Recording apparatus and recording method

Abstract

To provide a recording device and a recording method capable of reducing the size of a carriage in a conveying direction while mounting a treatment liquid discharge part for discharging a pretreatment liquid and a post-treatment liquid and a plurality of ink discharge parts for discharging ink on the carriage.SOLUTION: The plurality of heads include a row of ink heads 41,42,43 arranged side by side in the main scanning direction S, a pretreatment liquid head 5 arranged to be shifted to the upstream side in the conveyance direction (F) by A times (0 <A ≤ 1) the length (L) of the nozzle region of one ink head in the conveyance direction (F) with respect to the ink head on the most upstream side in the conveyance direction (F) and configured to discharge the pretreatment liquid, and an ink head on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction (F). And a post-processing liquid discharge unit 61 that is disposed to be shifted to the downstream side in the conveyance direction (F) by B times (0 <B ≤ 1) the length (L) and discharges the post-processing liquid, wherein at least one of A and B is set to be less than 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording device and a recording method. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, inkjet printers and other recording devices are known that include a printing unit that prints on a recording medium. The printing unit has an ink head (ink ejection unit) that ejects ink for forming an image toward the recording medium. When the recording medium is wide, the ink head is mounted on a carriage that moves back and forth in the main scanning direction. During printing, the recording medium is fed intermittently in the transport direction (sub-scanning direction), and while the recording medium is stationary, ink is ejected from the ink head while the carriage moves back and forth in the main scanning direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-20536 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a recording device and a recording method that can mount a treatment liquid ejection unit that ejects pre-treatment liquid and post-treatment liquid, and a plurality of ink ejection units that eject ink, on a carriage, while making it possible to reduce the size of the carriage in the transport direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A recording apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium in a conveyance direction, a carriage that reciprocates in a main scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction, and a plurality of liquid ejection units arranged side by side in the main scanning direction on the carriage. Each of the plurality of liquid ejection units includes a first nozzle region capable of ejecting a predetermined liquid, and a second nozzle region arranged side by side with the first nozzle region in the main scanning direction and capable of ejecting a liquid different from the first nozzle region. The plurality of liquid ejection units are configured by arranging a plurality of ink ejection units that eject ink side by side in the main scanning direction, at least one row of ink ejection unit rows. A pretreatment liquid ejection unit that is arranged upstream in the conveyance direction by A times (0 < A ≤ 1) of the length L in the conveyance direction of the nozzle region of one ink ejection unit with respect to the ink ejection unit row that is the most upstream in the conveyance direction, and a post-treatment liquid ejection unit that is arranged downstream in the conveyance direction by B times (0 < B ≤ 1) of the length L with respect to the ink ejection unit row that is the most downstream in the conveyance direction, and discharges a post-treatment liquid. The plurality of liquid ejection units are arranged such that at least one of A and B is less than 1.

[0006] Also, a recording method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a recording method in which a carriage reciprocates in a main scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction with respect to a recording medium conveyed in the conveyance direction to discharge a liquid, the method including preparing a plurality of liquid discharge units each including a first nozzle region capable of discharging a predetermined liquid and a second nozzle region arranged in the main scanning direction and capable of discharging a liquid different from the first nozzle region, arranging at least one row of ink discharge units, which are the liquid discharge units that discharge ink, in a line in the main scanning direction, arranging a pretreatment liquid discharge unit, which is the liquid discharge unit that discharges a pretreatment liquid, upstream in the conveyance direction by A times (0 < A ≤ 1) the length L in the conveyance direction of the nozzle region of one of the ink discharge units with respect to the ink discharge unit row on the most upstream side in the conveyance direction, arranging a post-treatment liquid discharge unit, which is the liquid discharge unit that discharges a post-treatment liquid, downstream in the conveyance direction by B times (0 < B ≤ 1) the length L with respect to the ink discharge unit row on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction, the carriage being arranged such that at least one of A and B is less than 1; in a first scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, discharging the pretreatment liquid from a nozzle located upstream in the conveyance direction from the ink discharge unit row on the most upstream side among the pretreatment liquid discharge units with respect to a predetermined target position on the recording medium, then conveying the recording medium by a predetermined conveyance pitch in the conveyance direction, in a second scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, discharging ink from the at least one row of ink discharge units to the target position, then conveying the recording medium by the conveyance pitch, and in a third scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, discharging the post-treatment liquid from a nozzle located downstream in the conveyance direction from the ink discharge unit row on the most downstream side among the post-treatment liquid discharge units with respect to the target position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the serial printing method adopted in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view that schematically shows the arrangement of the ink heads and the treatment liquid heads on the carriage according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a nozzle region in an ink head according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic plan view showing a nozzle area of ​​an ink head on a carriage according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18A] FIG. 18A is a schematic plan view showing a nozzle area of ​​an ink head on a carriage according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18B] FIG. 18B is a schematic plan view showing the nozzle area of ​​an ink head on a carriage according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view showing a nozzle area of ​​an ink head on a carriage according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A printing unit according to each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In these embodiments, an inkjet printer (recording device) equipped with an ink head that ejects ink for forming an image onto a wide, long recording medium is exemplified as a specific example of an apparatus equipped with a printing unit. Inkjet printers are suitable for digital textile printing, which uses an inkjet method to print images such as letters and patterns onto a recording medium made of fabric such as woven or knitted fabric. Of course, the printing unit according to the present disclosure can also be used to print various images on recording media such as paper sheets and resin sheets.

[0009] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. The inkjet printer 1 is a printer that prints images on a wide and long workpiece W (recording medium) using an inkjet method, and includes a device frame 10, and a workpiece transport unit 20 (transport unit) and carriage 3 that are incorporated into this device frame 10. In this embodiment, the left-to-right direction is the main scanning direction S (Fig. 3) when printing on the workpiece W, and the direction from rear to front is the sub-scanning direction (the transport direction F of the workpiece W that intersects with the main scanning direction S).

[0010] The device frame 10 forms a framework for mounting various components of the inkjet printer 1. The work transport unit 20 is a mechanism that intermittently feeds (transports) the work W so that the work W progresses in a transport direction F from rear to front in a printing area where inkjet printing processing is performed. The carriage 3 is equipped with an ink head 4, a pre-treatment liquid head 5, a post-treatment liquid head 6, and a sub-tank 7, and moves back and forth in a main scanning direction S (left and right direction) that intersects with the transport direction F of the work W during the inkjet printing processing.

[0011] The device frame 10 includes a central frame 111, a right frame 112, and a left frame 113. The central frame 111 forms a framework for mounting various components of the inkjet printer 1, and has a left-to-right width corresponding to the work transport section 20. The right frame 112 and the left frame 113 are erected to the right and left of the central frame 111, respectively. Between the right frame 112 and the left frame 113 is the printing area 12 where printing processing is performed on the work W.

[0012] The right frame 112 forms the maintenance area 13. The maintenance area 13 is an area where the carriage 3 is retracted when the printing process is not being performed. In the maintenance area 13, cleaning and purging processes for the nozzles (ejection holes) of the ink head 4 and the like are performed, and the nozzles are also capped. The left frame 113 forms the return area 14 for the carriage 3. The return area 14 is an area where the carriage 3 temporarily enters when it performs a main scan in the opposite direction after performing a main scan in the opposite direction from right to left across the printing area 12 during the printing process.

[0013] A carriage guide 15 is attached to the upper side of the device frame 10 to allow the carriage 3 to reciprocate in the left-right direction. The carriage guide 15 is a flat plate-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction, and is disposed above the work transport unit 20. A timing belt 16 is attached to the carriage guide 15 so as to be able to move in a circular motion in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). The timing belt 16 is an endless belt that is driven to move in a circular motion in the left or right direction.

[0014] The carriage guide 15 is equipped with a pair of upper and lower guide rails 17 that extend parallel to the left and right and that hold the carriage 3 in a state that allows it to move back and forth in the main scanning direction S. The carriage 3 is engaged with the guide rails 17. The carriage 3 is also fixed to a timing belt 16. As the timing belt 16 moves orbitally left or right, the carriage 3 moves left or right along the carriage guide 15 while being guided by the guide rails 17.

[0015] Referring primarily to FIG. 2, the work transport section 20 includes a feed roller 21 that pays out the work W before printing, and a take-up roller 22 that takes up the work W after printing. The feed roller 21 is located at the rear lower part of the device frame 10, and is a take-up shaft for the feed roll WA, which is a wound body of the work W before printing. The take-up roller 22 is located at the front lower part of the device frame 10, and is a take-up shaft for the take-up roll WB, which is a wound body of the work W after the printing process. A first motor M1 is attached to the take-up roller 22, which drives the take-up roller 22 to rotate about its axis and performs the operation of winding up the work W.

[0016] The path between the delivery roller 21 and the take-up roller 22 and passing through the printing area 12 is the transport path for the workpiece W. Arranged on this transport path, in order from upstream, are a first tension roller 23, a work guide 24, a transport roller 25 and a pinch roller 26, a turn-back roller 27, and a second tension roller 28. The first tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W on the upstream side of the transport roller 25. The work guide 24 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W from upward to forward, allowing the workpiece W to enter the printing area 12.

[0017] The transport roller 25 is a roller that generates a transport force that intermittently feeds the workpiece W in the printing area 12. The transport roller 25 is driven to rotate around its axis by the second motor M2, and intermittently transports the workpiece W forward (predetermined transport direction F) so that the workpiece W passes through the printing area 12 (image forming position) facing the carriage 3. The pinch roller 26 is disposed so as to face the transport roller 25 from above, and forms a transport nip portion with the transport roller 25.

[0018] The turn-back roller 27 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W that has passed through the printing area 12 from forward to downward, and guides the workpiece W after printing to the take-up roller 22. The second tension roller 28 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W downstream of the transport roller 25. A platen 29 is disposed below the transport path of the workpiece W in the printing area 12.

[0019] The carriage 3 is supported at one end by a guide rail 17 and moves back and forth in a main scanning direction S (left and right in this embodiment) that intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) with the transport direction F. The carriage 3 includes a carriage frame 30, and a head such as an ink head 4 and a sub-tank 7 mounted on the carriage frame 30. The carriage frame 30 includes a head support frame 31 and a back frame 32.

[0020] The head support frame 31 is a horizontal plate that holds the heads 4 to 6. The back frame 32 is a vertical plate that extends upward from the rear edge of the head support frame 31. The rear end side of the head support frame 31 is supported in a cantilevered state by the back frame 32. As described above, the timing belt 16 is fixed to the back frame 32. In addition, the guide rail 17 is engaged with the back frame 32.

[0021] Note that the cantilevered state refers to a state in which the guide rail 17 that holds the carriage 3 is present only on one side of the carriage 3, either upstream or downstream from the center of the carriage 3 in the conveying direction F, and the side opposite to the side where the guide rail 17 is present is not held.

[0022] [Carriage Details] The carriage 3 will now be further described. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage 3 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the transport direction F (sub-scanning direction) of the workpiece W and the main scanning direction S, which is the direction of movement of the carriage 3. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the carriage 3 is equipped with a plurality of ink heads 4 that eject ink for image formation onto the workpiece W, treatment liquid heads 5 and 6 that eject non-color-forming pre-treatment liquid and post-treatment liquid, and a plurality of sub-tanks 7 that supply the ink to these heads 4. The carriage 3 and the plurality of heads (liquid ejection units) mounted thereon constitute a liquid ejection unit of the present disclosure. The liquid ejection unit moves back and forth in the main scanning direction S to eject liquid onto the workpiece W.

[0023] Each ink head 4 has a number of nozzles (ink ejection holes) that eject ink droplets using an ejection method such as a piezoelectric method using a piezoelectric element or a thermal method using a heating element, and ink passages that guide the ink to the nozzles. For example, a water-based pigment ink containing a water-based solvent, pigment, and binder resin can be used as the ink. The multiple ink heads 4 in this embodiment are each capable of ejecting different inks. Each head is mounted on a head support frame 31 of the carriage 3. The detailed arrangement of each head will be described later.

[0024] A series of heads arranged along the main scanning direction S, which are made up of the ink head 4 and each of the treatment liquid heads described below, is referred to as a row of heads, or simply as a row. Also, a series of heads arranged along the transport direction F, which are made up of the ink head 4 and each of the treatment liquid heads, is referred to as a row of heads, or simply as a row.

[0025] The ink ejected from the ink head 4 is not particularly limited, and can be one containing a pigment or a dye. For example, an ink containing a pigment and an aqueous medium can be used. The ink may further contain at least one selected from the group consisting of surfactants, polyols, and binder resin particles, as needed. Examples of pigments include yellow pigments, orange pigments, red pigments, blue pigments, purple pigments, and black pigments. The ink may also contain an anionic pigment. In such cases, the cationic polymer and anionic pigment contained in the post-treatment liquid electrically react and aggregate on the surface of the recording medium, thereby preventing the binder resin contained in the ink from penetrating into the recording medium. This prevents the binder resin from penetrating into the gaps between fibers and bonding the fibers together when the recording medium is fabric. This can improve the texture (feel, etc.) of the fabric to be printed.

[0026] Specifically, anionic pigments having anionic groups such as a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphate group, a phosphonic acid group, a phenylsulfonic acid group, or a phenylcarboxyl group are more preferred as anionic pigments. The aqueous medium contained in the ink is a medium containing water as its main component. The aqueous medium may function as a solvent or a dispersion medium. Specific examples of aqueous media include water and mixtures of water and polar solvents. Examples of polar solvents contained in aqueous media include methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, butanol, and methyl ethyl ketone. Furthermore, the ink contains a surfactant, which improves the wettability of the ink to the recording medium.

[0027] The binder resin particles contained in the ink exist in a dispersed state in an aqueous medium. The binder resin particles function as a binder that bonds the object to be printed and the pigment. Therefore, by including binder resin particles in the ink, it is possible to obtain a printed item with excellent pigment fixation. Examples of resins contained in the binder resin particles include urethane resin, (meth)acrylic resin, styrene-(meth)acrylic resin, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer, and vinylnaphthalene-maleic acid copolymer. The resin contained in the binder resin particles is preferably a urethane resin.

[0028] The binder resin content may be 1% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less, or 2% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the ink. When the binder resin particle content is 1% by weight or more, a recording medium with excellent pigment fixation can be obtained. On the other hand, when the binder resin particle content is 20% by weight or less, the ink can be stably ejected onto the recording medium.

[0029] The pretreatment liquid head 5 ejects a pretreatment liquid for performing a predetermined pretreatment on the workpiece W. The pretreatment liquid is ejected from the ink head 4 onto a position on the workpiece W where ink has not yet been ejected from the ink head 4.

[0030] The post-treatment liquid head 6 also ejects a post-treatment liquid for performing a predetermined post-treatment on the ink-adhered workpiece W. The post-treatment liquid is ejected from the treatment liquid head onto the position on the workpiece W after the ink has been ejected from the ink head 4.

[0031] Any pretreatment liquid can be used. For example, a pretreatment liquid that aggregates the pigment of the ink to improve color development and fixation, as described below, can be used. The pretreatment liquid may also be used to suppress the penetration of the ink into the recording medium, or conversely, to promote the penetration, to print thickly to create a three-dimensional shape, or to impart gloss.

[0032] The pretreatment liquid may contain, for example, a water-soluble cationic polymer, an organic acid salt, and an aqueous medium. Such a pretreatment liquid reacts with and aggregates the pigment contained in the ink to be subsequently printed, improving color development. It also improves washing fastness and the texture of the fabric. The content of the water-soluble cationic polymer may be 0.1% by weight or more and less than 10% by weight of the total pretreatment liquid. By making the content of the water-soluble cationic polymer less than 10% by weight, sufficient wet rub fastness can be obtained. The aqueous medium contained in the pretreatment liquid may be the same as that of the ink.

[0033] Any post-treatment liquid can be used. For example, a post-treatment liquid that improves texture can be used as described below. The post-treatment liquid may also be used to provide a coating for protecting the printed ink, to print thickly to create a three-dimensional shape, or to impart gloss. Furthermore, treatments that are not directly related to ink printing, such as imparting water repellency to the recording medium, may also be carried out.

[0034] The post-treatment liquid may contain, for example, emulsified particles containing silicone oil, a surfactant, and an aqueous medium. That is, the post-treatment liquid is an emulsion in which emulsified particles are dispersed in an aqueous medium, more specifically, an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion. The silicone oil may contain unmodified silicone oil. Examples of unmodified silicone oil include dimethylpolysiloxane, methylphenylsilicone oil, and methylhydrogensilicone oil. Such a post-treatment liquid can improve the texture.

[0035] The surfactant may include a first surfactant containing an alkyl group having 12 to 14 carbon atoms and a second surfactant containing an alkyl group having 16 to 18 carbon atoms. Polyoxyethylene alkyl ether may be used for both surfactants.

[0036] The aqueous medium contained in the post-treatment liquid can be the same as that of the ink. The post-treatment liquid is basically a non-color-forming treatment liquid that does not develop color even when attached to the workpiece W. The post-treatment liquid and the pre-treatment liquid are basically different treatment liquids. Specifically, the components contained in the post-treatment liquid and the pre-treatment liquid are different.

[0037] The processing liquid is basically a non-coloring processing liquid that does not develop color even when it adheres to the workpiece W. Here, a non-coloring processing liquid refers to a processing liquid that, when printed alone on a recording medium, is not perceived as colored by the naked eye. Color here includes colors with zero saturation, such as black, white, and gray. A non-coloring processing liquid is basically a transparent liquid, but when viewed in its liquid state, for example, 1 liter of processing liquid may not be completely transparent and may appear slightly white. Such colors are very light, so when printed alone on a recording medium, they are not perceived as colored by the naked eye. Note that, depending on the type of processing liquid, when printed alone on a recording medium, changes such as gloss may appear on the recording medium, but such a state is not considered colored.

[0038] In this embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid may be ejected onto almost the entire surface of the workpiece W, or the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid may be ejected selectively in accordance with the image to be printed, similar to ink.

[0039] Here, a case where the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid are selectively ejected will be described. As described above, the pretreatment liquid, ink, and posttreatment liquid are ejected in this order onto the portion of the workpiece W where a color is to be printed in accordance with the image. In this case, the ink may be of one color or multiple colors. In portions where no color is to be printed, i.e., portions where no ink is to be ejected, the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid are basically not ejected either. Note that, in order to adjust the image quality of the image to be printed and the texture of the workpiece W, the selection of the ejection of the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid may be made to differ from the ejection of the ink. For example, the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid may be printed in an area slightly larger (for example, the area of ​​a few pixels) than the area printed with ink.

[0040] 3, openings 31H are provided at the locations where the heads are arranged in the head support frame 31. The ink head 4 and the treatment liquid heads 5 and 6 are attached to the head support frame 31 so as to fit into the respective openings 31H. Nozzles arranged on the bottom end surface of each head are exposed from each opening 31H.

[0041] The subtanks 7 are supported by the carriage 3 above each head via a holding frame (not shown). A subtank 7 is provided corresponding to each head. Each subtank 7 is supplied with ink or treatment liquid (sometimes collectively referred to as liquid) from a cartridge (not shown) or main tank that contains ink and treatment liquid, and supplies these to each head. Each subtank 7 and each head are connected by a conduit (not shown in FIG. 3).

[0042] Each subtank 7 may have a supply subtank and a recovery subtank. The supply subtank supplies liquid to the corresponding head. The recovery subtank recovers liquid that was not ejected from the corresponding head. The supply and recovery of liquid is achieved, for example, by applying pressure to the liquid via gas (air) present above the liquid contained in the supply subtank and the recovery subtank. The supply and recovery of liquid is achieved by the pressure difference between the pressure applied to the supply subtank and the pressure applied to the recovery subtank. The pressure applied to each head is controlled so that the pressure at the nozzle of each head is nearly 0 (zero, the same as atmospheric pressure), or slightly negative or positive. This allows the nozzle to maintain a meniscus and maintain a state in which the nozzle can eject liquid.

[0043] Liquid may be transferred between the supply subtank, recovery subtank, and main tank as follows: When the liquid in the supply subtank falls below a predetermined level, the liquid in the recovery subtank is transferred to the supply subtank by a pump or the like. This allows the liquid to circulate within the supply subtank, head, and recovery subtank. When the liquid in the recovery subtank falls below a predetermined level, the liquid from the main tank is supplied to the recovery subtank by a pump or the like.

[0044] Supplying a liquid adjusted to a constant temperature to the head can stabilize the temperature of the head. The liquid supplied to the head reaches the individual flow paths in which the nozzles are provided via a common flow path (manifold) within the head. When recovering liquid from the head, it is not necessary to recover the liquid supplied to the individual flow paths, and it is also possible to recover only the liquid that has passed through the common flow path. Liquid may be supplied to and recovered from the individual flow paths in which the nozzles are provided, so that the liquid is less likely to accumulate in and around the nozzles. In this case, the liquid recovered from the individual flow paths is recovered, for example, via the common flow path.

[0045] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 according to this embodiment is an all-in-one printer in which heads (liquid ejection units), such as the ink head 4 and treatment liquid heads 5 and 6, are mounted on a single carriage 3. With this inkjet printer 1, for example, in the printing process of inkjet printing onto fabric in digital textile printing, the process of ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the process of ejecting the post-treatment liquid can be carried out in an integrated manner. This makes it possible to simplify the textile printing process and make the textile printing device more compact.

[0046] [Print method] Next, the printing method performed by the inkjet printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The inkjet printer 1 performs printing processing on the workpiece W using a serial printing method. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the serial printing method. In Figure 4, the carriage 3 is depicted in a simplified manner, with the treatment liquid head omitted.

[0047] If the workpiece W is wide, it is not possible to print while continuously feeding the workpiece W. The serial printing method is a printing method in which a carriage 3 carrying ink heads 4 of each color moves back and forth in the main scanning direction S, and intermittently feeds the workpiece W in the transport direction F, repeatedly. Here, the ink heads 4 are assumed to have a predetermined printing width Pw in the transport direction F. The printing width Pw is approximately equal to the length in the transport direction F of the arrangement area of ​​the ink ejection nozzles of the ink heads 4. Note that in Figure 4, the length in the transport direction F of each head is drawn as approximately equal to the printing width Pw, but in reality, the length in the transport direction F of each head is greater than the printing width Pw and the length in the transport direction F of the arrangement area of ​​the ejection nozzles.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows the state in which the carriage 3 moves in the forward direction SA in the main scanning direction S and has completed printing of a strip-shaped image G1 with a printing width Pw. During this main scanning in the forward direction SA, the feeding of the workpiece W is stopped. After printing the strip-shaped image G1, the workpiece W is sent out in the transport direction F by a pitch corresponding to the printing width Pw. At this time, the carriage 3 waits in the return area 14 on the left end side. After sending out the workpiece W, the carriage 3 returns in the return direction SB as the timing belt 16 moves in the reverse direction. The workpiece W is in a stationary state. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 3 moves in the return direction SB and prints a strip-shaped image G2 with a printing width Pw upstream of the strip-shaped image G1. Similar operations are repeated thereafter.

[0049] After printing is completed by the inkjet printer 1, the workpiece W may be heated and dried using a heater (not shown) or the like provided in the inkjet printer 1. Alternatively, the printed portion of the workpiece W may be transported to a dryer separate from the inkjet printer 1 and dried therein, rather than being wound around the take-up roller 22. The heating temperature is, for example, 120°C or higher and 180°C or lower. The heating time is, for example, 1 minute or higher and 10 minutes or lower. Heating dries the volatile components contained in the ink and treatment liquid, promoting fixation of the ink and treatment liquid to the printing target P. In other words, drying is not performed during printing of the pretreatment liquid, ink, and posttreatment liquid, but rather, they are dried all at once after printing is completed. Furthermore, printing of the pretreatment liquid, ink, and posttreatment liquid is performed on workpiece W that has not undergone any other processing, such as applying and drying other pretreatment liquids, before printing.

[0050] [Detailed head placement] FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically illustrating the arrangement of ink heads (ink ejection units) and treatment liquid heads (treatment liquid ejection units) on the carriage 3 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating nozzle regions within the ink heads according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a plurality of heads are arranged on the carriage 3 along the main scanning direction S, and are arranged in the following order from left to right: pretreatment liquid head 5 (pretreatment liquid ejection unit), first ink head 41, second ink head 42, third ink head 43, and posttreatment liquid head 61 (posttreatment liquid ejection unit). Of these, the first ink head 41, second ink head 42, and third ink head 43 constitute the ink ejection unit of the present disclosure, and as shown in FIG. 5, are arranged in a row along the main scanning direction S at the same position in the transport direction F (a row of ink ejection units). Note that, as described below, the plurality of heads may include multiple rows of ink heads arranged at different positions in the transport direction F (multiple rows of ink ejection units). Each head shown in FIG. 5 includes two nozzle regions (a first nozzle region and a second nozzle region) aligned in the main scanning direction S.

[0051] As the two nozzle regions, in order from left to right in FIG. 5, the pretreatment liquid head 5 includes two pretreatment liquid nozzle regions P1. The first ink head 41 includes a cyan ink nozzle region CI and a black ink nozzle region KI. The second ink head 42 includes an orange ink nozzle region OI and a green ink nozzle region GI. The third ink head 43 includes a yellow ink nozzle region YI and a magenta ink nozzle region MI. The posttreatment liquid head 61 includes two first posttreatment liquid nozzle regions P2. Hereinafter, each nozzle region may be referred to only by its reference symbol.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 6, the two ink nozzle regions will be described using the third ink head 43 in FIG. 5 as an example. Note that in FIG. 6, the length in the transport direction F is shown at a reduced size. Each head has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a rectangular head outline H appears on its underside. Two ink nozzle regions YI and MI are arranged inside this head outline H. The yellow ink nozzle region YI is an area where multiple nozzles capable of ejecting yellow ink are arranged, and the magenta ink nozzle region MI is an area where multiple nozzles capable of ejecting magenta ink are arranged. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, each nozzle region has two rows of nozzles arranged in a zigzag pattern along the transport direction F. In this case, the dimension of each nozzle group in the transport direction F corresponds to 300 npi (nozzles per inch). Note that, as indicated by the reference line RL in FIG. 6, the nozzles in the yellow ink nozzle region YI and the corresponding nozzles in the magenta ink nozzle region MI are arranged at the same position in the transport direction F, i.e., so as to overlap along the main scanning direction S. To print at 600 dpi using the third ink head 43 with this nozzle arrangement, the inkjet printer 1 can print a 300 dpi image in one main scan, and then print a 300 dpi image with the pixel position shifted by one 600 dpi pixel in the transport direction F on top of the previously printed 300 dpi image in another main scan. Alternatively, the fourth ink head 44 may be positioned so that it is shifted by one 600 dpi pixel in the transport direction F relative to the third ink head 43, thereby printing a 600 dpi image with two heads. Note that, as described below, two color nozzles may be positioned offset in the transport direction F. This has the advantage that the nozzle arrangement does not need to be different from that of a head capable of 600 dpi printing with a single head. With such an arrangement, a 600 dpi image can be printed with a single head by ejecting ink of the same color from two nozzle regions.

[0053] 6 is formed with an ink flow path (also simply referred to as a flow path) not shown, which receives the yellow ink ejected from the yellow ink nozzle region YI from outside the third ink head 43 and discharges it via the nozzles to outside the third ink head 43. Similarly, the third ink head 43 is formed with an ink flow path not shown, which receives the magenta ink ejected from the magenta ink nozzle region MI from outside the third ink head 43 and discharges it via the nozzles to outside the third ink head 43. These two ink flow paths are configured independently of each other.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6, the two nozzle regions provided in one head (liquid ejection unit) form one nozzle surface on the underside of the carriage 3, and the relationship between them can be expressed as follows: The first nozzle region and the second nozzle region are arranged side by side and close to each other at least in the main scanning direction S. In this case, being arranged side by side or close to each other as described above means that they are in a relative positional relationship such that if liquid remains on the nozzle surface due to a nozzle ejection failure or the like, there is a possibility that one liquid will come into contact with the other liquid.

[0055] Furthermore, being arranged side by side or adjacent to each other as described above can be said to be a relative positional relationship such that when the nozzle regions are wiped with a wiper (not shown) or when liquid is pushed out of the nozzles by purging, one liquid may come into contact with the other liquid on the nozzle surface. In this case, the liquid spreads widely over the nozzle surface, so as long as the first nozzle region and the second nozzle region are on the same surface, regardless of the distance between the nozzles, this falls within the above positional relationship. Even if the two nozzle regions are separated by a groove or other partition between them, if it is expected that the liquid will be able to overcome the groove (for example, a width or depth of approximately 1 mm), this falls within the above positional relationship.

[0056] The other heads in FIG. 5 also have the same nozzle arrangement as in FIG. 6. That is, in this embodiment, the shape and structure of the multiple heads are the same, and by arranging such common heads side by side on the carriage 3, it is possible to form multiple heads (regions) that eject different liquids. In FIG. 5, the nozzle regions formed on the underside of the heads are shown with patterns, while the white areas on the upstream and downstream sides of each head in the transport direction F indicate regions where no nozzles are arranged, as in FIG. 6. The same applies to the other figures described below. Also, unless otherwise specified, in each figure including FIG. 5, the distance between adjacent heads in the main scanning direction S (the distance between the closest parts of each head, or the distance between the centers of each head) is the same.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of heads (liquid ejection units) are arranged on the carriage 3 in the main scanning direction S, and the plurality of heads include a plurality of ink heads 41, 42, 43 (ink heads 4) that are arranged in the main scanning direction S and eject ink, and a pre-treatment liquid head 5 and a post-treatment liquid head 61 that are arranged on both sides of the plurality of ink heads 41, 42, 43 in the main scanning direction S. The pre-treatment liquid head 5 is arranged closer to one end of the main scanning direction S than the plurality of ink heads 41, 42, 43, and the post-treatment liquid head 6 is arranged closer to the other end of the main scanning direction S than the plurality of ink heads 41, 42, 43.

[0058] Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the pretreatment liquid head 5 is arranged offset upstream in the conveyance direction F with respect to the plurality of ink heads 41, 42, 43, and the post-treatment liquid head 6 is arranged offset downstream in the conveyance direction F. Specifically, the pretreatment liquid head 5 is offset upstream in the conveyance direction F by A times (0 < A ≤ 1) the length L in the conveyance direction F of the nozzle region of one ink head with respect to the ink heads 41, 42, 43 (the ink ejection portion row that is the most upstream in the conveyance direction F). On the other hand, the post-treatment liquid head 61 is offset downstream in the conveyance direction F by B times (0 < B ≤ 1) the length L with respect to the ink heads 41, 42, 43 (the ink ejection portion row that is the most downstream in the conveyance direction F). And the plurality of heads are arranged such that at least one of the A and the B is less than 1.

[0059] The above positional relationship will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the length in the conveyance direction F of the nozzle region of each head is indicated by L. And the pretreatment liquid head 5 is arranged such that the nozzle regions of the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43 and the region of length M of the two first post-treatment liquid nozzle regions P2 overlap in the main scanning direction S. In other words, the pretreatment liquid head 5 is arranged offset upstream in the conveyance direction F by a length of (L - M) with respect to the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43. In the present embodiment, M = (L - M) = L × 0.5. That is, A is set to 0.5.

[0060] Similarly, the post-treatment liquid head 61 is arranged such that the nozzle regions of the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43 and the region of length N of the two first post-treatment liquid nozzle regions P2 overlap in the main scanning direction S. In other words, the post-treatment liquid head 61 is arranged offset downstream in the conveyance direction F by a length of (L - N) with respect to the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43. In the present embodiment, N = (L - N) = L × 0.5. That is, B is set to 0.5.

[0061] Regarding the above A and B, if m and n are integers of 2 or more, they can be expressed as A=1 / m and B=1 / n. In this embodiment, A=B=1 / 2, which corresponds to m=n=2.

[0062] The head offset amounts shown above are actual offset amounts. The actual offset amount may take into account the following: First, it may be possible to consider the possibility that there are nozzles at the end of the head that do not actually eject liquid. Second, it may be possible to consider the possibility of overlapping at the end of the head, that is, the possibility of creating an area on the workpiece W where the first head and the second head print approximately half the number of pixels each.

[0063] In a conventional configuration in which a plurality of ink ejection units are mounted on a carriage, if a plurality of treatment liquid ejection units that eject a pre-treatment liquid that is to land on a recording medium before the ink and a post-treatment liquid that is to land on a recording medium after the ink are further mounted, there is a problem that the size of the carriage in the transport direction becomes large. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged so as to partially overlap with the rows of the plurality of ink heads 41, 42, and 43, so that the size of the carriage 3 in the transport direction F (depth direction) can be made small and compact.

[0064] In this configuration, while the carriage 3 moves in a first direction (rightward) in the main scanning direction S, the pretreatment liquid is ejected onto the workpiece W from the area surrounded by the dashed line (also referred to as the dashed line area) of the pretreatment liquid head 51 in FIG. 5 . Thereafter, the workpiece W is transported in the transport direction F in half-head units (half of L). In other words, the workpiece W is transported by half the length of the ink nozzle areas of the ink heads in the transport direction F. Thereafter, while the carriage 3 moves in a second direction (leftward) in the main scanning direction S, each liquid is ejected from the nozzle areas on the upstream side in the transport direction F of each of the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43. Thereafter, the workpiece W is transported again in half-head units in the transport direction F. Furthermore, while the carriage 3 moves in the first direction (rightward) in the main scanning direction S, each liquid is ejected from the nozzle areas on the downstream side in the transport direction F of the third ink head 43, the second ink head 42, and the first ink head 41. After that, the workpiece W is transported again in half-head units in the transport direction F. While the carriage 3 moves in the second direction (leftward) of the main scanning direction S, postprocessing liquid is ejected onto the workpiece W from an area of ​​the postprocessing liquid head 61 downstream in the transport direction F, which is surrounded by a dashed line. In other words, when viewed along the main scanning direction S, the nozzle area from which the preprocessing liquid is actually ejected, among the preprocessing liquid nozzle area P1 of the preprocessing liquid head 5, does not overlap with the nozzle areas of the ink heads 41, 42, and 43, and is arranged so as to be continuously connected to one another. The same is true for the first postprocessing liquid nozzle area P2 of the postprocessing liquid head 61.

[0065] In this case, if one droplet of pretreatment liquid and one droplet of posttreatment liquid are required for one droplet of ink on the workpiece W, then ink of 300 dpi x 2 scans will land on the workpiece W. Because the pretreatment liquid head 51 ejects pretreatment liquid within the area enclosed by the dashed line, pretreatment liquid of 600 dpi x 1 scan will land on the workpiece W. In other words, the amounts of ink and pretreatment liquid will be equal. The same is true for the posttreatment liquid. In this way, in this embodiment, the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 61 each have two nozzle areas, and the same treatment liquid is ejected from both of them.

[0066] Furthermore, the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid are not ejected from the nozzle regions of the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 61 that overlap with the ink nozzle regions in the main scanning direction S. In other words, the inkjet printer 1 is configured in this way. As an example, this region can be switched by controlling the ejection of liquid from the nozzles by a control unit of the inkjet printer 1. More specifically, the control unit of the inkjet printer 1 does not control the pretreatment liquid head 51 to eject liquid from the above-mentioned region. This control is performed at least during normal printing. When printing is stopped to perform maintenance, for example, when the carriage 3 is stopped and each head is wiped, the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid may be ejected as needed.

[0067] After the pretreatment liquid is ejected, there is a risk that mist of the pretreatment liquid may float in the air around the ejected area. If the ink head 4 enters the mist, the mist may adhere to the nozzle surface and become fixed thereon. In this embodiment, as described above, the pretreatment liquid is not ejected from the area that overlaps with the nozzle area of ​​the ink head 4 in the main scanning direction S, so the problem of mist adhesion can be prevented. The same applies to the posttreatment liquid. In particular, the difference in content between the posttreatment liquid and the ink is greater than between the inks themselves, so it is desirable to similarly prevent the two from mixing.

[0068] In this manner, in this embodiment, by displacing the pre-treatment liquid head 5 on the upstream side in the transport direction F toward the ink head (ink nozzle region), it is possible to reduce the depth of the carriage 3 without preparing a head that is half the length in the transport direction F. Similarly, for the post-treatment liquid head 61, it is possible to reduce the depth of the carriage 3 without preparing a head that is half the length in the transport direction F. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is possible to standardize the structure of multiple heads, which allows the supply and recovery systems and maintenance mechanisms for each liquid to be standardized, making design, control, etc. easier.

[0069] It should be noted that the pretreatment liquid and the ink are likely to solidify if they are mixed on the nozzle surface of one head, so it is preferable not to place the pretreatment liquid and the ink in two nozzle regions of one head.

[0070] In order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, the nozzle area that actually ejects the pretreatment liquid in the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the nozzle areas of each ink head are arranged at different positions in the transport direction F as described above, thereby preventing the ink and the pretreatment liquid from adhering to each other in the nozzle area of ​​one head.

[0071] Furthermore, by adopting such a configuration, the physical distance between the head ejecting the ink and the head ejecting the pretreatment liquid is increased, thereby further increasing the landing time interval between the two liquids. Furthermore, when the carriage 3 moves in one scan, the head positions are shifted in the transport direction F, so the ink heads 41 to 43 do not enter the mist of pretreatment liquid that may be generated in the space around the nozzles after the pretreatment liquid is ejected from the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 5 . This further prevents the ink and pretreatment liquid from mixing and solidifying in the heads. The distance between the heads, the distance between the nozzle regions, and the distance between the heads and the nozzle regions are, for example, the distance along the main scanning direction S, and refers to the distance between the closest points between them. Alternatively, the distance along the main scanning direction S between the centers of gravity of the areas occupied by each head in a plan view may also be considered.

[0072] Furthermore, since the pretreatment liquid head 5 is disposed closer to one end in the main scanning direction S than the ink heads 41 to 43, when the nozzle surfaces of the heads are wiped along the transport direction F (the longitudinal direction of the heads), the ink heads 4 are not present in the path of movement of the wipers of the pretreatment liquid head 5. This also makes it difficult for the ink and the pretreatment liquid to stick together. Furthermore, the waste liquid that falls off during wiping can be easily separated and collected in the main scanning direction S.

[0073] That is, in this embodiment, the pretreatment liquid head 5 is disposed outside the area including the multiple ink heads in the main scanning direction S. This further reduces the possibility that the pretreatment liquid and the ink will mix together around the head.

[0074] In the above explanation, the pretreatment liquid is mainly exemplified as one that causes ink to aggregate on the workpiece W, but the pretreatment liquid may also contain a resin component in a larger amount than the ink and have the property of binding the fabric and the pigment. In this case, too, the pretreatment liquid is more likely to clog the ink nozzles or adhere to the nozzle surface, so the arrangement of the head and nozzle region as described above is desirable.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, each of the multiple ink heads 41, 42 includes a first nozzle region capable of ejecting a predetermined ink, and a second nozzle region arranged alongside the first nozzle region in the main scanning direction S and capable of ejecting an ink different from that of the first nozzle region.

[0076] As a result, it becomes possible to share the liquid supply flow paths and recovery flow paths connected to each head, as well as their maintenance mechanisms, among multiple ink heads, which facilitates the design and control of the inkjet printer 1. Furthermore, it also reduces the likelihood of problems caused by differences in ejection characteristics that arise due to differences in head type and shape.

[0077] Furthermore, because each head has two nozzle regions as described above, it is possible to reduce the number of heads required to eject multiple colors of ink and treatment liquid. As a result, the carriage 3 and, in turn, the inkjet printer 1 can be made smaller. Furthermore, by reducing the carriage (the area in which the heads are arranged), the placement precision of each head can be improved, which also makes it possible to improve printing precision.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the carriage 3 has only one row (ink ejection section row) in which multiple ink heads 4 are lined up along the main scanning direction S, so it is possible to make the size of the carriage 3 compact in the transport direction F, and the size of the inkjet printer 1 can also be reduced.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple ink heads 4 (each ink ejection section in the ink ejection section row) are arranged at the same position in the transport direction F, which makes it possible to make the size of the carriage 3 in the transport direction F even more compact, and also makes it possible to make the size of the inkjet printer 1 smaller.

[0080] In the above explanation, the pretreatment liquid is mainly exemplified as one that causes ink to aggregate on the workpiece W, but the pretreatment liquid may also contain a resin component in a larger amount than the ink and have the property of binding the fabric and the pigment. In this case, too, the pretreatment liquid is more likely to clog the ink nozzles or adhere to the nozzle surface, so the arrangement of the head and nozzle region as described above is desirable.

[0081] Alternatively, the pretreatment liquid head 51 may eject the pretreatment liquid from one of the two pretreatment liquid nozzle regions P1.

[0082] Second Embodiment 7 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage 3 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the ink heads. Note that in the following embodiments, the explanation will focus on these differences, and explanation of commonalities will be omitted.

[0083] In this embodiment, the multiple ink heads include a fourth ink head 44 and a fifth ink head 45, which are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction S. The fourth ink head 44 has three nozzle regions: a green ink nozzle region GI, a yellow ink nozzle region YI, and a magenta ink nozzle region MI. The fifth ink head 45 has four nozzle regions: a cyan ink nozzle region CI, a black ink nozzle region KI, a blue ink nozzle region BI, and a red ink nozzle region RI. The pre-treatment liquid head 5, the post-treatment liquid head 61, and their arrangement are the same as in the first embodiment. In this case, as in the first embodiment, A=B=½, which corresponds to m=n=2.

[0084] In this embodiment as well, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink head side, so that the depth direction of the carriage 3 can be made compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and post-treatment liquid only in the area enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 7, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink and solidifying.

[0085] <Third embodiment> 8 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the ink heads and the treatment liquid heads on the carriage 3 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the posttreatment liquid head 61.

[0086] 8, the post-treatment liquid head 61 is disposed between the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the first ink head 41 in the main scanning direction S. In other words, in this embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are disposed side by side on one end side in the main scanning direction S with respect to the arrangement range of the multiple ink heads 41, 42, and 43. In this case, too, A=B=½, which corresponds to m=n=2, as in the first embodiment.

[0087] Even in this configuration, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink head, thereby making it possible to make the depth direction of the carriage 3 compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 8, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink and solidifying.

[0088] In particular, in this embodiment, since the post-treatment liquid head 61 is interposed between the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the first ink head 41, it is possible to further prevent the pre-treatment liquid and the ink from coming close to each other.

[0089] <Fourth embodiment> 9 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage 3 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61.

[0090] 9, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are disposed between the first ink head 41 and the second ink head 42 in the main scanning direction S. In this case, as in the first embodiment, A=B=½, and therefore m=n=2.

[0091] Even in this configuration, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink head, thereby making it possible to make the depth direction of the carriage 3 compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 9, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink and solidifying.

[0092] Fifth Embodiment 10 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid heads on a carriage 3 according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the ink heads 41, 42, and 43 are arranged in two rows, and in the arrangement of the post-treatment liquid head 61.

[0093] Specifically, the multiple heads in this embodiment include two first ink heads 41, two second ink heads 42, and two third ink heads 43. Relative to the ink heads 41, 42, 43 on the upstream side in the transport direction F, the ink heads 41, 42, 43 on the downstream side in the transport direction F are arranged shifted toward one end in the main scanning direction S. In this case, when viewed along the main scanning direction S, the nozzle regions of the ink heads 41, 42, 43 on the upstream side in the transport direction F do not overlap with the nozzle regions of the ink heads 41, 42, 43 on the downstream side in the transport direction F, and are arranged so as to be continuously connected.

[0094] Furthermore, a pre-treatment liquid head 5 and a post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged at one end side of these two rows of ink heads in the main scanning direction S. The pre-treatment liquid head 5 is arranged offset by a distance M toward the first row of ink heads, and the post-treatment liquid head 61 is arranged offset by a distance N toward the second row of ink heads. By arranging the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 at the same position in the main scanning direction S, the size of the head arrangement area in the main scanning direction S can be reduced.

[0095] The above positional relationship will be further explained with reference to FIG. 10. In FIG. 10, the length of the nozzle region of each head in the transport direction F is indicated by L. The length of the post-treatment liquid head 61 is also L. The pre-treatment liquid head 5 is disposed so that a region of length M of the two first post-treatment liquid nozzle regions P2 overlaps in the main scanning direction S with the nozzle regions of the first ink head 41, second ink head 42, and third ink head 43 on the upstream side in the transport direction F. In other words, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 is disposed offset by a length (LM) upstream in the transport direction F with respect to the first ink head 41, second ink head 42, and third ink head 43 in the first row. In this embodiment, M = (LM) = L × 0.5. That is, A is set to 0.5.

[0096] Similarly, the posttreatment liquid head 61 is arranged such that the nozzle regions of the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43 on the downstream side in the transport direction F overlap with a region of length N of the two first posttreatment liquid nozzle regions P2 in the main scanning direction S. In other words, the posttreatment liquid head 61 is arranged shifted by a length (LN) on the downstream side in the transport direction F with respect to the second row of the first ink head 41, the second ink head 42, and the third ink head 43. In this embodiment, N = (LN) = L × 0.5. That is, B = 0.5. And in this embodiment as well, A = B = 1 / 2, which corresponds to m = n = 2.

[0097] In this embodiment as well, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink head side, so that the depth direction of the carriage 3 can be made compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 10, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids and ink from mixing and solidifying around one head.

[0098] In this embodiment, the pretreatment liquid is ejected from the dashed line area of ​​the pretreatment liquid head 5 during the first main scan of the carriage 3. Thereafter, ink is ejected from the upstream and downstream sides of each ink head in the transport direction F during the second, third, fourth, and fifth main scans of the carriage 3, with the transport of the workpiece W in between. Finally, the posttreatment liquid is ejected from the dashed line area of ​​the posttreatment liquid head 61, with the transport of the workpiece W in between.

[0099] Sixth Embodiment 11 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage 3 according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in the relative positions of the heads in the transport direction F.

[0100] Specifically, in the two rows of ink heads 41, 42, and 43, the ink heads 41, 42, and 43 in the second row are positioned close to the ink heads 41, 42, and 43 in the first row. In other words, the downstream half of the nozzle region of the ink heads in the first row in the transport direction F and the upstream half of the nozzle region of the ink heads in the second row in the transport direction F are arranged to overlap in the main scanning direction S.

[0101] The relative positions of the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 with respect to the ink head row are, as in the fifth embodiment, such that M=N=0.5×L, A=B=½, and m=n=2.

[0102] Even in this configuration, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink head, thereby making it possible to make the depth direction of the carriage 3 compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 11, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink and solidifying.

[0103] In this embodiment, the pretreatment liquid is ejected from the dashed line area of ​​the pretreatment liquid head 5 during the first main scan of the carriage 3. Thereafter, ink is ejected from the upstream and downstream sides of each ink head in the transport direction F during the second, third, and fourth main scans of the carriage 3, with the transport of the workpiece W in between. Finally, posttreatment liquid is ejected from the dashed line area of ​​the posttreatment liquid head 61, with the transport of the workpiece W in between. In this embodiment, the size of the carriage 3 in the depth direction is smaller than in the previous fifth embodiment.

[0104] Seventh Embodiment 12 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on the carriage 3 according to the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment (FIG. 5) in the arrangement of the posttreatment liquid head 61. Specifically, the posttreatment liquid head 61 is located downstream of the pretreatment liquid head 5 in the transport direction F, similar to the fifth and sixth embodiments. In this case, N=0.2×L, LN=0.8×L, B=0.8, and n=1.25. In this case, n is not an integer. The arrangement of the pretreatment liquid head 5 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0105] Even in this configuration, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are arranged offset toward the ink heads, thereby making it possible to make the carriage 3 compact in the depth direction. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 12, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink and solidifying. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, the dashed-line area where the post-treatment liquid is ejected from the two first post-treatment liquid nozzle areas P2 of the post-treatment liquid head 61 is set at a position offset by a predetermined distance from the upstream end of the first post-treatment liquid nozzle area P2 in the transport direction F. The length of the dashed-line area in the transport direction F corresponds to half of L.

[0106] Eighth Embodiment 13 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on the carriage 3 according to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the previous seventh embodiment in that the first posttreatment liquid nozzle region P2 of the posttreatment liquid head 61 is not shifted toward the ink head side. That is, in this embodiment, N=0.

[0107] In this way, only the pretreatment liquid head 5 may be arranged to be shifted toward the ink head side. Alternatively, contrary to Figure 13, the posttreatment liquid head 61 may be arranged to be shifted toward the ink head side, and the pretreatment liquid head 5 may not be arranged to be shifted toward the ink head side.

[0108] Ninth Embodiment 14 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of ink heads and treatment liquid head liquid on a carriage 3 according to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment (FIG. 5) in that the multiple heads further include a post-treatment liquid head 62 (another post-treatment liquid ejection unit).

[0109] The post-treatment liquid head 62 is arranged next to the post-treatment liquid head 61 on the outside in the main scanning direction S. That is, both the post-treatment liquid heads 61 and 62 are arranged shifted toward the ink head side so that N=0.5×L.

[0110] The post-processing liquid head 62 has two second post-processing liquid nozzle areas P3.

[0111] The second post-treatment liquid nozzle region P3 ejects the second post-treatment liquid. The second post-treatment liquid is a treatment liquid different from the first post-treatment liquid. The second post-treatment liquid basically has the function of softening the workpiece W (cloth). In addition, the second post-treatment liquid may also have the effect of deepening the color on the workpiece W. In light of these functions, it is basically desirable for the second post-treatment liquid to land on the workpiece W after the ink fixing action by the pre-treatment liquid has finished.

[0112] On the other hand, the first post-processing liquid ejected from the first post-processing liquid nozzle region P2 has the function of imparting durability to the ink and the workpiece W (cloth), as described above. Therefore, the first post-processing liquid may be used not only to make it difficult for the ink to peel off from the workpiece W, but also to increase the amount of the first post-processing liquid that lands, raise the printing surface, and create a three-dimensional shape.

[0113] Furthermore, the durability and flexibility of the finished product may be adjusted by changing the ratio between the total amounts of the first and second post-treatment liquids that are deposited while keeping them approximately the same.

[0114] In the configuration of FIG. 14 , after the pretreatment liquid is ejected onto the workpiece W from the dashed line area of ​​the pretreatment liquid head 51 during the first scan, ink is ejected from the upstream half and downstream half of the ink heads 41, 42, and 43 in the transport direction F during the second and third scans, respectively, and during the fourth scan, the first posttreatment liquid and the second posttreatment liquid are ejected from the dashed line areas of the first posttreatment liquid nozzle area P2 of the posttreatment liquid head 61 and the second posttreatment liquid nozzle area P3 of the posttreatment liquid head 62, respectively.

[0115] In the configuration of this embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid head 5 and the post-treatment liquid head 61 are also arranged offset toward the ink head, thereby making it possible to make the depth direction of the carriage 3 compact. Furthermore, by ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid only in the area surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 14, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquids from mixing with the ink, thereby preventing adhesion and other problems.

[0116] 14, when the required amount or type of processing liquid increases, each of the post-processing liquid heads 61 and 62 may have one first post-processing liquid nozzle region P2 and one second post-processing liquid nozzle region P3. Also, three or more post-processing liquid heads 6 may be arranged. Similarly, two or more pre-processing liquid heads 5 may be arranged.

[0117] Tenth Embodiment As an example of the above-described modified embodiment, in the tenth embodiment shown in Fig. 15, a post-processing liquid head 63 is disposed at the position of the post-processing liquid head 61 shown in Fig. 14. The post-processing liquid head 63 has two nozzle regions: a first post-processing liquid nozzle region P2 and a second post-processing liquid nozzle region P3.

[0118] Eleventh Embodiment 16, two post-processing liquid heads 63 are arranged side by side at the positions of the post-processing liquid heads 61 and 62 in FIG. 14. In this way, multiple types of post-processing liquid may be used depending on the material of the workpiece W, the ink material, etc., and the nozzle regions thereof may be arranged as appropriate.

[0119] <Modified embodiments of the nozzle region> FIG. 17 is a schematic plan view showing nozzle regions of ink heads on a carriage 3 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. While FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which two nozzle regions are formed in one head, three or more nozzle regions may be formed in one head, as in the fourth ink head 44 and fifth ink head 45 of the second embodiment (FIG. 7) described above. As an example, in FIG. 17, four nozzle regions are provided, from left to right: a magenta ink nozzle region MI, a yellow ink nozzle region YI, a blue ink nozzle region BI, and a black ink nozzle region KI, and each region is equipped with nozzles equivalent to 150 dpn in the transport direction F. Also, as an example, the nozzles of different colors are arranged with a shift in the transport direction F. In this way, two or more nozzle regions may be formed in each head.

[0120] 18A and 18B are schematic plan views showing the nozzle regions of an ink head on a carriage 3 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In the first embodiment described above, as shown by the reference line RL in Fig. 6, the nozzles in the yellow ink nozzle region YI and the corresponding nozzles in the magenta ink nozzle region MI are arranged at the same position in the transport direction F, that is, so as to overlap when viewed along the main scanning direction S. The present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0121] As shown in Figure 18A, the nozzles in the nozzle region between two colors may be arranged offset in the transport direction F. This has the advantage that the nozzle arrangement does not need to be different from that of 600 npi. Furthermore, if nozzles ejecting different liquids are located nearby, the mist that may be generated as a result of the ejection may drift in the air or adhere to the nozzle surface and spread or flow, potentially mixing with the liquid in the nozzle ejecting the different liquid. The above arrangement reduces the likelihood of this happening.

[0122] As shown in Figure 18B, within the head, one color (black ink nozzle area KI) may be arranged at one end in the main scanning direction S, and the other color (magenta ink nozzle area MI) may be arranged at the other end in the main scanning direction S, with the two nozzle areas arranged so as to overlap in the main scanning direction S. In the example of Figure 18B, two rows of nozzles for each color are arranged alternately in the main scanning direction S. Note that, of the four nozzle rows extending in the transport direction F in Figure 18B, black ink nozzles may be arranged in the two rows on both outer sides in the main scanning direction S, and magenta ink nozzles may be arranged in the two inner rows in the main scanning direction S.

[0123] In an ink head like the one shown in Figure 18B, the contrast between the ink ejected from the first nozzle region and the ink ejected from the second nozzle region may be greater than with other ink heads. For example, the contrast between black ink and yellow ink is greater than with other ink combinations. By arranging the nozzle regions for these two inks as shown in Figure 18B, it is possible to prevent density differences from occurring during both forward and backward printing in the main scanning direction S.

[0124] FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view showing nozzle regions of ink heads on a carriage 3 according to another modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In the first embodiment, each head is generally rectangular and has two ink nozzle regions aligned in the main scanning direction S within the head outline H in FIG. 6 . However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 19 , for example, in one head, the magenta ink nozzle region MI and the black ink nozzle region KI may be offset in both the transport direction F and the main scanning direction S. Alternatively, in each of the magenta ink nozzle region MI and the black ink nozzle region KI in FIG. 19 , other nozzle arrangements may be used, in which the magenta ink nozzles and the black ink nozzles are aligned in two rows.

[0125] The combination of ink colors ejected from each head is arbitrary, but a specific combination may be selected taking the following into consideration: The difference in time it takes for different colored inks ejected from one head to land on the workpiece W is smaller than the difference in time it takes for different colored inks ejected from different heads to land on the workpiece W. This is because the distance between the nozzle region ejecting a first ink and the nozzle region ejecting a second ink different from the first ink within one head (more specifically, the distance along the main scanning direction S between the centers of each region) is shorter than the distance between the nozzle region ejecting the first ink and the nozzle region ejecting a third ink different from the first ink between different heads (more specifically, the distance along the main scanning direction S between the centers of each region).

[0126] If the time difference between landings is small, the ink is more likely to mix because the later ink lands before the earlier ink has had much time to penetrate into the workpiece W. Therefore, for inks ejected from one head that are relatively prone to color mixing, it is possible to use a combination of inks that make color mixing less noticeable, or a combination of inks that makes color mixing less likely to occur.

[0127] When the inks used are arranged on a color wheel, if the inks ejected from one head are a pair of adjacent colors, color mixing can be made less noticeable. When counting the types of heads with different color combinations, if more than half of the color combinations are adjacent on the color wheel, color mixing can be made less noticeable. If the color combinations in all heads are adjacent on the color wheel, color mixing can be made even less noticeable.

[0128] Note that, because black, white, gray, and the like are not colors on the color wheel, heads that combine these colors together or with colors on the color wheel are excluded from the count of head types with different color combinations. Also, in the case of heads that eject three or more colors of ink, if the color combinations ejected by a single head are adjacent on the color wheel, color mixing can be made less noticeable. Furthermore, within a single head, the order of colors in the main scanning direction S may be the same as the order of the colors on the color wheel.

[0129] In addition to this, due to human characteristics, yellow is a color that is perceived as brighter even with the same amount of ink, so it is more noticeable when mixed with black, which is perceived as dark, so yellow and black can be placed on different heads.

[0130] Also, because black appears dark, when it is mixed with other colors, the color mixing is relatively noticeable. If the black nozzle area is located at the end of the ink nozzle areas aligned in the main scanning direction S, it is possible to eliminate the nozzle areas of other colors on one side. In this way, the black color mixing can be made less noticeable.

[0131] Furthermore, like yellow, white is a color that humans perceive as bright, so if the ink contains white, white and yellow can be placed on one head. This makes it less noticeable when white mixes with other colors. In addition to being used as a color on the image to be printed, white is also often used as the background color (base) of the image. It is more necessary to place white and yellow on one head when it is used as a color on the image to be printed than when it is printed as a base.

[0132] Furthermore, even with the same amount of ink, cyan appears relatively dark. Placing cyan in the same head as black can make the mixed colors less noticeable. However, doing so can make the cyan less noticeable compared to the black when the colors are mixed, and it can be difficult to recognize it as cyan on an image. Placing cyan and black on different heads, or arranging the nozzle areas at a greater distance, can make the cyan more noticeable on an image.

[0133] Specifically, as described above, the black nozzle region may be located at one end of the ink nozzle regions aligned in the main scanning direction S, and the cyan nozzle region may be located at the opposite end to the black nozzle region.

[0134] The arrangement of inks may be determined taking into consideration the surface tension of the ink. When different inks that have landed come into contact, the greater the difference in surface tension, the more likely color mixing will occur, and the smaller the difference in surface tension, the less likely color mixing will occur. The possibility of color mixing can be reduced by arranging the pair of inks with the largest difference in surface tension in different heads. Furthermore, the pair of inks with the second largest difference in surface tension may be arranged in a different head. Furthermore, the pair of inks with the third largest difference in surface tension may be arranged in a different head. Furthermore, inks arranged in the same head may be adjacent inks when the inks are arranged in order of surface tension.

[0135] In the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 6, basically, only half of the nozzle area is used for printing. The functionality of the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 6 may deteriorate with use. For example, repeated use may reduce the liquid ejection ability or clog the nozzles. In such cases, if the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 6 are rotated halfway within a plane and attached to the carriage 3, it is possible to use the nozzle area that has been used less. To achieve this, the attachment parts of the pretreatment liquid head 5, the posttreatment liquid head 6, and the carriage 3 may be rotated halfway for attachment. Furthermore, if the pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 6 are swapped, the nozzle area to be used is reversed, allowing the nozzle area that has been used less to be used. The pretreatment liquid head 5 and the posttreatment liquid head 6 are liquids that do not contain coloring materials and do not have a relationship that causes aggregation like the pretreatment liquid and ink, so it is relatively easy to swap the liquids.

[0136] The recording method of the inkjet printer 1 in each of the above embodiments is a recording method in which a carriage 3 is moved back and forth in a main scanning direction S that intersects with the transport direction F to eject liquid onto a workpiece W transported in the transport direction F.

[0137] The recording method includes: Prepare a plurality of liquid ejection units each including a first nozzle region capable of ejecting a predetermined liquid and a second nozzle region arranged in the main scanning direction S alongside the first nozzle region and capable of ejecting a liquid different from the first nozzle region. Prepare at least one row of ink ejection unit rows in which a plurality of ink ejection units, which are the liquid ejection units that eject ink, are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction S. With respect to the ink ejection unit row on the most upstream side in the conveyance direction F, shift it upstream in the conveyance direction F by A times (0 < A ≤ 1) the length L of the nozzle region of one of the ink ejection units, and prepare a pretreatment liquid ejection unit, which is the liquid ejection unit that ejects a pretreatment liquid. With respect to the ink ejection unit row on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction F, shift it downstream in the conveyance direction F by B times (0 < B ≤ 1) the length L, and prepare a post-treatment liquid ejection unit, which is the liquid ejection unit that ejects a post-treatment liquid, and arrange the carriage 3 such that at least one of A and B is less than 1. A step (printing step) of ejecting a pretreatment liquid, ink, and a post-treatment liquid from the liquid ejection units arranged on the prepared carriage 3.

[0138] The printing step is performed using the carriage 3 prepared before the printing step. In the printing step, basically, the arrangement of the liquid ejection units arranged on the carriage 3 is not changed. The printing step is repeated to perform printing on the workpiece W.

[0139] The printing process includes a first process of ejecting the pretreatment liquid from nozzles of the pretreatment liquid ejection units located upstream in the transport direction from the most upstream row of ink ejection units to a predetermined target position on the workpiece W during a first scan of the carriage 3 in the main scanning direction S; a second process of transporting the workpiece W by a predetermined transport pitch in the transport direction F after the first process; a third process of ejecting ink from the at least one row of ink ejection units to the target position during a second scan of the carriage 3 in the main scanning direction S after the second process; a fourth process of transporting the workpiece W by the transport pitch after the third process; and a fifth process of ejecting the posttreatment liquid from nozzles of the posttreatment liquid ejection units located downstream in the transport direction from the most downstream row of ink ejection units to the target position during a third scan of the carriage 3 in the main scanning direction S after the fourth process. Equipped with.

[0140] Between the second step and the fifth step, a set of the third step and the fourth step may be repeated multiple times.

[0141] The configuration of the ink jet printer 1 in each of the embodiments described above can also constitute part of the disclosure of the above method.

[0142] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may take the following forms.

[0143] (1) The ink heads 4 are not limited to being arranged in one or two rows on the carriage 3. The ink heads 4 may be arranged in three or more rows.

[0144] (2) In the above embodiment, the heads each including a plurality of nozzle regions have the same structure and the same shape. However, such heads (liquid ejection units) having substantially the same shape may have the following relationships. That is, the longitudinal lengths of the nozzle arrangement ranges of each liquid ejection unit may be approximately the same. The lateral lengths of the nozzle arrangement ranges of each liquid ejection unit may be approximately the same. The shapes of the nozzle arrangement ranges of each liquid ejection unit may be approximately the same. Furthermore, the external shapes of the liquid ejection units and heads in the planar direction may be approximately the same. The nozzle arrangements of each liquid ejection unit may be approximately the same.

[0145] (3) In the above embodiments, multiple heads are mounted on the carriage 3, and multiple nozzle regions are formed. However, a single head may be mounted on the carriage 3, and multiple nozzle regions may be formed on the underside of the head. In this case, one nozzle region including a first nozzle region and a second nozzle region may be arranged next to other nozzle regions including other first nozzle regions and other second nozzle regions. In other words, the liquid ejection unit, ink ejection unit, etc. in the present disclosure do not necessarily have to be on a head-by-head basis.

[0146] (4) In each of the above embodiments, the relationship between the first nozzle region and the second nozzle region capable of ejecting a different liquid from the first nozzle region can be expressed as follows: The second nozzle region is capable of independently ejecting a different liquid from the liquid ejected by the first nozzle region. Here, independently ejecting different liquids means that during the printing process, for example, during one scan of the carriage 3, the first nozzle region and the second nozzle region are capable of ejecting different liquids (inks).

[0147] Furthermore, the second nozzle region ejects liquid held in a second liquid holding portion that exists independently of the first liquid holding portion that holds the liquid to be ejected from the first nozzle region. The first and second liquid holding portions correspond to flow paths formed within the head. That is, the head structure has the same number of common flow paths as the number of nozzle regions, and inlet and outlet holes connected to these common flow paths, making it possible to eject the same number of different liquids as the number of nozzle regions. The first liquid holding portion and the second liquid holding portion may include the aforementioned sub-tank or may be limited to flow paths within the head. For example, if one head includes a first nozzle region and a second nozzle region and ejects the same liquid from these two nozzle regions during printing, one sub-tank 7 may supply liquid to two common flow paths. Therefore, the sub-tanks 7 corresponding to the two nozzle regions may be independent or may be a common one. As mentioned above, the above description is not limited to two nozzle regions in one head; multiple nozzle region sets including a first nozzle region and a second nozzle region may be arranged in one head. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1. Inkjet printer (recording device) 3 Carriage 4 ink heads 10. Device Frame 12 Printing Area 13 Maintenance Area 14 Turning Area 20 Work transport section H Head placement area double work

Claims

1. a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction; a carriage that moves back and forth in a main scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction; a plurality of liquid ejection units arranged side by side in the main scanning direction on the carriage, each of the plurality of liquid ejection units including a first nozzle region capable of ejecting a predetermined liquid, and a second nozzle region aligned with the first nozzle region in the main scanning direction and capable of ejecting a liquid different from that ejected by the first nozzle region; Equipped with The plurality of liquid ejection units include: at least one ink ejection unit row configured by arranging a plurality of ink ejection units that eject ink in the main scanning direction; a pretreatment liquid ejection unit that is shifted upstream in the transport direction from the row of ink ejection units that is most upstream in the transport direction by A times (0<A≦1) the length L of a nozzle region of one ink ejection unit in the transport direction, and that ejects a pretreatment liquid; a posttreatment liquid ejection unit that is shifted downstream in the transport direction by B times the length L (0<B≦1) with respect to the row of ink ejection units that is located most downstream in the transport direction, and that ejects posttreatment liquid; and a recording apparatus, wherein the plurality of liquid ejection units are arranged so that at least one of A and B is less than 1;

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A=1 / m (m is an integer of 2 or more).

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein B=1 / n (n is an integer of 2 or more).

4. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A=B=1 / 2.

5. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink ejection section has only one row.

6. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each ink ejection section in the ink ejection section array is disposed at the same position in the transport direction.

7. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pretreatment liquid ejection unit and the posttreatment liquid ejection unit are disposed at the same position in the main scanning direction.

8. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pretreatment liquid is not ejected from an area of ​​the first nozzle area and the second nozzle area of ​​the pretreatment liquid ejection unit that overlaps with the first nozzle area and the second nozzle area of ​​the ink ejection unit in the main scanning direction.

9. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the posttreatment liquid is not ejected from an area of ​​the first nozzle area and the second nozzle area of ​​the posttreatment liquid ejection unit that overlaps with the first nozzle area and the second nozzle area of ​​the ink ejection unit in the main scanning direction.

10. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of liquid ejection units further comprise another post-treatment liquid ejection unit that ejects another post-treatment liquid different from the post-treatment liquid.

11. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ink ejection sections is arranged such that the first nozzle region and the second nozzle region overlap in the main scanning direction.

12. 12. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one ink ejection section has a greater contrast between the ink ejected from the first nozzle region and the ink ejected from the second nozzle region than the other ink ejection sections.

13. A recording method in which a carriage is reciprocated in a main scanning direction intersecting the transport direction to eject liquid onto a recording medium transported in the transport direction, the method comprising: preparing a plurality of liquid ejection units, each including a first nozzle region capable of ejecting a predetermined liquid, and a second nozzle region aligned with the first nozzle region in the main scanning direction and capable of ejecting a liquid different from that of the first nozzle region, and preparing the carriage including at least one ink ejection unit array in which a plurality of ink ejection units that eject ink are aligned in the main scanning direction, a pretreatment liquid ejection unit that is the liquid ejection unit and is disposed upstream in the transport direction with respect to the ink ejection unit array most upstream in the transport direction by A times (0<A≦1) the length L of the nozzle region of one of the ink ejection units in the transport direction, and that ejects a pretreatment liquid, and a posttreatment liquid ejection unit that is the liquid ejection unit and is disposed downstream in the transport direction with respect to the ink ejection unit array most downstream in the transport direction by B times (0<B≦1) the length L; during a first scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, ejecting the pretreatment liquid from nozzles of the pretreatment liquid ejection units that are located upstream in the transport direction from the most upstream row of ink ejection units to a predetermined target position on the recording medium, and then transporting the recording medium by a predetermined transport pitch in the transport direction; during a second scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, ejecting ink from the at least one row of ink ejection units to the target position, and then transporting the recording medium by the transport pitch; and during a third scan of the carriage in the main scanning direction, ejecting the posttreatment liquid from nozzles of the posttreatment liquid ejection units that are located downstream in the transport direction from the most downstream row of ink ejection units to the target position; A recording method comprising:

Images