Image processing apparatus, printing apparatus, image processing method, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem that an image cannot be properly recorded depending on a viewing place or a surface of a recording medium.SOLUTION: An acquisition unit configured to acquire data of an image; and a color separation data generation unit configured to generate, based on the data of the image, color separation data which is data for recording an image to be recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer of a surface of the image and a base layer in contact with a recording medium, A generation unit configured to generate the color separation data for printing an image with a first ink that is a coloring ink, a first reaction liquid that reacts with the first ink, a second ink that is a base ink, and a second reaction liquid that has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink, wherein the generation unit generates the color separation data including data for each layer related to the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, a recording device, an image processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known recording devices that record images on a recording medium by applying a recording material such as ink, etc. Such recording devices record images using a reaction liquid that reacts with the color material contained in the ink to cause the ink to aggregate.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for recording an image by depositing ink onto a reaction liquid that has been deposited on a recording medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-42982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since images recorded on recording media can be viewed from various locations and the surfaces of recording media have various shapes, the technology of Patent Document 1 cannot properly record images depending on the location from which they are viewed or the surface of the recording media.

[0006] To address this issue, the present invention provides a technique for appropriately recording an image on a viewing location or on the surface of a recording medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, for example, an image processing device of the present invention has the following arrangement: an acquisition means for acquiring image data; a generating means for generating color separation data based on data of the image, the color separation data being data for recording an image recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer on the surface of the image and an underlayer in contact with a recording medium, the color separation data being for recording an image using a first ink which is a color developing ink, a first reaction liquid which reacts with the first ink, a second ink which is an underlayer ink, and a second reaction liquid which has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink; and The generating means generates the color separation data including data for each layer regarding the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an image can be appropriately recorded on a viewing location or on the surface of a recording medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the recording apparatus main body according to the embodiment, showing a schematic view of the vicinity of a heating unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the recording head according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how light is reflected depending on the difference in surface smoothness of an ink layer on a recording medium. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of image processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining calculation processing using a one-dimensional lookup table (LUT) on image data according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining pass masks for each scan when performing pass decomposition processing on pre-printed dot application data. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining path masks for each operation for performing path decomposition processing on dot imparting data for subsequent application. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating ejection ports that perform printing in an ejection port array provided in a print head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of an ink layer on a recording medium in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where the base layer is exposed in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where there are three or more ink layers in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the structure of an ink layer on a recording medium in a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating ejection ports for printing in a print head according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a UI screen of an application according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] [First embodiment] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. A recording apparatus employing an inkjet recording method will be described below as an example. The recording apparatus may be, for example, a single-function printer having only an image recording function, or a multi-function printer having multiple functions such as a fax function and a scanner function in addition to a recording function. It may also be, for example, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing color filters, electronic devices, optical devices, microstructures, etc., using a predetermined recording method.

[0012] <Configuration of Inkjet Recording Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of an inkjet recording apparatus (also called a recording apparatus or printer) according to an embodiment. This is a so-called serial scanning printer, which records an image on a recording medium P by scanning a recording head in an X direction (scanning direction) perpendicular to a Y direction (transport direction) of the recording medium P. The recording apparatus of this embodiment records an image using multiple layers, at least in part, where ink layers are stacked. The term "image" may include both image and image data.

[0013] The configuration of the inkjet recording device and its operation during recording will be outlined with reference to Figure 1. First, the recording medium P is conveyed in the Y direction by a spool 6 that holds the recording medium P by a conveying roller driven via gears by a conveying motor (not shown).

[0014] Meanwhile, when the transported recording medium P is positioned at a predetermined position, a carriage motor (not shown) causes the carriage unit 2 to perform reciprocating scanning (reciprocating movement) along a guide shaft 8 extending in the X direction. During this scanning process, ink is ejected from the nozzles of a recording head (described later) that can be attached to the carriage unit 2 at timing based on a position signal obtained by an encoder 7, thereby performing printing over a certain bandwidth corresponding to the array range of the nozzles. The scanning speed of the carriage unit 2 is variable, allowing scanning at speeds of 10 to 70 inches per second. The printing resolution is also variable, allowing ejection at speeds of 300 to 2400 dpi. In this embodiment, for example, scanning is performed at a scanning speed of 40 inches per second, and ejection is performed at a printing resolution of 1200 dpi (1 / 1200 inch intervals). The recording medium P is then transported, and printing is performed over the next bandwidth. As will be described in detail later, each nozzle of the recording head that can be attached to the carriage unit 2 is provided with a printing element for ejecting ink droplets. A flexible wiring board 19 is provided to supply drive pulses for driving the recording elements, signals for adjusting the head temperature, and the like.

[0015] A carriage belt can be used to transmit the driving force from the carriage motor to the carriage unit 2. However, instead of a carriage belt, other driving means can be used, such as a mechanism including a lead screw that is rotationally driven by the carriage motor and extends in the X direction, and an engaging portion that is provided on the carriage unit 2 and engages with the groove of the lead screw.

[0016] The fed recording medium P is sandwiched and transported between a paper feed roller and a pinch roller, and is guided to the recording position (scanning area of ​​the recording head) on the platen 4. When the recording device is normally in a resting state, the face of the recording head is capped, so prior to recording, the cap is opened to make the recording head or carriage unit 2 ready for scanning. After that, once data for one scan has been accumulated in the buffer, the carriage motor scans the carriage unit 2, and recording is performed as described above.

[0017] The UI screen 50 allows the user to input and confirm instructions to stop the recording operation and information about the recording medium P. The UI screen 50 also allows the user to individually specify settings for various recording conditions, such as setting the level of the reaction liquid recording volume. UI is an abbreviation for User Interface.

[0018] <Heating part> Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the recording apparatus main body of the embodiment, and is a schematic diagram of the vicinity of the heating unit. Although not shown in Figure 1, the recording apparatus is provided with a heating unit that heats and dries ink applied to the recording medium P after the recording operation is completed. The heating unit has the function of drying the ink and the function of heating water-soluble resin particles (described later) to form a film. These water-soluble resin particles are applied to the recording medium P and then heated to form a film, which is a resin that improves the scratch resistance of the image.

[0019] The heater 10 is supported by a frame (not shown) and is disposed in a curing area, where it dries the liquid ink on the recording medium P by heat. The curing area may be an area downstream in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction) from the position where the recording head 9 mounted on the carriage unit 2 scans back and forth in the main scanning direction X. The heater 10 is covered by a heater cover 11. The heater cover 11 has the function of efficiently irradiating the heat of the heater 10 onto the recording medium P and the function of protecting the heater 10. In this specification, the term "heating unit" includes the heater 10 and the heater cover 11.

[0020] The recording medium P wound around the spool 6 has an image recorded on it by the recording head 9 while being transported, and is then wound up by the spool 12 to form a rolled-up medium 13. The heater 10 may be a sheathed heater, a halogen heater, or the like, and is not particularly limited.

[0021] In the recording method of this embodiment, the heating temperature of the heating unit in the curing region may be equal to or higher than the minimum film-forming temperature of the water-soluble resin particles. Furthermore, the heating unit must evaporate most of the liquid components, such as the water-soluble organic solvent, in the ink during heating. Therefore, the heating unit must be configured to be able to heat for a heating time longer than the time required to provide the energy necessary to evaporate most of the liquid components. Therefore, the heating unit must be designed taking into consideration film-forming properties, evaporation of liquid components, productivity of printed matter, and the heat resistance of the recording medium P.

[0022] The heating means for the heating unit in the curing region may be a method of blowing hot air from above, or a contact-type heat conduction heater from below the recording medium, etc. In the present embodiment shown in Figure 2, the heating unit in the curing region is provided in one location, but two or more heating units may be provided and used in combination as long as the temperature measured by a radiation thermometer (not shown) on the recording medium P does not exceed the set value of the heating temperature.

[0023] <Recording head configuration> FIG. 3 is a plan view of a print head 9 according to an embodiment. The print head 9 includes multiple ejection port arrays in which multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting ink are arranged along the Y direction. The print head 9 includes ejection port array 22K, ejection port array 22C, ejection port array 22M, ejection port array 22Y, and ejection port array 22W. The ejection port array 22K includes multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting black ink (K). The ejection port array 22C includes multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting cyan ink (C). The ejection port array 22M includes multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting magenta ink (M). The ejection port array 22Y includes multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting yellow ink (Y). The ejection port array 22W includes multiple ejection port 30 for ejecting white ink (W). Each of the black ink (K), cyan ink (C), magenta ink (M), yellow ink (Y), and white ink (W) contains a colorant. For simplicity in the following explanation, these inks containing coloring materials will be referred to as color inks. Furthermore, the remaining inks, excluding white ink, from the color inks will also be referred to as color inks. Color inks are an example of coloring inks. White ink is an example of base inks.

[0024] The recording head 9 includes an ejection port array 22RCTA for ejecting reaction liquid A (RCTA, also referred to as reactor A) and an ejection port array 22RCTB for ejecting reaction liquid B (RCTB, also referred to as reactor B). Here, reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B react with solid components such as coloring materials and resin particles contained in the ink upon contact with the ink, promoting their aggregation and thereby acting as an auxiliary agent in image recording. Reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B do not contain coloring materials. Specific details of the ink and reaction liquid will be described later.

[0025] The ejection opening arrays 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y, and 22W are arranged in this order from left to right in the X direction. Each ejection opening array has 1,280 ejection openings 30 that eject the respective recording materials. The ejection openings 30 are arranged in the Y direction (arrangement direction) at a density of 1,200 dpi. In this embodiment, the amount of recording material ejected from one ejection opening 30 at a time is approximately 4.5 pL. The ejection opening arrays 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y, 22W, 22RCTA, and 22RCTB are connected to tanks (not shown) that store the corresponding recording materials, and the recording materials are supplied from each tank. The print head 9 and the recording material tanks may be integrally configured or separable.

[0026] <Recording Media> The recording apparatus in this embodiment records on a low-permeability recording medium that is difficult for water to penetrate. As described above, the low-permeability recording medium referred to here is a medium that has no water absorption or absorbs only a very small amount of water. Therefore, aqueous inks that do not contain organic solvents are repelled by the low-permeability recording medium and cannot form images. On the other hand, low-permeability recording media have excellent water resistance and weather resistance, making them suitable for forming printed materials to be used outdoors. Typically, a recording medium with a water contact angle of 45° or more at 25°C is used as the low-permeability recording medium. Alternatively, a recording medium with a water contact angle of 60° or more at 25°C may be used as the low-permeability recording medium.

[0027] Low-permeability recording media include recording media with a plastic layer formed on the outermost surface of a substrate, recording media without an ink-receiving layer formed on the substrate, sheets of glass, Yupo, plastic, etc., films, banners, etc. Examples of coated plastics include polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. These low-permeability recording media have excellent water resistance, light resistance, and abrasion resistance, and are therefore generally used when recording materials for outdoor exhibitions.

[0028] As an example of a method for evaluating the permeability of a recording medium, the well-known Bristow method can be used. In the Bristow method, a predetermined amount of ink is poured into a holding container having an opening slit of a predetermined size. Then, the ink is brought into contact with a recording medium that has been processed into a strip and wound around a disk through the slit, and the disk is rotated while the position of the holding container is fixed, and the area (length) of the ink band that is transferred to the recording medium is measured. From the area of ​​this ink band, the amount of ink transferred per unit area per second (ml / m 2 In this embodiment, the amount of ink transferred (amount of water absorbed) in 30 msec by the Bristow method is 10 ml / m 2 Recording media smaller than this are considered low permeability recording media.

[0029] <Ink composition> Each ink constituting the ink set used in this embodiment will now be described in detail. Hereinafter, "parts" and "%" are by mass unless otherwise specified. Below, the composition of each ink will be described in detail. The colorant inks (C, M, Y, K, W) used in this embodiment use black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and white colorant pigments, respectively. These colorant pigments are prepared as dispersion solutions in aqueous solutions, and then blended with other specified material components to prepare the ink.

[0030] The colorant inks (C, M, Y, K, and W), reaction liquid A (RCTA), and reaction liquid B (RCTB) used in this embodiment all contain a water-soluble organic solvent. From the viewpoint of wettability and moisture retention of the print head 9 face, the boiling point of the water-soluble organic solvent may be 150°C or higher and 300°C or lower. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of film-forming function for resin particles and swelling solubility in a print medium on which a resin layer is formed, the water-soluble organic solvent may be a ketone compound such as acetone or cyclohexanone, or a propylene glycol derivative such as tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether. From the same viewpoint, the water-soluble organic solvent may be a heterocyclic compound having a lactam structure, such as N-methylpyrrolidone or 2-pyrrolidone.

[0031] From the viewpoint of ejection performance, the content of the water-soluble organic solvent may be 3 wt % or more and 30 wt % or less. The water-soluble organic solvent may be, for example, an alkyl alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, or tert-butyl alcohol. The water-soluble organic solvent may be an amide, such as dimethylformamide or dimethylacetamide. The water-soluble organic solvent may be a ketone or ketoalcohol, such as acetone or diacetone alcohol. The water-soluble organic solvent may be an ether, such as tetrahydrofuran or dioxane. The water-soluble organic solvent may be a polyalkylene glycol, such as polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol. The water-soluble organic solvent may be ethylene glycol or an alkylene glycol having an alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol, or diethylene glycol. The water-soluble organic solvent may be a lower alkyl ether acetate such as polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, or a lower alkyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin, ethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol methyl (or ethyl) ether, or triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether. The water-soluble organic solvent may be a polyhydric alcohol such as trimethylolpropane or trimethylolethane. The water-soluble organic solvent may be N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, or 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone. The above-mentioned water-soluble organic solvents may be used alone or in combination.

[0032] The water may be deionized water. The content of the water-soluble organic solvent in Reaction Liquid A (RCTA) and Reaction Liquid B (RCTB) is not particularly limited, but the colorant inks (C, M, Y, K, W) may contain surfactants, antifoaming agents, preservatives, antifungal agents, etc. in addition to the above-mentioned components, as needed, to impart desired physical properties.

[0033] The colorant inks (C, M, Y, K, W), reaction liquid A (RCTA), and reaction liquid B (RCTB) used in this embodiment all contain surfactants. Surfactants are used as penetrants to improve the ink's permeability to inkjet recording media. The greater the amount of surfactant added, the stronger the ink's surface tension reduction effect, improving the ink's wettability and permeability to the recording media. In this embodiment, a small amount of acetylene glycol EO adduct or the like was added as a surfactant to adjust the surface tension of each ink to 30 dyn / cm or less, and the difference in surface tension between the inks to within 2 dyn / cm. More specifically, each ink was adjusted to have a surface tension of approximately 22 to 24 dyn / cm. Surface tension measurements were performed using a fully automatic surface tensiometer CBVP-Z (manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.). The measuring device is not limited to the above examples, as long as it can measure the surface tension of the ink.

[0034] Furthermore, the pH of each ink in this embodiment is stable on the alkaline side. The pH value of each ink is, for example, 8.5 or higher and 9.5 or lower. From the viewpoint of preventing elution and deterioration of components in the recording device or recording head that come into contact with each ink, and a decrease in the solubility of the dispersion resin in the ink, the pH of each ink may be 7.0 or higher and 10.0 or lower. pH was measured using a pH meter model F-52 manufactured by Horiba, Ltd. Note that the measuring device is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, as long as it can measure the pH of the ink.

[0035] The color ink may further include light cyan ink (Lc), light magenta ink (Lm), gray ink (Gy), red ink (R), orange ink (Or), green ink (G), violet ink (V), metallic ink (Mt), etc.

[0036] <Water-soluble resin fine particles> The water-soluble resin microparticles of this embodiment will be described. The colorant inks (C, M, Y, K, W) of this embodiment contain water-soluble resin microparticles that adhere the colorant to the recording medium and improve the scratch resistance (fixability) of the recorded image. The resin microparticles are melted by heat, and a heater is used to form a film of the resin microparticles and dry the solvent contained in the ink. In this embodiment, "resin microparticles" refers to polymer microparticles that exist in a dispersed state in water.

[0037] The resin microparticles may be acrylic resin microparticles synthesized by emulsion polymerization of monomers such as (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters and (meth)acrylic acid alkylamides. The resin microparticles may also be styrene-acrylic resin microparticles synthesized by emulsion polymerization of monomers such as (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters and (meth)acrylic acid alkylamides with styrene. The resin microparticles may be polyethylene resin microparticles, polypropylene resin microparticles, polyurethane resin microparticles, styrene-butadiene resin microparticles, etc. The resin microparticles may be core-shell type resin microparticles in which the polymer composition differs between the core and shell of the resin microparticles, or resin microparticles obtained by emulsion polymerization around seed particles that are pre-synthesized to control particle size. The resin microparticles may also be hybrid type resin microparticles in which different resin microparticles, such as acrylic resin microparticles and urethane resin microparticles, are chemically bonded.

[0038] Furthermore, the "polymer microparticles dispersed in water" may be in the form of resin microparticles obtained by homopolymerizing or copolymerizing multiple types of monomers having a dissociative group, i.e., a so-called self-dispersing resin microparticle dispersion. Examples of the dissociative group include a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphate group. Examples of the monomer having a dissociative group include acrylic acid and methacrylic acid. Furthermore, the polymer microparticles may be a so-called emulsion-dispersed resin microparticle dispersion in which resin microparticles are dispersed using an emulsifier. The emulsifier may be a material having an anionic charge, regardless of whether it is low-molecular-weight or high-molecular-weight.

[0039] The water-soluble resin particles do not necessarily have to be contained in the colorant ink, but may be contained in a clear emulsion ink (Em) that does not contain a colorant and is different from the colorant ink and the reaction liquid.

[0040] <Composition of reaction solution> Reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B of this embodiment will be described. This embodiment employs a recording system that uses a reaction liquid for insolubilizing part or all of the solid components of the colorant ink in order to solve image problems such as bleeding and beading. In this embodiment, "reaction" refers to agglomerating the solid components of the colorant ink and insolubilizing the solid components of the colorant ink. This embodiment also uses two different types of reaction liquid, which will be described below.

[0041] The reaction liquid may be, for example, a solution containing polyvalent metal ions (e.g., magnesium nitrate, magnesium chloride, aluminum sulfate, iron chloride, etc.) to insolubilize dissolved dyes and dispersed pigments and resins. The flocculation action using such cations may be the action of a system using a low-molecular-weight cationic polymer flocculant to neutralize the charge of water-soluble resin particles and insolubilize anionic soluble substances.

[0042] Another reaction system is an insolubilization system using a reaction solution that utilizes a pH difference. As mentioned above, most color inks generally used in inkjet recording are stable on the alkaline side due to the properties of their colorants. The pH of color inks is generally around 7 to 10, and in many cases, it is set to around 8.5 to 9.5 from an industrial perspective and taking into account the influence of the external environment. In order to aggregate and solidify color inks of this type, an acidic solution is added and the pH is changed, destroying the stable state and causing the dispersed components to aggregate. For this purpose, an acidic solution can also be used as the reaction solution.

[0043] In this embodiment, reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B are adjusted to have different reactivities with the color inks (C, M, Y, K, and W). Reaction liquid A contains at least a cationic polymer as a reactant component. Cationic polymers contain many ionic polar groups per polymer molecule and have a high charge density, making them excellent at insolubilizing solid components contained in color inks. Because cationic polymers have a strong coagulation effect, they strengthen the coagulation of ink dots on the recording medium and inhibit the ink dots from spreading. Therefore, reaction liquid A can reduce the surface smoothness of the recorded material. Therefore, when reaction liquid A is used as an ink for the surface layer, it can reduce the angle dependency of the recorded image and improve visibility. On the other hand, when reaction liquid A is used as an ink for the inner layer, it can form a strong layer structure.

[0044] 4 is a diagram showing how light is reflected depending on the difference in surface smoothness of the ink layer L on the recording medium P. The reflection of light on the recording medium P will be described with reference to FIG.

[0045] FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing how light is reflected when the surface smoothness of the ink layer L on the recording medium P is low. When the surface smoothness of the ink layer L is low, the proportion of reflected light relative to incident light 40 is low in specular reflected light 41 and high in diffuse reflected light 42. Because the difference in proportion between specular reflected light 41 and diffuse reflected light 42 is small, angle dependency is reduced. For example, in the case of displaying a poster outdoors, low angle dependency is characterized by easier reading of text information and higher visibility.

[0046] Reaction liquid B contains at least a polyvalent metal salt as a reactant component. Compared to reaction liquid A, which contains a cationic polymer, reaction liquid B tends to have a relatively weak aggregating effect, making it easier to control the aggregating state when mixed with color ink. Because reaction liquid B weakly aggregates the color ink, the color ink takes a relatively long time to aggregate. Therefore, with reaction liquid B, ink dots tend to wet and spread sufficiently on the recording medium. As a result, reaction liquid B can increase the surface smoothness of the recorded material and improve its affinity with recording media with high surface smoothness.

[0047] Figure 4(b) shows the reflection of light when the ink layer L on the recording medium P has high surface smoothness. When the ink layer L has high surface smoothness, the ratio of reflected light to incident light 40 is high (specular reflection 43) and low (diffuse reflection 44). For example, highly transparent recording media such as transparent PET have high surface smoothness due to their transparency, resulting in low diffuse reflection. Increasing the surface smoothness of the ink layer L can enhance the affinity between the ink and the recording medium. In particular, white ink is used in the base region. If the surface texture differs significantly from that of the recording medium, the visual difference at the boundary can create an unnatural appearance. Therefore, it is important to increase the surface smoothness of the ink layer L to closely resemble the surface shape of the recording medium. Surface smoothness can be measured in three dimensions using a non-contact optical interferometer (product name: VertScan R5500G, Ryoka Systems Co., Ltd.).

[0048] Here, reaction solution A induces a relatively strong reaction and is therefore referred to as a strong reaction solution, and reaction solution B induces a relatively weak reaction and is therefore also referred to as a weak reaction solution. In this embodiment, the content of the reactive component may be 0.1% by mass or more and 90.0% by mass or less, or 1.0% by mass or more and 70.0% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the composition contained in the reaction solution. Furthermore, in addition to varying the reactivity depending on the type of reactant as described above, the reactivity may also be varied by changing the concentration and pH value of the reactant.

[0049] <Layer structure of ink layer> FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the structure of ink layers on a recording medium P. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram illustrating the ink layer structure, including a surface layer and an internal layer, on a recording medium when an image is formed using color inks, white ink, and two types of reaction liquid in this embodiment. FIG. 11(a) shows an ink-free region 1100 where no ink is applied, a non-laminated region 1101 consisting only of a color ink layer CL1, a non-laminated region 1103 consisting only of a white ink layer WL1, and a laminated region 1102 where a color ink layer CL2 is laminated on a white ink layer WL2. FIG. 11(b) is a table summarizing the relationship between the symbols indicating the regions in FIG. 11(a) and the presence or absence of ink layers.

[0050] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the visual discomfort caused by the difference in surface properties at the boundary with the ink-free region 1100, a reaction liquid B that is less reactive with the color ink layer CL1 in the non-laminated region 1101 and the white ink layer WL1 in the non-laminated region 1103 is used to increase surface smoothness and record an image. In other words, even if the base layer is in contact with the recording medium P, if the base layer is entirely exposed, the base layer (here, the color ink layer CL1 and the white ink layer WL1) is treated as a surface layer, and the reaction liquid B with less reactivity is used. As a result, the entirely exposed base layer (which is also the surface layer) has increased surface smoothness and a higher affinity with the recording medium P.

[0051] In this embodiment, in the laminated region 1102, a highly reactive reaction liquid A is used in the inner white ink layer WL2 to cause strong aggregation. This is to prevent the inner white ink layer WL2 from mixing with the surface color ink layer CL2 when a color ink layer CL2 is recorded on the underlying white ink layer WL2. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a less reactive reaction liquid B is used in the surface color ink layer WL2 to perform recording that enhances surface smoothness. This reduces the surface smoothness of the inner white ink layer, but increases the surface smoothness seen from the observer. Therefore, this embodiment can reduce the visual discomfort when observed and enhance compatibility with recording media with high surface smoothness.

[0052] The following describes in detail image processing and data processing related to print data generation, which is one embodiment for realizing the above layer structure.

[0053] <Configuration of the control system of the recording device> 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the printing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. The printing apparatus 100 includes a main control unit 300, an interface circuit 311, drive circuits 305, 306, 307, 308, an LF motor 309, a CR motor 310, a print head 9, and a heater 10.

[0054] The main control unit 300 includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, an input / output port 304, a storage 313, and a bus 315. The CPU 301, the ROM 302, the RAM 303, the input / output port 304, and the storage 313 are connected via the bus 315 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other.

[0055] The CPU 301 stands for Central Processing Unit and is a so-called processor. The CPU 301 performs processing operations such as calculation, selection, discrimination, and control, as well as recording operations such as recording data such as images to a recording medium. The recording device 100 may include other processors such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a QPU (Quantum Processing Unit) instead of or in addition to the CPU 301. The CPU 301 loads programs stored in the ROM 302 and storage 313, expands them in the RAM 303, and realizes various functions and executes various processes. For example, the CPU 301 loads a program for image recording processing and records images to a recording medium. Some or all of the functions realized by the CPU 301 may be implemented by one or more circuits, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) including an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The CPU 301 is an example of an acquisition means, a generation means, and a path decomposition means.

[0056] The ROM 302 is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory and is a non-volatile storage device that stores the control program executed by the CPU 301.

[0057] The RAM 303 is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory, and is a volatile storage device that can be read and written at high speed. The RAM 303 functions as a buffer for recording data, a work area when the CPU 301 executes a program, and the like.

[0058] The storage 313 is a large-capacity nonvolatile storage device. The storage 313 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage 313 stores mask patterns, image data, etc., which will be described later. The storage 313 also stores an operating system (OS), an image recording processing program for recording an image on a recording medium, etc.

[0059] The input / output port 304 is connected to an LF motor 309 that functions as a transport motor, a CR motor 310 that functions as a carriage motor, the print head 9, and drive circuits 305, 306, 307, and 308 that drive the heater 10. The input / output port 304 may also be connected to an actuator in a cutting unit, etc.

[0060] The main control unit 300 is connected to a computer 312, which is a host device, via an interface circuit 311. The computer 312 is, for example, a personal computer. In this embodiment, a personal computer is used as the host device, but the host device is not limited to this. In this embodiment, any computer, such as a smartphone, may be used as the host device.

[0061] Fig. 17 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the computer 312. As shown in Fig. 17, the computer 312 has a processor 171, a memory 172, a storage 173, a communication IF 174, an input IF 175, an output IF 176, and a bus 177. The processor 171, the memory 172, the storage 173, the communication IF 174, the input IF 175, and the output IF 176 are connected via the bus 177 so as to be able to send and receive information to and from each other.

[0062] The processor 171 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, a GPU, an MPU, and a QPU. The processor 171 reads programs and drivers stored in the storage 173 and expands them in the memory 172, thereby realizing various functions and executing processes.

[0063] The memory 172 may be a high-speed readable and writable storage device such as a RAM, etc. The memory 172 functions as, for example, a work area when the processor 171 executes a program.

[0064] The storage 173 may be a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or an SDD. The storage 173 stores programs such as image recording processing programs, data such as image data to be processed by executing the programs, and parameters required for executing the programs.

[0065] The communication IF 174 is an interface connected to a network, etc. The communication IF 174 realizes communication with the recording device 100. The communication IF 174 outputs data received from the outside to the processor 171, and also transmits data to the recording device 100, etc. based on instructions from the processor 171.

[0066] The input IF 175 receives input from the user, etc. The input IF 175 receives input from the user, for example, from a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The input IF 175 outputs the received input to the processor 171.

[0067] The output IF 176 outputs data to an external device. For example, the output IF 176 outputs image data received from the processor 171 to a display unit 178 such as a liquid crystal display to display the image.

[0068] <Image data conversion processing> FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an image recording process that converts image data and records an image. This process may be called image conversion processing, image data conversion processing, image processing, or the like. The image processing of this embodiment records an image using a multi-layer structure in which color inks are layered on top of white ink. This recording method is called the white underprint mode.

[0069] The image recording process in the recording system of this embodiment is executed by the computer 312 and the recording device 100. This image recording process creates data indicating the ink dot formation positions for each recording scan from input image data and records an image. This image recording process is a series of processes. Each process included in this series of processes is executed by either the computer 312 or the recording device 100 functioning as an image processing device. Note that part of the series of processes may be shared and executed.

[0070] <Print job creation> The computer 312 stores an application program (not shown) and a printer driver (not shown) compatible with the recording device 100 in storage 173. The processor 171 reads and executes the program and printer driver to execute the processes of steps S601 and S602.

[0071] In step S601, processor 171 executes a process for generating image data for recording and a process for setting recording control information that controls recording. For example, processor 171 loads and executes an application program to display a GUI screen on display unit 178 connected to output IF 176. Based on information specified by the user via the GUI screen, processor 171 generates image data for recording to be sent to the printer driver and sets recording control information that controls recording. Note that while FIG. 6 shows the processes for generating image data for recording and setting recording control information as a single process in step S601, these two processes may be executed separately. Processor 171 passes the image data for recording generated by the application and the set recording control information to a printer driver module.

[0072] In step S602, the processor 171 executes a print job generation process using a printer driver module. For example, the processor 171 generates a print job containing a series of print command data based on the recording image data generated by the application and the set recording control information. The processor 171 then transmits the print job to the recording device 100 via the communication IF 174 and the interface circuit 311.

[0073] The CPU 301 of the main control unit 300 of the recording device 100 receives a print job containing a series of print command data and temporarily stores the received print job in the working memory, RAM 303. The print command data includes information indicating the size of the image data, the recording mode for recording the image data, and the like. The main control unit 300 analyzes this information and executes the image processing described below based on the results.

[0074] The CPU 301 reads the program stored in the storage 313 of the main control unit 300 of the recording device 100, and executes each step of image processing from step S603 onwards.

[0075] <Image analysis> 6, the CPU 301 acquires the recording image data and stores it in the RAM 303 or storage 313 of the recording device 100. Here, the recording image data may include coloring image data indicating content such as a photograph, poster, or drawing to be drawn, and base image data for creating a base for the background. Specifically, the recording image data may be image data in a format in which base image data of a grayscale W image for white is added to coloring image data in a general format of an RGB image or CMYK image (for example, an RGB image + W image or a CMYK image + W image).

[0076] Here, each signal value of the RGB image representing the image data for color development may be an 8-bit value. A signal value of 0 indicates black (low brightness), and 255 indicates white (high brightness). In other words, a signal value (R, G, B) = (255, 255, 255) means "white" in the image data for color development. The W image representing the image for background indicates the opacity rate. The signal value of the W image may be an 8-bit value. A signal value of 0 indicates "transparent" (zero opacity rate), and 255 indicates "white" (maximum opacity rate).

[0077] In this embodiment, the case of RGB+W raster image data will be described. However, the image data is not limited to RGB+W raster image data. For example, the image data may be in a format in which only an image in a general format of an RGB image or CMYK image representing image data for color development is acquired, and the signal value (R, G, B) = (255, 255, 255) or signal value (C, M, Y, K) = (0, 0, 0, 0) representing a white area is regarded as the background area, and background image data is generated.

[0078] In step S604, the CPU 301 generates attribute data indicating either a surface layer or an internal layer for the input recording image data. As a method for generating the attribute data, the CPU 301 may refer to both the signal values ​​of the RGB data of the coloring image and the signal values ​​of the data of the W image of the same coordinates, which is the base image, and generate binary attribute data indicating either a surface layer or an internal layer for both the RGB data of the coloring image and the data of the white ink of the base image depending on whether the signal values ​​satisfy a condition.

[0079] A method for generating attribute data by the CPU 301 will be specifically described using the schematic diagram in FIG. 11(a) and the table in FIG. 11(b). When the printing mode is the white underprinting mode, the CPU 301 generates attribute data using the color ink layers CL1 and CL2 of the RGB image of the coloring image data as the surface layers, as shown in the non-layered area 1101 and the layered area 1102. As shown in the layered area 1102, the CPU 301 basically generates attribute data for the white ink layer WL2 of the underprinted W image as the inner layer. However, when the RGB image serving as the surface layer is (R, G, B) = (255, 255, 255), that is, in the state of the non-layered area 1103 where there is no color ink and no color ink layer, the CPU 301 generates attribute data using the white ink layer WL1 of the W image as the surface layer. Note that the inner layer of the layered area 1102 shown in FIG. 11(a) is an example of an underlayer that comes into contact with the printing medium P.

[0080] <Color separation processing> In step S605, the CPU 301 executes color separation processing to generate color separation data. Specifically, the CPU 301 converts the input printing image data into image data consisting of color signals for the color inks used in the printing device 100. The CPU 301 generates white ink application amount data (W_1L), reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_1L), and reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_1L) from the W image data, which is the base image data to be applied first (first layer in the application order), among the printing image data. The CPU 301 generates color ink application amount data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L), reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_2L), and reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_2L) from the RGB image data, which is the color development image data to be applied later (second layer in the application order), among the printing image data. In other words, the CPU 301 generates color separation data in which the amounts of ink and reaction liquid to be applied are set for each layer in the color separation process. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 11(a), the CPU 301 may switch the combinations and amounts of color ink, white ink, reaction liquid A, and reaction liquid B for each layer and each region.

[0081] The signal values ​​may be converted into color signals by a known method, such as by the CPU 301 referencing a lookup table (LUT) stored in advance in the ROM 302. The CPU 301 primarily uses white ink for printing the base image, but may also perform color separation processing using other color inks for white toning. When performing color separation processing, it is important to balance the amount of color ink applied and the amount of reaction liquid applied. By appropriately increasing the amount of reaction liquid applied in accordance with the amount of color ink applied, the viscosity of the ink liquid can be increased, suppressing beading and forming an image. However, if the amount of reaction liquid applied is too low compared to the amount of color ink applied, the color material cannot be sufficiently aggregated, resulting in a viscosity that does not increase, causing beading. Conversely, if the amount of reaction liquid applied is too high compared to the amount of color ink applied, excess water in the reaction liquid prevents the viscosity from increasing, similarly causing beading. Therefore, to form a good image, it is necessary to perform color separation processing with an appropriate balance of application amounts for the color-development image data and the base image data. This will be explained in detail below.

[0082] First, the data of the W image, which is the base image for the first layer, will be described. Based on the region attribute generated in step S604 indicating whether it is an inner layer or a surface layer, the CPU 301 converts the W image data of the base image into white ink application amount data (W_1L) for the recording device, application amount data for reaction liquid A for the first layer (RCTA_1L), and application amount data for reaction liquid B for the first layer (RCTB_1L). The CPU 301 expresses each of the application amount data W_1L, RCTA_1L, and RCTB_1L as 8-bit data. In the 8-bit values, i.e., values ​​from 0 to 255, 0 indicates an application amount of 0% and 255 indicates an application amount of 100%. Intermediate values ​​(1 to 254) indicate application amounts that increase in proportion to that value.

[0083] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating arithmetic processing using a one-dimensional lookup table (LUT) for image data. FIG. 7(a) is a diagram illustrating arithmetic processing using a one-dimensional lookup table (LUT) for data of a W image, which is a base image. The horizontal axis of FIG. 7(a) represents the hiding rate. The vertical axis represents the amount of ink and reaction liquid applied. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the CPU 301 references the lookup table and generates white ink application amount data (W_1L), reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_1L), and reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_1L) from the data of the W image, which is a base image. A larger value for the W image of the base image indicates a higher hiding rate, and the CPU 301 increases the amount of white ink applied as the hiding rate increases. The CPU 301 increases the amount of reaction liquid applied as the amount of white ink applied increases.

[0084] Here, in the case of a pixel of the W image of the base image whose attribute data indicates an internal layer, the CPU 301 sets the signal value shown in the graph to RCTA_1L and sets the value of RCTB_1L to zero. On the other hand, in the case of a pixel of the W image of the base image whose attribute data indicates a surface layer, the CPU 301 sets the value of RCTA_1L to zero and converts the value of RCTB_1L to the value shown in the graph. In this way, the CPU 301 can perform control so that reaction liquid A is applied if the W image of the base image is an internal layer, and reaction liquid B is applied if it is a surface layer.

[0085] Next, the RGB image data, which is the coloring image for the subsequent application (second layer), will be described. Based on the attribute data indicating either the inner layer or the surface layer generated in step S604, the CPU 301 converts the RGB image data, which is the coloring image, into color ink application amount data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L) for the recording device 100, reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_2L) for the second layer, and reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_2L) for the second layer. The CPU 301 represents each of the application amount data C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L, RCTA_2L, and RCTB_2L using 8 bits. Among the values ​​from 0 to 255, 0 indicates a 0% application amount, and 255 indicates a 100% application amount. Intermediate values ​​(1 to 254) indicate application amounts that increase in proportion to the value.

[0086] When this RGB image data represents an image in color space coordinates such as sRGB, which is the display color of a monitor, the CPU 301 converts the sRGB color coordinates (R, G, B) into ink color application amount data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L) of the printing device 100. The CPU 301 may convert the ink application amount data into application amount data using known methods such as matrix calculation processing or processing using a three-dimensional lookup table (LUT). Since the printing device 100 of this embodiment uses black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inks, the CPU 301 converts the RGB signal image data into multi-value image data consisting of 8-bit color signals for C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, and K_2L. The converted image data may be color ink application amount data. The color signal value for each color ink corresponds to the application amount of that color ink. The CPU 301 expresses the application amount of each CMYK color in 8 bits. In 8 bits, or values ​​from 0 to 255, 0 indicates 0% color ink application amount, and 255 indicates 100% color ink application amount. Intermediate values ​​(1 to 254) result in color ink application amounts that increase in proportion to that value.

[0087] The number of color inks is not limited to four colors: K, C, M, and Y. If other inks, such as light cyan (Lc), light magenta (Lm), and gray (Gy) inks with low densities, are used to improve the image quality of the printed image, the CPU 301 generates color signals corresponding to those inks.

[0088] FIG. 7(b) is a diagram illustrating the calculation process using a one-dimensional lookup table (LUT) for RGB image data, which is the image for color development. Using FIG. 7(b), the relationship between the RGB image data, which is the image for color development, and the color ink application amount data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L), the second layer reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_2L), and the second layer reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_2L) will be described. The horizontal axis in FIG. 7(b) represents the input value in the color separation process of step S605. The horizontal axis represents the achromatic color gradation (R=G=B) going from white (R=G=B=255) to black (R=G=B=0). The vertical axis represents the application amount of ink and reaction liquid, which is the output signal value in the color separation process of step S605. The higher the density of the input image, the greater the amount of K ink applied by the CPU 301. The greater the amount of K ink applied, the greater the amount of reaction liquid applied. In this way, the CPU 301 appropriately increases the amount of reaction liquid applied in response to an increase in the amount of K ink applied, thereby increasing the viscosity of the ink liquid and suppressing bleeding. While the case of achromatic gradations and the use of K ink alone has been described here, the same applies to chromatic gradations and cases of multiple colors using multiple inks. The greater the total amount of C ink, M ink, Y ink, and K ink applied, the more the CPU 301 applies the reaction liquid, thereby increasing the viscosity of the ink liquid and suppressing bleeding. The CPU 301 may implement these controls using known methods, such as the aforementioned matrix calculation processing or processing using a three-dimensional lookup table (LUT).

[0089] Here, for a pixel in the RGB image of the coloring image whose attribute data indicates an internal layer, CPU 301 sets RCTA_2L to the signal value shown in the graph and sets the value of RCTB_2L to zero. For a pixel in the RGB image of the coloring image whose attribute data indicates a surface layer, CPU 301 sets the value of RCTA_2L to zero and sets the value of RCTB_2L to the value shown in the graph. This allows CPU 301 to perform control so that reaction liquid A is applied to an internal layer and reaction liquid B is applied to a surface layer. In other words, CPU 301 generates data for applying reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B for each layer. Furthermore, CPU 301 may generate data for applying reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B for each of non-laminated region 1101, laminated region 1102, and non-laminated region 1103, even for the same layer.

[0090] <Halftone processing> In step S606, the CPU 301 executes a quantization process. Specifically, in the quantization process, the CPU 301 converts the multi-value data of the color inks and the multi-value data of the reaction liquid after the color separation process into quantized data of several bits. For example, when quantizing to four values, the CPU 301 converts the gradation data into 2-bit data of levels 0 to 3. Although error diffusion and dithering are known as methods of quantization, any method may be employed.

[0091] In step S607, the CPU 301 performs index expansion processing based on the quantized color ink data and reaction liquid data. Specifically, the CPU 301 selects one dot arrangement pattern from among multiple dot arrangement patterns, each defining the number of dots to be printed in each pixel, in association with the level obtained in step S606. In this case, the CPU 301 may select a dot arrangement pattern in which the number of dots to be printed in an area corresponding to each pixel varies depending on the level value. The CPU 301 sets the number of dots of color ink among the color inks to 0 dots, 1 dot, 2 dots, or 3 dots. For concealment purposes, the CPU 301 sets the number of dots of white ink to 0 dots, 2 dots, 4 dots, or 6 dots. By setting the dots in this way, the CPU 301 can print more white ink on the print medium, thereby achieving better concealment.

[0092] <Multi-pass printing method> In step S608, the CPU 301 executes pass decomposition processing. Specifically, the CPU 301 performs pass decomposition processing in which a pass mask is used to assign which ejection ports will perform printing for the color ink data and reaction liquid data that have been converted into dot data through index expansion processing. In other words, the CPU 301 sets the ejection ports from which the inks and reaction liquids will be ejected in the pass decomposition processing. In this embodiment, an image is printed using a method in which the dot application data for each ink (W_1L, RCTA_1L, RCTB_1L, C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L, RCTA_2L, RCTB_2L) described above is printed in a predetermined area on the print medium using multiple scans. This is referred to as a multi-pass printing method. The CPU 301 generates print data corresponding to each scan by taking the logical product of the binary data of dot application data for each printing material (W_1L, RCTA_1L, RCTB_1L, C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L, RCTA_2L, RCTB_2L) and the path mask corresponding to each scan.

[0093] Figure 8 is a diagram explaining the pass masks for each scan used to perform pass decomposition processing on the dot application data (W_1L, RCTA_1L, RCTB_1L) for pre-deposition (first layer, base layer). The squares in the X direction indicate the coordinates of the area corresponding to the pixels to be printed. Each square in the Y direction corresponds to the 1,280 ejection ports in the ejection port array. The pass mask is made up of print-permitted pixels that allow droplets to be ejected and print-non-permitted pixels that do not allow droplets to be ejected. Black squares are squares that eject droplets (value 1), and white squares are squares that do not eject droplets (value 0). For simplicity of explanation, Figure 8 shows 64 squares representing the ejection ports, and illustrates printing with an 8-pass scan.

[0094] FIG. 8(a) is an explanatory diagram of the pass masks for each pass during eight-pass printing. Pass mask (1) in FIG. 8(a) is applied in the first printing scan, and pass mask (2) in FIG. 8(a) is applied in the second printing scan, in that order. Therefore, pass masks (1) to (8) in FIG. 8(a) are applied in turn to each printing scan over the eight printing scans. Here, pass masks (5) to (8) in FIG. 8(a) are all white, so no printing is performed on these ejection port arrays during the fifth through eighth printing scans.

[0095] FIG. 8(b) is a schematic diagram showing the process of performing a print scan using the pass mask shown in FIG. 8(a). The ejection port array is divided into eight print groups 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, and 808 along the Y-axis. In the following explanation, the print medium P is divided into areas 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816, and 817. The image formation state at the end of each print scan is shown in the lower row as A to H. During the first scan, ink is ejected from print group 801 onto area 811 on the print medium P in accordance with the print data shown in (1) of FIG. 8(a). The image formation state on the print medium P at the end of the first print scan is shown in black as A in FIG. 8(b).

[0096] Next, the printing medium P is transported relative to the printing head 9 in the Y-axis direction by a distance of 8 ejection ports (=64 ejection ports / 8), and then a second printing scan is performed. During the second printing scan, ink is ejected from printing group 802 to area 811 on the printing medium P in accordance with the print data shown in (2) of Figure 8(a), and from printing group 801 to area 812 in accordance with the print data shown in (1) of Figure 8(a). The image formed on the printing medium P after this second printing scan is completed is shown in black by B in Figure 8(b).

[0097] Thereafter, the printing scan of the print head 9 and the relative transport of the printing medium P are alternately repeated. As a result, after the third printing scan, the image formed on the printing medium P becomes state C in FIG. 8(b), and after the fourth printing scan, the image formed on the printing medium P becomes state D in FIG. 8(b). In other words, after the fourth printing scan, the ejection of all ink to be printed in the region 811 of the printing medium P is completed in state D in FIG. 8(b). After this, when the fifth to eighth printing scans are completed, the image formed on the printing medium P becomes state E in FIG. 8(b) to state H in FIG. 8(b).

[0098] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the path masks for each operation for performing path decomposition processing on the dot imparting data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L, RCTA_2L, RCTB_2L) for subsequent application (second layer, surface layer).

[0099] FIG. 9(a) is an explanatory diagram of the pass masks for each pass during eight-pass printing. As shown in FIG. 9(a), printing is not performed by this ejection port array during the first through fourth printing scans. On the other hand, all print-permitted pixels in the unit area are set during the fifth through eighth printing scans. In other words, the pass mask shown in FIG. 9(a) (1) is applied during the first printing scan, and the pass mask shown in FIG. 9(a) (2) is applied during the second printing scan. Therefore, the pass masks shown in FIG. 9(a) (1) through (8) are applied during each of the eight printing scans.

[0100] Fig. 9(b) is a schematic diagram showing the process of performing print scans using the pass mask shown in Fig. 9(a). Nothing is printed during the first through fourth print scans, and during the fifth through eighth prints, ejection of all ink to be printed by this nozzle row is completed in area H 811 on print medium P.

[0101] As described above, for the first layer (first printing), pass masks (1) to (8) in Figure 8(a) are set, and for the second layer (second printing), pass masks (1) to (8) in Figure 9(a) are set, thereby enabling layered printing.

[0102] In step S609, CPU 301 merges the allocation data. Specifically, CPU 301 generates allocation data for ejection port arrays 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y, 22W, 22RCTA, and 22RCTB from the data after pass decomposition processing using the pass mask. More specifically, CPU 301 merges the pre-ejection (first layer) dot impartation data and the post-ejection (second layer) dot impartation data to be printed by the same ejection port array using an OR operation (logical sum operation). C=C_2L, M=M_2L, Y=Y_2L, K=K_2L W=W_1L RCTA=RCTA_1L+RCTA_2L RCTB=RCTB_1L+RCTB_2L

[0103] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the nozzles that perform printing in the nozzle array provided in the print head 9. In FIG. 10, areas with nozzles that perform printing at least once are indicated by diagonal lines. FIG. 10 shows the case of recording and printing using 8-pass scanning. The white ink (W) that records the first layer is recorded using a pass mask with the characteristics shown in FIG. 8(a). The color inks (C, M, Y, K) that record the second layer are recorded using a pass mask with the characteristics shown in FIG. 9(a). For this reason, the inks are divided into upper and lower portions.

[0104] On the other hand, the ejection ports that print reaction liquid A (RCTA) and reaction liquid B (RCTB) are shown as having the pre-applied (first layer) dot application data and the post-applied (second layer) dot application data merged, with the upper and lower ports being used for each of the first and second layers.

[0105] Finally, in step S610, the CPU 301 records the image on the recording medium based on the path-decomposed data, and then the CPU 301 ends this process.

[0106] <Effects of this embodiment> In this embodiment, color separation data is generated by generating data on the reaction liquid of the base image and data on the reaction liquid of the color-developing image that forms the surface layer for each layer, thereby enabling the present embodiment to appropriately record an image in a visible location or on the surface of a recording medium.

[0107] Specifically, in this embodiment, a printing method is shown in which, during laminate printing, a highly reactive reaction liquid A is used for the ink forming the inner layer, which is also the base layer, to form a layer by strongly coagulating it, and a less reactive reaction liquid B is used for the ink in the area forming the surface layer to smooth the layer. As a result, this embodiment can form a strong layer structure in the base layer through strong coagulation while concealing the recording medium, and can achieve a surface smoothness in the surface layer that has high affinity with the surface of the recording medium. As a result, this embodiment can achieve good printing results for a variety of applications, such as advertising and signage.

[0108] In the first embodiment, when generating attribute data including attribute data indicating whether the input recording image data is a surface layer or an internal layer in step S604, a method was described in which the layer was determined based on whether the amount of subsequently applied color ink was zero or not using the table in Fig. 11(b). However, the method of generating attribute data is not limited to this. Another example of a method of generating attribute data will be described with reference to Figs. 12, 13, and 14.

[0109] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a case where the base layer is exposed. The base layer is exposed on the surface when the amount of subsequently applied color ink is small. FIG. 12(a) is a diagram illustrating a method for setting attribute data when the amount of subsequently applied color ink is small. Here, assume that the white ink layer WL3 of the base layer is exposed from the color ink layer CL3 of the surface layer, as in region 1204 shown in FIG. 12(a), and that the white ink layer WL3 of the base layer is partially exposed from the surface layer. As shown in FIG. 12(a), if the amount of subsequently applied color ink is only small, the white ink layer WL3 underlying the color ink layer CL3 dominates the surface. In such a case, the CPU 301 can further improve image quality by designating the subsequently applied color ink layer CL3 as the surface layer and also designating the previously applied white ink layer WL3 as the surface layer. In this case, the CPU 301 may generate color separation data to eject reaction liquid B onto the white ink layer WL3 designated as the surface layer, thereby improving the surface smoothness of the white ink layer WL3, which is both the base layer and the surface layer. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to improve the affinity with the recording medium P even for an image in which the base layer is exposed.

[0110] FIG. 12(b) is a diagram illustrating the setting of attribute data when the attribute data is set as multiple values. In the first embodiment, control was described in which attribute data is set as two values, one for the surface layer and one for the inner layer. However, the CPU 301 may set attribute data as multiple values ​​of three or more values. Here, it is assumed that the rate at which the white ink layer WL of the base layer is partially exposed from the color ink layer CL of the surface layer varies from region to region. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the CPU 301 may set attribute data based on the surface dominance ratio of the first-applied white ink. The surface dominance ratio indicates the proportion of the surface that is exposed. Here, the smaller the amount of the second-applied color ink, the higher the surface dominance ratio of the white ink. The CPU 301 determines the surface dominance ratio of the white ink as 100% when the amount of color ink is zero and 0% when the amount of color ink is greater than a threshold. The CPU 301 may allocate the usage of reaction liquid A and reaction liquid B based on the surface dominance ratio. For example, in the case of region 1205 where the surface dominance of color ink layer CL4 is 30% and the surface dominance of white ink layer WL4 is 70%, CPU 301 may set the use of reaction liquid A for the inner layer to 30% and reaction liquid B for the surface layer to 70%. Similarly, in the case of region 1204 where the surface dominance of color ink layer CL3 is 10% and the surface dominance of white ink layer WL3 is 90%, CPU 301 may set the use of reaction liquid A for the inner layer to 10% and reaction liquid B for the surface layer to 90%. CPU 301 can connect gradations more smoothly than when attribute data is determined and switched based on a binary value, thereby further improving gradation.

[0111] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a case where the ink layer has three or more layers. In the first embodiment, the laminate structure is described as a two-layer structure as shown in region 1301, but the type of laminate structure is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 13, the ink layer structure may be a three-layer structure with a white ink layer WL as an intermediate layer and color ink layers CL on the top and bottom, as shown in region 1302. The ink layer structure may be a four-layer structure with a white ink layer WL and a color ink layer CL as intermediate layers, and color ink layers CL and white ink layers WL alternately laminated, as shown in region 1303. The ink layer structure may be a five-layer structure with color ink layers CL and white ink layers WL alternately laminated, as shown in region 1304. In the case of five or more layers, the central color ink layer CL may be black. In this case, by forming images on the color ink layer CL as a base layer and the color ink layer CL as a surface layer, different images can be seen from both sides. In the case of three or more ink layers, the inner layer that contacts the recording medium P is an example of a base layer, and the inner layer that does not contact the recording medium P is an example of an intermediate layer. In this case, when there are three or more layers, the CPU 301 may set the color separation process to use a highly reactive reaction liquid A for the ink layer that forms the inner layer of the laminated structure, and a less reactive reaction liquid B for the ink that forms the surface layer. This achieves the same effect. In other words, this embodiment can make the texture of the layer that appears on the surface during observation look natural with the surface of a recording medium with high surface smoothness, thereby improving image quality. Furthermore, while the example in FIG. 13 shows an example in which color ink layers CL and white ink layers WL are alternately stacked, the order of stacking is not limited to this. For example, ink layers with different amounts of reaction liquid applied may be stacked. Specifically, layers in which the amount of reaction liquid applied to the white ink layer or color ink layer gradually increases may be stacked.

[0112] [Second embodiment] The first embodiment described a method for achieving surface smoothness in the surface layer that has high affinity with the surface of the recording medium. The second embodiment describes an image recording method that emphasizes surface affinity with the recording medium for the background portion of a poster, while emphasizing visibility for the text information on the poster. The second embodiment mainly describes the configuration that differs from the first embodiment. As explained in FIG. 4, transparent recording media have high surface smoothness due to their transparency, so the white ink layer that mainly forms the background portion is required to have affinity with the surface quality of the recording medium. On the other hand, the color ink layer that mainly forms the foreground portion, such as text information, is required to have reduced angle dependency and visibility.

[0113] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the structure of ink layers in the second embodiment. FIG. 14(a) is a diagram showing the structure of ink layers on a recording medium in the second embodiment. The CPU 301 generates color separation data so that the gloss area 1403, which is a base area and is composed only of a white ink layer WL, is printed using reaction liquid B, which has low reactivity with white ink. This allows the CPU 301 to increase the surface smoothness of the white ink layer WL, making the surface glossy and thereby increasing affinity with the recording medium. On the other hand, the CPU 301 generates color separation data so that the color ink layers CL in the matte areas 1401 and 1402, which are color-producing areas, are printed using reaction liquid A, which has high reactivity with color ink. This allows the CPU 301 to reduce the surface smoothness of the color ink layer CL, making the surface matte, reducing angle dependency and improving visibility.

[0114] In this embodiment, in the color separation process of step S605, the CPU 301 generates multi-value data for each recording material so that the base image data is printed using reaction liquid B, which has a low reactivity with white ink, and the color image data is printed using reaction liquid A, which has a high reactivity with color ink.

[0115] Specifically, the CPU 301 generates white ink application amount data (W_1L) and weakly reactive reaction liquid B application amount data (RCTB_1L) from the W image, which is base image data. The CPU 301 generates color ink application amount data (C_2L, M_2L, Y_2L, K_2L) and strongly reactive reaction liquid A application amount data (RCTA_2L) from the RGB image, which is color development image data.

[0116] Furthermore, in the pass decomposition process of step S608, the CPU 301 assigns the ejection ports that print the colored area and the ejection ports that print the background area, and controls the printing of the reaction liquid at a timing that allows the color ink and white ink coloring materials to aggregate.

[0117] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing, by hatching, examples of ejection ports that print at least once on a print medium after pass decomposition processing.

[0118] FIG. 15A shows an example of an ejection port that performs printing on the print medium at least once after pass decomposition processing, indicated by diagonal lines. In this embodiment, multilayer printing is performed by printing color inks on white ink. Therefore, the ejection ports for printing the color inks (C, M, Y, K) and reaction liquid A (RCTA) that print the coloring area, and the ejection ports for printing the color inks (W) and reaction liquid B (RCTB) that print the base area are separated into upper and lower sections as shown in FIG. 15A. In this embodiment, the CPU 301 sets the ejection port arrays (22W, 22RCTB) that print the base area to print using the front half of the ejection ports in the pass decomposition processing. The CPU 301 also sets the ejection port arrays 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y, and 22RCTA that print the coloring area to print using the rear quarter of the ejection ports in the pass decomposition processing. The CPU 301 then sets the remaining middle quarter of the ejection ports to print blanks, where no printing is performed by any of the ejection port arrays. By setting in this way, the CPU 301 can realize processing such that, for example, when printing in a total of eight passes, the base area is printed in four passes, then a drying time is provided for a blank pass, and after drying, the color area is printed in two passes. If color inks are printed immediately after white ink, there is a concern that the white ink and color ink may mix depending on the amount of ink, but by providing a drying time in this way, this embodiment makes it possible to print an image while suppressing mixing of the layered inks.

[0119] In this embodiment, by using the above-described control, the surface smoothness of the color ink in the color-producing region of the surface layer is reduced, thereby reducing the angle dependency and achieving good visibility. By increasing the surface smoothness of the white ink layer WL in the base region, it is possible to increase the affinity between the white layer WL exposed on the surface and the recording medium.

[0120] As described above, in the second embodiment, the white ink that forms the base area is printed with the weakly reactive reaction liquid B, and the color ink that forms the color area is printed with the highly reactive reaction liquid A. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, multi-value data for each printing material may be generated so that even white ink is printed with the highly reactive reaction liquid A, depending on the overlap of the color image data and the base image data.

[0121] FIG. 14(b) is a diagram showing another example of the structure of the ink layer on the recording medium in the second embodiment. The ink layer structure shown in FIG. 14(b) differs from that shown in FIG. 14(a). In the matte area 1404 where the color-producing area and the base area overlap, the inner white ink layer WL6 is printed with a reactive liquid A that is highly reactive with white ink. Here, because the highly reactive liquid A is applied to the white ink as well, the surface smoothness of the white ink in the matte area 1404 is reduced. However, because the surface color ink layer CL6 is printed with color ink, the low surface smoothness of the white ink in the overlapping area is not a substantial problem. This reduces the drying time required to prevent the white ink and color ink from mixing, thereby shortening printing time.

[0122] In addition to the method of reducing the number of passes by shortening the drying time, it is also possible to use a method of increasing the amount of ink used for printing while keeping the number of passes the same. Figure 15(b) is a diagram showing another example of ejection ports that print at least once on the print medium after pass decomposition processing, indicated by diagonal lines. Increasing the number of passes makes it possible to increase the number of times printing is performed from the ejection port, so using this method makes it possible to increase the amount of ink used for printing.

[0123] [Other embodiments] The same effect can be obtained by applying the technology of the above-described embodiment to an undercoat layer containing metallic ink, silver ink, gold ink, or the like, other than white ink, as long as the ink is used for lamination purposes.

[0124] Furthermore, the pass mask used in the pass decomposition process is set to match the number of passes for the color ink and the reaction liquid, but it is also possible to print the reaction liquid slightly earlier. Figure 15(c) is a diagram showing another example of ejection ports that print at least once on the print medium after the pass decomposition process, indicated by diagonal lines. For example, as shown in Figure 15(c), the CPU 301 can perform the pass decomposition process using a pass mask that sets four passes for the white ink in the base region, five passes for the weakly reactive reaction liquid B, two passes for the color ink in the coloring region, and three passes for the highly reactive reaction liquid A.

[0125] The technology of this embodiment may also be applied to other applications in which white ink is used as content, such as text, rather than as a background. FIG. 16 illustrates a UI screen 314 of an application executed by a computer 312. The processor 171 of the computer 312 displays a UI screen on the display unit 178 to receive from the user the selection of a recording medium, a print mode (e.g., single-layer or multi-layer), and the number of passes. The processor 171 may also receive from the user the selection of a printing mode (e.g., matte mode or gloss mode). The processor 171 transfers the information received from the user to the recording device 100. The CPU 301 of the main control unit 300 of the recording device 100 switches the reaction liquid to be recorded on the white ink layer based on the selection information transferred from the computer 312, thereby enabling the white ink to provide a surface smoothness suited to the application. Specifically, when printing white content, the CPU 301 selects the matte mode to print using reaction liquid A, which has a high reactivity with white ink. On the other hand, when printing a white background, the CPU 301 selects the gloss mode to print using reaction liquid B, which has a low reactivity with white ink. By controlling in this way, recording according to the purpose becomes possible.

[0126] The processor 171 may also display a UI screen that switches modes depending on the user's intended use, such as between photo mode and poster mode. For example, in photo mode, because both white and color are part of the photograph, the CPU 301 may control the use of reaction liquid B (RCTB) for the surface layer, as in the first embodiment, to achieve a glossy finish for all colors. On the other hand, in poster mode, as in the second embodiment, the CPU 301 may control the use of reaction liquid A (RCTA) for the color inks in the color-developing region (foreground) to achieve a matte finish, and the use of reaction liquid A (RCTA) for the white ink in the base region (background) to achieve a glossy finish with emphasis on affinity with the recording medium. In this way, by displaying a UI screen that allows the processor 171 to set the mode depending on the user's intended use, user convenience can be further improved.

[0127] (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0128] The disclosure of this specification includes the following image processing device, recording device, image processing method, and program. (Item 1) an acquisition means for acquiring image data; a generating means for generating color separation data based on data of the image, the color separation data being data for recording an image recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer on the surface of the image and an underlayer in contact with a recording medium, the color separation data being for recording an image using a first ink which is a color developing ink, a first reaction liquid which reacts with the first ink, a second ink which is an underlayer ink, and a second reaction liquid which has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink; and The generating means generates the color separation data including data for each layer regarding the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid. 1. An image processing device comprising: (Item 2) The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface layer contains the first reaction liquid and the underlayer contains the second reaction liquid. 2. The image processing device according to item 1, (Item 3) the first ink and the second ink contain a colorant; the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid do not contain a coloring material; 3. The image processing device according to item 1 or 2, (Item 4) The ink jet recording device further includes a path decomposition processing unit that executes a path decomposition processing to set ejection ports that eject the first ink, the second ink, the first reaction liquid, and the second reaction liquid. 4. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein: (Item 5) The generating means generates the color separation data in which the application amount of the first ink and the application amount of the first reaction liquid corresponding to the application amount of the first ink are set for the surface layer. 5. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein: (Item 6) The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the base layer is lower than the surface smoothness of the surface layer. 6. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein: (Item 7) The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the base layer is higher than the surface smoothness of the surface layer. 7. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein: (Item 8) The generating means A color ink is set to be used as the first ink, At least white ink is used as the second ink. 8. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein: (Item 9) The generating means generates the color separation data for ejecting the first reaction liquid, which reacts with the second ink, onto an area where the second ink is to be ejected, in an area where the surface layer and the underlayer are laminated. 9. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein: (Item 10) The generating means generates the color separation data for switching the combination of the first ink and the second ink and the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid. 10. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein: (Item 11) The generating means generates the color separation data including data of the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid generated based on attribute data indicating the surface layer and the underlayer. 11. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 10, wherein: (Item 12) The generating means generates the color separation data based on the attribute data so as to eject the second reaction liquid onto the surface layer and so as to eject the first reaction liquid onto the underlayer. Item 12. The image processing device according to item 11. (Item 13) The generating means generates the color separation data so that the first reaction liquid is ejected onto the gloss region and the second reaction liquid is ejected onto the matte region in the surface layer including the gloss region and the matte region. 13. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein: (Item 14) The generating means Data on the application amounts of the first ink and the first reaction liquid ejected onto the surface layer; and Data on the application amounts of the second ink and the second reaction liquid ejected onto the underlayer; generating the color separation data including 14. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 13, wherein: (Item 15) The generating means generates the color separation data so that the second ink, the second reaction liquid, and the first reaction liquid are ejected onto the base layer when the base layer is partially exposed from the surface layer. 15. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 14, wherein: (Item 16) The generating means generates the color separation data so that, when the entire base layer is exposed, at least the first reaction liquid is ejected onto the second ink of the base layer. 16. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 15, (Item 17) When the underlayer is partially exposed from the surface layer, the generating means generates the color separation data including the amounts of the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid applied according to a surface dominance ratio indicating the ratio of the exposed surface layer and the exposed underlayer. 17. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 16, (Item 18) When the image includes an intermediate layer between the base layer and the surface layer, the generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the intermediate layer is lower than the surface smoothness of the surface layer. 18. The image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 17, wherein: (Item 19) the image processing device according to item 1; a recording head having ejection ports for ejecting the first ink, the second ink, the first reaction liquid, and the second reaction liquid; A recording device comprising: (Item 20) 19. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 18. (Item 21) an acquisition step of acquiring image data; a generating step of generating color separation data based on data of the image, the color separation data being data for recording an image recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer on the surface of the image and an underlayer in contact with a recording medium, the color separation data being for recording an image using a first ink which is a color developing ink, a first reaction liquid which reacts with the first ink, a second ink which is an underlayer ink, and a second reaction liquid which has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink; and In the generating step, the color separation data including data for each layer regarding the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid is generated. An image processing method comprising:

[0129] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 100.... Recording device, 301.... CPU, WL... White ink layer, CL... Color ink layer, 1100.... Area, 1101.... Non-laminated area, 1103.... Non-laminated area, 1102.... Laminated area, 1204, 1205, 1302, 1303, 1304, 1403, 1401, 1402, 1404... Areas.

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring image data; a generating means for generating color separation data based on data of the image, the color separation data being data for recording an image recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer on the surface of the image and an underlayer in contact with a recording medium, the color separation data being for recording an image using a first ink which is a color developing ink, a first reaction liquid which reacts with the first ink, a second ink which is an underlayer ink, and a second reaction liquid which has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink; and The generating means generates the color separation data including data for each layer regarding the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid.

1. An image processing device comprising:

2. The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface layer contains the first reaction liquid and the underlayer contains the second reaction liquid.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the first ink and the second ink contain a coloring material; the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid do not contain a coloring material; 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

4. The ink jet recording device further includes a pass decomposition processing unit that executes a pass decomposition processing to set ejection ports that eject the first ink, the second ink, the first reaction liquid, and the second reaction liquid.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The generating means generates the color separation data in which an amount of the first ink to be applied and an amount of the first reaction liquid to be applied corresponding to the amount of the first ink to be applied are set for the surface layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

6. The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the base layer is lower than the surface smoothness of the surface layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

7. The generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the base layer is higher than the surface smoothness of the surface layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

8. The generating means A color ink is set to be used as the first ink, At least white ink is used as the second ink.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

9. The generating means generates the color separation data for ejecting the first reaction liquid, which reacts with the second ink, onto an area where the second ink is to be ejected, in an area where the surface layer and the underlayer are laminated.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

10. The generating means generates the color separation data for switching the combination of the first ink and the second ink and the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

11. The generating means generates the color separation data including data of the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid generated based on attribute data indicating the surface layer and the underlayer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

12. The generating means generates the color separation data based on the attribute data so as to eject the second reaction liquid onto the surface layer and so as to eject the first reaction liquid onto the underlayer.

12. The image processing device according to claim 11.

13. The generating means generates the color separation data so that, in the surface layer including a gloss region and a matte region, the first reaction liquid is ejected onto the gloss region and the second reaction liquid is ejected onto the matte region.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

14. The generating means Data on the application amounts of the first ink and the first reaction liquid ejected onto the surface layer; Data on the application amounts of the second ink and the second reaction liquid ejected onto the underlayer; generating the color separation data including 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

15. The generating means generates the color separation data so that, when the base layer is partially exposed from the surface layer, the second ink, the second reaction liquid, and the first reaction liquid are ejected onto the base layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

16. The generating means generates the color separation data so that, when the entire base layer is exposed, at least the first reaction liquid is ejected onto the second ink of the base layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

17. When the underlayer is partially exposed from the surface layer, the generating means generates the color separation data including the amounts of the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid applied according to a surface dominance ratio indicating the ratio of the exposed surface layer and the exposed underlayer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

18. When the image includes an intermediate layer between the base layer and the surface layer, the generating means generates the color separation data so that the surface smoothness of the intermediate layer is lower than the surface smoothness of the surface layer.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

19. The image processing device according to claim 1 ; a recording head having ejection ports for ejecting the first ink, the second ink, the first reaction liquid, and the second reaction liquid; A recording device comprising:

20. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. an acquisition step of acquiring image data; a generating step of generating color separation data based on data of the image, the color separation data being data for recording an image recorded in a plurality of layers including a surface layer on the surface of the image and an underlayer in contact with a recording medium, the color separation data being for recording an image using a first ink which is a color developing ink, a first reaction liquid which reacts with the first ink, a second ink which is an underlayer ink, and a second reaction liquid which has a different reactivity from the first reaction liquid and reacts with the second ink; and In the generating step, the color separation data including data for each layer regarding the first reaction liquid and the second reaction liquid is generated. An image processing method comprising:

Images