Image formation system, image formation program, and image formation device

Abstract

To provide an image formation system which achieves adjustment of the image quality without depending on a printing medium.SOLUTION: An image formation system 10 includes: an image formation device 12; a first reading device 11 disposed at the upstream side of a medium transport passage of the image formation device; a second reading device 13 disposed at the downstream side of the medium transport passage; and a control device 15. The first reading device reads a printing medium 16 in which a prior patch is formed in advance. The control device controls a formation position of an additional printing patch 22 according to a position of the prior patch in the printing medium and causes the image formation device to perform additional printing and the second reading device to read an additionally printed printing medium to check the image quality of the image formation device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system, an image forming program, and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming system is known in which a reading device is provided on each of the upstream and downstream sides of a medium transport path of an image forming apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The image forming system described in Patent Document 1 has an image forming unit that forms an image on a transfer medium and a control unit that controls the image forming unit, and the control unit has an image quality adjustment function that prints an adjustment image on the transfer medium and adjusts the image quality of the image forming unit based on the image reading result of the adjustment image, and an overprinting printing function that overprints and prints an overprinted image on top of a base image printed on the transfer medium, and when image quality adjustment is performed on a transfer medium used for overprinting, part or all of the adjustment image is overprinted and printed on the base image or an adjustment base image different from the base image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-72725 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional image forming system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has reading devices before and after the device, and performs real-time color adjustment by overprinting on roll paper printed with a base image. In this case, the conventional method measures the adjustment patches by reading after printing, so there is a possibility that the correction will not be correct if the colors overlap. Furthermore, to increase the accuracy of the correction, it is necessary to print another adjustment patch, which is an issue when using roll paper with a limited printing area.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems associated with the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide an image forming system, image forming program, and image forming device that can adjust image quality without relying on printing media by overprinting adjustment patches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above-mentioned problems of the present invention can be solved by the following means.

[0007] (1) An image forming system comprising an image forming device, a first reading device arranged upstream of a media transport path of the image forming device, a second reading device arranged downstream of the media transport path, and a control device, wherein the first reading device reads a print medium on which a pre-patch has been formed in advance, the control device controls the formation position of an overprinted patch according to the position of the pre-patch on the print medium to cause the image forming device to overprint, and the second reading device reads the overprinted print medium to confirm the image quality of the image forming device.

[0008] (2) The image forming system according to (1) above, wherein the control device checks the image quality of the image forming device based on the position and color density of the overprinted patch.

[0009] (3) The image forming system according to (1) above, wherein the control device checks the image quality of the image forming device based on the positions and color densities of the pre-printed patch and the overprinted patch.

[0010] (4) The image forming system described in (1) above, wherein the control device confirms the image quality of the image forming device based on the difference between the color density of the overlapping area of the pre-printed patch and the overprinted patch and the color density of the pre-printed patch.

[0011] (5) The image forming system described in (1) above, wherein the control device controls the formation position of the overprinted patch in the image forming device so that the overprinted patch partially overlaps the pre-printed patch with an arbitrary amount of offset.

[0012] (6) The image forming system described in (5) above, wherein the control device controls the image forming device to form the overprint patch so that the overprint patch overlaps the preliminary patch by an area of 50% or more of the overprint patch.

[0013] (7) The control device controls the image forming device to form a position of the overprint patch, which is smaller than the preliminary patch, so that the overprint patch overlaps with the preliminary patch by an area of 50% or more of the area of the overprint patch, in the image forming system described in (6) above.

[0014] (8) An image forming system as described in (1) above, wherein the first reading device reads a printing medium on which user content and a pre-patch have been pre-formed, and the control device causes the image forming device to form the overprinting patch in a non-printing area of the printing medium.

[0015] (9) The image forming system according to (1) above, wherein the control device adjusts the position and color density of the overprint formed by the image forming device.

[0016] (10) The image forming system described in (1) above, wherein the first reading device reads a printing medium on which user content and the pre-patch have been pre-formed, and the control device adjusts the formation position of the overprint patch to be formed by the image forming device based on the positions of the user content and the pre-patch on the printing medium.

[0017] (11) The image forming system described in (1) above, wherein the first reading device reads a printing medium on which user content and the pre-patch have been pre-formed, and the control device detects the position of the beginning of a page from the position of the user content and the pre-patch on the printing medium.

[0018] (12) An image forming program for causing a control device that controls an image forming device, a first reading device upstream of a medium transport path, and a second reading device downstream thereof to execute the following steps: a procedure for obtaining reading information of a printing medium on which a pre-patch has been formed in advance by the first reading device; a procedure for controlling the formation position of an overprinted patch according to the position of the pre-patch on the printing medium and causing the image forming device to overprint; a procedure for causing the second reading device to read the overprinted printing medium; and a procedure for checking the image quality of the image forming device.

[0019] (13) An image forming apparatus arranged between a first reading device on the upstream side of a medium transport path and a second reading device on the downstream side, comprising an image forming mechanism and a control device, wherein the control device acquires reading information of a printing medium on which a pre-patch has been formed in advance from the first reading device, controls the formation position of an overprinted patch according to the position of the pre-patch on the printing medium, causes the image forming mechanism to overprint, and causes the second reading device to read the overprinted printing medium to confirm the image quality of the image forming mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, by overprinting adjustment patches (overprint patches), it is possible to achieve image quality adjustment without relying on the print medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a control device provided in the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a pre-printed patch and an overprinted patch. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a pre-printed patch and an overprinted patch. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the calculation content of the calculation unit. [Figure 6]10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a calculation unit. [Figure 7A] 1 is a flowchart (1) showing the operation of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7B] 10 is a flowchart (2) showing the operation of the image forming system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in each drawing, common or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0023] <Configuration of image forming system> The configuration of an image forming system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the image forming system 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of a control device 15 provided in the image forming system 10.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming system 10 according to this embodiment includes a first reading device 11, an image forming device 12, a second reading device 13, a conveying device 14, and a control device 15.

[0025] The first reading device 11 is disposed upstream of the image forming device 12 and is a device that reads an image formed (printed) on a print medium 16. A preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3) is formed on the print medium 16. The preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3) is a base image for adjusting image quality that is formed in advance on the print medium 16. The first reading device 11 reads the preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3) from the print medium 16.

[0026] The image forming device 12 is a device that forms (prints) an image on a print medium 16. The image forming device 12 forms user content (not shown) and additional print patches 22 (FIG. 3) on the print medium 16 based on print job information acquired from an external device (not shown). The additional print patches 22 (FIG. 3) are images for adjusting image quality that are additionally formed on the print medium 16.

[0027] The second reading device 13 is disposed downstream of the image forming device 12 and is a device that reads an image formed (printed) on the print medium 16. The second reading device 13 reads user content (not shown) and overprint patches 22 (FIG. 3) from the print medium 16.

[0028] The transport device 14 is a device that transports the print medium 16. The transport device 14 transports the print medium 16, such as roll paper 16a or paper 16b of a predetermined size.

[0029] The control device 15 is a device that controls the overall operation of the image forming system 10. For example, the control device 15 causes the image forming device 12 to form an overprinted patch 22 on the print medium 16 in accordance with the position of the preliminary patch 21, and causes the second reading device 13 to read the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22. The control device 15 then checks the image formation accuracy based on the positions and color densities of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22.

[0030] 1, the control device 15 is provided in the image forming system 10 as a component independent of the image forming device 12. However, the control device 15 may be configured to be incorporated inside the image forming device 12.

[0031] An image forming program 19 stored in a storage medium 18 is installed in the control device 15. As a result, the control device 15 has a configuration including functional means, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the control device 15 has an information acquisition unit 15a, an information analysis unit 15b, an area determination unit 15c, a print instruction unit 15d, a calculation unit 15e, a quality determination unit 15f, and an adjustment unit 15g.

[0032] The information acquisition unit 15a is a functional means for acquiring various information such as print job information from an external device (not shown). The information analysis unit 15b is a functional means for analyzing various types of information.

[0033] The area determination unit 15c is a functional means for determining an area. The area determination unit 15c determines an area where a preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3) is formed, for example, from the reading result of the print medium 16 read by the first reading device 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "first reading result"). The area determination unit 15c also determines an area where a user content (not shown) is formed or an area where an overprint patch 22 (FIG. 3) is formed, for example, from the reading result of the print medium 16 read by the second reading device 13 (hereinafter referred to as the "second reading result"). The print instruction unit 15d is a functional unit that instructs the image forming device 12 to print.

[0034] The calculation unit 15e is a functional means for executing various calculations. The quality determining unit 15f is a functional means for determining whether the quality (image quality) of the image formed on the print medium 16 is good or bad. The adjustment unit 15g is a functional means for adjusting the position and color density of the image formed on the print medium 16.

[0035] The storage medium 18 stores an image forming program 19 in advance. The image forming program 19 is stored in the control device 15 from the storage medium 18 via a reading means (not shown) or a communication means (not shown). The storage medium 18 is in the form of, for example, a memory member, a storage device, an optical medium, or other media. An example of a memory member is a Universal Serial Bus Memory (USB memory). An example of a storage device is a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). An example of an optical medium is a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray disc, or the like.

[0036] <Operation of the image forming system> The operation of the image forming system 10 will be described below with reference to Figs. 3 to 7B. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the image forming system 10. Figs. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprint patch 22. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the calculation content of the calculation unit 15e. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the calculation unit 15e. Figs. 7A and 7B are flowcharts showing the operation of the image forming system 10.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, a preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3), which is a base image for adjustment, is formed in advance on the print medium 16. The first reading device 11 reads the print medium 16 on which the preliminary patch 21 (FIG. 3) is formed. Note that the first reading device 11 may read the preliminary patch 21 autonomously, or the first reading device 11 may read the preliminary patch 21 passively based on instructions from the control device 15 (FIG. 1). The control device 15 (FIG. 1) causes the image forming device 12 to form an overprinted patch 22 on the print medium 16 in accordance with the position of the preliminary patch 21, and causes the second reading device 13 to read the print medium 16 on which the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 are formed.

[0038] 4A, the control device 15 (FIG. 1) controls the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1) to control the formation position of the overprinted patch 22 so that the overprinted patch 22 partially overlaps the preliminary patch 21 with an arbitrary amount of deviation. As a result, a preliminary patch area 26, an overprinted patch area 27, and an overlapping area 28 are formed on the print medium 16. In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the overprinted patch 22, which has the same size as the preliminary patch 21, is formed so as to partially overlap the preliminary patch 21.

[0039] The pre-patch area 26 is an area where only the pre-patch 21 is formed. The pre-patch area 26 is an area (light color area) that is lighter in color than the overlap area 28, and is an area where the color density of the pre-patch 21 is reflected.

[0040] The overprinted patch area 27 is an area where only the overprinted patch 22 is formed. The overprinted patch area 27 is an area (light color area) that is lighter in color than the overlapping area 28, and is an area where the color density of the overprinted patch 22 is reflected.

[0041] The overlapping region 28 is an area formed by overlapping the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22. The overlapping region 28 is an area (dark color area) that is darker in color than the preliminary patch region 26 and the overprinted patch region 27, and is an area of a color that is a mixture of the color of the preliminary patch 21 and the color of the overprinted patch 22.

[0042] The area discrimination unit 15c of the control device 15 discriminates each area based on the difference in color density between the pre-print patch area 26, the overprint patch area 27, and the overlap area .

[0043] The example shown in FIG. 4A is an example in which an overprinted patch 22 of the same size as the pre-printed patch 21 is formed. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 4B, an overprinted patch 22 of a size smaller than the pre-printed patch 21 can also be formed. The example shown in FIG. 4A is used, for example, when an overprinted patch 22 is formed in step S140 shown in FIG. 7B, which will be described later. On the other hand, the example shown in FIG. 4B is used, for example, when an overprinted patch 22 is formed in step S155 shown in FIG. 7B, which will be described later.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the calculation unit 15e of the control device 15 (FIG. 1) subtracts the first read result from the second read result to calculate an approximation of the engine performance of the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1). In other words, the calculation unit 15e calculates (second read result - first read result) as a value approximating the engine performance of the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1). Here, the second read result is the read result information of the print medium 16 read by the second reading device 13. The second read result means the position information and color density information of each of the pre-print patch area 26, the overprint patch area 27, and the overlap area 28 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Furthermore, the first read result is the read result information of the print medium 16 read by the first reading device 11. The first reading result means the position information and color density information of the preliminary patch 21 (in the example shown in Figure 4A, the total area of the part of the preliminary patch 21 hidden under the overlapping area 28 and the preliminary patch area 26).

[0045] In calculating the engine performance of the image forming apparatus 12 (FIG. 1), the calculation unit 15e executes the process shown in FIG. 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the calculation unit 15e first checks the image quality based on the position and color density of the overprinted patch area 27 based on the second reading result (step S11). In step S11, the calculation unit 15e checks whether the overprinted patch 22 is formed on the print medium 16 at the position and color density as instructed by the print instruction unit 15d of the control device 15 to the image forming apparatus 12. In this way, the calculation unit 15e checks the engine performance of the image forming apparatus 12 (FIG. 1).

[0046] Next, the calculation unit 15e checks the image quality based on the second reading result, using "(the color density of the overlapping area 28) - (the color density of the preliminary patch area 26)" (step S12). In step S12, the calculation unit 15e checks whether the pre-printed patch 22 is formed on the print medium 16 with the color density as instructed by the print instruction unit 15d of the control device 15 to the image forming device 12. This also allows the calculation unit 15e to check the engine performance of the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1).

[0047] Next, based on the second reading result, calculation unit 15e checks whether the size and color density of overprinted patch area 27 and pre-printed patch area 26 match (step S13). In step S13, calculation unit 15e checks whether overprinted patch 22 is formed on print medium 16 with the color density as instructed by print instruction unit 15d of control device 15 to image forming device 12. This also allows calculation unit 15e to check the engine performance of image forming device 12 (FIG. 1).

[0048] The image forming system 10 checks the engine performance of the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1) by performing calculations such as those shown in Fig. 6. If the engine performance of the image forming device 12 (FIG. 1) differs from the target engine performance, the control device 15 adjusts the position and color density of the overprint patch 22 to adjust the image quality.

[0049] 7A and 7B show the overall operation of the image forming system 10. Here, the description will be made assuming that not only the preliminary patch 21 but also user content (not shown) is formed on the print medium 16 in advance, and the overprinted patch 22 is formed on the print medium 16 later.

[0050] 7A, a user of the image forming system 10 sets the print medium 16 on which the preliminary patch 21 has been formed in the conveying device 14 (step S105). The user operates an external device (not shown) to send print job information to the image forming system 10.

[0051] After step S105, information acquisition unit 15a of control device 15 acquires print job information from an external device (not shown). Then, information analysis unit 15b of control device 15 analyzes the print job information, and print instruction unit 15d of control device 15 instructs image forming device 12 to execute the print job. In response to this, image forming device 12 starts overprinting (step S110). At this time, image forming device 12 drives conveying device 14 to convey print medium 16 from the upstream side to the downstream side. Then, first reading device 11 reads, as the first reading result, images such as user content (not shown) and preliminary patches 21 formed on print medium 16.

[0052] After step S110, the information acquisition unit 15a (or a functional means not shown) of the control device 15 acquires the user content (not shown) read by the first reading device 11 as the first reading result, as well as the position and image information of the advance patch 21 (step S115).

[0053] After step S115, the area determination unit 15c (or a functional means not shown) of the control device 15 detects the top position of the page of the printing medium 16 from the position of the user content (not shown) and the advance patch 21 based on the first reading result (step S120).

[0054] After step S120, the area determination unit 15c of the control device 15 determines whether or not there is a non-printing area for the overprinting patch 22 on the print medium 16 based on the first reading result (step S125). The size of the overprinting patch 22 is specified, for example, by print job information acquired from an external device. If it is determined in step S125 that there is a non-printing area for the overprinting patch 22 on the print medium 16 (if "Yes"), the control device 15 executes the process of step S130. In step S130, the print instruction unit 15d of the control device 15 causes the image forming device 12 to form the overprinting patch 22 in the non-printing area of the print medium 16 without overlapping it with the preliminary patch 21. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S160 shown in FIG. 7B.

[0055] If it is determined in step S125 that there is no non-printing area for the overprinting patch 22 on the print medium 16 (in the case of "No"), the process proceeds to step S135 shown in FIG. 7B. In step S135, the information analysis unit 15b (or a functional means not shown) of the control device 15 determines whether the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinting patch 22 have the same pattern. The pattern of the overprinting patch 22 is specified, for example, by print job information obtained from an external device.

[0056] If it is determined in step S135 that the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 have the same pattern (if "Yes"), the control device 15 executes the process of step S140. The process of step S140 is a process of forming an overprinted patch 22 of the same size as the preliminary patch 21 on the printing medium 16. In step S140, the print instruction unit 15d of the control device 15 causes the image forming device 12 to form an overprinted patch 22 of the same size as the preliminary patch 21 on the printing medium 16 so that the overprinted patch 22 overlaps with the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of its area. Note that the size of the overprinted patch 22 is not limited to being the same as the preliminary patch 21, and may be larger than the preliminary patch.

[0057] If it is determined in the above-mentioned step S135 that the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 do not have the same pattern (in the case of "No"), the control device 15 executes the process of step S145. The process of step S145 is a process for forming an overprinted patch 22 having a size smaller than the preliminary patch 21 on the printing medium 16 in step S155 described later. In step S145, the calculation unit 15e of the control device 15 calculates the size and color density of the preliminary patch 21 (step S145).

[0058] After step S145, the calculation unit 15e of the control device 15 performs a fitting adjustment on the overprinted patch 22 formed in the subsequent step S155 (step S150). In step S150, the calculation unit 15e of the control device 15 adjusts the size, position, and color density of the overprinted patch 22 so that the overprinted patch 22 is smaller in size than the preliminary patch 21 and is formed on the print medium 16 in step S155, which will be described later. The size, position, color density, etc. of the overprinted patch 22 are specified in print job information acquired from, for example, an external device.

[0059] After step S150, the control device 15 executes the process of step S155. In step S155, the print instruction unit 15d of the control device 15 causes the image forming device 12 to form an overprinted patch 22 on the print medium 16 that is smaller than the preliminary patch 21 so that the overprinted patch 22 overlaps with the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of the area of the overprinted patch 22. Then, the second reading device 13 reads, as the second reading result, images of the user content (not shown), the preliminary patch 21, the overprinted patch 22, etc. formed on the print medium 16. By making the overprinted patch 22 smaller in size than the preliminary patch 21, it is possible to suppress the impact of the content on the printing area.

[0060] After step S130 (FIG. 7A), step S140 (FIG. 7B), or step S155 (FIG. 7B), the calculation unit 15e of the control device 15 checks the image quality (step S160). In step S160, for example, the process shown in FIG. 6 is performed.

[0061] After step S160, the quality determining unit 15f of the control device 15 determines whether the image quality is good or bad (step S165).

[0062] After step S165, the adjustment unit 15g of the control device 15 adjusts the position and color density of the content to be formed by overprinting on the print medium 16, if necessary, depending on the result of the judgment of the quality of the image in step S165 (step S170).

[0063] <Major features of the image forming system> (1) As shown in FIG. 1 , an image forming system 10 according to this embodiment includes an image forming device 12, a first reading device 11 disposed upstream of a medium transport path of the image forming device 12, a second reading device 13 disposed downstream of the medium transport path, and a control device 15. The first reading device 11 reads a preliminary patch 21 formed in advance on a print medium 16. The first reading device 11 may read the preliminary patch 21 autonomously, or the first reading device 11 may read the preliminary patch 21 passively based on instructions from the control device 15. The control device 15 controls the formation position of the preliminary patch 21 on the print medium 16 to cause the image forming device 12 to overprint the preliminary patch 21, and causes the second reading device 13 to read the overprinted print medium 16. The control device 15 then checks the image quality of the image forming device 12.

[0064] The image forming system 10 according to this embodiment can adjust the image quality without relying on the print medium 16 by printing the additional print patches 22 (adjustment patches).

[0065] (2) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the control device 15 is configured to check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based on the position and color density of the overprint patch 22. This configuration is as described in step S11 of FIG.

[0066] The image forming system 10 configured as above can check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based not only on the position of the overprinted patch but also on the color density of the overprinted patch 22. This allows the image forming system 10 configured as above to adjust the image quality more appropriately.

[0067] (3) In the image forming system 10 configured as described above in (1), the control device 15 is configured to check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based on the positions and color densities of the pre-printed patches 21 and the overprinted patches 22. This configuration is as described in step S13 of FIG.

[0068] The image forming system 10 configured in this manner can check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based not only on the positions of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch, but also on the color densities of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22. This allows the image forming system 10 configured in this manner to adjust the image quality more appropriately.

[0069] (4) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the control device 15 is configured to check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based on the difference between the color density of the overlapping area 28 of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 and the color density of the preliminary patch 21. This configuration is as described in step S12 of FIG. 6.

[0070] The image forming system 10 configured in this manner can check the image quality of the image forming device 12 based on the difference between the color density of the overlapping area 28 of the pre-printed patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 and the color density of the pre-printed patch 21.

[0071] (5) As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, in the image forming system 10 having the configuration of (1) above, the control device 15 is configured to control the formation position of the overprint patch 22 in the image forming device 12 so that the overprint patch 22 partially overlaps the preliminary patch 21 with an arbitrary amount of offset.

[0072] In addition to the preliminary patch 21, the print medium 16 is formed with the overprinted patch 22, user content (not shown), and the like. Therefore, the area of the print medium 16 for forming the overprinted patch 22, user content (not shown), and the like is limited. Therefore, the image forming system 10 having the configuration (2) above forms the overprinted patch 22 so that the overprinted patch 22 partially overlaps the preliminary patch 21 with an arbitrary amount of deviation. As a result, the image forming system 10 having the configuration (2) above can improve adjustment accuracy while reducing the printing area of the overprinted patch 22.

[0073] (6) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (5) above, the control device 15 controls the image forming device 12 to form the overprinted patch 22 so that the overprinted patch 22 overlaps the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of its area. This configuration is as described in step S140 of FIG. 7B.

[0074] The image forming system 10 configured as described above forms an overprinted patch 22 of the same size as the preliminary patch 21. At this time, the image forming system 10 forms the overprinted patch 22 so that it overlaps with the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of its area. When the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 are the same size, the image forming system 10 can easily perform calculations for adjusting image quality, for example, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0075] (7) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (6) above, the control device 15 controls the image forming device 12 to form a position of the overprinted patch 22 that is smaller than the preliminary patch 21 so that the overprinted patch 22 overlaps with the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of its area. This configuration is as described in step S155 of FIG. 7B.

[0076] The image forming system 10 configured as described above forms the overprinted patch 22 that is smaller in size than the preliminary patch 21. At that time, the image forming system 10 forms the overprinted patch 22 so that it overlaps with the preliminary patch 21 by 50% or more of its area. Because the image forming system 10 forms the overprinted patch 22 that is smaller in size than the preliminary patch 21, it is possible to improve adjustment accuracy while reducing the printing area of the overprinted patch 22.

[0077] (8) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the first reading device 11 reads the print medium 16 on which user content (not shown) and advance patches 21 have been formed in advance. The first reading device 11 may read the user content and advance patches 21 autonomously, or may read the user content and advance patches 21 passively based on instructions from the control device 15. The control device 15 is configured to cause the image forming device 12 to form overprint patches 22 in non-print areas of the print medium 16. This configuration is as described in step S130 of FIG. 7A.

[0078] The image forming system 10 configured as described above forms the overprinted patch 22 in an empty area of the print medium 16. Therefore, the image forming system 10 can improve the degree of freedom in the position where the overprinted patch 22 is formed.

[0079] (9) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the control device 15 is configured to adjust the position and color density of the overprint formed by the image forming device 12. This configuration is as described in step S170 of FIG. 7B.

[0080] In the image forming system 10 configured as described above, the target engine performance of the image forming device 12 can be achieved by adjusting the position and color density of the overprint formed by the image forming device 12 when checking the image quality.

[0081] (10) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the first reading device 11 reads the print medium 16 on which user content (not shown) and preliminary patches 21 are pre-formed. The control device 15 is configured to adjust the formation position of the pre-printed patches 22 formed by the image forming device 12 based on the positions of the user content and preliminary patches 21 on the print medium 16.

[0082] The image forming system 10 configured as above can adjust the formation positions of the additional printing patches 22 to suitably adjust the image quality.

[0083] (11) In the image forming system 10 configured as described in (1) above, the first reading device 11 reads the print medium 16 on which user content (not shown) and advance patches 21 have been formed in advance. The control device 15 is configured to detect the top position of the page from the positions of the user content and advance patches 21 on the print medium 16. This configuration is as described in step S120 of FIG. 7A.

[0084] The image forming system 10 configured as described above can detect the top position of the page from the positions of the user content and the advance patch 21, thereby removing a page alignment marker (not shown) from the print medium 16. The page alignment marker is a mark formed on the print medium 16 for page alignment. The page alignment marker may be formed on the print medium 16 in advance, or may be formed when the user content is formed on the print medium 16.

[0085] (12) The image forming program 19 is a program for causing the control device 15, which controls the image forming device 12, the first reading device 11 on the upstream side of the medium transport path, and the second reading device 13 on the downstream side, to execute the following steps. (a) A procedure for obtaining read information of the print medium 16 on which the preliminary patch 21 is formed in advance by the first reading device 11. (b) A procedure for controlling the formation position of the additional print patch 22 in accordance with the position of the preliminary patch 21 on the print medium 16 and causing the image forming device 12 to perform additional printing. (c) A procedure for making the second reading device 13 read the overprinted print medium 16. (d) Procedure for checking the image quality of the image forming device 12.

[0086] Such an image forming program 19 can realize the image forming system 10 having the above configuration (1).

[0087] (13) The control device 15 can be mounted on the image forming device 12. That is, the image forming device 12 can be configured as follows. That is, the image forming device 12 is disposed between the first reading device 11 on the upstream side of the medium transport path and the second reading device 13 on the downstream side. The image forming device 12 is configured to include an image forming mechanism 12a and a control device 15. In such a configuration, the control device 15 acquires read information of the print medium 16 on which the preliminary patch 21 has been formed in advance from the first reading device 11. The control device 15 also controls the formation position of the overprinted patch 22 according to the position of the preliminary patch 21 on the print medium 16, causing the image forming mechanism to overprint, and acquires read information of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22 from the second reading device 13. The control device 15 then checks the image quality based on the positions and color densities of the preliminary patch 21 and the overprinted patch 22.

[0088] The image forming apparatus 12 configured as described above can adjust the image quality without relying on the print medium 16 by printing the additional print patches 22 (adjustment patches).

[0089] As described above, according to the image forming system 10 according to the embodiment, image quality adjustment can be achieved without relying on the print medium 16 by additionally printing the additional print patches 22 (adjustment patches).

[0090] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0091] For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the gist of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment including all of the components described. Furthermore, the present invention may include some components by adding other components to them, or by replacing some components with other components. Furthermore, the present invention may also include some components by deleting them. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10. Image forming system 11 First reading device 12 Image forming device 12a Image forming mechanism 13 Second reading device 14 Conveyor equipment 15 Control device 15a Information acquisition section 15b Information Analysis Department 15c Area discrimination part 15d Print instruction section 15e Arithmetic unit 15f Good / bad judgement section 15g adjustment section 16 Print media 16a roll paper 16b paper 18 Storage medium 19 Image Formation Program 21 Pre-patch 22 Reprinted Patch 26 Pre-patch area (light area) 27 Overprint patch area (dark area) 28 Overlapping area (bright area)

Claims

1. an image forming apparatus; a first reading device disposed upstream of a medium transport path of the image forming device; a second reading device disposed downstream of the medium transport path; a control device; reading a print medium on which a preliminary patch has been formed by the first reading device; the control device controls the formation position of the additionally printed patch in accordance with the position of the preliminary patch on the print medium, causes the image forming device to perform additional printing, and causes the second reading device to read the additionally printed print medium, thereby confirming the image quality of the image forming device. Imaging system.

2. the control device confirms the image quality of the image forming device based on the position and color density of the overprinted patch. The image forming system according to claim 1 .

3. the control device confirms the image quality of the image forming device based on the positions and color densities of the pre-printed patch and the overprinted patch. The image forming system according to claim 1 .

4. the control device confirms the image quality of the image forming device based on a difference between a color density of an overlapping area of the pre-printed patch and the overprinted patch and a color density of the pre-printed patch. The image forming system according to claim 1 .

5. the control device controls the image forming device to form the overprinted patch at a position where the overprinted patch partially overlaps the preliminary patch with a given amount of deviation. The image forming system according to claim 1 .

6. the control device controls the image forming device to form the overprinted patch at a position where the overprinted patch overlaps the preliminary patch by 50% or more of its area. The image forming system according to claim 5 .

7. the control device controls the image forming device to form a position of the additionally printed patch having a size smaller than the preliminary patch so that the additionally printed patch overlaps the preliminary patch by 50% or more of an area of the additionally printed patch. The image forming system according to claim 6 .

8. The first reading device reads a print medium on which user content and a pre-patched image are pre-formed; the control device causes the image forming device to form the additional printing patch in a non-printing area of the print medium; The image forming system according to claim 1 .

9. the control device adjusts the position and color density of the overprint formed by the image forming device; The image forming system according to claim 1 .

10. the first reading device reads the user content and the print medium on which the pre-patches are pre-formed; the control device adjusts the formation positions of the pre-printed patches to be formed by the image forming device based on the user content and the positions of the pre-printed patches on the print medium. The image forming system according to claim 1 .

11. the first reading device reads the user content and the print medium on which the pre-patches are pre-formed; the control device detects the top position of a page from the positions of the user content and the pre-printed patch on the print medium; The image forming system according to claim 1 .

12. a control device that controls the image forming device, the first reading device located upstream of the medium transport path, and the second reading device located downstream of the medium transport path; a step of acquiring read information of a print medium on which a preliminary patch has been formed in advance by the first reading device; a step of controlling a formation position of an additional print patch according to a position of the preliminary patch on the print medium and causing the image forming device to perform additional print; a step of causing the second reading device to read the overprinted print medium; a step of checking the image quality of the image forming device; An image forming program for executing the above.

13. An image forming apparatus disposed between a first reading device on an upstream side of a medium transport path and a second reading device on a downstream side thereof, an image forming mechanism; a control device; the control device acquires read information of a print medium on which a preliminary patch has been formed in advance from the first reading device, controls the formation position of an additional print patch according to the position of the preliminary patch on the print medium, and causes the image forming mechanism to perform additional printing; and causes the second reading device to read the additionally printed print medium, thereby confirming the image quality of the image forming mechanism. Image forming device.

Images