one of the Y image, the M image, and the C image, for example.

In the following, the protective material in the non-transfer state for covering the high density region Rg1 of the target image in the printed state is also referred to as "protective material 6op1". Further, in the following, the protective material 6op1 is also referred to as a “high concentration protective material”. The protective material 6op1, which is a high-concentration protective material, is a part of the non-transferred protective material 6op. Further, in the following, the protective material for covering a region different from the high density region Rg1 in the target image in the printed state is also referred to as “protective material 6op2”. The protective material 6op2 is another part of the non-transferred protective material 6op.

That is, the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state includes the protective material 6op1 and the protective material 6op2. In the premise Pm1, the target image is the image G11 of FIG. 7. Therefore, the protective material 6op1 in the premise Pm1 is a material for covering the high density region Rg1 of the image G11 in the printed state. The protective material 6op2 in the premise Pm1 is a material for covering the non-high concentration region of the image G11.

Next, the energy setting process is performed (step S210). In the energy setting process, the energy setting unit 33 sets the applied energy in consideration of the gloss characteristics of the protective material 6op. The applied energy is the thermal energy applied by the thermal head 3 to the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state in the printing process P (unit printing process).

Specifically, in the energy setting process, the energy setting unit 33 sets the protective material 6op1 and the protective material so that the glossiness of the protective material 6op1 in the transfer state is higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op2 in the transfer state. The applied energy to be applied to each of 6op2 is set.

In other words, the energy setting unit 33 sets the applied energy to be applied to each of the protective material 6op1 and the protective material 6op2 so that the applied energy of the protective material 6op1 is lower than the applied energy of the protective material 6op2.

In the energy setting process in the premise Pm1, the energy setting unit 33 first specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the high density region Rg1 of the image G11. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E1 of FIG.

Further, the energy setting unit 33 specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the non-high density region of the image G11. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E2 of FIG. As a result, OP data is set. The thermal energy E1 is lower than the thermal energy E2.

In FIG. 10, E1 and E2 are thermal energies, and G1 and G2 are glossiness. In the characteristic curve L1 of FIG. 10, the glossiness corresponding to the thermal energy E1 is “G1”. That is, when the applied energy is the thermal energy E1, the glossiness of the protective material in the transferred state is “G1”. Further, in the characteristic curve L1, the glossiness corresponding to the thermal energy E2 is “G2”. The glossiness G1 is higher than the glossiness G2.

The OP data setting method is not limited to the above method using the table Tb. For example, the energy setting unit 33 may generate OP data indicating the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels and the energy value (for example, thermal energy E1) in association with each other.

Next, the printing process P is performed (step S220). In the printing process P in the premise Pm1, first, the unit printing process described above is performed on each of the

dyes

6y, 6m, and 6c of the ink sheet 6. As a result, the image G11, which is the target image, is printed in the printing area of the paper 2.

Next, the unit printing process described above is performed on the protective material 6op of the ink sheet 6. Since the unit printing process has been described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, the unit printing process performed on the protective material 6op will be briefly described.

In the unit printing process in the premise Pm1, the thermal head 3 applies the applied energy set by the energy setting unit 33 to the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state. That is, the thermal head controller 12 controls the thermal head 3 so that the thermal head 3 (heating element h1) generates heat based on the latest OP data.

Specifically, in the unit printing process in the premise Pm1, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E1 to the protective material 6op1 which is a part of the protective material 6op. As a result, the protective material 6op1 is transferred so that the protective material 6op1 covers the high density region Rg1 of the image G11 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op1 in the transferred state is "G1".

Further, in the unit printing process in the premise Pm1, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E2 to the protective material 6op2 which is another part of the protective material 6op. As a result, the protective material 6op2 is transferred so that the protective material 6op2 covers the non-high density region of the image G11 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op2 in the transferred state is "G2".

From the above, the glossiness G1 of the protective material 6op1 in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness G2 of the protective material 6op2 in the transferred state. That is, the glossiness G1 of the protective material 6op1 that covers the high density region Rg1 of the image G11 in the printed state is higher than the glossiness G2 of the protective material 6op2 that covers the non-high density region of the image G11 in the printed state. Then, the print control process in the premise Pm1 is completed.

Next, the print control process performed under the following premise Pm2 will be described. In the premise Pm2, as compared with the premise Pm1, the target image indicated by the image data D1 is the image G12 of FIG. 11, and the edge identification process of the area identification process of step S100 is performed, and the height of the area identification process is high. The difference is that the concentration region identification process is not performed.

The image G12 is different from the image G11 in that the edge portion Rg3 is further included. Since the other configurations of the image G12 are the same as those of the image G11, the detailed description will not be repeated. The edge portion Rg3 is a region showing an edge shown in the image G12. The edge portion Rg3 is a region corresponding to the boundary between the high-concentration region Rg1 and the region surrounding the high-concentration region Rg1. In the premise Pm2, the edge portion Rg3 of the image G11 is a target region to be a specific target.

In the following, the region of the image G12 other than the edge portion Rg3 is also referred to as a “non-edge region”. In the image G12 in the same gloss covering state, the edge portion Rg3 is a region in which the glossiness of the edge portion Rg3 appears to be lower than the glossiness of the non-edge region.

In the print control process in the premise Pm2, first, the edge identification process of the area identification process is performed (step S120). In the edge identification process in the premise Pm2, the edge identification unit 32 of the correction unit 30a specifies the edge portion Rg3 in the target image (image G12) indicated by the printing YMC data. Since the method of specifying the edge portion Rg3 (edge) is a general method, the description thereof will be omitted.

The above edge identification process is performed on each of the Y image, the M image, and the C image. The edge identification process may be performed only on any one of the Y image, the M image, and the C image, for example.

In the following, the protective material in the non-transfer state for covering the edge portion Rg3 of the target image in the printed state is also referred to as "protective material 6op1e". Further, in the following, the protective material 6op1e is also referred to as an “edge protective material”. The protective material 6op1e, which is an edge protective material, is a part of the protective material 6op in a non-transfer state. Further, in the following, the protective material for covering the region different from the edge portion Rg3 in the target image in the printed state is also referred to as “protective material 6op2n”. The protective material 6op2n is another part of the non-transferred protective material 6op.

That is, the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state includes the protective material 6op1e and the protective material 6op2n. In the premise Pm2, the target image is the image G12 of FIG. Therefore, the protective material 6op1e in the premise Pm2 is a material for covering the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 in the printed state. The protective material 6op2n in the premise Pm2 is a material for covering the non-edge region of the image G12 in the printed state.

Next, the energy setting process is performed (step S210). In the energy setting process, the energy setting unit 33 applies to each of the protective material 6op1e and the protective material 6op2n so that the glossiness of the protective material 6op1e in the transfer state is higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op2n in the transfer state. Set the applied energy for this.

In other words, the energy setting unit 33 sets the applied energy to be applied to each of the protective material 6op1e and the protective material 6op2n so that the applied energy of the protective material 6op1e is lower than the applied energy of the protective material 6op2n.

Specifically, in the energy setting process in the premise Pm2, the energy setting unit 33 specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E1 of FIG.

Further, the energy setting unit 33 specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the non-edge region of the image G12. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E2 of FIG. As a result, OP data is set.

Next, the printing process P in the premise Pm2 is performed. Since the printing process P in the premise Pm2 is the same as the above-mentioned printing process P in the premise Pm1, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following will be briefly described. By the printing process P in the premise Pm2, the image G12 which is the target image is printed in the printing area of the paper 2.

By the printing process P in the premise Pm2, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E1 to the protective material 6op1e. As a result, the protective material 6op1e is transferred so that the protective material 6op1e covers the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op1e in the transferred state is "G1".

Further, by the printing process P in the premise Pm2, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E2 to the protective material 6op2n. As a result, the protective material 6op2n is transferred so that the protective material 6op2n covers the non-edge region of the image G12 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op2n in the transferred state is "G2".

As described above, the glossiness G1 of the protective material 6op1e that covers the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 in the printed state is higher than the glossiness G2 of the protective material 6op2n that covers the non-edge region of the image G12 in the printed state. Then, the print control process in the premise Pm2 ends.

Next, the print control process performed under the following premise Pm3 will be described. In the premise Pm3, as compared with the premise Pm1, both the point that the target image indicated by the image data D1 is the image G12 of FIG. 11 and the high-concentration area identification process and the edge identification process of the area identification process of step S100 are performed. It is different from the point. In the premise Pm3, the high density region Rg1 and the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 are target regions to be specified.

In the print control process in the premise Pm3, first, the high-density area identification process of the area identification process is performed (step S110). The high-concentration region identification process in the premise Pm3 is the same as the high-concentration region identification process in the premise Pm1. Thereby, the high density region Rg1 of the image G12 is specified.

Next, the edge identification process of the area identification process is performed (step S120). The edge identification process in the premise Pm3 is the same as the edge identification process in the premise Pm2. Thereby, the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 is specified.

Here, as described above, the protective material in the non-transfer state for covering the high-density region Rg1 of the target image in the printed state is the protective material 6op1 (high-concentration protective material). Further, as described above, the protective material in the non-transfer state for covering the edge portion Rg3 of the target image in the printed state is the protective material 6op1e (edge protective material). In the following, a protective material for covering a region different from the high density region Rg1 and the edge portion Rg3 in the target image in the printed state is also referred to as “protective material 6op3”.

The non-transferred protective material 6op in the premise Pm3 includes the protective material 6op1, the protective material 6op1e, and the protective material 6op3. In the following, the regions other than the high density region Rg1 and the edge portion Rg3 in the image G12 are also referred to as “other regions”. The protective material 6op3 in the premise Pm3 is a material for covering the other region of the image G12.

In the image G12 in the same gloss covering state, the edge portion Rg3 is a region in which the glossiness of the edge portion Rg3 seems to be lower than the glossiness of the high density region Rg1. Further, in the image G12 in the same gloss covering state, the high density region Rg1 is a region in which the glossiness of the high density region Rg1 appears to be lower than the glossiness of the other regions.

Next, the energy setting process is performed (step S210). In the energy setting process, the glossiness of the protective material 6op1e in the transfer state is higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op1 in the transfer state, and the glossiness of the protective material 6op1 in the transfer state is higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op3 in the transfer state. The energy setting unit 33 sets the applied energy to be applied to each of the protective material 6op1e, the protective material 6op1 and the protective material 6op3 so as to be high.

In other words, each application of the energy setting unit 33 is such that the applied energy of the protective material 6op1e is lower than the applied energy of the protective material 6op1 and the applied energy of the protective material 6op1 is lower than the applied energy of the protective material 6op3. Set the energy.

Specifically, in the energy setting process in the premise Pm3, first, the same process as the energy setting process in the premise Pm2 is performed. As a result, in the OP data table Tb, the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 are corrected (set) to the thermal energy E1 of FIG.

Next, the energy setting unit 33 specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the high density region Rg1 of the image G12. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E2 of FIG.

Further, the energy setting unit 33 specifies the coordinates (positions) of a plurality of pixels constituting the other region of the image G12. Then, the energy setting unit 33 corrects (sets) the energy values of the coordinates (positions) of the specified plurality of pixels in the OP data table Tb to the thermal energy E3 of FIG.

In FIG. 12, E3 is thermal energy and G3 is glossiness. In the characteristic curve L1, the glossiness corresponding to the thermal energy E3 is “G3”. The other items are the same as in FIG.

In FIG. 12, the three types of glossiness satisfy the relationship of "G1> G2> G3". Further, in FIG. 12, the three types of thermal energy (applied energy) satisfy the relationship of “E1 <E2 <E3”.

Next, the printing process P in the premise Pm3 is performed. Since the printing process P in the premise Pm3 is the same as the above-mentioned printing process P in the premise Pm1, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following will be briefly described. By the printing process P in the premise Pm3, the image G12, which is the target image, is printed in the printing area of the paper 2.

Next, the unit printing process described above is performed on the protective material 6op of the ink sheet 6. In the unit printing process, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E1 to the protective material 6op1e. As a result, the protective material 6op1e is transferred so that the protective material 6op1e covers the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op1e in the transferred state is "G1".

Further, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E2 to the protective material 6op1. As a result, the protective material 6op1 is transferred so that the protective material 6op1 covers the high density region Rg1 of the image G12 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op1 in the transferred state is "G2".

Further, the thermal head 3 applies the thermal energy E3 to the protective material 6op3. As a result, the protective material 6op3 is transferred so that the protective material 6op3 covers the other area of the image G12 in the printed state. The glossiness of the protective material 6op3 in the transferred state is "G3".

As described above, the glossiness G1 of the protective material 6op1e that covers the edge portion Rg3 of the image G12 in the printed state is higher than the glossiness G2 of the protective material 6op1 that covers the high density region Rg1 of the image G12 in the printed state. Further, the glossiness G2 of the protective material 6op1 covering the high density region Rg1 of the image G12 in the printed state is higher than the glossiness G3 of the protective material 6op3 covering the other areas of the image G12 in the printed state. That is, the glossiness of the above three regions satisfies the relationship of "G1> G2> G3". Then, the print control process in the premise Pm3 is completed.

(effect)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sublimation printer 100 identifies a target region in the image, which is one or both of the high density region Rg1 and the edge portion Rg3. The non-transferred protective material 6op includes a first protective material for covering the target region of the image and a second protective material for covering a region of the image different from the target region. The energy setting unit 33 applies to each of the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. Set the applied energy for. The applied energy is the thermal energy applied by the thermal head 3 to the protective material 6op in the non-transfer state in the printing process.

Here, it is assumed that the same thermal energy is applied to the entire protective material 6 op in the printing process P for printing the image G11 of FIG. 7. In this case, the protective material 6op in the same gloss state covers the image G11 in the printed state. That is, as described above, in the image G11 in the same gloss covering state, the glossiness of the high density region Rg1 seems to be lower than the glossiness of the non-high density region. As described above, the same gloss covering state is a state of the image in a situation where the protective material 6op in the same gloss state covers the entire image in the printed state. In this case, uneven gloss occurs.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned print control process in the premise Pm1 is performed. As a result, the applied energy of the protective material is set so that the glossiness of the transfer-state protective material 6op1 covering the high-concentration region Rg1 is higher than the glossiness of the transfer-state protective material 6op2 covering the non-high-concentration region. ..

Then, in the printing process P, the set applied energy is applied to the protective material 6op. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven gloss when the protective material 6op covers the image G11 in the printed state. Therefore, a printed matter (glossy printing) having high print quality can be obtained.

Further, it is assumed that the same thermal energy is applied to the entire protective material 6op in the printing process P for printing the image G12 of FIG. In this case, the protective material 6op in the same gloss state covers the image G12 in the printed state. That is, as described above, in the image G12 in the same gloss covering state, the glossiness of the edge portion Rg3 seems to be lower than the glossiness of the non-edge region. In this case, uneven gloss occurs.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned print control process in the premise Pm2 is performed. As a result, the applied energy of the protective material is set so that the glossiness of the protective material 6op1e in the transferred state covering the edge portion Rg3 is higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op2n in the transferred state covering the non-edge region.

Then, in the printing process P, the set applied energy is applied to the protective material 6op. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven gloss when the protective material 6op covers the image G12 in the printed state. Therefore, a printed matter (glossy printing) having high print quality can be obtained.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned print control process in the premise Pm3 is performed. As a result, the applied energy of the protective material is set so that the relationship (glossiness of edge portion Rg3> glossiness of high-concentration region Rg1> glossiness of other regions) is satisfied in the state where the protective material 6op is transferred. To.

As a result, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of uneven gloss when the protective material 6op covers the image G12 in the printed state. Therefore, a printed matter (glossy printing) having sufficiently high print quality can be obtained.

Further, according to the present embodiment, as described above, the protective material has a glossiness of the protective material 6op1 covering the high concentration region Rg1 higher than the glossiness of the protective material 6op2 covering the non-high concentration region. The applied energy is set. Therefore, the energy applied to the high concentration region is reduced, and the local heat concentration on the paper and the ink sheet is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of sticking, paper jam, and the like. The paper jam is a phenomenon generated by heat fusion of an ink sheet to paper. As a result, the reliability of the sublimation printer is improved.

In the sublimation printer, the overcoat layer is transferred to the paper in order to obtain a glossy printed matter. When the thermal energy (transfer energy) applied to the dye is high in order to print the image on the paper, unintended irregularities may be formed on the printing surface side of the paper. Specifically, uneven gloss occurs in the high density region of the image transferred to the paper. As a result, there is a problem that the print quality is deteriorated.

Therefore, the sublimation printer 100 of the present embodiment has a configuration for achieving the above effects. Therefore, the sublimation printer 100 of the present embodiment can solve the above problem. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of uneven gloss in a high density region of an image transferred by a sublimation printer. Therefore, a printed matter (glossy printing) having high print quality can be obtained.

The above-mentioned threshold value T is not limited to a fixed value. The threshold value T may be represented by a plurality of threshold values or variable values depending on the content of the image. The content of the image is, for example, a day view, a night view, a portrait, computer graphics, or the like.

<Modification example 1>
This modification is applied to the first embodiment. In the following, the glossiness on the surface side of the printed matter in the transferred state in which the protective material is transferred is also referred to as “surface glossiness”. The surface glossiness is the glossiness on the printing surface side of the paper. That is, the surface glossiness is the glossiness of the protective material that covers the printed image.

As mentioned above, the surface glossiness is mainly determined by the applied energy applied to the color dye. The surface glossiness also varies depending on the environmental temperature, humidity, etc. of the printer as secondary factors. The surface glossiness also varies depending on the composition of the material constituting the ink sheet, the composition of the material constituting the paper, and the like as secondary factors. It is considered that such a variation in glossiness occurs because the secondary factor affects the smoothness of the surface of the paper.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of the sublimation printer 100 according to the first modification. The sublimation printer 100 in the first modification may include an environment sensor Sn1 or an information sensor Sn2.

In the following, the configuration in which the sublimation printer 100 is provided with the environmental sensor Sn1 is also referred to as “deformed configuration A”. The environment sensor Sn1 is provided inside the housing Ch1 of the sublimation printer 100.

In the following, the inside of the housing Ch1 of the sublimation printer 100 is also referred to as "inside the housing". Further, in the following, the temperature inside the housing is also referred to as "internal temperature". Further, in the following, the humidity inside the housing is also referred to as "internal humidity". The environment sensor Sn1 has a function of measuring the internal temperature and the internal humidity.

In the modified configuration A, the setting process Pa for setting the threshold value T (reference concentration) is performed based on the environmental information. The environmental information is internal temperature and internal humidity.

The setting process Pa is performed before the print control process of FIG. 9 described above is performed. In the setting process Pa, for example, the threshold setting information A is used. The threshold setting information A indicates, for example, an optimum concentration value A corresponding to each of a plurality of different environmental conditions. The optimum density value A is a value for suppressing a decrease in the surface glossiness of the high density region Rg1 of the image shown by the printed matter. Each environmental situation is represented by a combination of internal temperature and internal humidity.

The threshold setting information A indicates, for example, the optimum concentration value A corresponding to an environmental condition in which the internal temperature is 40 degrees or higher and the internal humidity is 60% or higher.

A plurality of environmental conditions and a plurality of optimum concentration values A are determined by, for example, repeating experiments and the like. The experiment includes, for example, printing processing P in a plurality of different environmental conditions, changing an image to be targeted by printing processing P, and confirming a glossy state of a printed matter by an operator.

In the setting process Pa, the environment sensor Sn1 measures the internal temperature and the internal humidity. Then, the control unit 10 sets the optimum concentration value A corresponding to the environmental conditions corresponding to the measured internal temperature and internal humidity as the threshold value T (reference concentration) based on the threshold value setting information A. In this case, the threshold value T (reference concentration) is a value set based on the internal temperature and the internal humidity.

Then, the above-mentioned print control process (high density area identification process) is performed using the set threshold value T (reference density). As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the surface glossiness of the high density region Rg1 of the image shown by the printed matter.

The environmental information may be one of the internal temperature and the internal humidity. In this case, the plurality of environmental conditions in the threshold setting information A are represented by one of the internal temperature and the internal humidity. Further, in the setting process Pa, the environment sensor Sn1 measures one of the internal temperature and the internal humidity. Then, the control unit 10 sets the optimum concentration value A corresponding to the environmental condition corresponding to one of the measured internal temperature and the internal humidity as the threshold value T (reference concentration) based on the threshold value setting information A. In this case, the threshold value T (reference concentration) is a value set based on either the internal temperature or the internal humidity.

Next, the configuration using the information sensor Sn2 will be described. In the following, the configuration in which the sublimation printer 100 includes the information sensor Sn2 is also referred to as “deformed configuration B”. The information sensor Sn2 is provided inside the housing Ch1 of the sublimation printer 100. Further, in the modified configuration B, a plurality of different composition information 22 are stored in advance in a predetermined memory area in the storage unit 9.

In the following, the composition of the material constituting the ink sheet 6 mounted on the sublimation printer 100 is also referred to as "ink sheet composition". The ink sheet composition is, for example, the type of ink sheet 6, the material of the ink sheet 6, and the like. Further, in the following, the composition of the material constituting the paper 2 mounted on the sublimation printer 100 is also referred to as “paper composition”. The paper composition is, for example, the type of paper 2, the material of the paper 2, and the like.

Note that the plurality of composition information 22 stored in the storage unit 9 indicates various combinations of the ink sheet composition and the paper composition. Further, the optimum concentration value B is associated with each of the plurality of composition information 22. The optimum density value B is a value for suppressing a decrease in the surface glossiness of the high density region Rg1 of the image shown by the printed matter.

The optimum concentration value B corresponding to each of the plurality of composition information 22 is determined, for example, by repeating an experiment or the like. The experiment includes, for example, printing processing P using the ink sheet 6 and paper 2 corresponding to each composition information 22, changing the image to be the target of printing processing P, and confirming the glossy state of the printed matter by the operator.

The information sensor Sn2 has a function of detecting the composition of the ink sheet 6 (ink sheet composition) and the composition of the paper 2 (paper composition).

In the modified configuration B, the setting process Pb for setting the threshold value T (reference concentration) is performed based on the composition information detected by the information sensor Sn2. The composition information is an ink sheet composition and a paper composition.

The setting process Pb is performed before the print control process of FIG. 9 described above is performed. In the setting process Pb, the information sensor Sn2 detects the ink sheet composition and the paper composition which are composition information. Then, the control unit 10 identifies the composition information 22 indicating the detected ink sheet composition and paper composition among the plurality of composition information 22 stored in the storage unit 9.

Then, the control unit 10 sets the optimum concentration value B associated with the specified composition information 22 as the threshold value T (reference concentration). In this case, the threshold value T (reference density) is a value set based on the ink sheet composition and the paper composition.

The composition information detected by the information sensor Sn2 may be one of the ink sheet composition and the paper composition. In this case, the plurality of composition information 22 stored in the storage unit 9 indicates one of the ink sheet composition and the paper composition.

Further, in the setting process Pb, the information sensor Sn2 detects one of the ink sheet composition and the paper composition which is the composition information. Then, the control unit 10 specifies the composition information 22 indicating one of the detected ink sheet composition and the paper composition among the plurality of composition information 22 stored in the storage unit 9. Then, the control unit 10 sets the optimum concentration value B associated with the specified composition information 22 as the threshold value T (reference concentration). In this case, the threshold value T (reference density) is a value set based on either the ink sheet composition or the paper composition.

As described above, according to the present modification, the decrease in the surface glossiness of the high density region Rg1 of the image shown by the printed matter is suppressed by utilizing the environmental information or the composition information (ink sheet composition and paper composition). As such, the sublimation printer 100 applies thermal energy.

Therefore, printed matter (glossy printing) with high print quality can be stably obtained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of sticking, paper jam, and the like. As a result, the reliability of the sublimation printer is improved.

(Functional block diagram)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a characteristic functional configuration of the sublimation printer BL10. The sublimation printer BL10 corresponds to the sublimation printer 100. That is, FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the main functions related to the present technology among the functions of the sublimation printer BL10.

In the sublimation printer BL10, the thermal head heats an ink sheet provided with an ink material for expressing an image and a protective material, and performs a printing process of transferring the ink material and the protective material to paper.

In the printing process, after the ink material is transferred to the paper, the protective material is transferred to the paper so that the protective material covers the ink material expressing the image.

The state of the protective material includes a transfer state in which the protective material is transferred to the paper by the printing process and a non-transfer state in which the protective material is provided on the ink sheet. ..

The protective material has glossy properties. The gloss property is the gloss of the protective material in the transferred state in response to a change in thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state in order to transfer the protective material in the non-transfer state to the paper. It is a characteristic that the degree changes.

The sublimation printer BL10 identifies a target region that is one or both of a high density region and an edge portion in the image. The high density region is a region of the image represented by a density equal to or higher than a reference density, which is a set threshold value. The edge portion is a region showing an edge shown in the image.

The sublimation printer BL10 functionally includes a thermal head BL1 and an energy setting unit BL2. The thermal head BL1 emits heat. The thermal head BL1 corresponds to the thermal head 3.

The energy setting unit BL2 sets the applied energy, which is the thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state by the thermal head BL1 in the printing process. The energy setting unit BL2 corresponds to the energy setting unit 33.

The protective material in the non-transfer state includes a first protective material for covering the target region of the image and a second protective material for covering a region of the image different from the target region.

The energy setting unit BL2 has the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. The applied energy to be applied to each of the above is set.

(Other variants)
The sublimation printer according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. The present invention also includes modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. That is, the present invention can freely combine embodiments and modifications within the scope of the invention, and can appropriately modify or omit embodiments and modifications.

Further, the sublimation printer 100 does not have to include all the components shown in the figure. That is, the sublimation printer 100 needs to include only the minimum components that can realize the effect of the present technology.

Further, each function of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 included in the sublimation printer 100 may be realized by a processing circuit.

The processing circuit is a circuit for specifying a target region which is one or both of a high density region and an edge portion in the image.

Further, in the processing circuit, the first protective material and the second protective material are provided so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. It is also a circuit for setting the applied energy to be applied to each of the above.

The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware. Further, the processing circuit may be a processor that executes a program stored in the memory. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a central processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like.

In the following, the configuration in which the processing circuit is dedicated hardware is also referred to as "configuration Cs1". Further, in the following, the configuration in which the processing circuit is a processor is also referred to as “configuration Cs2”. Further, in the following, a configuration in which each function of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 is realized by a combination of hardware and software is also referred to as “configuration Cs3”.

In configuration Cs1, the processing circuit is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. Applicable. The functions of the region specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 may be realized by three processing circuits, respectively. Further, all the functions of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 may be realized by one processing circuit.

The configuration in which all or a part of each component included in the sublimation printer 100 is shown in hardware is as follows, for example. In the following, a sublimation printer in which all or a part of each component included in the sublimation printer 100 is shown by hardware is also referred to as a “sublimation printer hd10”.

FIG. 15 is a hardware configuration diagram of the sublimation printer hd10. With reference to FIG. 15, the sublimation printer hd10 includes a processor hd1 and a memory hd2. The memory hd2 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (RandomAccessMemory), a ROM (ReadOnlyMemory), a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM. The memory hd2 is, for example, a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD, or the like. Further, the memory hd2 may be any storage medium used in the future.

In the configuration Cs2, the processing circuit is the processor hd1. In the configuration Cs2, each function of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is described as a program and stored in the memory hd2.

Further, in the configuration Cs2, the processing circuit (processor hd1) reads the program stored in the memory hd2 and executes the program to execute each of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33. The function is realized. That is, the memory hd2 stores the following programs.

The program is a program for causing a processing circuit (processor hd1) to execute a step of specifying a target region which is one or both of a high density region and an edge portion in the image.

In addition, the program includes the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. It is also a program for causing the processing circuit (processor hd1) to execute the step of setting the applied energy to be applied to each of them.

Further, the program also causes a computer to execute a processing procedure performed by each of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33, a method of executing the processing, and the like.

In the configuration Cs3, some functions of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 are realized by dedicated hardware. Further, in the configuration Cs3, another part of the functions of the area specifying unit 31, the edge specifying unit 32, and the energy setting unit 33 is realized by software or firmware.

For example, the functions of the area specifying unit 31 and the edge specifying unit 32 are realized by the processing circuit reading and executing the program stored in the memory. Further, for example, the function of the energy setting unit 33 is realized by a processing circuit as dedicated hardware.

Like the above configurations Cs1, configuration Cs2, and configuration Cs3, the processing circuit can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

Further, the present technology may be realized as a print control method in which the operation of a characteristic component included in the sublimation printer 100 is a step. Further, the present technology may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute each step included in such a print control method. Further, the present technology may be realized as a computer-readable recording medium for storing such a program. Further, the program may be distributed via a transmission medium such as the Internet. The print control method according to the present technology corresponds to, for example, the process of FIG.

All the numerical values used in the above-described embodiment and modified examples are numerical values of an example for concretely explaining the present technology. That is, the present technology is not limited to each numerical value used in the above-described embodiment and modification.

It should be noted that, within the scope of the present invention, the embodiments and modifications can be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications can be appropriately modified or omitted.

For example, in the energy setting process of the print control process, the energy setting unit 33 corrects the OP data received from the PC 200, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the energy setting process, the energy setting unit 33 may generate OP data indicating the thermal energy corresponding to the high concentration region Rg1, the edge portion Rg3, etc. specified by the region identification process.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is exemplary in all embodiments and the invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that a myriad of variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the invention.

2 paper, 3, BL1 thermal head, 6 ink sheet, 10 control unit, 30 image processing unit, 30a correction unit, 30b image adjustment processing unit, 31 area identification unit, 32 edge identification unit, 33, BL2 energy setting unit, 100 , BL10, hd10 Sublimation printer.

Claims

A sublimation printer in which a thermal head heats an ink sheet provided with an ink material for expressing an image and a protective material, and performs a printing process of transferring the ink material and the protective material to paper.
In the printing process, after the ink material is transferred to the paper, the protective material is transferred to the paper so that the protective material covers the ink material expressing the image.
The state of the protective material includes a transfer state in which the protective material is transferred to the paper by the printing process and a non-transfer state in which the protective material is provided on the ink sheet. ,
The protective material has glossy properties and
The gloss property is the gloss of the protective material in the transferred state in response to a change in thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state in order to transfer the protective material in the non-transfer state to the paper. It is a characteristic that the degree changes,
The sublimation printer identifies a target area, which is one or both of a high density area and an edge portion, in the image.
The high density region is a region of the image represented by a density equal to or higher than a reference density, which is a set threshold value.
The edge portion is a region showing an edge shown in the image.
The sublimation printer
The thermal head that emits heat and
In the printing process, the thermal head includes an energy setting unit for setting applied energy, which is the thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state.
The protective material in the non-transfer state is
A first protective material for covering the target area of the image, and
The image includes a second protective material for covering a region different from the target region.
The energy setting unit of the first protective material and the second protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. Set the applied energy to be applied to each,
Sublimation printer.
The target region is the high concentration region.
The sublimation printer further
A region specifying portion for specifying the high concentration region is provided.
The sublimation printer according to claim 1.
The target area is the edge portion and
The sublimation printer further
The edge specifying portion for specifying the edge portion is provided.
The sublimation printer according to claim 1.
The target region is the high concentration region and the edge portion.
The first protective material is
An edge protection material for covering the edge portion and
Including a high concentration protective material for covering the high concentration region,
The glossiness of the edge protective material in the transfer state is higher than the glossiness of the high-concentration protective material in the transfer state, and the glossiness of the high-concentration protective material in the transfer state is the second protection in the transfer state. The energy setting unit sets the applied energy to be applied to each of the edge protective material, the high concentration protective material, and the second protective material so as to be higher than the glossiness of the material.
The sublimation printer according to claim 1.
In the printing process, the thermal head applies the applied energy set by the energy setting unit to the protective material in the non-transfer state.
The sublimation printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The threshold value is a value set based on both or one of the temperature and humidity inside the housing of the sublimation printer.
The sublimation printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The threshold is a value set based on the composition of the material constituting the ink sheet and / or the composition of the material constituting the paper.
The sublimation printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
Printing control performed by a sublimation printer that heats an ink sheet provided with an ink material for expressing an image and a protective material and performs a printing process to transfer the ink material and the protective material to paper. It's a method
In the printing process, after the ink material is transferred to the paper, the protective material is transferred to the paper so that the protective material covers the ink material expressing the image.
The state of the protective material includes a transfer state in which the protective material is transferred to the paper by the printing process and a non-transfer state in which the protective material is provided on the ink sheet. ,
The protective material has glossy properties and
The gloss property is the gloss of the protective material in the transferred state in response to a change in thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state in order to transfer the protective material in the non-transfer state to the paper. It is a characteristic that the degree changes,
The sublimation printer identifies a target area, which is one or both of a high density area and an edge portion, in the image.
The high density region is a region of the image represented by a density equal to or higher than a reference density, which is a set threshold value.
The edge portion is a region showing an edge shown in the image.
The print control method is
(A) In the printing process, a step of setting the applied energy, which is the thermal energy applied to the protective material in the non-transfer state by the thermal head, is provided.
The protective material in the non-transfer state is
A first protective material for covering the target area of the image, and
The image includes a second protective material for covering a region different from the target region.
In the step (a), the sublimation printer uses the first protective material so that the glossiness of the first protective material in the transferred state is higher than the glossiness of the second protective material in the transferred state. And set the applied energy to be applied to each of the second protective materials.
Print control method.
The target region is the high concentration region.
The print control method further comprises
A step of identifying the high concentration region.
The print control method according to claim 8.
The target area is the edge portion and
The print control method further comprises
A step of identifying the edge portion is provided.
The print control method according to claim 8.