Recording device, control method, storage medium, and program

Abstract

This suppresses the accumulation of components of the liquid dispensed onto the platen. [Solution] A recording device comprising: a recording means capable of discharging multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium; a platen arranged opposite the recording means and supporting the recording medium; and a control means for controlling the recording means, wherein, after the completion of a recording operation, the control means performs discharging control to discharge a liquid of a different type from the liquid discharged onto the platen during the recording operation, wherein the discharging control discharges a second type of liquid onto the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen during the recording operation, and discharges a fourth type of liquid onto the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen during the recording operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a recording apparatus that ejects ink to record an image on a recording medium, ink may adhere to the platen facing the recording head. For example, when performing borderless recording, ink is landed not only on the recording medium but also in an area outside the end of the recording medium. When the components of the ink adhering to the platen accumulate, they can cause soiling of the recording medium and contact with the recording head. Therefore, a technique has been proposed to suppress the accumulation of ink components on the platen by ejecting ink having an effect of suppressing accumulation onto the ink adhering to the platen (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of suppressing accumulation.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for suppressing the accumulation of components of a liquid ejected onto a platen.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, recording means capable of ejecting a plurality of types of liquids onto a recording medium, a platen disposed to face the recording means and supporting the recording medium, control means for controlling the recording means, and a recording apparatus comprising: The control means is After the recording operation is completed, a dispensing control is performed to dispense a different type of liquid to the liquid that was dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation. In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation described above, a second type of liquid is discharged to the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen. In the recording operation described above, a fourth type of liquid is discharged in addition to the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen. A recording device characterized by the above is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for suppressing the accumulation of components of the liquid discharged onto the platen. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of a recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Plan view of the platen. [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of the carriage and multiple ink tanks. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the arrangement of the nozzle group of the recording head. [Figure 5] Block diagram of the control circuit of the recording device. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of the ink ejection area in borderless recording. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the results of an experiment to identify inks that tend to accumulate. [Figure 8] A figure showing the results of an experiment to identify a deposition-inhibiting ink. [Figure 9] A diagram showing the relationship between inks that easily deposit and inks that inhibit deposition. [Figure 10] A diagram showing examples of classifications of recording device usage environments. [Figure 11] (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the weighting coefficients. [Figure 12] A flowchart illustrating a control example. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of the amount of ink ejected into each area. [Figure 14] A diagram showing the results of an experiment to identify ink that is likely to deposit. [Figure 15] A diagram showing the results of an experiment on the occurrence of deposition due to ink combinations. [Figure 16] A diagram showing the results of an experiment on the deposition height due to a combination of two types of ink. [Figure 17] A diagram showing the relationship between two types of ink that are likely to deposit and ink for suppressing deposition. [Figure 18] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing examples of ink ejection areas in borderless recording. [Figure 19] A flowchart showing a control example. [Figure 20] A diagram showing an example of the amount of ink ejected into each area. [Figure 21] A diagram showing an example of the amount of ink ejected into each area.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> <Configuration of the Device> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a serial type inkjet recording apparatus will be described, but the present invention is also applicable to other types of recording apparatuses.

[0011] Furthermore, "recording" includes not only cases where meaningful information such as characters and figures is formed, but also broadly cases where images, patterns, etc. are formed on a recording medium, or where the medium is processed, regardless of whether it is meaningful or not, and does not depend on whether or not it is manifested in a way that can be perceived visually by humans.In addition, in this embodiment, a sheet of paper is assumed as the "recording medium," but it may also be cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0012] In each diagram, arrows X, Y, and Z indicate directions in which they intersect. Arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other, while arrow Z indicates vertical directions. The X direction corresponds to the left-right direction (horizontal or width direction) of the recording device 1, and the Y direction corresponds to the front-back direction (depth direction) of the recording device 1. The Z direction corresponds to the height direction (up and down direction) of the recording device 1. Furthermore, when referring to the downstream side and the upstream side, the transport direction of the recording medium is used as the reference.

[0013] The recording device 1 comprises a feeding unit 2, a transport unit 3, a discharge unit 4, a drive unit 5, and a cleaning unit 6.

[0014] The feeding unit 2 has a mechanism for separating the recording media loaded on the pressure plate M2010 one by one and feeding them to the platen M3040 side.

[0015] The transport unit 3 includes a transport roller M3060, a pinch roller M3070 that presses against the transport roller M3060, and a transport motor E0002 which is the drive source for rotating the transport roller M3060. The recording medium supplied from the feeding unit 2 is held between the transport roller M3060 and the pinch roller M3070 and transported to the recording head M1001 in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction).

[0016] The platen M3040 is positioned opposite the recording head M1001 and supports the recording medium. Figure 2 is a plan view of the platen M3040. The platen M3040 as a whole comprises a plate-shaped base member M3042 and an absorber M3041 provided on the base member M3042. The absorber M3041 absorbs liquid discharged from the recording head M1001 that does not land on the recording medium.

[0017] Returning to Figure 1, the discharge unit 4 includes a paper discharge roller M3110 and multiple spurs. The recording medium is ejected from the recording area by the recording head M1001.

[0018] The recording head M1001 is mounted on the carriage M4000. The drive unit 5 is a mechanism that moves the carriage M4000 to reciprocate the recording head M1001 in the main scanning direction (X direction). The drive unit 5 is equipped with a guide shaft M4020 and a guide rail M1011 that extend in the X direction, which guide the movement of the carriage M4000.

[0019] The drive unit 5 includes a carriage motor E0001 mounted on the chassis M1010, which rotates a drive pulley E0002 supported at one end of the chassis M1010 in the X direction. A driven pulley (not shown) is provided at the other end of the chassis M1010 in the X direction, and a timing belt E0003 is wound around the drive pulley E0002 and the driven pulley. The carriage M4000 is fixed to the timing belt E0003. The carriage M4000 moves as the timing belt E0003 is driven by the carriage motor E0001.

[0020] The recording head H1001 forms an image by ejecting liquid onto the recording medium. In this embodiment, the recording head H1001 ejects multiple types of ink. The carriage M4000 is equipped with multiple ink tanks H1900, which contain the ink ejected by the recording head H1001. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the carriage M4000 and the multiple ink tanks H1900.

[0021] The recording head H1001 is detachable from the carriage M4000. Furthermore, with the recording head H1001 mounted on the carriage M4000, the ink tank H1900 is also detachable from the recording head H1001. Figure 3 shows an example configuration in which eight ink tanks H1900 can be mounted on the carriage M4000. Each ink tank H1900 contains a different type of ink. Therefore, in this embodiment, eight different types of ink can be ejected from the recording head H1001.

[0022] The recording head H1001 has nozzles (discharge ports) that eject ink for each type of ink. Figure 4 shows the arrangement of the nozzle groups of the recording head H1001. The recording head H1001 has nozzle rows H2001, H2002, H2003, H2004, H2005, H2006, H2007, and H2008. Each nozzle row corresponds to a different type of ink. These nozzle rows are arranged in the main scanning direction (X direction) of the recording head H1001. Each nozzle row H2001 to H2008 consists of 768 nozzles arranged in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction) at intervals of, for example, 1200 dpi (dots / inch). One nozzle ejects, for example, about 3 pl of ink droplets in a single ejection.

[0023] Returning to Figure 1, the cleaning unit 6 performs processing related to maintaining and restoring the ejection performance of the recording head H1001. The cleaning unit 6 in this embodiment is provided with two caps M5010. One cap M5010 has a size that covers nozzle rows H2001 to H2004, and the other cap M5010 has a size that covers nozzle rows H2005 to H2008. When the recording head H1001 performs preliminary ejection to the caps M5010, ink can be ejected to the caps M5010.

[0024] The cap M5010 has a hole (not shown) with a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm, and a tube (not shown) is connected to the outside of the cap M5010 through this hole. The tube is connected to the pump M5000, and the suction action of the pump M5000 allows the inside of the recording head H1001 to be cleaned. In addition, the wiper M5020 wipes the nozzle surface (ink ejection surface) of the recording head H1001 to remove dust and attached ink.

[0025] The electrical control board E0014 contains the control circuit of the recording device 1. The control circuit controls, for example, the image recording operation on the recording medium. Images are recorded by ejecting ink from the recording head H1001 onto the recording medium during the movement of the carriage M4000 in the main scanning direction. This operation is called recording scanning. The recording operation is performed by alternately repeating a transport operation, in which the recording medium is intermittently transported in the sub-scanning direction by the transport unit 3, and the recording scanning.

[0026] Figure 5 is a block diagram of the control circuit. The control circuit includes a CPU 300, a ROM 301, and a RAM 302. The CPU 300 is a processor that controls the recording device 1 by executing a program stored in the ROM 301. The processes performed by the CPU 300 include data processing of the recorded data, drive control of the recording head H1001, movement control of the carriage M4000, transport control of the recording medium, cleaning control of the recording head H1001, and so on.

[0027] ROM 301 and RAM 302 are storage devices, specifically semiconductor memory. RAM 302 is used as a work area for data processing by the CPU 300 and temporarily holds ejection data for multiple scans, as well as parameters related to the recovery and supply operations of the inkjet recording device. Interface 304 allows connection between the host device and the recording device 1, and the CPU 300 performs communication processing with the host device via interface 304. The host device is a personal computer or mobile terminal used by the user.

[0028] The non-volatile memory 318 stores information such as the amount of ink contained in the waste ink container (not shown), the amount of ink discharged to the platen absorber M3041, the discharge time, and ink information, and can retain this information even when the power to the recording device 1 is turned off. The amount of ink discharged to the platen absorber M3041 is measured by counting the number of times ink is ejected outside the recording medium based on image data. The amount of ink contained in the waste ink container is calculated by counting the number of times ink is ejected to the platen absorber M3041 and the cap M5010, and multiplying the counted amount of ink by the evaporation coefficient.

[0029] The ink tank level management unit 313 manages the remaining amount information of each ink tank H1900 based on the ink information stored in the non-volatile memory 318. When the remaining amount of ink tank H1900 stored in the ink tank level management unit 313 falls below a predetermined amount, the CPU 300 displays a warning on the host device's display unit prompting replacement. The sensor control unit 306 operates the detection sensor 13, which measures temperature and humidity, at predetermined timings to acquire the temperature and humidity of the operating environment of the recording device 1.

[0030] The recovery control circuit 308 controls the drive of the recovery motor 309 and controls recovery operations such as the up-and-down movement of the cap M5010, the operation of the wiper M5020, and the operation of the suction pump M5000.

[0031] The image input unit 303 temporarily holds image data input from the host device via the interface 304. The image data input to the image input unit 303 is subjected to predetermined image processing by the image signal processing unit 314 to generate ejection data used to eject ink during the recording operation. The recording head H1001 and carriage M4000 are controlled according to the ejection data.

[0032] The head drive control circuit 315 drives the recording elements of the recording head H1001. This driving of the recording elements causes the recording head H1001 to eject ink and pre-eject ink. Each nozzle has a recording element, which is, for example, a heating element that ejects ink from the nozzle using thermal energy, or an electrical-to-thermal conversion element that generates heat when an electrical signal is supplied.

[0033] The carriage drive control circuit 307 drives the carriage motor E0001 to control the reciprocating movement of the carriage M4000 in the main scanning direction (X direction). The paper feed control circuit 316 controls the drive of the transport motor E0002 according to the program stored in the RAM 302.

[0034] <Borderless Record> In this embodiment, in addition to recording with a margin around the edge of the recording medium, borderless recording can also be performed. In borderless recording, the image is recorded up to the edge of the recording medium. In order to avoid creating a margin around the edge of the recording medium, ink is ejected to the area that extends beyond the edge of the recording medium, and the ejected ink lands on the platen M3040.

[0035] Figure 6 shows an example of the ink ejection area (overflow area) in borderless recording. To avoid leaving any margins on the recording medium N0001 after recording, ejection areas A to D4 are set along the edge of the recording medium N0001. Area A is the right side of the recording medium N0001. Areas B1 to B4 are the leading edge of the recording medium N0001 in the transport direction. Area C is the left side of the recording medium N0001. Areas D1 to D4 are the trailing edge of the recording medium N0001 in the transport direction.

[0036] Examples of the widths for each area include: Area A: 2.8 mm, Areas B1-B4: 2.0 mm, Area C: 2.8 mm, and Areas D1-D4: 1.8 mm. These widths are set to ensure that there is no margin left on the recording medium N0001, while taking into account the maximum amount of feeding error, transport error, and skew of the recording medium N0001. The amount of overhang may be selected by the user in stages.

[0037] Ink that spills out of recording medium N0001 is ejected onto the platen absorber M3041 (Figure 2). The amount of ink ejected that spills out of recording medium N0001 is calculated by counting the number of times (dots) that ink is ejected into each region A to D4.

[0038] <Examples of ink types and deposition> Examples of the types of ink contained in the eight H1900 ink tanks are described below. The inks used include pigment inks. In this embodiment, we assume the use of a total of eight types of ink: matte black, photo black, magenta, yellow, cyan, light magenta, light cyan, and clear, which does not contain pigment and is used for improving image quality.

[0039] Here, matte black is a black ink that exhibits excellent color development on recording media such as plain paper and coated paper, which do not have an ink-absorbing layer. Photo black, on the other hand, is a black ink that exhibits excellent color development on recording media such as glossy paper, which has excellent surface smoothness and an ink-absorbing layer. This embodiment will be explained using pigment ink, but it is also applicable to dye ink.

[0040] Ink components may accumulate on the platen absorbent M3041. For example, when borderless recording is performed and ink is dispensed onto the platen absorbent M3041, some ink components remain on the surface of the platen absorbent M3041 without penetrating it. As borderless recording is repeated, these residual components accumulate and deposit. This is sometimes referred to as ink deposition.

[0041] Ink accumulation can occur even in platens that do not have the platen absorber M3040. In the absence of the platen absorber M3041, ink during borderless recording is discharged onto a component corresponding to the base component M3042. This component is provided with inclines, grooves, and holes to ensure that ink is discharged without remaining on the platen. However, if the ink's fluidity decreases, ink may remain on the platen, eventually leading to ink accumulation.

[0042] Inks that are prone to deposition include those containing colorants with low solubility, or those that experience a significant increase in viscosity during evaporation, reducing their fluidity. Inks with such deposition properties are sometimes called deposition-prone inks. On the other hand, there are inks that, when mixed with deposition-prone inks or applied on top of them, have the effect of reducing deposition. Such inks are sometimes called deposition-inhibiting inks.

[0043] <Suppression of ink deposition> Different inks may have different deposition-inhibiting effects on inks that are prone to deposition. Therefore, when a single deposition-inhibiting ink is used for multiple types of inks that are prone to deposition, deposition inhibition may or may not be effective. In this embodiment, for inks that are prone to deposition, a deposition-inhibiting ink with a high deposition-inhibiting effect is selected from among multiple types of deposition-inhibiting inks and dispensed.

[0044] Here, whether or not a particular ink is prone to deposition can be determined by, for example, Experiment 1 as follows: A device for dropping ink onto a platen absorber M3041 is set up, and the target ink is dropped intermittently in a high-temperature, low-humidity environment. Whether or not a deposit forms on the platen absorber M3041 after a certain number of drops can be used to determine whether or not the target ink is prone to deposition.

[0045] Furthermore, the tendency of each target ink to deposit can be evaluated by measuring the number of drops required for deposit formation. Ink that deposits occur with fewer drops can be considered more prone to depositing. In Experiment 1, ink was dropped onto a platen absorber M3041 at a density of 120 ng at 600 dpi vertically and 600 dpi horizontally at 1-hour intervals under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity. Dropping was performed up to 500 times. Figure 7 shows the experimental results in a table indicating whether deposits formed after dropping. In these results, inks that deposits occur with fewer drops are considered more prone to depositing. This experiment shows that the inks are more prone to depositing in the order of photo black > yellow > matte black.

[0046] Next, Experiment 2 was conducted to determine which inks had an inhibitory effect on deposition against the inks identified as prone to deposition in Experiment 1, and how much of each ink was needed to achieve this effect. In Experiment 2, a device for dropping ink onto the platen absorber M3041 was set up. Under high temperature and low humidity conditions, the inks identified as prone to deposition in Experiment 1 were dropped onto the platen, followed by the candidate inks for deposition inhibition.

[0047] The amount of test ink dropped is tested in multiple quantities to determine how many times more of the easily depositing ink should be. This process of dropping the easily depositing ink and the candidate ink for deposit suppression is considered one set and is repeated at predetermined time intervals. After a predetermined number of sets of tests, it is possible to determine how much test ink is needed to suppress deposits by observing whether or not deposits have formed on the platen absorber M3041. Alternatively, it can be determined whether or not the tested amount is sufficient to suppress deposits.

[0048] In this embodiment, the inks deposited in Experiment 1—photo black, yellow, and matte black—are designated as inks prone to deposition, and the candidate inks for deposition suppression for each of these are cyan, magenta, light cyan, light magenta, and clear.

[0049] Under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity, an easily depositing ink at a density of 120 ng per 600 dpi vertically and horizontally was dropped onto a platen absorber M3041. Immediately afterward, a candidate ink for deposition suppression was dropped at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 times the amount of the easily depositing ink. This process was repeated 500 times at 1-hour intervals.

[0050] Figure 8 shows the experimental results using clear as a candidate ink for preventing deposition. After 500 repetitions, "NG" is indicated if deposition occurred on the platen absorber M3041, and "OK" is indicated if no deposition occurred.

[0051] These results show that deposition occurs when using 6 times or less the amount of clear coat on photo black, but not when using 8 times or more the amount of clear coat. From this, we can conclude that deposition of photo black can be suppressed with 8 times the amount of clear coat. Similarly, deposition of yellow can be suppressed with 2 times the amount of clear coat. It can be seen that deposition cannot be suppressed with matte black with 10 times or less the amount of clear coat. Similar experiments will be conducted for other deposition-suppressing ink candidates.

[0052] Figure 9 summarizes the experimental results described above. For each ink prone to deposition, it indicates how many times the amount of the deposition-inhibiting ink candidate was required to suppress deposition. If deposition still occurred even with 10 times the amount, it is marked as "NG" (not good).

[0053] The smaller the numerical value, the more ink is needed to suppress deposition, indicating a higher deposition suppression effect. Figure 9 shows that clear ink effectively suppresses deposition for photo black and yellow, but not for matte black. Magenta ink effectively suppresses deposition for matte black. Therefore, clear ink should be selected as the deposition suppression ink for photo black and yellow, and magenta ink should be selected as the deposition suppression ink for matte black.

[0054] Thus, among the various types of inks used in the recording device 1, the ink that is most effective at suppressing ink deposition is not necessarily the same for inks that are prone to deposition. Therefore, by selecting an ink that suppresses deposition based on the type of ink that is prone to deposition, ink deposition can be suppressed more effectively.

[0055] Furthermore, Experiments 1 and 2 are highly dependent on the temperature and humidity of the environment in which recording device 1 is used. This is because the ink dries and thickens faster on the platen absorber M3041 in a high-temperature, low-humidity environment. Therefore, the temperature and humidity were divided into three environments (environments 1-3) as shown in Figure 10, and Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted in each environment to calculate the required amount of deposition-suppressing ejection for each environment. Figures 11(a) and 11(b) summarize these results. Figure 11(a) describes the case where clear is used as the deposition-suppressing ink, and Figure 11(b) describes the case where magenta is used as the deposition-suppressing ink.

[0056] For example, if the recording operation was performed in an environment with a temperature of 30°C and a humidity of 10%, then according to Figure 10, this is "Environment 3," and therefore, according to Figure 11, eight times the amount of clear paint that landed on the platen absorber is dispensed at the location where the photoblack landed. If yellow landed, twice that amount of clear paint is dispensed at the same location on the platen absorber. If matte black landed, six times that amount of magenta is dispensed. If the recording operation was performed in an environment with a temperature of 20°C and a humidity of 50%, this is "Environment 1," and no deposition occurs, so deposition suppression dispensing is not performed. The required amount of deposition suppression dispensing listed in these tables is sometimes called the "weighting coefficient" when calculating the amount of deposition suppression dispensing.

[0057] If ink lands on the same spot on the platen absorber M3041, the amount of deposition-suppressing ink dispensed can be calculated using the following formula.

[0058] Discharge volume of deposition-suppressing ink = (Amount of deposition-prone ink deposited × weighting coefficient + ... + Amount of deposition-prone ink deposited × weighting coefficient) - Amount of deposition-suppressing ink deposited ... (Equation 1) In this embodiment, the weighting coefficients are as shown in Figure 11, so for "Environment 3", the following equation is obtained for each type of deposition-suppressing ink. Discharge volume of deposition-suppressing ink (clear) = Amount of photo black impact × 8 + Amount of yellow impact × 2 - Amount of clear impact × 1 ... (Equation 2) Discharge volume of deposition-suppressing ink (magenta) = Matte black deposition volume × 6 - Magenta deposition volume × 1 ... (Equation 3) In this way, the amount of deposition-suppressing ink dispensed can be set.

[0059] <Control Example> Figure 12 shows an example of processing performed by the CPU 300 of the control circuit, and is a flowchart in particular showing a control example when the recording device 1 performs a recording operation. The processing shown in the figure starts when a recording job is received from the host device.

[0060] In step S102, the detection sensor 13 acquires temperature and humidity information of the recording environment. Next, it is determined whether or not borderless recording is set as a recording condition for the current recording job. If borderless recording is set, the process proceeds to step S104; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the image recording operation is performed on the recording medium for the image data of the recording job, and the processing of the recording job is completed.

[0061] In step S104, the image data of the recording job is recorded onto the recording medium, and the amount of ink ejected in the overflow area is measured. Specifically, the number of dots (number of ejections) is counted for each area A to D4 shown in Figure 6. Once the recording operation is complete, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0062] In step S105, the deposition suppression ejection amount is calculated from the temperature and humidity information obtained in step S102, the number of dots of each color that landed in each region counted in step S105, and the weighting coefficients in Figure 11. As an example, assume that the temperature is 30°C, the humidity is 10%, and the amount of ink ejected in regions A to D4 is as shown in Figure 13.

[0063] For region A, calculating the discharge rate for preventing sedimentation, from equation 2, Required output of deposition-suppressing ink (clear) = Photo black dot count: 42,000 dots x 8 + Yellow dot count: 15,000 dots x 2 - Clear dot count: 0 dots = 366,000 dots... (Equation 4) This is the result.

[0064] When this amount is dispensed from all 768 nozzles of Clear, Discharge volume of deposition-suppressing ink: 366,000 dots ÷ 768 nozzles = 476.6... (Equation 5) This means that, rounding up the fractional part, 477 dots per nozzle need to be dispensed from all the clear nozzles into area A.

[0065] Next, let's calculate the case where magenta is used as an ink to suppress deposition. From Equation 3, Required output of deposition-suppressing ink (magenta) = Matte black dot count: 30,000 dots x 6 - Magenta dot count: 5,000 dots = 175,000 dots... (Equation 6) This is the result. If this amount is to be dispensed from all 768 magenta nozzles, Discharge volume of deposition-suppressing ink: 175,000 ÷ 768 nozzles = 22.8... (Equation 7) This means that, rounding up, each magenta nozzle needs to dispense 23 dots for area A. Similar calculations are performed for the other areas.

[0066] In step S106, it is determined for each region whether deposition suppression ejection is necessary based on the results calculated in step S105. If deposition suppression ejection is determined to be necessary, the process proceeds to step S107; if it is determined to be unnecessary, the process proceeds to step S108. In the example above, for region A, the required ejection amounts for both clear and magenta deposition suppression inks are positive, so it is determined that deposition suppression ejection is necessary for all deposition suppression inks. If the calculation result is negative, it is determined that deposition suppression ejection is not necessary.

[0067] In step S107, the amount of deposition-suppressing ink calculated in step S105 is ejected to the areas where deposition-suppressing ejection is deemed necessary. For example, first, clear ink is ejected onto the areas where deposition-suppressing ejection is deemed necessary. In area A, 477 dots from each nozzle are ejected using all nozzles, as shown in equation 5. Next, magenta ink is ejected onto the areas where deposition-suppressing ejection is deemed necessary. In area A, 23 dots from each nozzle are ejected using all nozzles, as shown in equation 7.

[0068] Once the deposition suppression discharge is complete, step S108 resets the discharge volume count values ​​for each region A to D4. After that, the process ends.

[0069] In this embodiment, one clear ink is used to suppress deposition of photo black and yellow, and one magenta ink is used to suppress deposition of matte black. However, it is also possible to use inks selected from among multiple ink colors as deposition suppression inks. That is, in order to prevent the ink used in the recording device 1 from being depleted unevenly by certain types of inks, one ink may be selectively used from among multiple types of deposition suppression inks. In that case, some of the inks may overlap depending on which ink is prone to deposition, while other inks may differ. For example, clear and light magenta may be used to suppress deposition of photo black and yellow, and magenta and light magenta may be used to suppress deposition of matte black.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the amount (discharge amount) per dot of each ink is the same, the required amount for deposition suppression discharge was calculated from the amount of ink that landed on the platen absorber M3041 using the number of dots. If the discharge amount differs for each color, it can be converted to weight or volume if necessary. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the platen absorber M3041 is placed on the platen M3040 has been described, but it can also be implemented in a recording device without the platen absorber M3041.

[0071] With the above embodiment, the ink used for ink deposition suppression ejection after the recording operation is switched depending on the ink that has landed, thereby effectively suppressing ink deposition.

[0072] <Second Embodiment> Depending on the type of ink, even if an ink is unlikely to cause deposition on its own, deposition may occur when mixed with other types of ink. For example, two types of ink that do not cause deposition when individually landed on the platen absorber M3041 may cause deposition when landed on the same location on the platen absorber M3041. Therefore, deposition may not occur after the completion of one recording job, but may occur after the completion of a subsequent recording job. In addition, the amount of deposition resulting from the mixing of multiple types of ink may not be the sum of the deposition amounts when each ink is landed individually.

[0073] One possible reason for this phenomenon is that when additive salts in one ink are mixed with the colorants of other inks, the dispersibility of the colorants deteriorates, leading to aggregation and reduced fluidity. This, in turn, makes the platen absorber M3041 more prone to clogging, resulting in deposition. When this phenomenon occurs, countermeasures that only consider deposition in a single ink are insufficient to adequately suppress deposition.

[0074] Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, if the count information of the amount of ink deposited on the platen M3040 is reset after each recording job is completed, it may not be possible to properly suppress ink deposition that occurs across multiple recording jobs.

[0075] This embodiment addresses ink deposition that occurs when multiple types of ink mix together. According to this embodiment, by dispensing deposition-suppressing ink, it is possible to prevent deposition from occurring or to avoid wasting the deposition-suppressing ink.

[0076] In this embodiment, we also assume the use of a total of eight types of ink: matte black, photo black, magenta, yellow, cyan, light magenta, light cyan, and clear, which does not contain pigment and is used to improve image quality. However, the composition of the inks is not exactly the same as in the first embodiment.

[0077] Experiment 3 was conducted to determine whether the ink was prone to deposition. An apparatus for dropping ink onto a platen absorbent M3041 was set up, and the target ink was dropped intermittently under high temperature and low humidity conditions. Whether or not the target ink was prone to deposition was determined by whether or not deposits formed on the platen absorbent M3041 after a certain number of drops.

[0078] In Experiment 3, under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity, ink was dropped onto the platen absorber M3041 at a density of 120 ng at 600 dpi vertically and 600 dpi horizontally at 1-hour intervals. Dropping was performed up to 500 times.

[0079] Figure 14 shows the experimental results in a table indicating whether deposits formed after dropping. The results show that photo black is the most prone to deposit formation, followed by yellow, as deposits formed with fewer drops.

[0080] Next, in Experiment 4, we determined whether deposition could occur on the platen absorber M3041 when mixed with other inks. An apparatus for dropping ink onto the platen absorber M3041 was set up. Then, under high temperature and low humidity conditions, one color of ink was dropped onto the platen absorber M3041. Another color was then dropped onto the same spot. This dropping of two types of ink was repeated at predetermined time intervals. The results were used to check whether inks that did not deposit when tested individually now deposited, and whether inks that deposited when tested individually started to deposit more quickly. In this experiment, under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity, the ink density was set to 120ng at 600dpi vertically and 600dpi horizontally, and all ink combinations were tested. Dropping was repeated 500 times at 1-hour intervals.

[0081] Figure 15 shows the results of Experiment 4. For inks other than matte black, none surpassed the results obtained when each color was dropped individually. However, with matte black, while deposition did not occur when mixed with cyan, light cyan, and clear, deposition did occur when mixed with them. This is thought to be because when cyan, light cyan, and clear were mixed with matte black, the dispersibility of the pigment dispersion decreased, causing aggregation and increasing the viscosity of the ink. It is also thought that inks with poor resolubility are more prone to deposition. Resolubility refers to the property of improving fluidity when ink with increased viscosity is mixed with ink that was not yet at viscosity.

[0082] Experiment 4 revealed that ink deposition occurs when matte black is mixed with equal amounts of cyan, light cyan, and clear on the M3040 platen. Furthermore, Experiment 5 aims to determine the ink combination ratio that maximizes the amount of deposition.

[0083] A device for dropping ink onto the platen absorbent M3041 is installed. Then, under high temperature and low humidity conditions, the first of two inks, which are deposited by different combinations, is dropped. After that, the second ink is dropped. The amount of ink dropped is tested by varying the ratio of the first color to the second color from 1:9 to 9:1. The action of dropping the two inks is considered one set and is repeated at predetermined time intervals. The combination ratio of inks that deposits the most is determined by the height of the deposit after a predetermined number of sets have been tested.

[0084] Figure 16 shows the test results for the matte black and clear ink combination. Under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity, the two inks were dropped onto a 600 dpi vertical and 600 dpi horizontal area to a total density of 120 ng. Dropping was performed at 1-hour intervals, and the height of the deposited material after a total of 500 repetitions is indicated.

[0085] These results show that the highest deposition height occurred when the ratio of matte black to clear was 2:8, meaning four times the amount of clear was mixed with matte black. Although not shown in the diagram, similar tests were conducted with cyan and light cyan, and it was found that deposition was most likely when four times the amount of clear was mixed with matte black. Furthermore, similar tests were conducted at other temperatures and humidity levels, and it was found that deposition occurred when the humidity was below 40%.

[0086] Next, in Experiment 6, we determined which ink would be most effective in suppressing deposition caused by mixing matte black and clear inks. An ink-dropping device was set up on the platen absorber M3041. Then, under high temperature and low humidity conditions, the two inks that deposit when mixed were dropped in the ratio that most easily causes deposition. The dropping method was the same as in Experiment 5. Immediately afterward, a candidate for deposition-suppressing ink was dropped. Multiple levels were tested to determine how many times more the deposition-suppressing ink should be compared to the inks that easily deposit. Dropping the two inks that easily deposit and dropping the candidate deposition-suppressing ink constituted one set, and the same process was repeated at regular time intervals.

[0087] In this experiment, the ratio of the two inks to be deposited was set to matte black:clear = 2:8, and the candidate ink for suppressing deposition was magenta, which did not deposit when mixed with matte black in the aforementioned Experiment 4. Under conditions of 30°C and 10% humidity, 24 ng of matte black and 96 ng of clear were dropped onto the platen absorber M3041 at a density of 600 dpi vertically and 600 dpi horizontally. Immediately afterward, magenta was dropped in amounts of 0.5 times, 1 time, 2 times, 4 times, 6 times, 8 times, and 10 times the total amount of matte black and clear combined. This process was repeated a total of 500 times.

[0088] Figure 17 shows the experimental results. After 500 tests, if deposition occurred on the platen absorber M3041, it is marked "NG," and if no deposition occurred, it is marked "OK." From these results, it can be seen that deposition occurred when the amount of magenta was 4 times or less the total amount of matte black and clear, but not when 6 times or more magenta was applied. Therefore, it can be concluded that the required amount of deposition-suppressing discharge is 6 times.

[0089] In this embodiment, since photo black and yellow deposits occur as single colors, the required amount of deposit-suppressing ink can be determined using the same method as in the first embodiment.

[0090] When matte black and an ink that deposits when mixed (cyan, light cyan, or clear) land on the same spot on the platen absorber M3041, the amount of discharged ink that suppresses deposition can be calculated using the following formula.

[0091] First, we define [MBK][C·LC·CL] as follows: Group 1: [MBK] = Impact on matte black platen absorber M3041 Group 2: [C·LC·CL] = Total impact on platen absorber M3041 with cyan, light cyan, and clear. Then, comparing four times the amount of [MBK] and [C·LC·CL], the smaller amount is used as the amount of discharged material to suppress deposition. The reason for multiplying [C·LC·CL] by four is that the most efficient reaction occurs when [MBK] and [C·CL·LC] are mixed in a 2:8 ratio, meaning that [C·LC·CL] is four times the amount of [MBK]. Any amount exceeding this does not contribute much to deposition.

[0092] Next, the measurement of the ink ejection amount in the overflow area will be explained. In this embodiment, when the recording device 1 is fed a recording medium, even if the size of the recording medium changes, the center position of the recording medium in the X direction remains the same, and is the center position of the platen absorber M3041 in the X direction. Using the center position of the platen absorber M3041 as a reference, the area is divided into 12 regions as shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b).

[0093] The positions of the 12 regions are defined with the center of the feeding recording medium as 0, and the right side facing the recording device 1 as positive. Regions A and A' are the left and right edge positions when recording an L-size recording medium. Regions B and B' are KG size, regions C and C' are 2L size, D and D' are A5 size, E and E' are A4 size, and F and F' are A3 size.

[0094] When performing borderless recording, if the humidity is below 40% where deposition can occur, the amount of ink that landed in each area is counted for each subsequent group. Group 1 [MBK]: Matte Black Group 2 [C·LC·CL]: Cyan, Light Cyan, Clear The counted ink amount is stored in non-volatile memory 318 so that it can be retained even when the power is off.

[0095] Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the CPU 300 of the control circuit in this embodiment, and in particular, an example of control when the recording device 1 performs a recording operation. When a recording job is received from the host device, the processing shown in the figure begins.

[0096] In step S202, the detection sensor 13 acquires temperature and humidity information of the recording environment. Next, it is determined whether or not borderless recording is set as a recording condition for the current recording job. If borderless recording is set, the process proceeds to step S204; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S211. In step S211, the image recording operation is performed on the recording medium for the image data of the recording job, and the processing of the recording job is completed.

[0097] In step S204, it is determined whether the humidity obtained in S202 is 40% or less. If the humidity is 40% or less, the process proceeds to step S205; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S211. In this embodiment, it is assumed that if the humidity is high, ink deposition will not occur to a large extent.

[0098] In step S205, the image data of the recording job is recorded onto the recording medium, and the amount of ink ejected in the overflow area is measured. Specifically, the number of dots (number of ejections) is counted for each area A to F and A' to F' shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), and for each ink group 1 and 2. Once the recording operation is complete, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0099] In step S206, it is determined whether there are any areas where the ejection amounts of both Group 1 ([MBK]) and Group 2 ([C·LC·CL]) are above a threshold. If such areas exist, the process proceeds to step S207; otherwise, the process ends. The threshold here is set to 10,000 dots. Figure 20 shows, as an example, the amount of ink ejected in each area at a temperature of 30°C and a humidity of 30%. The unit is the number of dots. As described above, areas A to F and A' to F' correspond to the size of the recording medium. The presence of count values ​​in multiple areas means that these are count values ​​that landed in past recording jobs and include count values ​​that have not yet been reset.

[0100] In the example in Figure 20, the discharge amounts for both Group 1 ([MBK]) and Group 2 ([C·LC·CL]) in region C are above the threshold. Therefore, region C is subject to discharge to suppress sedimentation. In step S207, the discharge amount to suppress sedimentation is calculated. The calculation method is as described above, and applying it to the example in Figure 20, Group 1: [MBK] = 40000 dots Group 2: [C·LC·CL] × 4 = 20,000 dots × 4 = 80,000 dots, and the amount of discharge to suppress sedimentation is 6 times the smaller value.

[0101] The smaller value is for Group 1:[MBK], so the discharge rate for sediment suppression discharge is Discharge volume = [MBK] × 6 = 40,000 dots × 6 = 240,000 dots This is how it is calculated.

[0102] The number of nozzles for magenta, which is an ink that suppresses deposition, is 768 nozzles, so the amount dispensed per nozzle for deposition-suppressing ejection is: Discharge volume = 240,000 dots ÷ 768 nozzles = 312.5 dots This means that fractions are rounded up, resulting in 313 dots being ejected from each nozzle, and all magenta nozzles ejecting the same amount.

[0103] In step S208, the carriage M4000 is moved so that the magenta nozzle row is over area C, which is the target of deposition suppression ejection, and magenta is ejected. Then, in step S209, the ink amount in area C where deposition suppression ejection was performed is reset to 0. The resulting count value is as shown in Figure 21. For areas D, E, D', and E', deposition suppression ejection was not performed, so the count values ​​are not reset and are maintained. Then the process ends.

[0104] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to effectively suppress deposition during ejection, even in cases where deposition occurs when inks that do not deposit on their own mix with other types of ink. In this embodiment, we have described cases in which deposition occurs due to a combination of two or more types of inks, but it is also possible to combine the first and second embodiments.

[0105] The above embodiments describe a case where the amount of deposition increases due to the combination of two or more pigment inks, but a similar phenomenon occurs with dyes as well. For example, when recording an image such as black text on a yellow background, if the black ink bleeds into the yellow background, the quality of the text will decrease. To prevent this, the ink composition may be formulated as follows. The basic composition of dye ink is dye, solvent, surfactant, and additives, but Mg ions (Mg2+) are added as an additive to the black ink. When Mg ions are mixed with the dye contained in the yellow ink, the fluidity deteriorates. This property is used to prevent image quality degradation due to ink bleeding when yellow is recorded adjacent to an area on the recording medium where a large amount of black ink is recorded. However, when black and yellow mix on the platen absorber during borderless recording, the fluidity deteriorates, and ink deposition may easily occur. Thus, deposition caused by mixing two or more types of ink occurs not only with pigments but also with dyes, and this embodiment is also applicable to recording devices using dye inks.

[0106] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0107] <Summary of Embodiments> The above embodiments disclose the inventions of the following items.

[0108] Item 1. A recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium, A platen is positioned opposite the recording means and supports the recording medium, A recording device comprising control means for controlling the recording means, The control means is After the recording operation is completed, a dispensing control is performed to dispense a different type of liquid to the liquid that was dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation. In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation described above, a second type of liquid is discharged to the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen. In the recording operation described above, a fourth type of liquid is discharged in addition to the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0109] Item 2. A recording device as described in item 1, In the recording operation, the type of liquid to be dispensed in the dispensing control is selected according to the type of liquid dispensed to the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0110] Item 3. A recording device as described in item 1 or item 2, In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation, a liquid selected from a plurality of liquids, including the second type of liquid, is dispensed to the first type of liquid dispensed to the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0111] Item 4. A recording device as described in any one of items 1 to 3, The second type of liquid is a liquid that has a higher effect in suppressing the deposition of components of the first type of liquid compared to the fourth type of liquid. The fourth type of liquid is a liquid that has a higher effect in suppressing the deposition of components of the third type of liquid compared to the second type of liquid. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0112] Item 5. A recording device as described in any one of items 1 to 4, The aforementioned multiple types of liquids are Multiple types of liquids used in the aforementioned discharge control, Including multiple types of liquids not used in the aforementioned discharge control, A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0113] Item 6. A recording device as described in item 5, If the liquid dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation is one of several types of liquids used in the dispensing control, the dispensing control is not performed on that liquid. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0114] Item 7. A recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium, A platen is positioned opposite the recording means and supports the recording medium, A recording device comprising control means for controlling the recording means, The control means is After the recording operation is completed, a discharge control is performed to discharge liquid into a predetermined area of ​​the platen. The aforementioned discharge control is, Whether or not to proceed is determined based on the amount of multiple types of liquids discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0115] Item 8. A recording device as described in item 7, The amounts of multiple types of liquids dispensed into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation are reset when the dispensing control is performed. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0116] Item 9. A recording device as described in item 7 or item 8, The aforementioned discharge control is, If the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the second threshold, then the following is performed: A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0117] Item 10. A recording device as described in item 7 or item 8, The aforementioned discharge control is, If the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and the sum of the amounts of the second liquid and the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the second threshold, then the operation is performed. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0118] Item 11. A recording device as described in item 9 or item 10, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0119] Item 12. A recording device as described in item 9, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0120] Item 13. A recording device as described in item 10, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the sum of the amount of the second liquid and the amount of the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0121] Item 14. A recording device as described in item 9, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the smaller of the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0122] Item 15. A recording device as described in item 10, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the smaller of the sum of the amounts of the first liquid, the second liquid, and the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0123] Item 16. A recording device as described in any one of items 7 through 15, In the discharge control described above, a liquid that suppresses liquid deposition in the predetermined region is discharged into the predetermined region. A recording device characterized by the following features.

[0124] Item 17. A control method for a recording device comprising: a recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium; and a platen positioned opposite the recording means and supporting the recording medium, After the recording operation is completed, a dispensing control is performed to dispense a different type of liquid to the liquid that was dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation. In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation described above, a second type of liquid is discharged to the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen. In the recording operation described above, a fourth type of liquid is discharged in addition to the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen. A control method characterized by the following:

[0125] Item 18. A control method for a recording device comprising: a recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium; and a platen positioned opposite the recording means and supporting the recording medium, After the recording operation is completed, a discharge control is performed to discharge liquid into a predetermined area of ​​the platen. The aforementioned discharge control is, Whether or not to proceed is determined based on the amount of multiple types of liquids discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A control method characterized by the following:

[0126] Item 19. A storage medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in item 17.

[0127] Item 20. A storage medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in item 18.

[0128] Item 21. A program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in item 17.

[0129] Item 22. A program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in item 18.

[0130] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0131] 1. Recording device, H1001 recording head, M3040 platen

Claims

1. A recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium, A platen is positioned opposite the recording means and supports the recording medium, A recording device comprising control means for controlling the recording means, The control means is After the recording operation is completed, a dispensing control is performed to dispense a different type of liquid to the liquid that was dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation. In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation described above, a second type of liquid is discharged to the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen. In the recording operation described above, a fourth type of liquid is discharged in addition to the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

2. A recording device according to claim 1, In the recording operation, the type of liquid to be dispensed in the dispensing control is selected according to the type of liquid dispensed to the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

3. A recording device according to claim 1, In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation, a liquid selected from a plurality of liquids, including the second type of liquid, is dispensed to the first type of liquid dispensed to the platen. A recording device characterized by the following features.

4. A recording device according to claim 1, The second type of liquid is a liquid that has a higher effect in suppressing the deposition of components of the first type of liquid compared to the fourth type of liquid. The fourth type of liquid is a liquid that has a higher effect in suppressing the deposition of components of the third type of liquid compared to the second type of liquid. A recording device characterized by the following features.

5. A recording device according to claim 1, The aforementioned multiple types of liquids are Multiple types of liquids used in the aforementioned discharge control, Including multiple types of liquids not used in the aforementioned discharge control, A recording device characterized by the following features.

6. A recording device according to claim 5, If the liquid dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation is one of several types of liquids used in the dispensing control, the dispensing control is not performed on that liquid. A recording device characterized by the following features.

7. A recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium, A platen is positioned opposite the recording means and supports the recording medium, A recording device comprising control means for controlling the recording means, The control means is After the recording operation is completed, a discharge control is performed to discharge liquid into a predetermined area of ​​the platen. The aforementioned discharge control is, Whether or not to proceed is determined based on the amount of multiple types of liquids discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

8. A recording device according to claim 7, The amounts of multiple types of liquids dispensed into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation are reset when the dispensing control is performed. A recording device characterized by the following features.

9. A recording device according to claim 7, The aforementioned discharge control is, If the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the second threshold, then the following is performed: A recording device characterized by the following features.

10. A recording device according to claim 7, The aforementioned discharge control is, If the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and the sum of the amounts of the second liquid and the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation is equal to or greater than the second threshold, then the operation is performed. A recording device characterized by the following features.

11. A recording device according to claim 9, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the amount of the first liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

12. A recording device according to claim 9, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

13. A recording device according to claim 10, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the sum of the amount of the second liquid and the amount of the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

14. A recording device according to claim 9, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the smaller of the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

15. A recording device according to claim 10, The amount of liquid discharged by the discharge control is set based on the smaller of the sum of the amounts of the first liquid, the second liquid, and the third liquid discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A recording device characterized by the following features.

16. A recording device according to claim 7, In the discharge control described above, a liquid that suppresses liquid deposition in the predetermined region is discharged into the predetermined region. A recording device characterized by the following features.

17. A control method for a recording device comprising: a recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium; and a platen positioned opposite the recording means and supporting the recording medium, After the recording operation is completed, a dispensing control is performed to dispense a different type of liquid to the liquid that was dispensed onto the platen during the recording operation. In the aforementioned discharge control, In the recording operation described above, a second type of liquid is discharged to the first type of liquid discharged onto the platen. In the recording operation described above, a fourth type of liquid is discharged in addition to the third type of liquid discharged onto the platen. A control method characterized by the following:

18. A control method for a recording device comprising: a recording means capable of dispensing multiple types of liquids onto a recording medium; and a platen positioned opposite the recording means and supporting the recording medium, After the recording operation is completed, a discharge control is performed to discharge liquid into a predetermined area of ​​the platen. The aforementioned discharge control is, Whether or not to proceed is determined based on the amount of multiple types of liquids discharged into the predetermined area by the end of the recording operation. A control method characterized by the following:

19. A storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in claim 17.

20. A storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in claim 18.

21. A program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in claim 17.

22. A program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in claim 18.

Images