Printer, printing method, and printing system

Abstract

To more properly perform printing onto a medium for transfer.SOLUTION: A printer 12 performs printing with an ink jet system onto a transfer medium 50 to be a medium of a film for transfer. The printer includes: a head section 102 which discharges ink to the transfer medium 50; a main scanning driving section 108 which causes the head section 102 to perform a main scanning operation; and a sub-scanning driving section 110 which causes the head section 102 to perform a sub-scanning driving section. The head section 102 has a head 202 for color to be a first ink jet head for discharging color ink and a head 204 for white ink to be a second ink jet head disposed by shifting a position in a sub-scanning direction from the head 202 for color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing method, and a printing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, printing devices that perform printing by a transfer method are known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this case, for example, by transferring an image printed on a transfer medium by the printing device to a transfer medium, it becomes possible to express an image on transfer media of various materials. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-130110 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When printing by the transfer method, a printing device may eject ink of a predetermined color onto a transfer medium, superimposing the image drawn with color ink. In this case, for example, it is possible to eject white ink onto the image drawn with color ink to form a white ink layer that becomes the background of the image after transfer. However, in this case, it is necessary to eject white ink in addition to color ink, and this may result in a decrease in printing speed. For this reason, a printing device configured to perform printing more appropriately on a transfer medium has been desired. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing device, a printing method, and a printing system that can solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a printing device for printing on a transfer medium, for example, an inkjet printer that uses an inkjet head to perform printing by an inkjet method can be suitably used. When using an inkjet printer to form a layer of ink of a specific color, such as white, on an image drawn with color ink, it is necessary to eject the white ink, etc., so that it does not mix with the color ink on the medium. In this case, the printing speed may decrease because only some of the nozzles in the nozzle row of the inkjet head are available.

[0006] More specifically, for example, in a printing device that prints on a medium by making an inkjet head perform a main scanning operation in which the inkjet head moves relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction while discharging ink, when forming a layer of white ink over an image drawn with color ink, it is conceivable to discharge white ink from a nozzle row that is adjacent in the main scanning direction to the nozzle row that discharges ink for the color ink. In this case, in order to perform printing so that the color ink and the white ink do not mix on the transfer medium, for example, it is conceivable to use only half of all the nozzles in the nozzle row for the color ink and also to use only half of all the nozzles in the nozzle row for the white ink so that the area where the color ink is discharged does not overlap with the area where the white ink is discharged. However, when printing in this manner, the number of nozzles used is reduced, which reduces the printing speed.

[0007] In response to this, the inventor of the present application has come up with the idea of ​​using inkjet heads for color inks and inkjet heads for a specific color such as white, and disposing the inkjet heads for the color ink such as white at a position offset in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction from the inkjet heads for the color inks. With this configuration, for example, even when printing is performed using the entire nozzle row of each inkjet head, it is possible to appropriately prevent the color inks and the ink such as white from mixing on the medium. This also makes it possible to appropriately prevent a decrease in printing speed caused by the further use of ink such as white, and more appropriately perform printing on the transfer medium.

[0008] Furthermore, the inventor of the present application has further studied and found the features necessary to obtain such an effect, and has arrived at the present invention. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a printing device that performs printing on a transfer film medium by an inkjet method, comprising: a head unit that ejects ink onto the medium, a main scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a main scanning operation in which the head unit moves relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction while ejecting ink, and a sub-scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a sub-scanning operation in which the head unit moves relatively to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the head unit has a first inkjet head that ejects color ink, which is ink of a predetermined color, and a second inkjet head that is disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction.

[0009] In this configuration, the second inkjet head is disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction, so that, for example, the ink can be appropriately ejected from the second inkjet head while appropriately preventing the ink from mixing with the color ink on the medium. This also makes it possible to appropriately prevent a decrease in printing speed caused by using the second inkjet head, and more appropriately perform printing on the transfer medium. In this configuration, the second inkjet head ejects, for example, a white ink. With this configuration, for example, the second inkjet head can appropriately form an ink layer that becomes the background after transfer. The white ink can be considered, for example, as an example of a light-reflective ink. Also, the ink layer formed by the white ink can be considered, for example, as a light-reflective ink layer. Also, the color of the ink ejected by the second inkjet head may be other than white. In this case, it is possible to use, for example, an ink of a color determined according to the quality required for printing, the purpose of printing, and the like, in the second inkjet head.

[0010] In addition, when the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head are arranged at different positions in the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to, for example, make the heating conditions for the medium different between a position on the medium facing the first inkjet head and a position on the medium facing the second inkjet head. More specifically, in this configuration, the printing device further includes, for example, a platen and a heating means. In this case, the platen can be considered as, for example, a member supporting the medium at a position facing the head unit. In addition, in this case, the heating means heats the medium through the platen, for example, by applying heat to the platen. Then, when the area where the first inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as the first ejection area, and the area where the second inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as the second ejection area, it is possible to heat the medium by, for example, making the temperature distribution in the first ejection area different from the temperature distribution in the second ejection area using the heating means and the platen. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to appropriately differentiate the heating conditions for the medium between a position on the medium facing the first inkjet head and a position on the medium facing the second inkjet head.

[0011] Regarding the temperature distribution, when printing is performed using an inkjet head, the ink that has landed on the medium usually spreads in the form of dots on the medium before it is fixed on the medium. In this case, the way the ink spreads on the medium may be affected by, for example, the temperature of the medium. In addition, in this case, for example, if there is a part on the medium that is different in temperature from the surroundings (for example, a part with a locally low temperature, etc.), unevenness may occur in the way the dots spread, which may result in a decrease in print quality. In addition, it is considered that such unevenness is particularly likely to be a problem when an image is drawn with color ink. Therefore, as for the heating conditions for the medium, for example, the temperature distribution in the first discharge region may be set to a distribution under conditions that are less likely to cause unevenness in the print result compared to the temperature distribution in the second discharge region. More specifically, in this case, for example, the temperature distribution in the first discharge region may be set to a distribution in which there are fewer parts with locally low temperatures compared to the temperature distribution in the second discharge region. In this case, it may be preferable to set the temperature distribution in the first discharge region to, for example, a more uniform distribution compared to the temperature distribution in the second discharge region.

[0012] In addition, in this configuration, the sub-scanning drive unit moves the head unit relatively to the medium, for example, by transporting the medium in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the sub-scanning drive unit changes the range of the medium facing the head unit in the next main scanning operation, for example, by transporting the medium between main scanning operations. In addition, in this case, the second inkjet head is disposed, for example, downstream in the transport direction with respect to the first inkjet head. With this configuration, for example, an ink layer formed of ink ejected from the second inkjet head can be appropriately formed on an ink layer formed of color ink ejected from the first inkjet head. In this case, for example, it is possible to use a platen in which suction holes for adsorbing the medium are formed. In this case, it is possible to, for example, not adsorb the medium on the platen during transport of the medium, and adsorb the medium by the suction holes during the main scanning operation. With this configuration, for example, the medium can be more appropriately held during the main scanning operation. However, in this case, it is conceivable that a temperature difference occurs between the suction hole position in the platen and the surroundings due to, for example, a difference in thermal conductivity occurring at the suction hole position compared to the surroundings, etc. More specifically, in this case, for example, a decrease in temperature occurs at the suction hole position compared to the surroundings, which may cause unevenness in the print results.

[0013] On the other hand, in order to perform printing with higher quality, for example, it is considered to reduce the number of suction holes in the range overlapping with the first discharge region as much as possible. More specifically, for example, when the number of suction holes per unit area is defined as the suction hole density, it is considered to make the suction hole density in the range overlapping with the first discharge region smaller than the suction hole density in the range overlapping with the second discharge region. In this case, it can be considered that the temperature distribution in the heating means and the platen is made different from that in the first discharge region, for example, from that in the second discharge region. In this configuration, by reducing the suction hole density in the range overlapping with the first discharge region, it is possible to make it difficult for unevenness due to the influence of the suction holes to occur in an image drawn with color ink, for example. In addition, this makes it possible to perform printing with higher quality more appropriately, for example. In addition, it is more preferable to not form suction holes in the range overlapping with the first discharge region. In this case, it can be considered that, for example, in the platen, no suction holes are formed in the range overlapping with the first discharge region, and suction holes are formed in the range overlapping with the second discharge region. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to more appropriately prevent unevenness caused by the influence of suction holes in an image drawn with color ink.

[0014] The configuration of reducing the suction hole density in the range overlapping with the first ejection region can also be suitably used in, for example, a printing device that prints on a medium other than a medium such as a film for transfer. In this case, the configuration of the present invention is, for example, a printing device that prints by an inkjet method, comprising a head unit that ejects ink onto a medium, a main scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a main scanning operation of ejecting ink while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction, a sub-scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a sub-scanning operation of moving relatively to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, a platen that supports the medium at a position facing the head unit, and a heating means that applies heat to the platen to heat the medium via the platen, and the head unit includes a first inkjet head and a second inkjet head that is disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction. The medium is conveyed in a conveying direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction, and the platen is formed with suction holes for suctioning the medium. When an area where the first inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a first ejection area, an area where the second inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a second ejection area, and the number of suction holes per unit area is defined as an suction hole density, the suction hole density in the area overlapping the first ejection area is smaller than the suction hole density in the area overlapping the second ejection area. In addition, a printing method, a printing system, or the like having the same characteristics as described above may be used as a configuration of the present invention. In this case, the printing system further includes, in addition to the printing device, a powder application device and a transfer device, for example. In these cases, the same effects as described above can be obtained. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, for example, printing on a transfer medium can be performed more appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG 1 is a diagram illustrating a printing system 10 including a printing device 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG 1(a) shows an example of the configuration of the printing system 10. FIG 1(b) shows an example of a printing operation executed in the printing system 10. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining in more detail the printing device 12. Fig. 2A shows an example of the configuration of the printing device 12. Fig. 2B shows an example of the configuration of a head unit 102 in the printing device 12. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a more specific configuration of a printing device 12. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams explaining the characteristics of the head unit 102 and modified configurations of the head unit 102. Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams explaining the printing operation when using a head unit 102 having a different configuration from that of the head unit 102 of this example. Figure 4C shows a modified configuration of the head unit 102. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a method for forming suction holes 312 in the platen 104. Fig. 5A shows an example of the configuration of the platen 104. Fig. 5B shows another example of the configuration of the platen 104. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a printing system 10 equipped with a printing device 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) shows an example of the configuration of the printing system 10. Except for the points described below, the printing system 10 and each configuration of the printing system 10 may have the same or similar features as a known printing system and its configuration. In this example, the printing system 10 is a printing system that performs printing by a transfer method, and includes a printing device 12, a control device 14, a powder application device 16, and a transfer device 18. The transfer method of printing can be considered, for example, as a method of creating a final print product by transferring an image drawn on a transfer medium 50, which is a medium for transfer, to a transfer medium 150, which is another medium.

[0018] In addition, among the components of the printing system 10 in this example, the printing device 12 is an inkjet printer that draws an image on the transfer medium 50, and draws an image on the transfer medium 50 by performing printing using an inkjet method. In this case, the transfer medium 50 can be considered as, for example, an object to be printed by the printing device 12. In this example, for example, a film medium for transfer is used as the transfer medium 50. In this case, the printing device 12 can be considered as, for example, a DTF (Direct To Film) printer that directly prints on the film-like transfer medium 50. In addition, the printing device 12 executes the operation of printing on the transfer medium 50 based on, for example, print data supplied from the control device 14. For example, a known transfer film can be suitably used as the transfer medium 50. The transfer medium 50 can also be considered as, for example, a transfer sheet. The configuration of the printing device 12 will be described in more detail later. In addition, the control device 14 is a device that controls the operation of the printing device 12. In this example, the control device 14 controls the operation of the printing device 12 by supplying print data indicating an image to be printed on the transfer medium 50. As the control device 14, for example, a computer that executes a program for controlling the operation of the printing device 12 can be suitably used. The control device 14 may further control other devices in the printing system 10.

[0019] The powder applicator 16 is a device (powdering device) that applies (applies) powder to the transfer medium 50 after an image is drawn by the printer 12. The powder can be considered to be, for example, adhesive powder for transfer. For the powder applicator 16, for example, a known powder applicator used for transfer printing can be suitably used. For this powder, for example, a known powder used for transfer printing can be suitably used. More specifically, for example, a resin powder that develops adhesiveness by melting with heat can be suitably used. The powder used in the powder applicator 16 can be considered to be, for example, an adhesive member for adhering the transfer medium 50 to the transfer medium 150.

[0020] The transfer device 18 is a device that transfers an image drawn on the transfer medium 50 to which powder has been applied, to the transfer medium 150. For example, a known transfer device used for printing by a transfer method can be suitably used as the transfer device 18. In this example, the transfer device 18 applies pressure while heating the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150 in a state where the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150 are overlapped so that the surface of the transfer medium 50 to which powder has been applied contacts the transfer medium 150, thereby thermally transferring the image drawn on the transfer medium 50 to the transfer medium 150. In this case, the transfer medium 50 is peeled off from the transfer medium 150 after the temperatures of the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150 have dropped, thereby completing the transfer of the image to the transfer medium 150. According to this example, for example, printing by a transfer method can be appropriately performed using the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150.

[0021] The specific configuration of the printing system 10 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1(a) and can be changed in various ways. For example, the printing system 10 may further include devices other than those described above. In addition, the multiple devices in the configuration shown in FIG. 1(a) may be realized by a single device having the functions of multiple devices. It is also possible to install some of the devices constituting the printing system 10 at a different base from the other devices. More specifically, in this case, for example, the printing device 12, the control device 14, and the powder application device 16 may be installed at the same base (for example, the same factory, etc.), and the transfer device 18 may be installed at a different base (for example, a different factory, etc.) from the printing device 12, etc.

[0022] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the printing operation etc. executed in the printing system 10. In the printing system 10 of this example, it is considered to execute a printing operation by a transfer method, for example, as shown in Fig. 1(b). Fig. 1(b) shows an example of the printing operation executed in the printing system 10.

[0023] In the printing system 10, when performing a printing operation by a transfer method, a transfer medium 50 is prepared as an object to be printed in the printing device 12. In this example, the transfer medium 50 is, for example, a sheet-like medium having a film layer 52, a peeling layer 54, and a receiving layer 56. For the film layer 52, the peeling layer 54, and the receiving layer 56, for example, layers identical to or similar to the layers in known transfer media can be suitably used. For the film layer 52, for example, a thin-film configuration that serves as the base (foundation) of the transfer medium 50 can be considered. For the film layer 52, for example, a layer made of various resins can be suitably used. In this example, the film layer 52 supports the receiving layer 56 via the peeling layer 54. The peeling layer 54 is a layer that bonds the film layer 52 and the receiving layer 56 in a peelable manner. For example, the peeling layer 54 can be considered as a layer for separating the receiving layer 56 from the transfer medium 50 when peeling off the transfer medium 50 that is in close contact with the transfer medium 150. As the release layer 54, for example, a layer made of a fluorine-based or silicone-based release agent can be suitably used. Also, the receiving layer 56 is a layer that receives the transfer ink discharged by the printing device 12. The receiving layer 56 can be considered to be, for example, a layer made of a material or structure that easily adsorbs the transfer ink. More specifically, as the receiving layer 56, for example, a layer made of a porous material can be suitably used.

[0024] In this example, the printing device 12 forms an ink layer 62 on the transfer medium 50 by printing on the transfer medium 50 using ink for transfer. In this case, the formation of the ink layer 62 on the transfer medium 50 can be considered to be, for example, forming the ink layer 62 on a predetermined surface of the transfer medium 50 while the receiving layer 56 of the transfer medium 50 appropriately receives the ink. In this case, the ink layer 62 can be considered to be formed on the surface or inside of the receiving layer 56. The printing device 12 may also form a plurality of ink layers on the transfer medium 50. More specifically, the printing device 12 draws an image on the transfer medium 50 using, for example, color ink for transfer, and forms a layer of ink of a predetermined color such as white on the image. In this case, it is considered that the layer of ink of a predetermined color such as white functions as the background of the image after transfer. In this case, for example, in FIG. 2(b), for convenience of illustration, the plurality of ink layers can be considered to be collectively illustrated as the ink layer 62.

[0025] After the ink layer 62 is formed on the transfer medium 50 in the printing device 12, the powder applicator 16 applies powder. The powder applicator 16 then further forms a powder layer 64 on the ink layer 62 on the transfer medium 50. After the powder layer 64 is formed, the transfer device 18 performs transfer (thermal transfer). In this case, the transfer device 18 overlaps the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150 with the powder layer 64 of the transfer medium 50 in contact with the transfer medium 150, as shown in the figure, for example, and applies heat and pressure to melt the adhesive powder in the powder layer 64. In this case, when the powder layer 64 and the like are cooled by stopping the heating thereafter, the powder solidifies, and the transfer medium 50 is adhered to the transfer medium 150.

[0026] After the transfer medium 50 is attached to the transfer medium 150 in the transfer device 18, the transfer medium 50 is peeled off from the transfer medium 150 (peeling). In this case, the film layer 52, which is the part outside the peeling layer 54 of the transfer medium 50 in a state where the transfer medium 50 and the transfer medium 150 are overlapped, is separated from the part inside the peeling layer 54, and the film layer 52 of the transfer medium 50 is peeled off. As a result, the part corresponding to the receiving layer 56 of the transfer medium 50, the ink layer 62, and the powder layer 64 remain on the transfer medium 150 side. In this case, the ink layer 62 is transferred onto the transfer medium 150, and the image drawn in color ink in the ink layer 62 is transferred to the transfer medium 150. Therefore, according to this example, for example, an image can be appropriately transferred to the transfer medium 150. In addition, this allows, for example, printing by the transfer method to be performed appropriately in the printing system 10.

[0027] In this case, it is also possible to use, as the transfer medium 150, a medium on which it is difficult to perform direct printing in the printing device 12. More specifically, as the transfer medium 150, for example, a cloth medium or the like can be suitably used. As the cloth medium, for example, clothing such as nylon clothing or towels can be used. As the clothing, for example, a T-shirt or the like can be used. In addition, when printing is performed using the transfer method, printing can be performed more easily on media of various shapes. Therefore, as the transfer medium 150, it is also possible to use media of various shapes such as an enamel bag or an umbrella. According to this example, for example, printing using the transfer method can be performed appropriately on various transfer media 150.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the printing device 12 will be described in more detail. FIG. 2 is a diagram for describing the printing device 12 in more detail. FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the configuration of the printing device 12. FIG. 2(b) shows an example of the configuration of the head unit 102 in the printing device 12. In this example, the printing device 12 includes the head unit 102, a platen 104, a Y-bar unit 106, a main scanning drive unit 108, a sub-scanning drive unit 110, a heating unit 112, a suction unit 114, and a control unit 120. In addition to the configuration shown in the figure, the printing device 12 may further include configurations that are the same as or similar to those in a known inkjet printer.

[0029] The head unit 102 is a portion having an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the transfer medium 50. As the ink ejected from the head unit 102, for example, a known transfer ink can be suitably used. In this example, an evaporative drying type ink is used as the ink. The evaporative drying type ink can be considered to be, for example, an ink that is fixed to a medium (such as the transfer medium 50) by drying the ink. The head unit 102 has a color head 202 and a white ink head 204 as inkjet heads, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(b). In this case, the head unit 102 may further have, for example, a carriage that holds the color head 202 and the white ink head 204. For the sake of simplicity of illustration and explanation, FIG. 2(b) illustrates a configuration in which the head unit 102 has one color head 202 and one white ink head 204. The head unit 102 may have a plurality of color heads 202 and a plurality of white ink heads 204. A configuration in which the head unit 102 has a plurality of color heads 202 etc. will be described later as a modified example.

[0030] The color head 202 is an example of a first inkjet head, and ejects color inks that are inks of a predetermined color. In this example, the color head 202 has a plurality of nozzle rows 302, and ejects black (K), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and magenta (M) inks as color inks from these nozzle rows 302. In this case, the inks of the colors K, C, M, and M can be considered as inks of the process colors that are basic colors of color expression, for example. More specifically, in this example, the color head 202 has eight nozzle rows 302, and ejects ink from two nozzle rows 302 for one color, as shown in the figure. The nozzle rows can be considered as rows in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged with their positions shifted in a predetermined nozzle row direction, for example. In this example, the nozzle row direction is a direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction (X direction in the figure) that is preset in the printing device 12. Furthermore, in the color head 202, the multiple nozzle rows 302 are aligned in the sub-scanning direction and are lined up in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction.

[0031] The white ink head 204 is an example of a second inkjet head, and ejects white ink, which is an example of a special color ink. The special color ink can be considered to be, for example, an ink of a color different from each of the process colors. For example, an inkjet head having the same structure as the color head 202 can be suitably used as the white ink head 204. In this case, the fact that the inkjet heads have the same structure can be considered to be, for example, the same product. More specifically, in this example, the white ink head 204 has eight nozzle rows 304 that are the same as or similar to the nozzle rows 302 in the color head 202, and ejects white ink from these nozzle rows 304.

[0032] In this example, the white ink head 204 is disposed with a position shifted from the color ink head 202 in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the shifting of the positions of the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 in the sub-scanning direction can be considered to mean, for example, shifting the nozzle row 302 in the color ink head 202 and the nozzle row 304 in the white ink head 204 so that they do not overlap in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the position of the white ink head 204 in the main scanning direction can also be considered to be shifted from the color ink head 202, for example, as shown in the figure. The arrangement of the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 can also be considered to be, for example, a staggered arrangement of two inkjet heads (two heads). The printing operation performed using the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 arranged in this way will be described in more detail later.

[0033] The platen 104 is a table-like support member that supports the transfer medium 50 at a position facing the head unit 102. In this example, the platen 104 has suction holes that suction the transfer medium 50. This allows the platen 104 to suction and hold the transfer medium 50 as necessary. The Y-bar unit 106 is a member that extends in the main scanning direction and holds the head unit 102 so that it can move in the main scanning direction. This allows the Y-bar unit 106 to guide the movement of the head unit 102 during the main scanning operation. The main scanning operation can be considered to be, for example, an operation of ejecting ink while moving relative to the transfer medium 50 in the main scanning direction. The main scanning drive unit 108 is a drive unit that causes the head unit 102 to perform the main scanning operation. The head unit 102 to perform the main scanning operation can also be considered to be, for example, an operation of causing the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204, which are inkjet heads included in the head unit 102, to perform the main scanning operation. In this example, the main scanning drive unit 108 moves the head unit 102 along the Y bar portion 106 while causing the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 to eject ink, thereby causing the head unit 102 to perform a main scanning operation.

[0034] The sub-scanning driver 110 is a driver that causes the head unit 102 to perform a sub-scanning operation. The sub-scanning operation can be considered, for example, as an operation of moving relative to the transfer medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction. Making the head unit 102 perform a sub-scanning operation can be considered, for example, as making the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 in the head unit 102 perform a sub-scanning operation. In this example, the sub-scanning driver 110 moves the head unit 102 relative to the transfer medium 50 by transporting the transfer medium 50 in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction. In this case, the sub-scanning driver 110 transports the transfer medium 50 between main scanning operations to change the range of the transfer medium 50 that faces the head unit 102 in the next main scanning operation. In addition, when considering the relationship between the arrangement of the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 in the head unit and the transport direction, in this example, the white ink head 204 is disposed downstream of the color ink head 202 in the transport direction. With this configuration, for example, an ink layer formed of white ink ejected from the white ink head 204 can be appropriately formed on an ink layer formed of color ink ejected from the color ink head 202. The heating means 112 is a means for performing heating to fix ink on the transfer medium 50. In this example, the heating means 112 applies heat to the platen 104 to heat the transfer medium 50 via the platen 104. The heating means 112 has, for example, a heater disposed on the opposite side of the head unit 102 with respect to the platen 104, and heats the transfer medium 50 via the platen 104 by transferring heat from the heater to the platen 104. As such a heater, for example, a known heater can be suitably used.

[0035] The suction means 114 is a means for sucking the transfer medium 50 through the suction holes of the platen 104. For example, a known pump or the like can be suitably used as the suction means 114. In this example, the suction means 114, for example, switches suction on and off according to the control of the control unit 120, so as to suck the transfer medium 50 to the suction holes of the platen 104 at a predetermined timing. More specifically, the suction means 114 turns off suction, for example, during the execution of the sub-scanning operation. Also, the suction means 114 turns on suction, for example, during the execution of the main scanning operation. With this configuration, for example, the transfer medium 50 can be more easily and appropriately transported during the sub-scanning operation, while the transfer medium 50 can be more reliably held by the platen 104 during the main scanning operation. Also, in this case, it can be considered that the platen 104 does not suck the transfer medium 50 during the transport of the transfer medium 50, and sucks the transfer medium 50 by the suction holes during the main scanning operation. Further, the control unit 120 includes, for example, a CPU of the printing device 12, and controls the operation of each unit of the printing device 12. According to this example, for example, in the printing device 12, the operation of printing on the transfer medium 50 can be appropriately executed.

[0036] Here, in FIG. 2, an example of the configuration of the printing device 12 is illustrated, focusing mainly on the functional configuration of the printing device 12. In contrast, when focusing on the specific structure of the printing device 12, it is possible to configure the printing device 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a more specific configuration of the printing device 12. For convenience of illustration and explanation, FIG. 3 omits part of the functional configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, and illustrates part of the configuration of the printing device 12 that was omitted in FIG. 2. More specifically, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, the printing device 12 uses a transfer medium 50 wound in a roll shape on a paper tube 224. In addition, as a configuration for this purpose, the printing device 12 includes a roll holder 222. The roll holder 222 can be considered, for example, as a member that rotatably holds the paper tube 224 around which the transfer medium 50 is wound. In this case, the printing device 12 sequentially pays out the transfer medium 50 wound around a paper tube 224, transports it to a position facing the head unit 102, and performs printing on the transfer medium 50. The printing device 12 also includes a transport roller 206 and a pinch roller 208 as components for transporting the transfer medium 50. The transport roller 206 is a roller that moves the transfer medium 50 by rotating. The pinch roller 208 is a driven roller that sandwiches the transfer medium 50 between the transport roller 206 and the pinch roller 208. In this case, the sub-scanning drive unit 110 (see FIG. 2) moves the transfer medium 50 in the transport direction, for example, by rotating the transport roller 206.

[0037] In this configuration, the heating means 112 (see FIG. 2) has a plurality of heaters 212, 216 and a plurality of heated members 214, 218. The heater 212 is a heater (pre-heater, rear heater) disposed upstream of the head unit 102 in the transport direction of the transfer medium 50. The heated member 214 is a member heated by the heater 212, and by contacting the transfer medium 50, transfers the heat of the heater 212 to the transfer medium 50 to heat the transfer medium 50. The heater 216 is a heater (after-heater) disposed downstream of the head unit 102 in the transport direction. The heated member 218 is a member heated by the heater 216, and by contacting the transfer medium 50, transfers the heat of the heater 216 to the transfer medium 50 to heat the transfer medium 50. As shown in the figure, the heated member 214 and the heated member 218 are disposed adjacent to the platen 104 in the transport direction, and the heat generated by the heater 212 and the heater 216 is also transferred to the platen 104. In this case, as described above, the heating means 112 can be considered to apply heat to the platen 104 and heat the transfer medium 50 via the platen 104. As shown in the figure, the heated member 214 and the heated member 218 can be considered to support the transfer medium 50 at a position facing the head unit 102, for example. Therefore, the heated member 214 and the heated member 218 can be considered to constitute, for example, a part of the platen 104. By using the printing device 12 having such a specific configuration, it is possible to appropriately print on the transfer medium 50, for example.

[0038] Next, the printing operation performed using the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 will be described in more detail. As described above, when printing is performed by the transfer method, the printing device 12 draws an image on the transfer medium 50 using, for example, color inks for transfer, and forms a layer of ink of a predetermined color, such as white, on the image. In this case, it is considered that the layer of ink of a predetermined color, such as white, functions as the background of the image after transfer. More specifically, in this example, the printing device 12 forms a color ink layer, which is a layer of ink formed from, for example, color inks, on the transfer medium 50, and forms a white ink layer, which is a layer of ink formed from white ink, on the color ink layer. In this case, the color ink layer can be considered as, for example, a layer on which an image is drawn with color inks. Also, the white ink layer can be considered as, for example, a layer that functions as the background of the image after transfer. The white ink can be considered as, for example, an example of light-reflective ink. Also, the white ink layer can be considered as, for example, a light-reflective ink layer. The white ink layer can also be considered as a layer for concealing the color of the transfer medium 150 (see FIG. 1) after transfer. In this case, it is necessary to eject ink from the head unit 102 in the printing device 12 so that the color ink and the white ink do not mix on the transfer medium 50.

[0039] Regarding this point, as described above, in this example, the printing device 12 causes the head unit 102 to perform a main scanning operation and a sub-scanning operation, thereby discharging ink from the head unit 102 to each position on the transfer medium 50. In this case, inks discharged from nozzle rows that are aligned in the sub-scanning direction, such as the nozzle rows 302 for each color in the color head 202 of the head unit 102 (see FIG. 2), usually tend to mix on the transfer medium 50. In contrast, as described above, in the head unit 102 of this example, the white ink head 204 is disposed at a position shifted in the sub-scanning direction relative to the color head 202. In this case, for example, it can be considered that the range in which the white ink head 204 discharges ink and the range in which the color head 202 discharges ink in one main scanning operation performed simultaneously do not overlap. Therefore, according to this example, for example, it is possible to appropriately eject white ink from the white ink head 204 while appropriately preventing the color inks and the white ink from mixing on the transfer medium 50. This also makes it possible to appropriately form a white ink layer on a color ink layer, for example. In this case, it is possible to appropriately prevent a decrease in printing speed caused by using the white ink head 204, and to more appropriately print on the transfer medium 50, as will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the characteristics of the head unit 102 of this example and modified examples of the configuration of the head unit 102. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining the printing operation when a head unit 102 having a different configuration from the head unit 102 of this example is used. When printing by the transfer method, as described above, white ink is often used in addition to color inks. In this case, it is usually necessary to eject white ink from one of the inkjet heads in the head unit 102. In this case, if it is simply considered to eject white ink, it is also possible to assign some nozzle rows in the color head 202 that ejects color inks to white ink, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0041] However, in this case, if printing is performed using all the nozzles in the nozzle row 302, it is considered that the color inks and the white ink will mix on the transfer medium 50. As a result, it is considered that it will be difficult to properly form a white ink layer on top of the color ink layer. For this reason, for example, when using the color head 202 as shown in FIG. 4(a), for example, by not using the nozzles in the range shown between the dashed lines in the figure, printing on the transfer medium 50 will be performed using only about half of all the nozzles. In this case, printing using only a portion of the nozzle row 302 will result in a slower printing speed than, for example, when the entire nozzle row 302 is used.

[0042] Furthermore, when using a white ink head 204 in addition to a color ink head 202, it is also possible to arrange the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 so that their positions in the sub-scanning direction are aligned, as shown in FIG. 4(b), for example. However, even in this case, when attempting to form a white ink layer over a color ink layer, the same problem as in the configuration shown in FIG. 4(a) occurs. Therefore, even in this case, it is usually necessary to use only nozzles in a half range in the sub-scanning direction for the nozzle row 302 in the color ink head 202 and the nozzle row 304 in the white ink head 204. As a result, even in this case, the printing speed decreases.

[0043] In contrast, when the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 are arranged with their positions shifted in the sub-scanning direction as in this example, printing on the transfer medium 50 can be performed using all the nozzles in the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204. In this case, using all the nozzles may mean using substantially all the nozzles (almost all the nozzles) except for a small number of nozzles that are not used for convenience of controlling the printing operation, etc. Therefore, according to this example, even when a white ink layer is formed over a color ink layer, for example, a decrease in printing speed can be prevented and printing on the transfer medium 50 can be performed appropriately.

[0044] In addition, the specific configuration of the head unit 102 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2B, and can be changed in various ways. For example, the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 can be arranged with a gap in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, if the gap between the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 is widened, for example, the time from when the color ink is discharged to when the white ink is discharged at each position on the transfer medium 50 increases, which is advantageous in terms of drying the ink and more appropriately prevents the inks from bleeding each other. However, in this case, more space is required for installing the head unit 102 and the space on the printing surface, and it is considered that the printing device 12 becomes larger. Therefore, when the gap between the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 in the sub-scanning direction is widened, it is preferable to set the gap while taking the above points into consideration.

[0045] As described above, FIG. 2B illustrates a configuration in which the head unit 102 has one color head 202 and one white ink head 204. However, the head unit 102 may have multiple color heads 202 and multiple white ink heads 204, as shown in FIG. 4C, for example. FIG. 4C illustrates a modified configuration of the head unit 102. In the illustrated configuration, the head unit 102 has four color heads 202 and four white ink heads 204. In this case, the multiple color heads 202 in the head unit 102 are aligned in the main scanning direction with their positions aligned in the sub-scanning direction. The multiple white ink heads 204 are aligned in the main scanning direction with their positions aligned in the sub-scanning direction. In the illustrated configuration, the color head 202 has two nozzle rows 302. The white ink head 204 has two nozzle rows 304. Even in this configuration, by disposing the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 at different positions in the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to appropriately print on the transfer medium 50 while preventing a decrease in printing speed, even when a white ink layer is formed by overlapping a color ink layer. In a further modified example of the configuration of the head unit 102, for example, a color ink head 202 having only one nozzle row 302 and a white ink head 204 having only one nozzle row 304 may be used. In the head unit 102, the number of color ink heads 202 and the number of white ink heads 204 may be different. In this case, for example, it is possible to make the number of white ink heads 204 smaller than the number of color ink heads 202.

[0046] As described above, in this example, the heating means 112 (see FIG. 2) heats the transfer medium 50 via the platen 104. When the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 are arranged at different positions in the sub-scanning direction as in this example, the area of ​​the platen 104 (see FIG. 2) facing the color head 202 and the area facing the white ink head 204 are different. Therefore, in this case, for example, it is possible to make the heating conditions for the area of ​​the platen 104 facing the color head 202 different from the heating conditions for the area facing the white ink head 204. More specifically, for example, when the platen 104 having suction holes formed therein is used as in this example, it is possible that a temperature difference occurs in the hollow portion of the hole compared to the surrounding area. Therefore, for example, by making the presence or absence of suction holes and the density of the suction holes different depending on the area of ​​the platen 104, the heating conditions for each area can be made different. In this case, the suction holes in the platen 104 may be formed as shown in FIG.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining how the suction holes 312 are formed in the platen 104. FIG. 5(a) shows an example of the configuration of the platen 104. Regarding how the suction holes 312 are formed in the platen 104, the inventors of the present application conducted an experiment to measure the temperature at each position on the transfer medium 50 (see FIG. 1) held on the platen 104, and confirmed that the temperature is lower at the positions of the suction holes 312 than at the surrounding area. In addition, in this experiment, it was confirmed that the temperature is lower at the positions of the suction holes 312, for example, by about 10 degrees (8 degrees or more). In this case, it is considered that a temperature difference occurs between the positions of the suction holes 312 in the platen 104 and the surrounding area due to, for example, a difference in thermal conductivity occurring at the positions of the suction holes 312 compared to the surrounding area.

[0048] Regarding such a temperature distribution, when printing is performed using inkjet heads such as the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 (see FIG. 2), the ink that has landed on the transfer medium 50 usually spreads in the form of dots on the transfer medium 50 until it is fixed on the transfer medium 50. In this case, the way the ink spreads on the transfer medium 50 may be affected by, for example, the temperature of the transfer medium 50. Therefore, if a drop in temperature occurs at the position of the suction hole 312, the way the ink dots spread until they are fixed on the transfer medium 50 may not be the way that was originally expected in the design. In this case, for example, the position of the suction hole 312 may become a locally low temperature area, and a difference in temperature may occur compared to the surrounding area, causing unevenness in the way the dots spread, resulting in a decrease in print quality. Furthermore, the inventor of the present application confirmed through actual experiments that unevenness (vertical unevenness) is likely to occur in the print result due to the influence of the suction hole 312. Therefore, when considering preventing a decrease in print quality due to the influence of the suction hole, it is preferable to, for example, not use the suction hole 312 as much as possible. However, when considering the need to appropriately hold the transfer medium 50 during the main scanning operation, it can be said that it is preferable to use a certain number of suction holes 312.

[0049] In this regard, the problem of unevenness as described above is considered to be particularly problematic when an image is drawn with color inks. In contrast, it is considered that unevenness is less likely to be a problem when an ink layer is formed with only white ink. In addition, since the white ink layer is under the color ink layer after transfer, it is also considered that unevenness is less likely to be a problem in this respect. In this case, for example, it is considered that the method of forming the suction holes is made different between the position facing the color head 202 on the platen 104 and the position facing the white ink head 204. With this configuration, for example, by making the method of forming the suction holes on the platen 104 different, the heating conditions under which the heating means 112 (see FIG. 2) heats the transfer medium 50 via the platen 104 can be appropriately made different between the position facing the color head 202 on the transfer medium 50 and the position facing the white ink head 204. In this case, it is considered that the suction holes are not formed as much as possible at the position facing the color head 202. Moreover, it is more preferable that no suction holes are formed in the position facing the color head 202, for example.

[0050] More specifically, in this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), it is considered that the suction holes 312 are not formed in the passing area 402 of the color head 202, which is the area on the platen 104 through which the color head 202 passes during the main scanning operation. Also, in this case, it is considered that the necessary number of suction holes 312 are formed in the passing area 404 of the white ink head 204, which is the area on the platen 104 through which the white ink head 204 passes during the main scanning operation. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to appropriately hold the transfer medium 50 on the platen 104 while appropriately preventing the influence of the suction holes 312 from occurring in the position facing the color head 202. Also, this makes it possible to more appropriately perform high-quality printing by appropriately preventing the occurrence of unevenness such as vertical unevenness. Also, when only considering reducing the influence of the suction holes 312, it seems more preferable to not form the suction holes 312 in the passing area 404 of the white ink head 204, for example. In this case, however, the number of suction holes 312 in the platen 104 may become too small, making it difficult to hold the transfer medium 50 with high precision. In contrast, in this example, by forming the suction holes 312 in the passing area 402 of the white ink head 204, the transfer medium 50 can be held more reliably.

[0051] As described above, in this example, the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 eject ink while moving in the main scanning direction during the main scanning operation. In this case, the passing area 402 and the passing area 404 can be considered to correspond to the area where the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 can eject ink during the main scanning operation. More specifically, if the area where the color head 202 can eject ink during one main scanning operation is defined as the color ink ejection area, and the area where the white ink head 204 can eject ink during one main scanning operation is defined as the white ink ejection area, the passing area 402 of the color head 202 can be considered to be, for example, a range that overlaps with the color ink ejection area on the platen 104. The passing area 404 of the white ink head 204 can be considered to be, for example, a range that overlaps with the white ink ejection area on the platen 104. In this case, the color ink ejection area is an example of a first ejection area. The white ink ejection region is an example of a second ejection region. In this case, by differentiating the manner in which the suction holes 312 are formed (whether or not the suction holes 312 are present) between the passing areas 402 and 404, it can be considered that the transfer medium 50 is heated by, for example, differentiating the temperature distribution in the color ink ejection region from the temperature distribution in the white ink ejection region for the heating means 112 (see FIG. 2) and the platen 104 in the printing device 12. Therefore, according to this example, for example, the heating conditions for the transfer medium 50 can be appropriately different between the position on the transfer medium 50 facing the color head 202 and the position on the transfer medium 50 facing the white ink head 204.

[0052] In addition, regarding such heating conditions, for example, the temperature distribution in the color ink ejection region may be considered to be a distribution under conditions that are less likely to cause unevenness in the print result compared to the temperature distribution in the white ink ejection region. The temperature distribution in the color ink ejection region may be considered to be a distribution in which there are fewer parts with locally low temperatures compared to the temperature distribution in the white ink ejection region. In this case, the temperature distribution in the color ink ejection region may be considered to be, for example, a more uniform distribution compared to the temperature distribution in the white ink ejection region. In addition, for example, as shown in the figure, the width in the main scanning direction of the passing area 402 of the color head 202 may be smaller than the width of the platen 104. In this case, as shown in the figure, for example, suction holes 312 may be formed as necessary in the part of the platen 104 that overlaps with the passing area 402 of the color head 202 in the sub-scanning direction, which is outside the passing area 402 in the main scanning direction. With this configuration, for example, the transfer medium 50 can be more reliably held on the platen 104.

[0053] Depending on the quality required for printing, for example, instead of forming no suction holes 312 at all in the passing area 402 of the color head 202, it is also possible to form a small number of suction holes 312 as shown in FIG. 5(b). FIG. 5(b) shows another example of the configuration of the platen 104. In this case, the platen 104 can be considered to have a configuration in which, for example, the number of suction holes 312 in the area overlapping with the color ink ejection area is reduced as much as possible. Even with such a configuration, for example, the effect of the suction holes 312 on the print quality can be appropriately reduced. This also makes it possible to appropriately perform printing with higher quality, for example.

[0054] 5A and 5B, the configuration for forming the suction holes 312 can be considered, for example, by focusing on the density of the suction holes 312. More specifically, for example, if the number of suction holes 312 per unit area is defined as the suction hole density, then the method for forming the suction holes 312 in the platen 104 can be considered to be such that the suction hole density in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 is made smaller than the suction hole density in the passing area 404 of the white ink head 204. In this case, the difference in suction hole density can be considered to cause, for example, the temperature distribution in the color ink ejection area and the temperature distribution in the white ink ejection area of ​​the heating means 112 and the platen 104 to differ. In this case, it can be considered that the reduction in the suction hole density in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 can be considered to make it difficult for unevenness caused by the influence of the suction holes 312 to occur in an image drawn with color inks, for example. Furthermore, a configuration that reduces the density of suction holes in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 can be considered to be a particularly preferable configuration when, for example, there is a large difference between the temperature at the suction holes 312 and the surrounding temperature. More specifically, when attention is focused on the drop in temperature that occurs at the positions of the suction holes 312 formed in the passing area 404 of the white ink head 204, in this example, the heating means 112 heats the platen 104 under conditions such that the temperature at the center of the suction holes 312 is 8 degrees or more lower than the temperature around the suction holes.

[0055] Also, in the platen 104, for example, a local temperature change (for example, a drop in temperature) may occur due to a configuration other than the suction holes 312. More specifically, if screws are used in the platen 104, the thermal conductivity at the screw hole position may differ from that of the surrounding area, which may cause uneven temperature. For this reason, it is more preferable not to form screw holes in the passage area 402 of the color head 202 in the platen 104. Also, in this case, for example, focusing on holes such as the suction holes 312 and screw holes, it may be preferable to reduce the number of hole-shaped configurations in the passage area 402 of the color head 202 in the platen 104 compared to the passage area 404 of the white ink head 204. It is more preferable not to form hole-shaped configurations in the passage area 402 of the color head 202.

[0056] Next, supplementary explanations regarding each of the configurations described above will be given. As described above, in this example, the printing device 12 executes a printing operation on the transfer medium 50 using the head unit 102 (see FIG. 2) having the color head 202 and the white ink head 204. In this case, color inks are ejected from the color head 202 onto each position on the transfer medium 50, and then white ink is ejected from the white ink head 204. Therefore, the white ink head 204 can be considered to be, for example, an inkjet head that ejects ink that is ejected onto the image printing area after the color inks. In this case, the image printing area can be considered to be, for example, an area on the transfer medium 50 onto which color inks are ejected.

[0057] In addition, in a modified configuration of the printing device 12, an inkjet head that ejects ink of a color other than white may be used as an inkjet head other than the color head 202. In this case, the inkjet head may be considered as an example of a second inkjet head. In this case, an inkjet head that ejects ink for forming an ink layer that becomes the background of an image may be used as an inkjet head other than the color head 202. In this case, the ink ejected by the inkjet head other than the color head 202 may be considered as an ink of a color determined according to the quality required for printing and the purpose of printing. In addition, when an inkjet head other than the color head 202 is used, the inkjet head may eject ink, for example, before the color ink, to each position on the transfer medium 50. In addition, in addition to the white ink head 204, an inkjet head for another color may be used as an inkjet head for another color. In this case, the color head 202, the white ink head 204, and the inkjet head for another color may be arranged so as to be shifted from each other in the sub-scanning direction. Moreover, such a configuration can also be considered as a staggered arrangement having three or more stages, for example.

[0058] As described above, in the platen 104 of this embodiment, the suction holes 312 (see FIG. 5) are not formed in the passing area 402 of the color head 202, so that the color ink ejection area of ​​the transfer medium 50 is heated more uniformly. In this regard, when focusing on differentiating the heating conditions for the color ink ejection area and the white ink ejection area, it is possible to, for example, adjust the temperature at which the heating means 112 heats the platen 104 to make the heating conditions different. In this case, it is possible to, for example, adjust the temperature of the heater in the heating means 112, such as the heaters 212 and 216 in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, so that the temperature in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 is higher than the temperature in the passing area 404 of the white ink head 204 with respect to the temperatures at each position on the platen 104. Even in this configuration, it is possible to appropriately make the heating conditions for the color ink ejection area and the white ink ejection area different, for example. This also makes it possible to appropriately differentiate the conditions for drying the color inks from the conditions for drying the white ink depending on, for example, the manner in which the color inks and the white ink are required to be fixed.

[0059] In the above, the printing system 10 has been described mainly in terms of its configuration when printing is performed by a transfer method. In contrast, in a modified example of the configuration of the printing system 10, printing may be performed by a method other than the transfer method. In this case, it is possible to perform printing on a medium other than the transfer medium 50 in the printing device 12. In this case, it is possible to use a plurality of inkjet heads arranged at positions shifted in the sub-scanning direction, such as the color head 202 and the white ink head 204 in this example. In addition, it is possible to use, as the platen 104, a platen 104 having a configuration in which the number of suction holes 312 in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 is reduced, such as the configuration shown in FIG. 5. Even in this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for unevenness to occur due to the influence of the suction holes 312 in an image drawn with color inks, for example.

[0060] In the above, the configuration in which the printing device 12 uses evaporative drying ink has been mainly described. In this case, the heating by the heating means 112 can be considered as, for example, heating for drying the ink. In contrast, in the printing device 12 in the modified configuration of the printing system 10, for example, ink other than evaporative drying ink can be used. In this case, the medium may be heated by the heating means 112 via the platen 104 in the printing device 12. More specifically, in this case, for example, ultraviolet curable ink can be used in the printing device 12. In this case, for example, heating for adjusting the temperature of the medium to a predetermined temperature can be performed by the heating means 112. With this configuration, for example, the ink can be cured at a constant temperature. In addition, this makes it possible to more appropriately perform printing with a desired quality. In this case, for example, it is possible to use a plurality of inkjet heads arranged at different positions in the sub-scanning direction, such as the color ink head 202 and the white ink head 204 in this example. 5, a platen 104 having fewer suction holes 312 in the passing area 402 of the color head 202 can be used. With such a configuration, for example, the color inks ejected from the color head 202 can be cured under more uniform conditions. This can also make it less likely that unevenness will occur in an image drawn with color inks due to the influence of the suction holes 312. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present invention can be suitably used in, for example, a printing device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 printing system, 102 head unit, 104 platen, 106 Y bar unit, 108 main scanning drive unit, 110 sub-scanning drive unit, 112 heating means, 114 suction means, 12 printing device, 120 control unit, 14 control device, 150 transfer medium, 16 powder application device, 18 transfer device, 202 color head, 204 white ink head, 206 transport roller roller, 208 pinch roller, 212 heater, 214 heated member, 216 heater, 218 heated member, 222 roll holder, 224 paper core, 302 nozzle row, 304 nozzle row, 312 suction hole, 402 passing area, 404 passing area, 50 transfer medium, 52 film layer, 54 release layer, 56 receiving layer, 62 ink layer, 64 powder layer

Claims

1. A printing device that performs printing on a transfer film medium using an inkjet method, a head unit that ejects ink onto the medium; a main scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a main scanning operation in which the head unit ejects ink while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction; a sub-scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a sub-scanning operation in which the head unit moves relatively to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; Equipped with The head portion is a first inkjet head that ejects a color ink that is a predetermined color ink; a second inkjet head disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction; A printing device comprising:

2. a platen for supporting the medium at a position facing the head unit; a heating means for applying heat to the platen to heat the medium through the platen; Further comprising: When an area to which the first inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a first ejection area, and an area to which the second inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a second ejection area, 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating means and the platen heat the medium by making a temperature distribution in the first discharge area and a temperature distribution in the second discharge area different from each other.

3. the sub-scanning drive unit moves the head unit relative to the medium by transporting the medium in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction; The platen has a suction hole formed therein for suctioning the medium, When the number of suction holes per unit area is defined as the suction hole density, The suction hole density in the area overlapping the first ejection area is smaller than the suction hole density in the area overlapping the second ejection area, 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heating means and the platen make a temperature distribution in the first discharge area different from a temperature distribution in the second discharge area.

4. 4. The printing device according to claim 3, wherein the suction holes are not formed in an area of ​​the platen that overlaps with the first ejection area, and the suction holes are formed in an area of ​​the platen that overlaps with the second ejection area.

5. A printing device that performs printing using an inkjet method, A head unit that ejects ink onto a medium; a main scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a main scanning operation in which the head unit ejects ink while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction; a sub-scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a sub-scanning operation in which the head unit moves relatively to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; a platen for supporting the medium at a position facing the head unit; a heating means for applying heat to the platen to heat the medium through the platen; Equipped with The head portion is A first inkjet head; a second inkjet head disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction; having the sub-scanning drive unit moves the head unit relative to the medium by transporting the medium in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction; The platen has a suction hole formed therein for suctioning the medium, When an area to which the first inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a first ejection area, an area to which the second inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a second ejection area, and the number of the suction holes per unit area is defined as the suction hole density, A printing device, comprising: a suction hole density in the area overlapping the first ejection area, the suction hole density being smaller than a suction hole density in the area overlapping the second ejection area.

6. A printing method for printing on a transfer film medium by an inkjet method, comprising the steps of: A head unit that ejects ink onto the medium, a main scanning operation in which ink is ejected while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction; a sub-scanning operation of moving relative to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; Let them do so, The head portion is a first inkjet head that ejects a color ink that is a predetermined color ink; a second inkjet head disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction; A printing method comprising the steps of:

7. A printing method for performing printing using an inkjet method, comprising the steps of: The head that ejects ink onto the medium a main scanning operation in which ink is ejected while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction; a sub-scanning operation of moving relative to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; Let them do so, and, a platen for supporting the medium at a position facing the head unit; a heating means for applying heat to the platen to heat the medium through the platen; Using The head portion is A first inkjet head; a second inkjet head disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction; having In the sub-scanning operation, the medium is transported in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction, thereby moving the head portion relative to the medium; The platen has a suction hole formed therein for suctioning the medium, When an area to which the first inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a first ejection area, an area to which the second inkjet head can eject ink in one main scanning operation is defined as a second ejection area, and the number of the suction holes per unit area is defined as the suction hole density, a density of the suction holes in the area overlapping the first ejection area is smaller than a density of the suction holes in the area overlapping the second ejection area;

8. A printing system for printing on a transfer film medium, comprising: a printing device that prints on the medium using an inkjet method; a powder applicator that applies adhesive powder to the medium on which the image has been printed by the printing device; a transfer device that transfers the image drawn on the medium to which the powder has been applied by the powder application device to a transfer medium; Equipped with The medium is A thin film layer; A receiving layer that receives the ink for transfer; a release layer that releasably joins the film layer and the receiving layer; having The printing device includes: a head unit that ejects ink onto the medium; a main scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a main scanning operation in which the head unit ejects ink while moving relatively to the medium in a preset main scanning direction; a sub-scanning drive unit that causes the head unit to perform a sub-scanning operation in which the head unit moves relatively to the medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; having The head portion is a first inkjet head that ejects a color ink that is a predetermined color ink; a second inkjet head disposed at a position shifted from the first inkjet head in the sub-scanning direction; A printing system comprising:

9. the second inkjet head ejects light-reflective ink; the sub-scanning drive unit moves the head unit relative to the medium by transporting the medium in a transport direction parallel to the sub-scanning direction; 9. The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the second inkjet head is disposed downstream in the transport direction with respect to the first inkjet head.

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