Printing apparatus, printing method, and test pattern

Abstract

To provide a test pattern suitable for checking the occurrence of bleeding at a boundary between a region where colored liquid is discharged and a region where it is not discharged.SOLUTION: A printing apparatus 100 includes a print head 110 capable of discharging colored liquid onto a medium, and a print control unit 130 that controls the discharge of the colored liquid from the print head 110 and prints, on the medium, a test pattern for determining the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid dischargeable for printing an image. The test pattern comprises at least one patch. The patch includes a colored region 51 where the colored liquid is discharged, and a blank region 52 where the colored liquid is not discharged. The blank region 52 has a predetermined shape, and is located inside the patch. The colored region 51 is arranged so as to surround the blank region 52 and is adjacent to the outer side of the blank region 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus, a printing method, and a test pattern.

Background Art

[0002] An inkjet printer, which is one type of printing apparatus, forms an image on a medium such as cloth or paper by discharging a colored liquid from nozzles provided in a print head onto the medium. If the amount of the liquid discharged is too large, bleeding of the colored liquid occurs, and a high-quality image cannot be formed. In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses printing a test pattern in which two types of colors are arranged adjacent to each other in order to confirm the occurrence of bleeding.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Focusing on the outer edge of the patch included in the test pattern disclosed in the above-mentioned document, it is not impossible to confirm the occurrence of bleeding at the boundary between the area where the colored liquid is ejected and the area where it is not ejected. However, the test pattern described in the above-mentioned document is mainly intended to confirm the occurrence of bleeding at the boundary between two adjacent colors, and is not necessarily suitable for confirming the occurrence of bleeding at the boundary between the area where the colored liquid is ejected and the area where it is not ejected. For example, when making the boundary longer to make it easier to confirm the bleeding at the boundary, inevitably, the size of the patch will also become larger. In this case, the amount of media and liquid required for printing the test pattern will increase, consuming a large amount of media and liquid. As one exemplary reason for such a problem, there is a demand for providing a test pattern suitable for confirming the occurrence of bleeding at the boundary between the area where the colored liquid is ejected and the area where it is not ejected. Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The printing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a print head capable of ejecting a colored liquid onto a medium, and a print control unit that controls the ejection of the colored liquid from the print head and prints a test pattern for determining an upper limit value of the ejection amount of the colored liquid that can be ejected for printing an image on the medium. The test pattern is composed of at least one patch. The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is ejected and a blank area where the colored liquid is not ejected. The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch. The colored area is arranged so as to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area.

[0006] In addition, in the printing method according to the present disclosure, the discharge of the colored liquid from a print head capable of discharging the colored liquid onto a medium is controlled, and a test pattern for determining an upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image is printed on the medium. The test pattern is composed of at least one patch. The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank area where the colored liquid is not discharged. The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch. The colored area is arranged so as to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area.

[0007] In addition, the test pattern according to the present disclosure is a test pattern for determining an upper limit value of the discharge amount of a colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image. The test pattern is composed of at least one patch. The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank area where the colored liquid is not discharged. The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch. The colored area is arranged so as to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified. Also, in each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The printing apparatus 100 is an inkjet printer and includes a print head 110, an input reception unit 120, and a print control unit 130. In an inkjet printer, the amount of ink that can be used for printing varies depending on the medium on which printing is performed. The upper limit value of the available ink amount is determined by whether bleeding occurs or not. In the present embodiment, a test pattern suitable for checking bleeding is described.

[0011] The printing head 110 discharges a colored liquid onto a medium to form an image on the medium. Note that the colored liquid is also referred to as color ink. In the present embodiment, the medium on which the image is formed, that is, the medium on which printing is performed, is, for example, a fabric. That is, the printing apparatus 100 is, for example, a resist printer that performs printing on a fabric. The printing head 110 includes N types of nozzles 111_1 to 111_N for discharging the liquid used for printing. Note that N represents an integer of 2 or more. In the following description, when referring to the nozzles 111_1 to 111_N without particularly distinguishing them, they will simply be referred to as nozzles 111.

[0012] For example, the printing head 110 may include n types of nozzles 111 for discharging n types of different colored liquids. Note that n is an integer of 1 or more. That is, the N types of nozzles 111 may be configured to include n types of nozzles 111 for discharging the colored liquid. For example, the printing head 110 may include four types of nozzles as nozzles for the colored liquid in order to discharge four types of colored liquids of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

[0013] In addition to the nozzles 111 for discharging the colored liquid, the printing head 110 may further include nozzles 111 for discharging a functional liquid. That is, the printing head 110 may include m types of different nozzles 111 for discharging m types of different functional liquids. Note that m is an integer of 1 or more. That is, the N types of nozzles 111 may be configured to include, in addition to the n types of nozzles 111 for discharging the colored liquid, further m types of nozzles 111 for discharging the functional liquid.

[0014] The functional liquid is also referred to as a functional ink. Here, the functional liquid refers to a colorless liquid (transparent liquid) having a predetermined function for assisting in the formation of an image by a colored liquid. More specifically, the functional liquid is a liquid that acts with the colored liquid to improve the quality of the image formed on the medium as compared to the case where the functional liquid is not used. For example, the functional liquid may be a flocculant that flocculates components of the colored liquid, such as pigments contained as components of the ink composition. By using a flocculant, even when printing is performed on a medium such as cloth where the colored liquid penetrates inside the fibers, the pigment components can be flocculated before the colored liquid penetrates deep inside the fibers, and the color development can be further improved. Examples of the flocculant include metal salts, inorganic acids, organic acids, cationic compounds, etc. As the cationic compound, a cationic resin (cationic polymer), a cationic surfactant, etc. can be used. Further, the functional liquid may be a softener that imparts flexibility to a medium such as cloth. Examples of the softener include particles containing organopolysiloxane, fatty acid esters, dialkyldimethylammonium salts, imidazoline-type surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants. Further, the functional liquid may be a coating liquid that imparts abrasion resistance to the area where the colored liquid is ejected. As the coating liquid, for example, a liquid containing anionic resin particles and water can be used.

[0015] The input receiving unit 120 receives an input to the printing apparatus 100. For example, the input receiving unit 120 receives an input instructing printing. Specifically, for example, the input receiving unit 120 receives an input instructing the printing of a test pattern described later. Further, the input receiving unit 120 may receive an input instructing the printing of a color bar described later. Further, the input receiving unit 120 may receive an input instructing the printing of a user image. Here, the user image is an arbitrary image that the user desires to print on the medium, and refers to an image other than the test pattern and the color bar prepared by the user. The input receiving unit 120 may receive an input specifying the upper limit value of the liquid ejected from the print head 110.

[0016] The input reception unit 120 receives inputs from terminal devices such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, which are communicably connected to the printing apparatus 100, for example. Note that the inputs received by the input reception unit 120 do not necessarily have to be inputs from other devices such as terminal devices. For example, the input reception unit 120 may receive a print instruction input via an operation panel provided in the printing apparatus 100.

[0017] The print control unit 130 controls the ejection of the colored liquid from the print head 110 to print an image on the medium. When the print head 110 is also capable of ejecting a functional liquid, that is, when the print head 110 includes nozzles 111 for ejecting the functional liquid, the print control unit 130 controls not only the ejection of the colored liquid from the print head 110 but also the ejection of the functional liquid. When the ejection of the functional liquid is also performed, the functional liquid is ejected at the same position as the ejection position of the colored liquid. However, the ejection position of the functional liquid does not have to be exactly the same as the ejection position of the colored liquid. For example, the functional liquid does not have to be ejected at all the ejection positions of the colored liquid, and may be ejected over a wider range than the ejection position of the colored liquid.

[0018] In the present embodiment, in particular, the print control unit 130 controls the ejection of the liquid from the print head 110 to print a test pattern on the medium. The test pattern printed in the present embodiment is a test pattern for determining the upper limit value of the ejection amount of the colored liquid that can be ejected for printing an image. The more the amount of the colored liquid ejected from the print head 110 increases, the more likely it is that bleeding of the colored liquid occurs on the medium. Also, the ease of bleeding occurrence varies depending on the medium used for printing. For this reason, in order to confirm how much the colored liquid is ejected and bleeding occurs in the medium used for printing, the print control unit 130 prints a test pattern on the medium. Then, the user who views the print result of the test pattern visually confirms the occurrence of bleeding and determines the amount of liquid that can be ejected onto the medium. Note that the specific configuration of the test pattern will be described later.

[0019] When the input reception unit 120 receives an input instructing the printing of a test pattern, for example, the printing control unit 130 executes a control process for printing a predetermined test pattern. Also, when the input reception unit 120 receives an input instructing the printing of a color bar, the printing control unit 130 executes a control process for printing a predetermined color bar. Further, when the input reception unit 120 receives an input instructing the printing of a user image, the printing control unit 130 executes a control process for printing the user image. When printing of the color bar and the user image is performed, the printing control unit 130 executes the printing so as not to exceed the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the liquid determined based on the printing result of the test pattern.

[0020] The test pattern printed by the printing apparatus 100 is composed of at least one patch. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the test pattern to be printed. The test pattern printed by the printing apparatus 100 includes, for example, a patch P1 as shown in FIG. 2. The patch P1 has a colored region 51 where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank region 52 where the colored liquid is not discharged. Here, the blank region 52 has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch P1. And the colored region 51 is arranged so as to surround the blank region 52 and is adjacent to the outside of the blank region 52.

[0021] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the blank region 52 is continuously surrounded by the colored region 51. However, as in FIGS. 7 and 8 described later, it does not necessarily have to be continuously surrounded by the colored region 51. That is, the blank region 52 does not have to be surrounded by a completely circular colored region 51 and may be surrounded by a substantially circular colored region 51. That is, the blank region 52 may be surrounded by an annular colored region 51 that is partially broken.

[0022] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the blank area 52 is a rectangular shape, but it does not necessarily have to be a rectangular shape. That is, the above-described predetermined shape is not limited to a rectangular shape. However, since the boundary between the blank area 52 and the colored area 51 becomes a straight line when the shape of the blank area 52 is a rectangular shape, the degree of bleeding can be easily visually recognized. For this reason, the blank area 52 preferably has a rectangular shape. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the predetermined shape may be a circular shape. Note that the predetermined shape is preferably a figure having symmetry so that the occurrence of bleeding at the boundary between the area where the colored liquid is ejected and the area where it is not ejected can be easily visually recognized.

[0023] In the following description, the bleeding at the boundary between the area where the colored liquid is ejected and the area where it is not ejected will be referred to as ejection boundary bleeding. When the patch P1 is printed as a test pattern, the ejection boundary bleeding can be confirmed by checking the boundary between the blank area 52 and the colored area 51. Also, since the colored liquid is not ejected outside the test pattern, that is, outside the colored area 51 of the patch P1, the occurrence of ejection boundary bleeding can also be confirmed by checking the outer periphery of the test pattern, that is, the outer periphery of the patch P1. Note that when printing the test pattern, a functional liquid may be further ejected onto a part or the whole of the colored area 51. This also applies to the modification examples described later.

[0024] The printing control unit 130 ejects a colored liquid with a discharge amount specified by a printing instruction of a test pattern from the print head 110 to form a colored region 51. Thereby, it is possible to confirm the occurrence of bleeding when the colored liquid is ejected onto the medium at the discharge amount. In particular, in the present embodiment, a test pattern including a patch P1 in which a blank region 52 is arranged inside the colored region 51 and the colored region 51 is arranged outside the blank region 52 is printed. For this reason, it is possible to confirm the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary using the outer peripheral portion of the blank region 52. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to rely only on the outer peripheral portion of the patch to confirm the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary. For this reason, it is possible to confirm the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary without increasing the patch size in order to sufficiently secure the length of the boundary between the region where the colored liquid is ejected and the region where it is not ejected. Further, in particular, in the present embodiment, the blank region 52 is surrounded by the colored regions 51 on all four sides. That is, the blank region 52 is in contact with the colored regions 51 on the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side. For this reason, the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary can be easily confirmed as a change in the predetermined shape of the blank region 52. Further, both the bleeding in the vertical direction and the bleeding in the horizontal direction can be easily confirmed only by paying attention to the shape of the blank region 52.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of the printing process using the printing apparatus 100. Hereinafter, the printing process using the printing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0026] In step S100, the user instructs the printing apparatus 100 to print a test pattern. As a result, the input reception unit 120 of the printing apparatus 100 receives an input instructing the printing of the test pattern. As described above, in this step and the steps described later, the instruction from the user may be input via an operation panel or the like provided in the printing apparatus 100, or may be input to the printing apparatus 100 via a terminal device connected to the printing apparatus 100. Further, in this input, the amount of the colored liquid discharged to form the test pattern may be specified. In this case, the amount of the colored liquid discharged to form the test pattern may be specified, for example, by specifying the ratio to the maximum amount that can be discharged. Further, in this step and the steps described later, the print data of the image to be printed (print data of the test pattern, color bar, or user image) may be generated by the terminal device. Next, in step S101, the print control unit 130 controls the discharge of the liquid from the print head 110 and prints the test pattern on the medium.

[0027] Next, in step S102, the user acquires the medium on which the test pattern is printed. Then, in step S103, the user visually checks whether there is bleeding in the printed test pattern. As a result, the user determines the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be printed without causing bleeding. Note that, in order to determine the upper limit value that can be printed without causing bleeding, steps S100 to S103 described above may be repeated while changing the discharge amount for printing the test pattern.

[0028] After determining the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid, in step S104, in order to further confirm that there is no problem in printing by adopting the determined upper limit value, the user instructs the printing apparatus 100 to print a color bar. More specifically, the user instructs the printing apparatus 100 to perform printing with the upper limit value determined in step S103 as the upper limit value of the colored liquid discharged from the print head 110. Thereby, the input reception unit 120 of the printing apparatus 100 receives an input instructing the printing of the color bar. Next, in step S105, the print control unit 130 discharges a colored liquid in an amount equal to or less than the determined upper limit value and prints a color bar on the medium.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a printed color bar. As shown in FIG. 5, the print control unit 130 prints, for example, a color bar 90 composed of a number of bars of different colors. Note that the color bar 90 may be formed by discharging not only the colored liquid but also a functional liquid. Further, the color bar 90 may include a blank line 91 where no colored liquid is discharged. Note that the size of the printed color bar 90 may be larger than the size of the test pattern so that it is easier to check the print quality.

[0030] After step S105, in step S106, the user acquires the medium on which the color bar is printed. Then, in step S107, the user checks the print quality of the color bar. Note that steps S100 to S107 described above may be repeated in order to obtain a desired print quality.

[0031] After it is confirmed that the desired print quality can be obtained, in step S108, the user instructs the printing apparatus 100 to print the user image. More specifically, the user instructs the printing apparatus 100 to perform printing with the upper limit value determined in step S103 as the upper limit value of the colored liquid discharged from the print head 110. Thereby, the input reception unit 120 of the printing apparatus 100 receives an input instructing the printing of the user image. Next, in step S109, the print control unit 130 discharges a colored liquid in an amount not exceeding the determined upper limit value and prints the user image on the medium. Then, in step S110, the user acquires the medium on which the user image is printed.

[0032] As described above, in the present embodiment, a test pattern including the patch P1 in which the blank area 52 is arranged inside the colored area 51 and the colored area 51 is arranged outside the blank area 52 is printed. Thereby, by checking the bleeding at the outer periphery of the blank area 52, it is possible to easily check the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a test pattern suitable for checking the occurrence of bleeding at the discharge boundary.

[0033] Next, a modified example of the test pattern will be described. In the following description, configurations different from the above-described test pattern will be described, and descriptions of overlapping configurations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0034] <Modified Example 1> In the patch P1 of the test pattern shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, it included a colored region 51 of one color. However, the colored region of the patch may be composed of a plurality of regions having different colors. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern according to a first modification. The test pattern to be printed may include, for example, a patch P2 as shown in FIG. 6. The patch P2 includes a colored region composed of a first partial region 51a of a first color and a second partial region 51b of a second color different from the first color. Also, the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b are adjacent to each other. That is, in the patch P2, the colored region is divided into a first partial region 51a and a second partial region 51b having different colors from each other. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the blank region 52 of the patch P2 is rectangular, but like the patch P1, it may have other shapes.

[0035] By printing a test pattern including such a patch P2, in addition to the effects of the patch P1 described above, the following effects can be further obtained. Since the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b are adjacent to each other, by checking the boundary between the two, it is possible to check not only the bleeding at the discharge boundary but also the bleeding at the boundary between the regions where colored liquids of different colors are discharged. Hereinafter, the bleeding at the boundary between the regions where colored liquids of different colors are discharged will be referred to as color boundary bleeding. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the colored region is composed of two-color partial regions, but it may also be composed of three or more color partial regions.

[0036] <Modification 2> Next, a second modification example of the test pattern will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern according to the second modification example. The test pattern to be printed may include a patch P3 as shown in FIG. 7. The patch P3 is different from the above-described patch P2 in that it further has a blank line 53 which is a linear region where the colored liquid is not ejected. The blank line 53 is arranged so as to divide each of the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b. And on both sides of the blank line 53, colored regions (the first partial region 51a or the second partial region 51b) are adjacent. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the blank line 53 is arranged so as to pass from the blank region 52 to the outside of the patch P3, but the blank line 53 may be arranged so as to divide the colored region, and does not necessarily have to be connected to the blank region 52. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the blank line 53 is arranged in both the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b, but it may be arranged in only one of them.

[0037] By printing a test pattern including the patch P3 having the blank line 53, it becomes possible to confirm not only the bleeding of the ejection boundary using the blank region 52 but also the bleeding of the ejection boundary using the blank line 53. Therefore, it is possible to more easily confirm the bleeding of the ejection boundary. Here, an example in which the blank line 53 is added to the patch P2 is shown as the patch P3, but of course, the blank line 53 may be added to the patch P1.

[0038] <Modification Example 3> Next, a third modification example of the test pattern will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern according to the third modification example. The test pattern to be printed may include a patch P4 as shown in FIG. 8. The patch P4 is different from the above-described patch P3 in that it further has a colored line 54 which is a linear region where the colored liquid is ejected. The colored line 54 is arranged so as to divide each of the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b. And on both sides of the colored line 54, colored regions (the first partial region 51a or the second partial region 51b) are adjacent.

[0039] The color of the colored line 54 is different from the colors of the adjacent colored regions. That is, the color of the colored line 54 is a predetermined color different from the colors of the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b. Note that the color of the colored line 54 may be a color that is likely to bleed with the colors used in the colored regions (the first partial region 51a or the second partial region 51b). The boundary between a region containing a yellow component and a region containing a black component is likely to cause color boundary bleeding. Therefore, when a yellow component is used in a colored region, the color of the colored line 54 adjacent to this colored region may be black. Similarly, when a black component is used in a colored region, the color of the colored line 54 adjacent to this colored region may be yellow.

[0040] Note that in the example shown in FIG. 8, the colored line 54 is arranged so as to pass from the blank region 52 to the outside of the patch P4, but the colored line 54 only needs to be arranged so as to divide the colored region, and does not necessarily have to be connected to the blank region 52. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the colored line 54 is arranged in both the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b, but it may be arranged in only one of them.

[0041] By printing a test pattern including the patch P4 having the colored line 54, it is possible to confirm not only the color boundary bleeding between the color of the first partial region 51a and the color of the second partial region 51b, but also the color boundary bleeding between the color of the colored line 54 and the color of the first partial region 51a, and the color boundary bleeding between the color of the colored line 54 and the color of the second partial region 51b. Here, an example in which the colored line 54 is added to the patch P3 is shown as the patch P4, but of course, the colored line 54 may be added to the patch P1 or the patch P2.

[0042] <Modified Example 4> Next, a fourth modification example of the test pattern will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern according to the fourth modification example. The test pattern to be printed may include a patch set S in which a plurality of patches P4 as shown in FIG. 9 are connected. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the patch set S is configured by connecting four patches P4. In order to be able to confirm color boundary bleeding in various color combinations by the patch set S, it is preferable that the color combinations of the first partial region 51a and the second partial region 51b constituting each patch P4 included in the patch set S are different from each other.

[0043] By printing a test pattern including the patch set S, it is possible to easily confirm color boundary bleeding for various colors. Here, although the patch set S configured using the patch P4 is shown, instead of the patch P4, a patch set may be configured using any one of the patch P1, the patch P2, or the patch P3.

[0044] <Modification Example 5> Next, a fifth modification example of the test pattern will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern T1 according to the fifth modification example. The test pattern T1 shown in FIG. 10 has a plurality of patch sets S1 to S5 in which the amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area is different. The configurations of the patch sets S1 to S5 are all the same as the patch set S described above, but each has a different amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the patch sets S1 to S5 are aligned and arranged in a predetermined direction so that the amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area increases in ascending order. Specifically, the patch set S1 has the least amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area, and the patch set S5 has the most amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area. Note that the patch sets S1 to S5 included in the test pattern T1 may be arranged so that the amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area decreases in descending order. It is preferable that the patch sets S1 to S5 are arranged in ascending or descending order of the amount of colored liquid discharged per unit area, but they may also be arranged randomly.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the test pattern T1 is printed with a five-level discharge amount, but it is sufficient that the test pattern T1 is printed with at least two or more levels of discharge amount. Also, in this modified example, various patches with different discharge amounts may be printed. For this reason, it is not always necessary to use the patch set composed of the patch P4, and a patch set composed of any one of the patch P1, the patch P2, or the patch P3 may be used. Also, various patches with different discharge amounts do not necessarily have to be printed as a patch set. That is, they may be printed so that a plurality of patches with different amounts of colored liquid discharged for forming the patches are arranged. Also in this case, the patch to be printed may be any one of the patches P1 to P4. Thus, in this modified example, the test pattern printed by the printing apparatus 100 only needs to have a plurality of patches with different amounts of colored liquid discharged per unit area.

[0046] By printing such a test pattern, the user can check various patches with different conditions of the discharge amount of the colored liquid at once, and thus can more easily check the upper limit value of the discharge amount that does not cause bleeding. Note that in this modified example, in step S100 of the above-described sequence chart, the range of the discharge amount of the colored liquid used for printing the patches of the test pattern may be specified. In this case, the patches are printed with different discharge amounts within the specified range.

[0047] <Modified Example 6> Next, a sixth modified example of the test pattern will be described. In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, the discharge of the functional liquid is not essential, but in this modified example, the print head 110 discharges the functional liquid in the same region as the region where the colored liquid is discharged. For this reason, in this modified example, the print control unit 130 controls the discharge of the colored liquid and the functional liquid from the print head 110 to print the test pattern on the medium.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern T2 according to a sixth modification. The test pattern T2 shown in FIG. 11 has a plurality of patch groups G1 to G5 in which the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area is different. The configurations of the patch groups G1 to G5 are all the same as the configuration of the test pattern T1 shown in FIG. 10. That is, each of the patch groups G1 to G5 is composed of patch sets S1 to S5 in which the amounts of the colored liquid shown in FIG. 10 are different. That is, in each of the patch groups G1 to G5, the patch sets S1 to S5 are aligned and arranged in the first direction so that the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area increases in ascending order. Note that the patch sets S1 to S5 may be aligned and arranged in the first direction so that the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area decreases in descending order.

[0049] Each of the patch groups G1 to G5 has a different amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the patch groups G1 to G5 are aligned and arranged in the second direction so that the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area increases in ascending order. Here, the second direction is a direction orthogonal to the above-described first direction. Specifically, the patch group G1 has the least amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area, and the patch group G5 has the largest amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area. Note that the patch groups G1 to G5 included in the test pattern T2 may be aligned and arranged in the second direction so that the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area decreases in descending order.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 11, the test pattern T2 is printed with both the colored liquid and the functional liquid at five levels of discharge amounts, but it is sufficient that the test pattern T2 is printed with at least two or more levels of discharge amounts. Further, in this modified example, since various patches with different discharge amounts of the colored liquid and the functional liquid may be printed, as in Modified Example 5, also in this modified example, the types of patches constituting the patch set are not limited to patch P4. Also, various patches with different discharge amounts do not necessarily have to be printed as a patch set, and the patches to be printed may be any of patches P1 to P4. Such variations of this modified example are also applicable when the test pattern of this modified example is included as a partial test pattern in Modified Example 7 described later.

[0051] As described above, in this modified example, the test pattern printed by the printing apparatus 100 has a plurality of patches in which the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area and the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area are different. And in the test pattern, a plurality of patches with different amounts of the colored liquid discharged per unit area are arranged side by side in a first order in a first direction. Here, the first order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the colored liquid. Also, in the test pattern, a plurality of patches with different amounts of the functional liquid discharged per unit area are arranged side by side in a second order in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Here, the second order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the functional liquid. More specifically, the test pattern T2 printed in this modified example is composed of a plurality of patch groups each having a constant amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area and different amounts of the colored liquid discharged per unit area. And the plurality of patch groups G1 to G5 included in the test pattern T2 have different amounts of the functional liquid discharged per unit area from each other.

[0052] By printing such a test pattern, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of discharge boundary bleeding or color boundary bleeding due to differences in the amount of functional liquid. In particular, as described above, in the test pattern, a plurality of patches with different amounts of colored liquid are arranged side by side in a first order in a first direction, and a plurality of patches with different amounts of functional liquid are arranged side by side in a second order in a second direction. That is, the patches are aligned according to the discharge amount of the colored liquid and the discharge amount of the functional liquid. Therefore, when the user views and checks the test pattern, the user can easily grasp the appropriate upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid and the appropriate upper limit value of the discharge amount of the functional liquid. In particular, when a functional liquid such as a coagulant is used, the printed image quality differs depending on the presence or absence of the functional liquid. According to the test pattern of this modification example, since the user can easily confirm the difference in image quality due to the difference in the amount of functional liquid, the user can easily grasp the appropriate upper limit value of the discharge amount of the functional liquid for obtaining a desired image quality.

[0053] In this modification example, in step S100 of the above-described sequence chart, the range of the discharge amount of the colored liquid and the range of the discharge amount of the functional liquid used for printing the patches of the test pattern may be specified. In this case, the patches are printed with different discharge amounts within the specified range. Also, in step S103, the user determines the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid and the upper limit value of the functional liquid that can be printed without causing bleeding. Further, in step S105, the print control unit 130 discharges the colored liquid and the functional liquid in amounts below the determined upper limit values to print a color bar on the medium. Similarly, in step S109, the print control unit 130 discharges the colored liquid and the functional liquid in amounts below the determined upper limit values to print a user image on the medium. Note that the description of the sequence chart in this modification example also applies to Modification Example 7 described later.

[0054] <Modification Example 7> Next, a seventh modification example of the test pattern will be described. When a plurality of types of functional liquids with different functions are used, the printing apparatus 100 may print a test pattern including a plurality of the test patterns shown in Modification Example 6 as partial test patterns.

[0055] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a test pattern T3 according to a seventh modification. FIG. 12 shows an example of a test pattern when three types of functional liquids are ejected. The test pattern T3 shown in FIG. 12 has a plurality of partial test patterns t1 to t9. The configuration of each of the partial test patterns t1 to t9 is the same as the configuration of the test pattern T2 shown in FIG. 11. Here, in each partial test pattern, for the functional liquids other than a predetermined one of the plurality of types of functional liquids, the ejection amount is fixed. And each partial test pattern differs only in the ejection amount of the functional liquids other than this predetermined functional liquid. That is, the test pattern T3 includes various partial test patterns t1 to t9 in which only the ejection amounts of the types of functional liquids other than the predetermined functional liquid are changed. Specifically, each of the partial test patterns t1 to t9 includes a plurality of patches in which the ejection amounts of the colored liquid and the first type of functional liquid are changed without changing the ejection amounts of the second type of functional liquid and the third type of functional liquid. The plurality of partial test patterns t1 to t9 included in the test pattern differ from each other in the ejection amount of the second type of functional liquid or the ejection amount of the third type of functional liquid. Note that the partial test patterns t1 to t9 are arranged in a first direction so that the amount of the second type of functional liquid is in ascending or descending order, and are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction so that the amount of the third type of functional liquid is in ascending or descending order. Note that when there are two types of functional liquids used for printing, the arrangement of the partial test patterns in the second direction is omitted. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the test pattern T3 is printed with three levels of ejection amounts for both the second type of functional liquid and the third type of functional liquid, but it is sufficient that the test pattern T3 is printed with at least two levels or more of ejection amounts.

[0056] As described above, in this modified example, the test pattern has a plurality of partial test patterns. And each of the partial test patterns has a plurality of patch groups. Here, each of the patch groups is composed of a plurality of patches in which the amount of all types of functional liquid ejected per unit area is constant and the amount of colored liquid ejected per unit area is different. Also, the plurality of patch groups have different ejection amounts of the first type of functional liquid ejected per unit area. Further, the plurality of partial test patterns have different ejection amounts of either the second type of functional liquid or the third type of functional liquid ejected per unit area. According to such a test pattern, even when a plurality of types of functional liquids are ejected, the user can easily grasp the appropriate upper limit value of the ejection amount of the colored liquid and the appropriate upper limit value of the ejection amount of each functional liquid.

[0057] As described above, the embodiments and their modified examples have been explained. However, the processing of the printing apparatus 100 may be executed by a computer included in the printing apparatus 100. Note that the computer may be configured as a SoC (System on a Chip). FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 900 included in the printing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 13, the computer 900 has, for example, an input / output interface 901, a memory 902, and a processor 903.

[0058] The input / output interface 901 is used to communicate with any circuit or device. The memory 902 is composed of, for example, a combination of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The memory 902 is used to store programs executed by the processor 903 and data used for various processes of the printing apparatus 100. The processor 903 reads and executes a program from the memory 902 to perform various processes described in the above-described embodiments or modifications, including the processes of the input reception unit 120 and the print control unit 130. The processor 903 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Further, the processor 903 may include a plurality of processors.

[0059] The program includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing a computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments when read into the computer. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, a computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk, or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0060] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the medium on which the image is formed, that is, the medium on which printing is performed, is not limited to cloth, and may be other media such as paper. That is, the printing apparatus 100 does not necessarily have to be a resist printer. Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the presence or absence of discharge boundary bleeding or color boundary bleeding in the test pattern printed on the medium was determined by visual inspection by the user, but it may be determined by performing computer image analysis processing on an image obtained by scanning the medium on which the test pattern is printed with a scanner.

[0061] Some or all of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be described as follows in the appended claims, but are not limited thereto. (Appended Claim 1) A printing head capable of discharging a colored liquid onto a medium, a printing control unit that controls the discharge of the colored liquid from the printing head and prints a test pattern on the medium to determine an upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image and having the test pattern consists of at least one patch, the patch has a colored region where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank region where the colored liquid is not discharged, the blank region has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch, the colored region is arranged so as to surround the blank region and is adjacent to the outside of the blank region, a printing apparatus. (Appended Claim 2) The printing apparatus according to appended claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined shape is a rectangular shape. The printing apparatus according to appended claim 1. (Appended Claim 3) The test pattern has a plurality of the patches in which the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area is different, the printing apparatus according to appended claim 1 or 2. (Appended Claim 4) The colored region has a first partial region of a first color and a second partial region of a second color different from the first color, and the first partial region and the second partial region are adjacent to each other. The printing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The printing head can further eject a functional liquid into the same region as the region where the colored liquid is ejected. The printing control unit controls the ejection of the colored liquid and the functional liquid from the printing head to print the test pattern on the medium. The test pattern has a plurality of the patches in which the amount of the functional liquid ejected per unit area is different. A plurality of the patches in which the amount of the colored liquid ejected per unit area is made different are arranged side by side in a first order in a first direction. The first order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the colored liquid. A plurality of the patches in which the amount of the functional liquid ejected per unit area is made different are arranged side by side in a second order in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The second order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the functional liquid. The printing apparatus according to Appendix 3. (Appendix 6) The patch further has a blank line where the colored liquid is not ejected. The colored region is adjacent to both sides of the blank line. The printing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) The patch further has a colored line where the colored liquid is ejected. The color of the colored line is different from the color of the colored region. The colored region is adjacent to both sides of the colored line. The printing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) Controls the ejection of the colored liquid from the printing head capable of ejecting the colored liquid onto the medium. Print a test pattern for determining the upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be discharged for printing the image on the medium, The test pattern consists of at least one patch, The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank area where the colored liquid is not discharged, The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch, The colored area is arranged to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area, Printing method. (Appendix 9) A test pattern for determining the upper limit value of the discharge amount of a colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image, The test pattern consists of at least one patch, The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank area where the colored liquid is not discharged, The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch, The colored area is arranged to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area, Test pattern.

Explanation of symbols

[0062] 51…Colored area, 51a…First partial area, 51b…Second partial area, 52…Blank area, 53…Blank line, 54…Colored line, 90…Color bar, 91…Blank line, 100…Printing device, 110…Printing head, 111…Nozzle, 120…Input reception unit, 130…Printing control unit, 900…Computer, 901…Input / output interface, 902…Memory, 903…Processor, G…Patch group, P…Patch, S…Patch set, T…Test pattern, t…Partial test pattern

Claims

1. A printing head capable of discharging a colored liquid onto a medium, and a printing control unit that controls the discharge of the colored liquid from the printing head and prints a test pattern on the medium to determine an upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image. The printing device has: The test pattern consists of at least one patch. The patch has a colored area where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank area where the colored liquid is not discharged. The blank area has a predetermined shape and is located inside the patch. The colored area is arranged to surround the blank area and is adjacent to the outside of the blank area. Printing device.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined shape is a rectangular shape. The printing device according to claim 1.

3. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the test pattern has a plurality of patches in which the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area is different. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the colored area has a first partial area of a first color and a second partial area of a second color different from the first color, and the first partial area and the second partial area are adjacent to each other. The printing device according to claim 1.

5. The printing head is further capable of discharging a functional liquid onto the same area as the area where the colored liquid is discharged. The printing control unit controls the discharge of the colored liquid and the functional liquid from the printing head and prints the test pattern on the medium. The test pattern has: A plurality of patches in which the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area is different. A plurality of patches in which the amount of the colored liquid discharged per unit area is made different are arranged side by side in a first order in a first direction. The first order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the colored liquid. A plurality of patches in which the amount of the functional liquid discharged per unit area is made different are arranged side by side in a second order in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The printing device according to claim 3, wherein the second order is a descending order or an ascending order of the amount of the functional liquid. The printing device according to claim 3.

6. The patch further has a blank line where the colored liquid is not discharged. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the colored area is adjacent to both sides of the blank line. The printing device according to claim 1.

7. The patch further has a colored line where the colored liquid is discharged. The color of the colored line is different from the color of the colored area. characterized in that the colored regions are adjacent to both sides of the colored line The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. controlling the discharge of the colored liquid from a print head capable of discharging the colored liquid onto a medium, printing a test pattern on the medium for determining an upper limit value of the discharge amount of the colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image, the test pattern consisting of at least one patch, the patch having a colored region where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank region where the colored liquid is not discharged, the blank region having a predetermined shape and being located inside the patch, characterized in that the colored region is arranged to surround the blank region and is adjacent to the outside of the blank region printing method

9. A test pattern for determining an upper limit value of the discharge amount of a colored liquid that can be discharged for printing an image, the test pattern consisting of at least one patch, the patch having a colored region where the colored liquid is discharged and a blank region where the colored liquid is not discharged, the blank region having a predetermined shape and being located inside the patch, characterized in that the colored region is arranged to surround the blank region and is adjacent to the outside of the blank region test pattern

Images