Printing apparatus, control method, and storage medium

Abstract

To suppress discharge failure of a nozzle even when recording operation is continuously performed on a plurality of kinds of recording media having different widths.SOLUTION: When performing first printing on a first print medium having a first width in a first direction after second printing on a second print medium having a second width smaller than the first width in the first direction, the printing apparatus controls a printing unit to perform first preliminary discharge on a print medium having a width equal to or larger than the first width in the first direction after the second printing and before the first printing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In a recording device, when an image is not being recorded, the solvent components of the ink (water, solvent, etc.) evaporate from the nozzles of the recording head, causing the ink to thicken, which can lead to ejection problems from the recording head.To prevent such ejection problems, preliminary ejection (paper preliminary ejection) is performed, in which the ink that has thickened in the nozzles is ejected onto the recording medium.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for randomly performing preliminary ejection onto a print medium from nozzles of a print head, which does not contribute to printing an image, to an extent that it has little effect on image quality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-76247 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, there are cases where a printing apparatus performs consecutive printing operations on printing media of different widths, such as, for example, printing on 100 A4-sized printing media in succession, followed by printing on three B3-sized printing media in succession. With the conventional method of performing preliminary ejection, when printing an image on a B3-sized printing medium, preliminary ejection may not actually be performed even for nozzles that should perform preliminary ejection, which may lead to ejection defects.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing nozzle ejection defects even when printing operations are performed continuously on multiple types of printing media with different widths. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A recording device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a recording means for recording an image on multiple types of recording media having different widths in a first direction by ejecting ink from multiple nozzles arranged in the first direction, and a control means for controlling the recording means to perform a preliminary ejection onto the recording media, in which ink that does not contribute to the recording of the image is ejected from the multiple nozzles, in order to maintain an appropriate ejection state of the multiple nozzles.When a first recording on a first recording medium having a first width in the first direction is performed after a second recording on a second recording medium having a second width in the first direction that is smaller than the first width, the control means controls the recording means to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium having a width in the first direction that is equal to or greater than the first width after the second recording and before the first recording. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, ejection defects of nozzles can be suppressed even when images are continuously printed on a plurality of types of printing media with different widths. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire recording apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a recording head. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a print chip and a print nozzle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of control of the recording apparatus. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of an unused nozzle region. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the concept of a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the overall processing flow of a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of an insertion determination (flag 1) process in a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing specific examples of insertion determination (flag 1) for waste paper preliminary ejection operation; [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of an insertion determination (flag 2) process in a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing specific examples of insertion determination (flag 2) for waste paper preliminary ejection operation; [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of changing the number of preliminary waste paper ejections. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of changing the number of preliminary waste paper ejections. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description will be given of embodiments for implementing the technology of the present disclosure. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the technology of the present disclosure according to the claims. Not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as solutions for the technology of the present disclosure, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Note that the same configurations will be described with the same reference numerals. Also, each process (step) in a flowchart will be denoted with an "S" at the beginning.

[0011] <<Embodiment 1>> In this embodiment, a recording apparatus using an inkjet line-type recording head will be described as an example, and the recording apparatus is assumed to be a single-pass recording apparatus using cut paper.

[0012] <Recording device> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a recording apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a side view of the entire recording apparatus. The recording apparatus includes the following units: supply units 101-103, a recording unit 100, and discharge units 110-113. The supply units 101-103 are units that store and supply cut recording media. Recording media of any size and material can be loaded separately into the supply units 101-103. For example, the recording medium 141, i.e., A4 size (210 mm x 297 mm) coated paper, can be loaded into the supply unit 101. The recording medium 142, i.e., A3 size (297 mm x 420 mm) plain paper, can be loaded into the supply unit 102. The recording medium 143, i.e., JIS B3 size (364 mm x 515 mm) fine art paper, can be loaded into the supply unit 103. The supply units 101 to 103 can successively feed recording media of different sizes and types in the order of recording media 141 → 142 → 143 → 141 → 142 → 143, and record on the recording unit 100. The discharge units 111 to 113 can also align and discharge recording media according to different sizes and types.

[0013] FIG. 1(b) is a top view of the main units of the recording unit 100. The recording unit 100 is a unit that records images on recording media using a recording head 104. Recording media 141-143 are fed by the frictional force of a plurality of transport rollers 129 arranged along a guide 120, and then handed over to a print belt unit 121 (hereinafter referred to as PBU) directly below the recording head 104 for transport. That is, the recording head 104 can be said to record images on multiple types of recording media with different widths in the Y direction, such as recording media 141, 142, and 143, by ejecting ink from a plurality of recording nozzles arranged in the Y direction, as will be described in detail later. The PBU 121 includes a drive roller 128, a print belt 127, and a negative pressure generating unit 125. The negative pressure generating unit 125 is a fan unit in which four suction fans 126 are arranged in the X direction (the recording medium transport direction), with three suction fans 126 arranged in the Y direction (the direction intersecting the recording medium transport direction). The print belt 127 also has numerous air holes (φ=1 mm) for allowing air to pass from the belt surface to the back side. The pressure inside the negative pressure generating unit 125 is reduced by 300 Pa to 500 Pa compared to atmospheric pressure due to the rotation of the suction fans 126. The negative pressure generating unit 125 is connected to the numerous air holes in the print belt 127, allowing the recording media 141-143 to be transported while being suction-fixed to the print belt 127 in the Z direction. This allows images to be recorded while maintaining an appropriate distance (head-to-paper distance = approximately 1.3 mm) between the recording media 141-143 and the recording head 104. It can also be said that the recording media 141 to 143 are transported in a direction along the X direction in FIG. 1(b), which intersects with the direction of the recording nozzle array along the Y direction in FIG. 1(b), which is the arrangement direction of the multiple recording nozzles 13 formed in the recording head 104, as will be described in detail later.

[0014] Returning to FIG. 1A, the print head 104 will be described. The print head 104 is a line-type print head with a nozzle array formed along the width of the print medium to cover the maximum width of the print medium. In this embodiment, the print head 104 has four print heads corresponding to four colors: K (black), C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow). That is, the print head 104 has a print head capable of ejecting black ink, a print head capable of ejecting cyan ink, a print head capable of ejecting magenta ink, and a print head capable of ejecting yellow ink. Note that the number of colors and print heads is not limited to four. In this embodiment, a thermal inkjet method using heating elements is used as an example. However, other methods such as a method using piezoelectric elements, a method using electrostatic elements, or a method using MEMS elements can also be used. Ink of each color is supplied to the print head 104 from ink tanks 180 via ink tubes (not shown). In a standby state (a state waiting to start printing), the print head 104 is sealed with a cap (not shown) in a closed state. The cap is opened at the start of printing and closed again at the end of printing. Furthermore, by reducing the pressure inside the cap while it is closed, ink can be sucked through the nozzles of the print head 104, allowing recovery. Waste ink used to recover the reliability of the print head 104 is discharged to a waste ink tank 190 via a waste ink tube (not shown). The scanner unit 109 also scans the print data printed by the print head 104, which can be used for image detection, image correction, and the like. The discharge units 110 to 113 are units that sort and discharge printed media into discharge trays by group as needed. The discharge unit 110 is an open tray, allowing recording media of mixed sizes to be loaded. The discharge units 111 to 113 are closed trays, allowing recording media of the same size to be aligned and loaded.

[0015] <Recording head> FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a print head, with FIG. 2(a) showing the print head as viewed from below and FIG. 2(b) showing the print head as viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the print head 104 is a chip-jointed line head in which multiple print chips 10 are arranged side by side. There are seams between the multiple print chips 10 arranged side by side. In this embodiment, a parallelogram shape is used for the print chip 10 to minimize the size of the print head 104 while effectively utilizing all of the nozzles mounted on the print chip 10. Various other shapes, such as a rectangular shape or a trapezoidal shape, can also be used for the print chip 10. Connections 11 provided at both ends of the print head 104 are connected to an ink supply mechanism (not shown) of the printing device. This allows ink of each color to be supplied from the ink supply mechanism to the print head 104, and ink that passes through the print head 104 is collected by the ink supply mechanism. In this way, ink can circulate through the paths of the ink supply mechanism and the printhead 104. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the printhead 104 includes signal input terminals 91 and power supply terminals 92 electrically connected to each print chip 10 via the flexible wiring substrate 40 and the electrical wiring board 90. The signal input terminals 91 and power supply terminals 92 are electrically connected to a print control unit 215A of the printing apparatus, which will be described in detail later, and supply drive signals and power required for ejection to the print chips 10, respectively. By consolidating the wiring using the electrical circuit within the electrical wiring board 90, the number of signal input terminals 91 and power supply terminals 92 can be reduced compared to the number of print chips 10. This reduces the number of electrical connections that need to be removed when installing or replacing the printhead 104 in the printing unit 100 in FIG. 1. Note that although an ink-circulating printhead is used in this embodiment, an ink-consuming printhead without an ink-circulating mechanism may also be used.

[0016] <Printing tip and printing nozzle> Figure 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the recording chip 10 and the recording nozzles 13. Figure 3(a) shows a plan view of the surface of the recording chip 10 on which the recording nozzles 13 are formed, and Figure 3(b) shows an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the box A in Figure 3(a).

[0017] 3(a), four recording nozzle arrays are formed in the nozzle forming member 12 of the recording chip 10. Hereinafter, the direction in which the recording nozzle arrays in which the multiple recording nozzles 13 are arranged extends will be referred to as the "recording nozzle array direction."

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3(b), a recording element 15, which is a heating element for bubbling the liquid with thermal energy, is disposed at a position corresponding to each recording nozzle 13. A partition 22 defines a pressure chamber 23 containing the recording element 15. The recording element 15 is electrically connected to the terminal 16 in FIG. 3(a) by electrical wiring (not shown) provided on the recording chip 10. The recording element 15 generates heat based on a pulse signal output from the recording control unit 215A (FIG. 4), causing the liquid to boil. The bubbling force caused by this boiling causes ink to be ejected from the recording nozzle 13.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3(b), a liquid supply channel 18 extends on one side along each recording nozzle array, and a liquid recovery channel 19 extends on the other side. The liquid supply channel 18 and the liquid recovery channel 19 are flow channels provided in the recording chip 10 and extend in the recording nozzle array direction, and are connected to the recording nozzles 13 via supply ports 17a and recovery ports 17b, respectively. A plurality of supply ports 17a, which are through-holes that penetrate the substrate, are provided, forming a supply port array along the array of recording nozzles 13, and similarly, a plurality of recovery ports 17b that penetrate the substrate also form a recovery port array along the recording nozzle array. A liquid supply channel 18, which is a common flow channel that supplies liquid to this supply port array, is formed along the supply array, and a liquid recovery channel 19, which is a common flow channel that recovers liquid from the recovery port array, is formed along the recovery port array.

[0020] <Control unit> FIG. 4 illustrates an overview of the control of the recording device in the recording system. The control unit 213 is communicably connected to a higher-level device (DFE) HC2. The higher-level device HC2 is communicably connected to a host device HC1. The host device HC1 generates or saves manuscript data that serves as the basis for the recorded image. The manuscript data is generated in the form of an electronic file, such as a document file or an image file. The manuscript data is transmitted to the higher-level device HC2. The higher-level device HC2 converts the received manuscript data into a data format usable by the control unit 213. This is, for example, RGB data expressed in 8-bit RGB. The converted data is transmitted from the higher-level device HC2 to the control unit 213 as image data. The image data is accompanied by recording instruction information specifying the type of recording medium to be recorded on and the size of the recording medium (e.g., A4, A3, B3). The control unit 213 initiates a recording operation based on the received image data accompanied by the recording instruction information.

[0021] In this embodiment, the control unit 213 is broadly divided into a main controller 213A and an engine controller 213B. The main controller 213A includes an overall processing unit 231, a memory unit 232, an operation unit 233, an image processing unit 234, a communication I / F (interface) 235, a buffer 236, and a communication I / F 237. The overall processing unit 231 includes a processor such as a CPU 241, executes programs stored in a ROM 251 of the memory unit 232, and controls the entire main controller 213A. The memory unit 232 includes storage devices such as a RAM 252, a ROM 251, a hard disk, and an SSD, and stores programs and data executed by the overall processing unit 231 including the CPU 241, and provides a work area for the overall processing unit 231. The operation unit 233 is an input device such as a touch panel, a keyboard, or a mouse, and receives user instructions.

[0022] The image processing unit 234 is an electronic circuit having, for example, an image processing processor (FPGA or ASIC). The buffer 236 includes, for example, a RAM, a hard disk, or an SSD. The communication I / F 235 communicates with the upper device HC2. The communication I / F 237 communicates with the engine controller 213B.

[0023] 4, the dashed-dotted arrows illustrate the flow of image data processing. Image data received from the higher-level device HC2 via the communication I / F 235 is stored in the buffer 236. The image processing unit 234 reads the image data from the buffer 236, performs predetermined image processing on the read image data, and stores the image data back in the buffer 236. The image data after image processing stored in the buffer 236 is sent from the communication I / F 237 to the engine controller 213B as recording data to be used by the print engine.

[0024] The engine controller 213B includes an engine control unit 214 and each of the control units 215A-215E, and acquires the detection results of and controls the drive of the group of sensors and actuators 216 provided in the recording system. Each of the control units 215A-215E includes a processor such as a CPU, a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM, and an interface with external devices. Note that the division of the control units is an example, and some of the controls may be executed by multiple, further subdivided control units, or conversely, multiple control units may be integrated and their control contents may be executed by a single control unit.

[0025] The engine control unit 214 controls the entire engine controller 213B. The recording control unit 215A converts the recording data received from the main controller 213A into a data format, such as binary data, suitable for driving the recording head 104. The recording control unit 215A controls the ejection of the recording head 104. The reliability control unit 215C controls the drive mechanism that moves the recording head 104 between an image recording position and a recovery position. The transport control unit 215D controls the supply units 101-103, discharge units 110-113, PBU 121, etc. to transport the recording medium. The inspection control unit 215E controls the scanner unit 109 as an image inspection unit. Of the sensor group and actuator group 216, the sensor group includes sensors that detect the position and speed of moving parts, sensors that detect temperature, image sensors, etc. The actuator group includes motors, electromagnetic solenoids, electromagnetic valves, etc.

[0026] <Concept of unused nozzle area> FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the unused nozzle area in this embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 5A is a conceptual diagram illustrating single-pass printing (printing by one scan) on a recording medium 141 using the print head 104. Image printing is performed with the centers of the print head 104 and the recording medium 141 aligned in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 5A, unused nozzle regions 511 and 512 are generated at both ends of the print head 104. The unused nozzle regions 511 and 512 are nozzle regions consisting of nozzles that are not used for either image printing or the paper preliminary ejection operation described below. As described with reference to FIG. 1B, the pressure in the vicinity of these unused nozzle regions 511 and 512 is reduced by the suction fan 126 in the negative pressure generating unit 125. In other words, compared to the used nozzle region 513 where the recording medium 141 is located, the unused nozzle regions 511 and 512 are at a disadvantage in that the nozzles are more likely to dry out due to the airflow generated by the reduced pressure, leading to ejection defects. The used nozzle region 513 is a nozzle region consisting of nozzles used for image printing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a paper preliminary ejection operation is performed on the used nozzle area 513 of the recording medium 141. The paper preliminary ejection operation (also called paper preliminary ejection) ejects a small number of ink droplets onto the paper surface that are not visible to the naked eye, with the aim of maintaining the nozzle ejection state properly and preventing nozzle ejection defects. Here, one droplet per nozzle is ejected onto the recording medium 141 for the recording head 104 (each color of KCMY).

[0028] Figure 5(b) is a conceptual diagram of paper preliminary ejection, and is an enlarged view of the paper preliminary ejection region ROI in Figure 5(a). Ink droplets of each color, KCMY, are ejected at appropriate intervals, which reduces visual visibility while also reducing ejection defects.

[0029] As explained above, the unused nozzle areas 511 and 512 are disadvantageous compared to the used nozzle area 513 in the following two respects. The first point is that they are easily affected directly by the airflow from the suction fan and dry out easily, and the second point is that they are not used for recording images and cannot be subjected to periodic preliminary ejection by paper preliminary ejection. Note that, although the explanation here has been given using the recording medium 141 (A4 size, 210 mm x 297 mm) as an example, the size of the recording medium is not limited to the above.

[0030] <Waste paper pre-discharge pattern> Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of a waste paper preliminary ejection pattern. Waste paper preliminary ejection is defined as a preliminary ejection pattern inserted into waste paper to maintain the proper ejection state of nozzles in unused nozzle areas and to improve ejection defects of those nozzles. The waste paper preliminary ejection pattern is also called a preliminary ejection pattern. Waste paper is recording media that is discarded and not used for image recording. By inserting waste paper preliminary ejection at the necessary timing during image recording, the ejection defects in the unused nozzle areas described above are improved.

[0031] Specifically, the waste paper preliminary ejection pattern is composed of color bars for each color (K, C, M, Y) and is formed by ejecting the minimum number of ink droplets required for recovery for each color nozzle onto the surface of waste paper in the X direction, which is the direction intersecting the width direction of the recording medium. That is, preliminary ejection patterns for each of the cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink are recorded on waste paper, which is a recording medium not used for recording images. In this embodiment, 100 droplets are ejected per nozzle. The waste paper preliminary ejection pattern is recorded in the Y direction up to the maximum printing area at the edge of the medium. The maximum printing area is set to 2 mm inward from the edge, taking into account errors in recording medium transport, etc. For example, if the recording medium 143 on which the image is to be recorded is JIS B3 size (364 mm x 515 mm), a waste paper preliminary ejection pattern (color bar) measuring 360 mm in the Y direction will be recorded on the recording medium 143.

[0032] <Characteristic parts of this embodiment> 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the waste paper preliminary ejection insertion determination process in this embodiment. The processes from S701 to S713 are performed by the CPU of the overall processing unit 231 loading a program stored in the ROM of the storage unit 232 into the RAM, and then executing the loaded program in cooperation with the recording control unit 215A, the conveyance control unit 215D, etc., as appropriate. The waste paper preliminary ejection insertion determination process, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described in detail below with appropriate reference to the drawings. Note that for the sake of brevity, the description of the executing entity in each step will be omitted.

[0033] First, in S701, image data is input from the host device HC1 to the communication I / F 235 via the higher-level device HC2. That is, when this image data is input, recording information is also input indicating the type of recording medium, the size of the recording medium such as the width of the recording medium, and the like, for a recording medium on which an image, which is a user image based on the image data, is to be recorded. The input image data and recording information are stored in the RAM 252 of the storage unit 232, etc.

[0034] Next, in S702, the print head 104 is capped. Specifically, in response to a command from the integrated processing unit 231, the reliability control unit 215C separates the nozzle surface of the print head 104, which had been in close contact with the cap, from the cap and moves it to the print position (on the PBU 121). This operation puts the print head 104 into a standby state in which printing is possible. This operation is referred to as cap opening.

[0035] In S703, the cumulative recording time timer is incremented. This is performed to measure the time since the cumulative elapsed time since the cap was opened, as the risk of nozzle ejection failure increases as the cumulative elapsed time increases. In this embodiment, the cumulative recording time timer measures the cumulative elapsed time in seconds since the cap was opened and image printing on the first sheet of printing medium began. Next, in S704 and S705, a process for determining whether a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is inserted is performed. The specific processing content will be described later, but two independent insertion determination sequences are executed to determine whether a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is inserted (flag 1) and whether a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is inserted (flag 2).

[0036] In S706, it is confirmed whether at least one of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) and the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) is ON (enabled). If it is detected that neither the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) nor the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) is ON (enabled) (NO in S706), the process proceeds to S710. On the other hand, if it is detected that at least one of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) or the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) is ON (enabled) (YES in S706), the process proceeds to S707.

[0037] In S707, a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is inserted. That is, in S710 (described later), paper preliminary ejection is performed, in which ink is ejected from the nozzles of the print head onto a recording medium having a width greater than the width of the recording medium on which an image is recorded. Note that recording information indicating the width of the recording medium on which the waste paper preliminary ejection operation was performed is stored in the RAM 252 of the storage unit 232. In S708, as post-processing after the waste paper preliminary ejection insertion, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) and the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) are each changed to OFF. In S709, the recording time accumulation timer is reset. This is because the insertion of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation has recovered from the poor ejection state of the unused nozzle area. Note that the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) and (flag 2) and the recording time accumulation timer are expanded in the RAM of the storage unit 232.

[0038] In S710, an image is recorded. Specifically, an image based on the image data received from the host device HC1 in S701 is recorded on a recording medium of the specified size. Note that if in S706 the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) and the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) are both OFF (invalid), the process proceeds to S710. The processes from S707 to S709 are not performed, that is, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not inserted, and the process proceeds to S710. Then, the image is recorded in S710.

[0039] In S711, it is determined whether image data has been input from the host device HC1 to the communication I / F 235 via the higher-level device HC2. That is, it is confirmed whether image data to be subsequently recorded exists, and whether the next image will be received from the host. If it is determined that image data to be subsequently recorded exists and that the next image has been received from the host (YES in S711), the process returns to S703, and the recording time cumulative timer continues to increment. At this time, the recording time cumulative timer measures the cumulative elapsed time in seconds since the start of image recording on the first sheet of recording medium following the insertion of the waste paper preliminary ejection pattern. On the other hand, if it is determined that no image to be subsequently recorded exists and that the next image has not been received from the host (NO in S711), the process proceeds to S712.

[0040] In S712, the cumulative recording time timer is reset. In S713, a cap close operation is performed on the recording head 104. In this embodiment, the cumulative recording time timer is reset because the cap close operation has the effect of moistening the interior of the cap or circulating the ink, thereby resolving ejection problems caused by increased ink viscosity in the nozzles. On the other hand, if the cap close time is short, it is possible that the moistening effect or ink circulation effect in the cap may not be obtained, and therefore it is also possible not to reset the cumulative recording time timer with the cap close operation.

[0041] <Waste paper pre-ejection insertion determination (flag 1)> Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of the process for determining whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1). Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a specific example of inserting a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1). Figs. 8 and 9 will be used appropriately to provide a detailed explanation of the process for determining whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1).

[0042] In S801, the transport control unit 215D acquires the width of the recording medium used to record the previous image (hereinafter referred to as the "previous image width"). In S802, the transport control unit 215D also acquires the width of the recording medium to be used to record the current image (hereinafter referred to as the "current image width"). The purpose of this is to easily determine the unused nozzle area by acquiring the width of the recording medium. Figure 9(a) is a conceptual diagram of recording images on three recording media 141 (A4 size, 210 mm x 297 mm) immediately after opening the cap, and then recording images on three recording media 143 (JIS B3 size, 364 mm x 515 mm).

[0043] In Figure 9(a), when recording on recording medium 141-3 is completed, the recording medium used in the immediately preceding recording operation is A4 size, so its width is 210 mm. That is, in S801, 210 mm is acquired as the "previous image width." And, since recording medium 143-1 to be used in the next recording operation is JIS B3 size, its width is 364 mm. That is, in S802, 364 mm is acquired as the "current image width."

[0044] Returning to FIG. 8, in S803, it is determined whether the current image width is larger than the previous image width. If it is determined that the current image width is larger than the previous image width, the process proceeds to S804. S804 will be described later. If it is determined that the current image width is the same as or smaller than the previous image width, no unused nozzle area will occur when switching the recording medium size. Therefore, there is no need to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. In this case, the result is NO in S803, and the process proceeds to S806. In S806, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion flag 1 is set to OFF (disabled). When the process of S806 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0045] FIG. 9(d) is a conceptual diagram corresponding to the case where the branch at S803 in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is NO. Here, after printing 100 JIS B3-sized recording media 143, three A4-sized recording media 141 are printed. At the time when printing on the recording media 143-100 is completed, the recording media on which the image was previously printed is JIS B3 size, so the "previous image width" is 364 mm. On the other hand, the recording media on which the next image will be printed is A4 size, so the "current image width" is 210 mm. At the time when printing on the recording media 143-100 is completed, the paper preliminary ejection operation has been performed in the JIS B3-sized area as described in FIG. 5, so no ejection defects have occurred. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the waste paper preliminary ejection operation for the nozzles corresponding to the width of the recording media on which the next image will be printed.

[0046] Returning to Figure 8, in S804, the value of the cumulative recording time timer is acquired. The cumulative recording time timer stores the cumulative recording time in seconds since the recording head 104 opened its cap and started recording the first image. In Figure 9(a), the cumulative recording time timer is 1.5 seconds when recording of the image on the A4-sized recording medium 141-3 is completed. The breakdown of 1.5 seconds is as follows: 0.5 seconds is obtained by dividing 337 mm, which is the length of the A4 size (297 mm) plus the 40 mm spacing between recording media, by the recording medium transport speed of 675 mm / sec, and the cumulative value for three sheets is 1.5 seconds.

[0047] Returning to FIG. 8 , in S805, it is determined whether the cumulative recording time timer ΔT has exceeded the threshold time Tth. The purpose of this is to prevent ejection defects from occurring even if an unused nozzle region is found in S803, as long as the unused time is shorter than the threshold time Tth. The threshold time Th can be determined appropriately based on the image quality target, ink performance, etc., but here, the threshold time Tth is set to 30 seconds. If it is determined that the threshold time Tth has not been exceeded (NO in S805), the process proceeds to S806. On the other hand, if it is determined that the threshold time Tth has been exceeded (YES in S805), ejection defects in the unused nozzle region cannot be tolerated, so the process proceeds to S807. In S807, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion flag 1 is set to ON (enabled). When the process of S807 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0048] Fig. 9(a) is a conceptual diagram corresponding to the case where it is determined that the recording time cumulative timer ΔT has not reached the threshold time Tth (NO in S805) at the branch of S805 in the flowchart of Fig. 8. Fig. 9(b) is a conceptual diagram corresponding to the case where it is determined that the recording time cumulative timer ΔT has reached the threshold time Tth (YES in S805) at the branch of S805.

[0049] In Figure 9(a), when recording on recording medium 141-3 is completed, the cumulative recording time timer is 1.5 seconds, which is less than the threshold time Tth of 30 seconds. Therefore, when recording on recording medium 143-1, even though the width of the recording medium on which the image is currently being recorded is larger than the width of the recording medium on which the previous image was recorded, there is no need to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation. As a result, waste paper preliminary ejection insertion flag 1 is set to OFF (disabled).

[0050] In FIG. 9B, when printing on printing medium 141-100 is completed, the cumulative printing time timer is 50 seconds, exceeding the threshold time Tth of 30 seconds. Furthermore, the width of the printing medium on which the next image is printed is greater than the width of the printing medium on which the previous image was printed. This means that the nozzles used in the first printing on printing medium 143 include nozzles that have not been used for a certain period of time, in addition to the nozzles used in the second printing on printing medium 141, which was performed before the first printing. Therefore, waste paper preliminary ejection insertion flag 1 is set to ON (enabled). Here, before printing on printing medium 143-1 begins, JIS B3-sized printing medium 143-0 is inserted, and a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed on printing medium 143-0. As a result, ejection defects can be suppressed in nozzles that were included in the unused nozzle area in the previous printing operation, among the nozzles that can be used for printing on printing medium 143-1. That is, when a first recording is performed on a recording medium 143 having a first width in the first direction after a second recording is performed on a recording medium 141 having a second width in the first direction that is smaller than the first width, the recording head 104 is controlled as follows: The recording head 104 is controlled to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium 143-0 having a width in the first direction that is equal to or greater than the first width after the second recording (recording medium 141-100) and before the first recording (recording medium 143-1). It can also be said that at least one recording medium 143-0 for performing the first preliminary ejection is transported before the first recording medium 143-1 in the first recording.

[0051] Figure 9(c) is a conceptual diagram showing a comparative example to Figure 9(b). Figure 9(c) shows a case where the width of the recording medium 143 on which printing is currently being performed is larger than the width of the recording medium 141 on which printing was previously performed, and the cumulative printing time timer exceeds the threshold time Tth, but the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not inserted. This is the timing when the size of the recording medium on which the image is to be printed switches from A4 size to JIS B3 size. This figure shows that ejection failure occurred in the unused nozzles that were not used in printing on recording media 141-1 to 141-100, resulting in blurring of the image printed on recording medium 143-1.

[0052] As explained above, if the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) indicates that the width of the recording medium on which current printing is to be performed is greater than the width of the recording medium on which previous printing was performed, and the cumulative printing time timer exceeds the threshold time, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed. However, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed on a recording medium with a width greater than the width of the recording medium on which current printing is to be performed. This makes it possible to suppress ejection defects from nozzles included in the unused nozzle area in the previous printing operation.

[0053] <Waste paper pre-ejection insertion determination (Flag 2)> Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of the process for determining whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2). Fig. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a specific example of inserting a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2). Figs. 10 and 11 will be used appropriately to provide a detailed explanation of the process for determining whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2).

[0054] The purpose of determining whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2) is as follows: When images are recorded on recording media with N types of recording widths (N≧3) between the time the cap is opened and the time the cap is closed, this is a measure to be taken when a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not inserted despite the conditions requiring it.

[0055] In S1001, it is checked whether a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted when the cap was opened this time. If the investigation result indicates that a waste paper pre-ejection operation has not been inserted when the cap was opened this time (NO in S1001), the process proceeds to S1004. In S1004, the waste paper pre-ejection operation insertion flag 2 is set to OFF (disabled). When the process of S1004 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 10 ends. This means that the insertion of a waste paper pre-ejection operation based on the waste paper pre-ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) is triggered (performed) only if a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted at least once when the cap was opened this time. If the investigation result indicates that a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted when the cap was opened this time (YES in S1000), the process proceeds to S1002. In S1002, the conveyance control unit 215D acquires the width of the recording medium into which the waste paper pre-ejection operation was inserted the previous time.

[0056] In S1003, it is determined whether the width of the recording medium on which the image is to be recorded this time is larger than the width of the recording medium when the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted. If the determination result is that the width of the recording medium on which the image is to be recorded this time is not larger than the width of the recording medium when the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted (NO in S1003), the process proceeds to S1004. If the determination result is that the width of the recording medium on which the image is to be recorded this time is larger than the width of the recording medium when the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted (YES in S1003), the process proceeds to S1005. In S1005, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion flag 2 is set to ON (enabled). When the processing of S1005 is completed, the flow shown in FIG. 10 ends.

[0057] A specific example of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the process of recording 100 sheets of A4-sized recording medium 141 after the cap is opened, recording one sheet of A3-sized recording medium 142, and then recording two sheets of B3-sized recording medium 143. First, as a result of recording 100 sheets of A4-sized (210 mm × 297 mm) recording medium 141-1 through recording medium 141-100, the cumulative recording time timer is 50 seconds, exceeding the threshold time Tth of 30 seconds. Furthermore, when recording on recording medium 141-100 is completed, the paper width of the recording medium recorded last time, 210 mm, has expanded to 297 mm for the recording medium recorded this time. In S1005, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) is set to ON (enabled), and a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed to record a waste paper preliminary ejection pattern on recording medium 142-0 before the current recording is performed. Since the waste paper preliminary ejection operation has been performed, after resetting the cumulative recording time timer, one sheet is recorded on the A3 size (297 mm x 420 mm) recording medium 142. Up to this point, the explanation is the same as for the insertion determination of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1). Finally, for recording medium 143-0, after the waste paper preliminary ejection operation for the JIS B3 size (364 mm x 515 mm) recording medium 143 is inserted, an image is recorded on the JIS B3 size recording medium 143-1. Note that the insertion of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation for recording medium 143-0 is performed by the insertion determination of the waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2) explained here.

[0058] The specific steps leading up to the determination of whether a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted (flag 2) are described using a flowchart and a conceptual diagram. In S1001 of FIG. 10, it is determined whether a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted this time when the cap was opened. Since a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted for recording medium 142-0 in FIG. 11(a), the determination is YES. In S1002 of FIG. 10, the width of the recording medium into which a waste paper pre-ejection operation was inserted last time is obtained. Since the width of the recording medium into which a waste paper pre-ejection operation has been inserted for recording medium 142-0 in FIG. 11(a) is A3 size, 297 mm is obtained. Similarly, in S1003 of FIG. 10, it is determined whether the width of the recording medium on which an image is to be recorded this time is larger than the width of the recording medium when a waste paper pre-ejection operation was inserted last time. In other words, since the width of the recording medium on which an image is to be recorded this time in FIG. 11(a) is JIS B3 size recording medium 143-1, the width is 364 mm. The width of the recording medium when the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted was A3 size recording medium 142-0, so it was 297 mm. As recording medium 143-1 is wider than recording medium 142-0, the determination is YES. As a result, of the two waste paper preliminary ejection operations, as shown in FIG. 11(a), recording medium 142-0 is performed based on the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1), and recording medium 143-0 is performed based on the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2). Note that the nozzles available for use in the first recording (recording medium 143-1) can also be said to include nozzles available for use in the second recording (recording medium 141-1) and third recording (recording medium 142-1) performed before the first recording, as well as nozzles that have not been used for a certain period of time or more. In addition, the nozzles available for the first recording (recording medium 143-1) can be said to include nozzles available for the second paper preliminary discharge (recording medium 142-0) performed before the first paper preliminary discharge (recording medium 143-0) and nozzles that will not be used for a certain period of time or more. In other words, when the first recording on the recording medium 143 having a first width in the first direction is performed after the second recording on the recording medium 141 having a second width in the first direction that is smaller than the first width, the recording head 104 is controlled as follows.The print head 104 is controlled to perform the first preliminary ejection on the print medium 143-0 whose width in the first direction is equal to or greater than the first width after the second printing (print medium 141-100) and before the first printing (print medium 143-1). It can also be said that at least one print medium 143-0 for performing the first preliminary ejection is transported before the first print medium 143-1 in the first printing.

[0059] Using the comparative example of FIG. 11(b), we will explain the case where only the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) is performed. The width of the recording medium increases from 297 mm to 364 mm from recording medium 142-1 to recording medium 143-1. However, because the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion was performed on recording medium 142-0, the cumulative recording time timer for recording on recording medium 143-1 is 0.5 seconds, which is the time required for recording on recording medium 142-1, and does not exceed the threshold time Tth of 30 seconds. Therefore, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) is set to OFF (invalid). As a result, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not inserted immediately before recording on the JIS B3-sized recording medium 143-1. In other words, the unused nozzle area for the JIS B3-sized recording medium remains defective in ejection, and recording on recording medium 143-1 is performed. The reason this situation occurs in this comparative example is as follows. That is, when the width of the recording medium used for recording from the cap open state to the cap closed state is N (N is an integer of 2 or more), the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion judgment (flag 1) is valid when N is up to 2 types. However, when N is 3 types or more, the cumulative recording time timer may be reset at an inappropriate timing depending on the width of the recording medium, and in that case, ejection failure may occur.

[0060] Therefore, in this embodiment, conditions that are not supported by the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) are supported by the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2), which is a simple determination method that compares the width of the recording medium between the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation and the current printing.

[0061] As explained above, when there are N types of width (N=2 types), the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination flag 1 alone can be used, but this is insufficient when N≧3 types. For this reason, by adding a waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) and making a determination independent of the non-waste preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1), it is possible to insert the minimum necessary amount of waste paper preliminary ejection operation even when the number of types N becomes N≧3. Note that although an embodiment has been explained in which the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed with the width of the recording medium for the current recording, the waste paper preliminary ejection operation only needs to be performed with a width equal to or greater than the width of the recording medium for the current recording, and does not necessarily have to be performed with a width equal to the width of the recording medium for the current recording.

[0062] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when consecutively printing on multiple types of printing media with different widths, it is possible to insert the waste paper preliminary ejection operation at the appropriate timing. Therefore, it is possible to suppress degradation of the image quality of the printed image on the printing media due to nozzle ejection defects. In other words, even when printing images on multiple types of printing media with different widths, it is possible to eject ink appropriately from the nozzles.

[0063] <<Embodiment 2>> In this embodiment, a mode will be described in which the number of preliminary ejections (number of preliminary ejections) in the waste paper preliminary ejection pattern is changed depending on the conditions. In the first embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, a mode in which 100 shots are ejected per nozzle is described, assuming that the minimum number of ejections required for recovery per nozzle for each color is ejected onto the surface of the waste paper in the X direction. However, because waste paper preliminary ejections are not necessarily inserted periodically, the unused nozzle area may not be used for a long period of time. For this reason, a uniform 100 shots of waste paper preliminary ejection per nozzle may not be sufficient.

[0064] Therefore, in this embodiment, an aspect will be described in which the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for waste paper preliminary ejection is changed according to the time of the cumulative recording time timer. In the following, to avoid duplication of explanation, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0065] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram of the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for waste paper preliminary ejection in this embodiment. Figure 12(a) shows the example described in Figure 6 for embodiment 1. The horizontal axis represents the cumulative recording time timer [sec], and the vertical axis represents the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle [ejections]. In the determination of whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1), a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not inserted if the threshold time Tth is 30 seconds or less, but in the determination of whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2), a waste paper preliminary ejection operation is inserted regardless of the value of the cumulative recording time timer. Therefore, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is set to 100 regardless of the value of the cumulative recording time timer.

[0066] FIGS. 12(b) and 12(c) show the relationship between the cumulative recording time timer and the number of preliminary ejections in this embodiment. The same applies to the first embodiment when the threshold time Tth is 30 seconds or less. However, once the threshold time Tth exceeds 30 seconds, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle increases in proportion to the cumulative recording time timer. This is because the ejection performance of unused nozzles deteriorates as the unused nozzles are unused for a longer period of time. FIG. 12(b) shows a case in which the number of ejections per nozzle is increased in accordance with the length of cumulative time so that the relationship between the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is linear. FIG. 12(c) shows a case in which the number of ejections per nozzle is increased in accordance with the length of cumulative time so that the relationship between the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is nonlinear. This is because the ink viscosity of unused nozzles reaches an equilibrium state after a certain amount of time has passed, and the number of preliminary ejections required for recovery may not increase. The relationship between the cumulative recording time timer and the required number of preliminary ejections varies depending on the ink type, head temperature control conditions, and the environmental temperature and humidity conditions around the recording device, so it can be adjusted as needed.

[0067] As described above, according to this embodiment, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle can be increased according to the length of time that the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle area are not in use. This makes it possible to more appropriately prevent ejection defects from occurring in the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle area.

[0068] <<Embodiment 3>> In this embodiment, we will explain an aspect in which the number of preliminary ejection shots in the waste paper preliminary ejection pattern is changed in the Y direction (nozzle row direction) depending on conditions. In embodiment 1, in Figure 6, we explained a form in which 100 shots are ejected per nozzle, assuming that more than the minimum number of shots required for recovery per nozzle of each color are ejected onto the surface of the waste paper in the X direction. However, when comparing the unused nozzle area and the used nozzle area, the number of preliminary ejection shots actually required is different, and the unused nozzle area requires relatively more preliminary ejection shots than the used nozzle area.

[0069] Therefore, in this embodiment, an aspect in which the number of preliminary ejections in the unused nozzle area is changed depending on the conditions will be described. In the following, to avoid duplication of explanation, the differences from the first and second embodiments will be mainly described.

[0070] 13A and 13B are conceptual diagrams of waste paper preliminary ejection patterns in this embodiment, where Fig. 13A shows the case where the insertion determination for the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is made (flag 1), and Fig. 13B shows the case where the insertion determination for the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is made (flag 2).

[0071] First, using Figure 13(a), we will explain the change in the preliminary ejection pattern inserted when the insertion determination for the waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 1) is made. Figure 13(a) is a conceptual diagram in which image recording and paper preliminary ejection are performed on the recording medium 141, and then the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is performed on the recording medium 143. Compared to the used nozzle area 1311, the number of waste paper preliminary ejection shots is doubled in the unused nozzle areas 1312 and 1313. Note that the increase is not limited to double and can be more than double. This is because it is better to increase the number of preliminary ejection shots in the unused nozzle areas 1312 and 1313, which are unable to perform preliminary ejection and are therefore under relatively unfavorable conditions in terms of the ejection state, compared to the used nozzle area 1311, which can maintain a certain level of ejection state due to image recording, paper preliminary ejection, etc. In other words, among the nozzle areas 1311 to 1313 that can perform the first paper preliminary ejection, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased in the nozzle areas 1312 and 1313 that are not used in the second recording compared to the nozzle area 1311 that is used in the second recording.

[0072] Next, referring to FIG. 13B, we will explain how to change the preliminary ejection pattern to be inserted based on the determination of whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2). As explained in FIG. 10, the determination of whether to insert a waste paper preliminary ejection operation (flag 2) compares the width of the recording medium on which the current image is to be recorded with the width of the recording medium on which the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted to determine which is larger. Here, the width of the recording medium on which the current image is to be recorded is recording medium 143, i.e., JIS B3 size (364 mm × 515 mm), and the width of the recording medium on which the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation was inserted is recording medium 142, i.e., A3 size (297 mm × 420 mm). In FIG. 13B, the previous waste paper preliminary ejection operation non-execution areas 1322 and 1323 are the difference in width between recording medium 143 and recording medium 142, and these areas are in a state where the preliminary ejection operation has not been performed for a long time. Therefore, the number of waste paper preliminary discharges is doubled in the areas 1322 and 1323 where the previous worn paper preliminary discharge operation was not performed compared to the area 1321 where the previous worn paper preliminary discharge operation was performed. Note that the increase is not limited to double, and may be more than double. It can also be said that the number of preliminary discharges per nozzle is increased in the areas 1322 and 1323 of nozzles where the second paper preliminary discharge is not performed among the areas 1321 to 1323 of nozzles where the first paper preliminary discharge is performed, compared to the area 1321 of nozzles where the second paper preliminary discharge was performed.

[0073] There are cases where the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 1) and the waste paper preliminary ejection operation insertion determination (flag 2) are ON (enabled) at the same time. In that case, it is sufficient to insert the waste paper preliminary ejection operation for which the length in the Y direction between the unused nozzle area and the area where the waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not performed is longer.

[0074] As described above, according to this embodiment, recovery is possible with a small amount of waste ink by relatively increasing the number of waste paper preliminary ejections in unused nozzle areas or areas where waste paper preliminary ejection operation is not performed.

[0075] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made, or parts of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0076] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The program may also be provided by recording it on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0077] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration examples. (Configuration 1) a recording means for recording an image on a plurality of types of recording media having different widths in the first direction by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged in the first direction; a control means for controlling the recording means to perform preliminary ejection onto the recording medium from the plurality of nozzles in order to maintain an appropriate ejection state of the plurality of nozzles; and and When a first recording on a first recording medium having a first width in the first direction is performed after a second recording on a second recording medium having a second width in the first direction that is smaller than the first width, the control means controls the recording means to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium having a width in the first direction that is equal to or larger than the first width after the second recording and before the first recording. A recording device characterized by: (Configuration 2) The recording medium may further include a conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a second direction intersecting the first direction. 2. The recording device according to configuration 1. (Configuration 3) the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means is a cut recording medium, At least one recording medium for performing the first preliminary ejection is transported before the first recording medium in the first recording. 3. The recording device according to configuration 2. (Configuration 4) The recording device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring a cumulative time from the start of the recording, When the first recording is performed after the second recording and the accumulated time exceeds a threshold time, the control unit performs the first preliminary ejection on a recording medium whose width in the first direction is equal to or greater than the first width. 4. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 5) When the first width is larger than a third width in the first direction of a third recording medium on which a second preliminary ejection was performed before the first preliminary ejection, the control means performs the first preliminary ejection on a recording medium whose width in the first direction is equal to or larger than the first width. 4. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 6) The image capturing device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring a cumulative time from the start of recording of the image, The control means determines whether the first width is greater than the second width and the cumulative time exceeds a threshold time, or When the first width is larger than a third width in the first direction of a third recording medium on which a second preliminary ejection is performed before the first preliminary ejection, The first preliminary ejection is performed on a recording medium having a width equal to or greater than the first width. 4. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 7) The control means The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased according to the length of the accumulated time. 7. The recording device according to configuration 4 or 6. (Configuration 8) The control means In accordance with the length of the cumulative time, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased so that the relationship between the length of the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle becomes linear. 8. The recording device according to any one of configurations 4, 6 and 7, (Configuration 9) The control means Increasing the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle in accordance with the length of the cumulative time so that the relationship between the length of the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle becomes nonlinear. 8. The recording device according to any one of configurations 4, 6 and 7, (Configuration 10) The control means Among the nozzles capable of performing the first preliminary ejection, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased for nozzles that are not used in a second recording that is performed before the first recording, compared to nozzles that are used in the second recording. 10. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, (Configuration 11) The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle not used in the second recording is at least twice the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle used in the second recording. 11. The information processing device according to configuration 10. (Configuration 12) The control means Among the nozzles on which the first preliminary ejection is performed, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased for nozzles on which the second preliminary ejection, which is performed before the first preliminary ejection, is not performed, compared to nozzles on which the second preliminary ejection is performed. 12. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11. (Configuration 13) The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for which the second preliminary ejection is not performed is at least twice the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for which the second preliminary ejection is performed. 13. The image processing device according to configuration 12. (Configuration 14) The control means The recording means is controlled so as to perform preliminary ejection at a timing when the width of the recording medium on which the recording has been performed changes. 14. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, (Configuration 15) the recording head having the nozzles is capable of ejecting cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink, The control means The recording means is controlled so that the preliminary ejection patterns of the cyan ink, the magenta ink, the yellow ink, and the black ink are recorded on a recording medium that is not used for recording. 15. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 14. (Configuration 16) The preliminary ejection pattern is composed of color bars of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and is formed by ejecting the minimum number of ejections necessary for recovery per nozzle corresponding to each of the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks onto the recording medium not being used for recording in a direction intersecting the width direction of the recording medium. 16. The recording device according to configuration 15. (Configuration 17) The recording head provided with the nozzles is a line-type recording head in which the nozzles are arranged along the width of the recording medium. 17. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 16, (Configuration 18) The recording medium includes a storage unit for storing recording information indicating the width of the recording medium on which the user image is recorded and the preliminary ejection is performed. 18. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 17. (Configuration 19) a recording means for recording an image on a plurality of types of recording media having different widths in the first direction by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged in the first direction; a control means for controlling the recording means to perform preliminary ejection onto the recording medium from the plurality of nozzles in order to maintain an appropriate ejection state of the plurality of nozzles; and A method for controlling a recording device comprising: The control means When a first recording on a first recording medium having a first width in the first direction is performed after a second recording on a second recording medium having a second width smaller than the first width in the first direction, the method includes a step of controlling the recording means to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium having a width in the first direction equal to or larger than the first width after the second recording and before the first recording. A method for controlling a recording apparatus. (Configuration 20) 20. A program for causing a computer to implement the control method according to claim 19.

Claims

1. a recording means for recording an image on a plurality of types of recording media having different widths in the first direction by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged in the first direction; a control means for controlling the recording means to perform preliminary ejection onto the recording medium from the plurality of nozzles in order to maintain an appropriate ejection state of the plurality of nozzles; and and When a first recording on a first recording medium having a first width in the first direction is performed after a second recording on a second recording medium having a second width in the first direction that is smaller than the first width, the control means controls the recording means to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium having a width in the first direction that is equal to or larger than the first width after the second recording and before the first recording. A recording device characterized by:

2. The recording medium may further include a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

3. the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means is a cut recording medium, At least one recording medium for performing the first preliminary ejection is transported before the first recording medium in the first recording.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The recording device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring a cumulative time from the start of the recording, When the first recording is performed after the second recording and the accumulated time exceeds a threshold time, the control unit performs the first preliminary ejection on a recording medium whose width in the first direction is equal to or greater than the first width.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

5. When the first width is larger than a third width in the first direction of a third recording medium on which a second preliminary ejection was performed before the first preliminary ejection, the control means performs the first preliminary ejection on a recording medium whose width in the first direction is equal to or larger than the first width.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

6. The image capturing device further includes an acquisition means for acquiring a cumulative time from the start of recording of the image, The control means determines whether the first width is greater than the second width and the cumulative time exceeds a threshold time, or If the first width is larger than a third width in the first direction of a third recording medium on which a second preliminary ejection was performed before the first preliminary ejection, The first preliminary ejection is performed on a recording medium having a width equal to or greater than the first width.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

7. The control means The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased according to the length of the accumulated time.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 6.

8. The control means In accordance with the length of the cumulative time, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased so that the relationship between the length of the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle becomes linear.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 6.

9. The control means Increasing the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle in accordance with the length of the cumulative time so that the relationship between the length of the cumulative time and the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle becomes nonlinear.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 6.

10. The control means Among the nozzles capable of performing the first preliminary ejection, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased for nozzles that are not used in a second recording that is performed before the first recording, compared to nozzles that are used in the second recording.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

11. The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle not used in the second recording is at least twice the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle used in the second recording.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 10.

12. The control means Among the nozzles for which the first preliminary ejection is performed, the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle is increased for nozzles for which the second preliminary ejection, which is performed before the first preliminary ejection, is not performed, compared to nozzles for which the second preliminary ejection is performed.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

13. The number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for which the second preliminary ejection is not performed is at least twice the number of preliminary ejections per nozzle for which the second preliminary ejection is performed.

13. The recording apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The control means The recording means is controlled so as to perform preliminary ejection at a timing when the width of the recording medium on which the recording has been performed changes.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

15. the recording head having the nozzles is capable of ejecting cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink, The control means The recording means is controlled so that the preliminary ejection patterns of the cyan ink, the magenta ink, the yellow ink, and the black ink are recorded on a recording medium that is not used for recording.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

16. The preliminary ejection pattern is composed of color bars of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and is formed by ejecting the minimum number of ejections necessary for recovery per nozzle corresponding to each of the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks onto the recording medium not being used for recording in a direction intersecting the width direction of the recording medium.

16. The recording apparatus according to claim 15.

17. The recording head provided with the nozzles is a line-type recording head in which the nozzles are arranged along the width of the recording medium.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

18. The recording medium includes a storage unit for storing recording information indicating the width of the recording medium on which the user image is recorded and the preliminary ejection is performed.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

19. a recording means for recording an image on a plurality of types of recording media having different widths in the first direction by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged in the first direction; a control means for controlling the recording means to perform preliminary ejection onto the recording medium from the plurality of nozzles in order to maintain an appropriate ejection state of the plurality of nozzles; and A method for controlling a recording device comprising: The control means When a first recording on a first recording medium having a first width in the first direction is performed after a second recording on a second recording medium having a second width smaller than the first width in the first direction, the method includes a step of controlling the recording means to perform a first preliminary ejection on a recording medium having a width in the first direction equal to or larger than the first width after the second recording and before the first recording. A method for controlling a recording apparatus.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 19.

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