Recording device, control method for recording device, and program

Abstract

When using inks containing wax, ensure proper lamination is performed. [Solution] The recording device includes recording means for ejecting ink onto a recording medium to record an image; transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the image has been recorded; fixing means for heating the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording means and transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium; and control means for distinguishing and controlling whether lamination is performed or not when the ink contains wax.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus including a fixing device that fixes a recorded image by heat, a control method of the recording apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a recording apparatus that discharges ink from nozzles of a recording head onto a recording medium to record an image, and obtains a recording medium on which the image is fixed by heating. As a technique for imparting fastness to the obtained recording medium, lamination processing in which the recording medium on which the image is fixed is laminated with a transparent laminate film or the like is known.

[0003] In the above-described lamination processing, heating and pressurization are performed, and there is a possibility that the image recorded on the recording medium may be deteriorated by the heating and pressurization. As a technique for suppressing this image deterioration, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of performing color conversion in which color output is suppressed when lamination processing is performed as compared with the case where lamination processing is not performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in order to improve the fastness of the image itself recorded on the recording medium, ink containing wax may be used. When such ink containing wax is discharged onto the recording medium to record an image, and lamination processing is performed on the recording medium on which the image is recorded by heating, the laminate film may not adhere to the recording medium.

[0006] This disclosure aims to provide a technology that enables proper lamination when using wax-containing inks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A recording device according to one aspect of the technology of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: recording means for ejecting ink onto a recording medium to record an image; transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the image is recorded; fixing means for heating the recording medium on which the image is recorded by the recording means and which has been transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium; and control means for distinguishing and controlling whether lamination is performed or not when the ink contains wax. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology disclosed herein, when using wax-containing inks, it becomes possible to perform lamination appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the recording device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of a recording device including a fuser. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the recording head. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the block configuration of the control system for the recording device. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the flow of the data generation process. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a UI screen for selecting a recording medium. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating the multipath recording method. [Figure 8] This is a diagram to explain the mask pattern. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of a cold lamination machine. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a UI screen for setting the recording mode. [Figure 11] The diagram shows the temperature profile of the ink film during fixing. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the wax. [Figure 13] This figure shows the temperature profile of the ink film during fixing. [Figure 14] This figure shows the temperature profile of the ink film during fixing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the technology of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the technology of this disclosure as defined in the claims. Not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential as solutions of the technology of this disclosure, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. The same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, each step in the flowchart will be indicated by the letter "S" at the beginning.

[0011] <<Embodiment 1>> (Recording device configuration) Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the inkjet recording device 10 (hereinafter referred to as "recording device 10") according to this embodiment. The recording device 10 is a so-called serial scanning type recording device. It records images by back-scanning the recording head in the +X direction (forward scanning direction) and the -X direction (reverse scanning direction), which are perpendicular to the Y direction (sub-scanning direction), which is the transport direction of the recording medium P. This back-and-forth scanning direction is called the main scanning direction.

[0012] The configuration of this recording apparatus and the outline of the operation during recording will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the recording medium P is conveyed in the Y direction from a spool 6 that holds the recording medium P by a conveying roller driven via a gear by a conveying motor (not shown). On the other hand, at a predetermined conveying position, a carriage unit 2 is reciprocally scanned along a guide shaft 8 extending in the forward scanning direction and the reverse scanning direction by a carriage motor (not shown). Then, during this scanning process, a discharge operation is performed from the discharge port of a recording head (see FIG. 3) that can be attached to the carriage unit 2 at a timing based on a position signal obtained by an encoder 7, and a constant bandwidth corresponding to the arrangement range of the discharge ports is recorded. In the present embodiment, scanning can be performed at a scanning speed of 40 inches per second, and a discharge operation can be performed at a recording resolution of 1200 dpi (interval of 1 / 1200 inch). Thereafter, the recording medium P is conveyed, and recording is further performed for the next bandwidth. Further, the scanning speed is variable, and scanning can be performed at a speed of 40 inches per second or more.

[0013] Note that a carriage belt can be used to transmit the driving force from the carriage motor to the carriage unit 2, but other driving methods can also be used. For example, it is also possible to use other driving methods such as a lead screw that is rotationally driven by a carriage motor and extends in the forward scanning direction and the reverse scanning direction, and an engagement portion provided on the carriage unit 2 that engages with the groove of the lead screw.

[0014] The fed recording medium P is sandwiched and conveyed between a paper feed roller and a pinch roller, and is guided to a recording position (scanning area of the recording head) on a platen 4. In the normal standby state, since capping is applied to the face surface of the recording head, the cap is opened prior to recording to make the recording head and the carriage unit 2 in a scanable state. Then, after the data for one scan is accumulated in the buffer, the carriage unit 2 is scanned by a carriage motor, and recording is performed as described above.

[0015] (Fuser) The recording device of this embodiment includes a fixing step in which an image is fixed to a recording medium by ejecting at least ink onto the recording medium and heating the recording medium on which the image has been recorded. In the fixing step, it is necessary to melt the resin contained in the ink to form a film and to further evaporate most of the liquid components such as water-soluble organic solvents and water contained in the ink. As for the heating method, for example, a method of directly contacting the recording medium with a heat source, a method of irradiating with an infrared heater or microwaves without contact, or a method of blowing room temperature gas or heated gas can be used. The fixing temperature is preferably above the minimum film-forming temperature of fine particles in order to form a resin film.

[0016] Furthermore, it is desirable that the recording medium has a temperature distribution in the direction of transport that is sufficient to ensure a fixing time to supply the energy necessary for the evaporation of most of the liquid components.

[0017] An example of a fuser suitable for carrying out the fixing process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the figures. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of a recording device including a fuser. Note that Figure 2 shows a cross-section along the transport direction of the recording medium.

[0018] The fuser 201 is located downstream of the recording area by the recording head 9 in the transport direction Y of the recording medium P. In this embodiment, the fuser 201 is configured to fix the ink on the recording medium P by blowing heated gas 206 onto it. After an image is recorded on the recording medium P by ink ejected from the nozzle of the recording head 9, the recording medium P is transported in the direction indicated by arrow Y by a paper feed roller (not shown). The size of the area indicated by arrow 207 represents the length of the recording medium P in the direction of travel within the fuser 201.

[0019] The fuser unit 201 is positioned above the recording medium P and is equipped with a heater 202 and a blower unit, which are mechanisms for blowing heated gas. The heater 202 is a device such as a heat-generating element that heats the gas, and any device that can control the temperature is acceptable, but a device with high heat transfer efficiency to the air is preferred. The blower unit is a device for blowing heated gas 206 onto the recording medium P and is equipped with a blower fan 203, a blower duct 204, and a blower exhaust unit 205. The heated gas 206 is a gas heated by the heater 202 and is blown onto the recording medium P by the blower fan 203 through the blower duct 204 and the blower exhaust unit 205.

[0020] The size of the area indicated by the arrow 207 described above is such that it is possible to secure a fixing time that supplies the energy necessary for most of the liquid component of the ink ejected onto the recording medium P to evaporate, and it is desirable that the configuration has a temperature distribution in the transport direction of the recording medium.

[0021] Furthermore, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided inside the air supply duct 204. Based on the temperature information obtained by measuring the ambient temperature inside the air supply duct 204 with the temperature sensor, the heater 202 is controlled to adjust its temperature, thereby adjusting the temperature of the heated gas 206 blown onto the recording medium P. Since the temperature of the heated gas 206 can be adjusted in this way, the temperature of the recording medium heated by the heated gas 206 can be adjusted. A large amount of steam may be generated during the fixing process. If a large amount of steam is generated and the inside of the fuser 201 is filled with steam, the fixing efficiency may decrease, so a mechanism may be provided to recover the steam inside the fuser 201 and discharge it to the outside. Details regarding the fixing process, such as fixing temperature control and fixing time control, will be described later.

[0022] (Recording head) The recording device can perform so-called multi-path recording, in which an image is recorded on a unit area (1 / n band) on the recording medium P by scanning the recording head multiple times (n times). Details regarding multi-path recording and the output port configuration for performing multi-path recording will be described later.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the recording head 9 according to this embodiment. The recording head 9 includes an ejection port row 30K for ejecting black ink (K), an ejection port row 30C for ejecting cyan ink (C), an ejection port row 30M for ejecting magenta ink (M), and an ejection port row 30Y for ejecting yellow ink (Y) as inks containing colorants.

[0024] Since black ink (K), cyan ink (C), magenta ink (M), and yellow ink (Y) each contain colorants, in the following explanation, these inks will also be referred to as colorant inks for clarity.

[0025] Furthermore, the recording head 9 is equipped with a series of discharge ports 30RCT for discharging a reaction solution (RCT) that does not contain colorants. The reaction solution does not contain colorants, but it contains a reactant that reacts with the colorants contained in the colorant ink, and by coming into contact with the colorant ink on the recording medium P, it can reduce bleeding.

[0026] In this embodiment, four types of colorant inks (K, C, M, Y) are provided, but the invention is not limited to these. For example, in addition to the four types of colorant inks (K, C, M, Y), light-colored inks such as light cyan ink (Lc), light magenta ink (Lm), and gray ink (GY) may be provided. In addition to the four types of colorant inks (K, C, M, Y), special color inks such as green ink (G), orange ink (OR), red ink (R), blue ink (B), and white ink (W) may also be provided.

[0027] The discharge port rows 30RCT, 30K, 30C, 30M, and 30Y are arranged in the order listed, from left to right in the X direction.

[0028] The nozzle rows 30RCT, 30K, 30C, 30M, and 30Y each have 1280 nozzles 31 for ejecting ink, arranged in the Y direction (conveying direction) at a density of 1200 dpi. The amount of ink ejected at one time from a single nozzle 31 is approximately 6 picoliters (pl).

[0029] These ejection ports 30RCT, 30K, 30C, 30M, and 30Y are each connected to corresponding ink tanks (not shown) that store ink, and ink is supplied to them. The recording head 9 and the ink tanks may be configured as a single unit, or they may be configured to be separable.

[0030] (Control system configuration) Figure 4 shows the block configuration of the control system of the recording device 10. The recording device 10 has a control unit 400 that controls the entire recording device 10. The control unit 400 is equipped with a CPU 401 that performs processing operations such as calculation, selection, discrimination, control, and recording operations. The control unit 400 is also equipped with a ROM 402, RAM 403, memory 404, input / output ports 405, etc. The ROM 402 stores various control and image data processing programs executed by the CPU 401. The RAM 403 is used as a buffer for recording data, etc. The memory 404 stores various data such as mask patterns, which will be described later. Various drive circuits 408 to 412 are connected to the input / output ports 405. Drive circuit 408 drives the transport motor (LF motor) 413. Drive circuit 409 drives the carriage motor (CR motor) 414. Drive circuit 410 drives ink ejection from the recording head 9. The drive circuit 411 drives the heater 202. The drive circuit 412 drives the blower fan 203. Furthermore, the control unit 400 is connected to the host device (PC) 407 via the interface circuit 406. The recording device 10 further includes a temperature sensor 415 connected to the control unit 400. The temperature sensor 415 measures the ambient temperature inside the blower duct 204 of the fuser unit 201 and outputs the obtained temperature information to the input / output port 405 of the control unit 400. The control unit 400 may also control the LF motor 413, CR motor 414, recording head 9, heater 202, blower fan 203, etc., based on the obtained temperature information.

[0031] (Data generation process) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the data generation process used for recording. The process shown in Figure 5 is realized when the CPU 401 (Figure 4) of the recording device 10 executes a control program stored in the ROM 402 (Figure 4). This process is initiated when the user instructs the host device 407 (Figure 4) to record.

[0032] In S501, the recording device 10 acquires RGB format image data input from the host device 407.

[0033] In S502, the recording device 10 acquires information regarding the type of recording medium to be used for recording. In this embodiment, information regarding the type of recording medium selected is acquired based on user input, which is the user's selection of the recording medium to be used for recording. For example, the CPU of the host device 407 performs display control to display a user interface (UI) screen (see Figure 6) on a display device such as the monitor of the host device 407. The CPU of the host device 407 then accepts a user operation via the UI screen to select one type of recording medium from among several types of recording media to be used for recording.

[0034] (UI screen for selecting recording media) Figure 6 schematically shows the screen (user interface; UI) displayed on the host device 407's display when a user inputs information about the type of recording medium. As shown in Figure 6, the UI screen 600 displays one of nine existing types of recording media for selection. The nine types of recording media are "vinyl chloride film," "vinyl chloride banner," "PP film," "Yupo," "plain paper," "glossy paper," "art paper," "coated paper," and "wallpaper."

[0035] Then, information regarding the type of recording medium selected is input to the recording device 10 via the host device 407 and acquired in S502.

[0036] While this description focuses on a user-input interface (UI) interface for inputting information about the type of recording medium, the system is not limited to this. Alternatively, a sensor for determining the type of recording medium may be installed within the recording device, and information about the recording medium corresponding to the sensor's determination may be automatically acquired. Furthermore, the system may include a configuration that allows users to register new recording medium types in addition to those already registered.

[0037] In S503, the recording device 10 sets one condition from among several recording conditions that corresponds to the information about the type of recording medium acquired in S502.

[0038] The recording device 10 has information about multiple types of recording media pre-registered. The conditions for lamination control and non-lamination control used for each recording media are stored in the ROM 402 of the recording device 10. Information about recording media types that are not pre-registered may be added by the user. Furthermore, the above conditions may be adjusted by user operation via the host device 407 or the liquid crystal panel provided on the recording device 10.

[0039] In S504, the recording device 10 performs a color processing conversion to convert image data, which is represented by RGB signals (8-bit 256-value RGB values), into multi-level data corresponding to each ink (C, M, Y, K, and RCT) used for recording. The color conversion process generates multi-level data represented by 8-bit 256-value information that defines the gradation of each ink in each pixel group consisting of multiple pixels. The color conversion process is performed using a lookup table that defines the correspondence between the RGB values ​​before conversion and the values ​​represented by C, M, Y, K signals (C, M, Y, K values) and the values ​​represented by the reaction solution signal (RCT value) corresponding to each color ink after conversion. For the reaction solution, a different lookup table is used depending on the recording conditions set in S503.

[0040] S505 performs quantization processing to quantize multi-level data. Through quantization processing, quantized data is generated, which is represented by 1-bit binary information that determines whether each ink is ejected or not for each pixel. Methods such as dithering and error diffusion can be used for quantization.

[0041] In S506, a distribution process is performed to distribute the quantized data of each ink across multiple scans of the recording head in multi-pass recording, as shown in Figures 7 and 8 below. Through this distribution process, recording data is generated, which is represented by 1-bit binary information that determines whether each ink is ejected or not ejected for each pixel during each of the multiple scans of a unit area on the recording medium.

[0042] In this embodiment, ink is ejected from the recording head 9 according to the recorded data generated as described above. Although the configuration described has been in which the CPU 401 in the recording device 10 performs all of the processes from S501 to S506, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the host device 407 may perform all of the processes from S501 to S506. Alternatively, for example, the host device 407 may perform the processes from S501 to S504, and the recording device 10 may perform the processes from S505 to S506.

[0043] (Multipath recording method) In this embodiment, recording is performed by scanning a unit area on the recording medium P multiple times. A method of recording an image by so-called multi-pass recording will be described. To make the explanation easier to understand, in S506 of Figure 5, the case in which the same mask pattern is applied to each ink as shown in Figure 7 will be described. In this example, the explanation will use a case in which recording is completed by scanning a unit area four times.

[0044] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the multi-pass recording method used in this embodiment. In this embodiment, ink is ejected from each of the four ejection port groups A1 to A4, which are formed by dividing each ejection port row 30K, 30C, 30M, and 30Y in the Y direction in Figure 7, for each of the four scans of a unit area. In reality, the recording medium P is transported downstream in the Y direction between scans of the recording head 9, which will be described later, but in Figure 7, for the sake of clarity, the recording head 9 is depicted as moving upstream in the Y direction between scans.

[0045] First, in the first scan (first scan), the recording head 9 is scanned in a position where the unit area 70 on the recording medium P and the group of ejectors A1 in the ejector outlet row 22 are facing each other. Then, ink is ejected from the group of ejectors A1 to the unit area 70 according to the recording data corresponding to each type of ink corresponding to the first scan generated in S506. After the first scan is completed, the recording medium is transported in the Y direction by a distance corresponding to one group of ejectors.

[0046] Subsequently, a second scan (second scan) is performed, and ink is ejected from the ejection port group A2 to the unit area 70. Thereafter, the transport of the recording medium and ejection from the recording head are performed alternately, and ink is ejected from the ejection port groups A3 to A4 during the third to fourth scans of the unit area 70. In this way, multi-pass recording to the unit area 70 is completed.

[0047] In the mask pattern shown in Figure 8, pixels that are filled in black indicate pixels that are permitted to eject ink when ink ejection is determined by the quantization data (hereinafter also referred to as recording-permitted pixels). Pixels that are shown as white indicate pixels that are not permitted to eject ink even when ink ejection is determined by the quantization data (hereinafter also referred to as non-recording-permitted pixels). Figure 8 also shows mask patterns, each with a size of 5 pixels × 5 pixels. By repeatedly applying these mask patterns in the X and Y directions, distribution processing is performed for all of the quantization data corresponding to each unit region.

[0048] The number of pixels permitted to eject ink in each of the four mask patterns shown in Figure 8 is 5 pixels × 5 = 25 pixels. In other words, adding the pixels permitted to eject ink in the four 5x5 pixel mask patterns results in a 100% recording tolerance. By performing a logical AND operation between a portion of the binary data of each ink (size of 5x5 pixels) and the mask pattern corresponding to each recording scan (each pass), recording data for applying ink in each recording scan can be generated.

[0049] Looking at the mask patterns corresponding to each scan, the mask pattern corresponding to the first scan (ejector group A1) has four recordable pixels. Therefore, the recordable tolerance for the mask pattern corresponding to the first scan is approximately 16% (= 4 / 25 × 100). Subsequently, the recordable tolerances for the mask patterns corresponding to the second scan (ejector group A2) to the fourth scan (ejector group A4) are 32%, 36%, and 16%, respectively. Therefore, using this mask pattern, ink can be distributed to be ejected across the entire ejector row of the recording head. Note that the pattern shown in Figure 8 is an excerpt of the mask pattern for the sake of clarity and may differ slightly from the recordable tolerance ratios mentioned above.

[0050] (Laminated) Lamination is a process performed on a recording medium on which an image is recorded. Generally, it is carried out by a laminating machine located separately from the recording device 10, and after the fuser of the recording device 10. Therefore, the recording medium P on which the image is recorded in the recording device 10 is first wound onto a take-up spool to form a roll-shaped winding medium 6. Then, the roll-shaped winding medium 6 is brought into the laminating machine, and the unwound recording medium P and a sheet-shaped laminating film are bonded together, and then it is cut to the size of the recording medium P.

[0051] (Cold lamination machine) Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a typical cold laminating machine used in this embodiment. A roll of waste film 902 is taken from a roll of waste film 901 located at the bottom of the cold laminating machine 900, and wound onto a roll of winding medium 905 via a lower pressure roller 903 and a winding spool 904. Similarly, a roll of laminating film 907 is taken from a roll of laminating film 906 located at the top of the cold laminating machine 900, and wound onto a roll of winding medium 905 via an upper pressure roller 908 and a winding spool 904. At this time, the release paper 909 of the laminating film is wound onto a winding spool 910, so the adhesive portion of the cold laminating film is exposed before the cold laminating film 907 is conveyed to the upper pressure roller 908. The cold laminate film 907 with the adhesive portion exposed and the waste film 902 are conveyed while being pressed together by the upper pressure roller 908 and the lower pressure roller 903, respectively, to form a roll-shaped winding medium 905.

[0052] In the cold laminating machine 900, the roll-shaped winding medium 6 is attached to a mounting spool 911 provided in the cold laminating machine 900. The cold laminating machine 900 then unwinds the roll-shaped winding medium 6 to form a recording medium P. This recording medium P is conveyed in the W direction (conveying direction) and wound up by the winding spool 904, passing between the lower crimping roller 903 and the upper crimping roller 908. By conveying it between the rollers in this way, the recording medium P and the cold laminating film 907 with the adhesive exposed are bonded together to form a laminated roll-shaped winding medium 905.

[0053] The lamination method is not limited to processing using a cold laminating machine. For example, hot lamination, which involves applying heat and pressure to a laminating film such as OPP film or PET film, can be performed using a dedicated or general-purpose laminating machine. The laminating film used for lamination may also be a laminate film made of synthetic resin such as acrylic. Alternatively, a laminate film may be one in which a coating liquid containing UV absorbers, antioxidants, or other weather-resistant enhancers, UV-curing components, etc., is applied to the surface of the ink layer, either by coating or spraying it.

[0054] In this embodiment, a cold laminating machine 900 provided separately from the recording device 10 has been described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. A laminating machine provided integrally with the recording device 10 may also be used.

[0055] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a case where the laminating film used for lamination is a laminating film recommended by the recording medium manufacturer corresponding to the recording medium P, it is not limited to this, and a laminating film not corresponding to the recording medium P may also be used.

[0056] (Material overview) Details of each ink constituting the ink set used in this embodiment will be described below.Hereinafter, "parts" and "%" refer to mass percentages unless otherwise specified.

[0057] • Each ink composition The composition of each ink is described in detail below.

[0058] The colorant inks (K, C, M, Y) and reaction solution (RCT) used in this embodiment all contain a water-soluble organic solvent. For reasons of wetting and moisturizing the face surface of the recording head 9, the water-soluble organic solvent is preferably one with a boiling point of 150°C to 300°C. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of its function as a film-forming aid for resin fine particles and its swelling solubility in the recording medium P on which the resin layer is formed, ketone compounds such as acetone and cyclohexanone, propylene glycol derivatives such as tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and heterocyclic compounds having a lactam structure, such as N-methyl-pyrrolidone and 2-pyrrolidone, are particularly preferred. From the viewpoint of discharge performance, the content of the water-soluble organic solvent is preferably 3 wt% or more and 30 wt% or less. Specifically, the water-soluble organic solvent may include, for example, alkyl alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol, and amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide. Ketones or keto alcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol. Ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane. Polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol. Ethylene glycol. Or alkylene glycols containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms in an alkylene group, such as propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol, and diethylene glycol. Lower alkyl ether acetates such as polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate. Glycerin. Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol methyl (or ethyl) ether, and triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether. Polyhydric alcohols such as trimethylolpropane and trimethylolethane. Examples include N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone. The above water-soluble organic solvents can be used individually or in mixtures. It is also desirable to use deionized water as the water.The content of the water-soluble organic solvent in the reaction solution (RCT) is not particularly limited, but in order to give the colorant inks (K, C, M, Y) desired physical properties, defoaming agents, preservatives, antifungal agents, etc., can be added as appropriate in addition to the above components.

[0059] Furthermore, the colorant inks (K, C, M, Y) and reaction solution (RCT) used in this embodiment all contain surfactants. The surfactants are used to improve the wetting spread of the ink onto the recording medium P. The more surfactant is added, the stronger the property of lowering the surface tension of the ink becomes, and the better the wetting spread of the ink onto the recording medium P becomes.

[0060] In this embodiment, a small amount of acetylene glycol EO adduct or the like was added as a surfactant to adjust the static surface tension of each ink to 30 dyn / cm or less, and further, to keep the difference in static surface tension between the colorant inks within 2 dyn / cm. More specifically, the static surface tension of each colorant ink was adjusted to approximately 22 dyn / cm to 24 dyn / cm. A fully automatic surface tensimeter CBVP-Z (manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.) was used to measure the static surface tension of the inks. Note that the measuring instrument is not limited to the example given above, as long as it can measure the static surface tension of the inks.

[0061] Furthermore, the pH of each colorant ink in this embodiment is stable on the alkaline side, with a value of 8.5 to 9.5. From the viewpoint of preventing the dissolution and deterioration of components that come into contact with each colorant ink in the recording device and recording head 9, and the decrease in the solubility of the dispersed resin in the colorant ink, it is preferable that the pH of each colorant ink be between 7.0 and 10.0. pH was measured using a pH METER model F-52 manufactured by Horiba, Ltd. Note that the measuring instrument is not limited to the example given above, as long as it can measure the pH of the ink.

[0062] • Water-soluble resin emulsion The colorant ink used in this embodiment contains a water-soluble resin emulsion.

[0063] In this embodiment, "water-soluble resin emulsion" refers to polymer fine particles that exist in a dispersed state in water. Specifically, this includes acrylic resin fine particles synthesized by emulsion polymerization of monomers such as alkyl (meth)acrylate or alkyl (meth)acrylate amide; styrene-acrylic resin fine particles synthesized by emulsion polymerization of alkyl (meth)acrylate or alkyl (meth)acrylate amide with styrene monomer; polyethylene resin fine particles, polypropylene resin fine particles, polyurethane resin fine particles, styrene-butadiene resin fine particles, etc. Furthermore, core-shell type resin fine particles in which the polymer composition differs between the core and shell parts constituting the resin fine particles, or resin fine particles obtained by using pre-synthesized acrylic fine particles as seed particles to control particle size and emulsion polymerization around them are also acceptable. Moreover, hybrid type resin fine particles in which different resin fine particles, such as acrylic resin fine particles and urethane resin fine particles, are chemically bonded are also acceptable.

[0064] ·wax The colorant ink used in this embodiment contains wax as a lubricant to improve fastness.

[0065] Examples of synthetic wax particles include Fischer-Tropsch wax (EMUSTAR-6315) manufactured by Nippon Seiro Co., Ltd. and polyolefin wax (Hi-Tec E-9500) manufactured by Toho Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Other examples include natural wax particles such as carnauba wax (Cerosol 524) manufactured by Chukyo Oils Co., Ltd. and paraffin wax (AQUACER 497) manufactured by BIC Chemie Japan Co., Ltd. Silicone oil can also be used as a lubricant; for example, polyether-modified silicone (BYK333) manufactured by BIC Chemie Japan Co., Ltd.

[0066] • Reactant In this embodiment, a system is employed, if necessary, that records using a reaction solution to insolubilize some or all of the solid components of the colorant ink in order to solve image problems such as bleeding and beading.

[0067] To insolubilize dissolved dyes, dispersed pigments, and resins, the following are examples of reactants used in the reaction solution. For example, polyvalent metal ions (e.g., magnesium sulfate, magnesium nitrate, magnesium chloride, calcium emulsion, aluminum sulfate, iron chloride, etc.) can be used. As one type of flocculation using such cations, a system using a low molecular weight cationic polymer flocculant can also be used for the purpose of neutralizing the charge of water-soluble resin emulsions and insolubilizing anionic soluble substances.

[0068] Another reaction system utilizes a reaction solution that takes advantage of the difference in pH to cause insolubilization. As mentioned earlier, most colorant inks used in inkjet recording are stable on the alkaline side due to the properties of their colorants, and the pH is generally between 7.0 and 10.0. From an industrial standpoint and considering the influence of the external environment, the pH is often set to around 8.5 to 9.5. To agglomerate and solidify such colorant inks, an acidic solution can be mixed in, and by changing the pH, the stable state can be disrupted and the dispersed components can be agglomerated. An acidic solution can also be used as the reaction solution for this purpose.

[0069] (Recording medium) The recording device 10 of this embodiment can record on multiple types of recording media. For example, it can record on non-absorbent recording media that do not allow moisture contained in the ink to penetrate, poorly absorbent recording media that have low moisture absorption, and inkjet-compatible recording media that have high moisture absorption.

[0070] (First characteristic structure) The recording device 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow selection of lamination control (hereinafter referred to as lamination control) or non-lamination control (hereinafter referred to as non-lamination control). Lamination control is a recording mode that improves the adhesion between the recording output and the transparent material layer (lamination layer) used for lamination. Non-lamination control is a recording mode that can increase productivity. When lamination control is selected, the adhesion between the recording output and the transparent material layer (lamination layer) used for lamination can be improved by using control conditions that prevent wax from forming a film on the surface of the ink film. However, wax film formation does not mean that the entire surface of the ink film is covered by 100%, but rather that the coverage rate of wax on the surface of the ink film is increasing.

[0071] • Control selection In this embodiment, the user selects either non-laminate control or laminate control, and control is performed based on the selection result. For example, the CPU of the host device 407 performs display control to display a UI screen for selecting either non-laminate control or laminate control on a display device such as a monitor, and accepts the user's selection via the UI screen.

[0072] (UI screen) Figure 10 shows an example of a UI screen. UI screen 1000 is a screen for setting the mode when recording an image. UI screen 1000 is displayed on a display device such as the monitor of the host device 407. UI screen 1000 includes checkboxes 1001 to 1006 for "Economy Printing," "Reduced Print Unevenness," "Unidirectional Printing," "Lamination," "Fine Line Enhancement," and "Text Sharpening." UI screen 1000 also includes an "OK" button 1007, a "Cancel" button 1008, and a "Restore Defaults (F)" button 1009.

[0073] If the "Laminate" checkbox 1004 is checked in response to user input, lamination control will be selected. If the "Laminate" checkbox 1004 is not checked due to no user input, non-laminate control will be selected. Although an example has been described in which the UI screen 1000 is displayed on the display device of the host device 407, it is not limited to this, and may also be displayed on, for example, a touch panel which is an operation unit of the recording device 10 that accepts user input.

[0074] The selected control is then input to the recording device 10 via the host device 407, and the recording data is processed based on the non-laminate control conditions or laminate control conditions stored in the ROM 402. Furthermore, the fixing conditions for non-laminate control or laminate control are selected.

[0075] Regarding the above recording and fixing conditions, one condition may be automatically determined, or one condition may be selected by the user from a list of multiple conditions.

[0076] Furthermore, the above recording conditions and fixing conditions may be adjustable by user operation via a liquid crystal panel provided on the host device 407 or the recording device 10.

[0077] Lamination control The lamination control according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 13.

[0078] Figure 11 shows the temperature profile Pr of the ink film during fixing. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the wax contained in the ink. Figure 13 shows the temperature profile of the ink film during fixing according to this embodiment.

[0079] As shown in Figure 11, the melting point, which is the temperature at which the wax begins to melt in the ink film state during fixing, is called Tm1. The amount of heat imparted to the ink film formed on the recording medium at a temperature above the melting point Tm1 of the wax is called the heat quantity Q1.

[0080] In this embodiment, by making the heat quantity Q1 smaller than the heat quantity required for the wax to form a film, the ink film represented by the ink layer 1201 is formed with the wax 1202 dispersed without forming a film, as shown in Figure 12(a). In this state, where the wax does not form a film, good adhesion can be achieved between the recording output 1200, which is a recording medium on which an image is recorded, and a material layer (laminate layer) not shown.

[0081] In contrast, if the heat quantity Q1 is made greater than the heat required for the wax to form a film, as shown in Figure 12(b), the wax will form a film over the entire surface of the ink layer 1201, and a wax layer 1212 will be formed. When a wax layer 1212 is formed over the entire surface of the ink layer 1201 in this way, the adhesion between the recording output 1210, which is a recording medium on which an image is recorded, and the unillustrated material layer (laminate layer) may decrease. On the other hand, since the amount of heat applied to the ink film represented by the ink layer 1201 increases, the drying speed improves and productivity increases.

[0082] Therefore, it is important to appropriately control the amount of heat applied to the ink film depending on productivity and whether or not post-processing such as lamination is performed, in order to obtain a recording product, which is a recording medium on which the image has been fixed. In this embodiment, productivity and lamination adhesion are improved by controlling the lamination control and non-lamination control in the following relationship for each recording medium, where the adhesion between the recording product and the material layer (lamination layer) changes depending on the amount of heat applied. Lamination control refers to the control when lamination is performed on a recording medium (recording product) on which the image has been fixed, in which a transparent material is laminated. Non-lamination control refers to the control when lamination is not performed on a recording medium (recording product) on which the image has been fixed. The heat amount Q1 mentioned above represents the amount of heat applied at a temperature above the melting point Tm1 at which the wax begins to melt in the ink film during fixing.

[0083] Q1 (non-laminate control) > Q1 (laminate control) In this embodiment, in order to satisfy the above relationship, a method of controlling the fuser so that the temperature of the ink film during fixing is maintained between non-laminate control and laminate control will be described.

[0084] T2 (non-laminate control) > T1 (laminate control) > T3 (minimum film formation temperature) T1 (Laminate Control) represents the temperature of the ink film during laminate control. T2 (Non-Laminate Control) represents the temperature of the ink film during non-laminate control. T3 (Minimum Film Formation Temperature) represents the minimum film formation temperature, which is the lowest temperature at which the resin contained in the ink melts and forms a film. By controlling the fixing temperature to be above the minimum film formation temperature of the resin, the resin of the ink film forms a film. Therefore, sufficient durability can be obtained in both ink films with a non-film-forming wax 1202 as shown in Figure 12(a), and ink films with a film-forming wax layer 1212 as shown in Figure 12(b).

[0085] Furthermore, in T2 (non-laminate control), the temperature is set to a high temperature above the melting point Tm1 where the wax begins to melt in the ink film, in order to increase productivity. In T1 (laminate control), the temperature is set to a temperature lower than the melting point Tm1 in order to improve the adhesion of the laminate layer. T3 (minimum film formation temperature) is a lower temperature than T1 (laminate control), and it is desirable that it be a temperature lower than the melting point Tm1 where the wax begins to melt.

[0086] This section describes the melting characteristics of wax particles in an ink film. For the sake of simplicity, the melting point Tm1 of the wax particles was assumed to be the critical temperature, and that the wax particles melted at temperatures above Tm1. However, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and other methods have revealed that the actual thermal melting characteristics of wax particles do not exhibit a sharp pattern. This is thought to be due to factors such as the crystallinity of the wax particles, which are polymer materials, and the amorphous nature of resin materials such as emulsions contained in the ink. As a result, the endothermic peak generated when the wax particles melt becomes broad, and it is thought that the melting of the wax particles begins at a temperature several degrees lower than the peak temperature Tm1.

[0087] The temperature difference between T2 (non-laminate control) and T1 (laminate control) is preferably set considering the melting temperature characteristics of the wax particles and the temperature variation of the fuser of the recording device, as described above. For example, if the temperature at which the wax starts to melt is 3°C lower than the wax melting temperature Tm1, and the temperature variation of the fuser is 5°C, the larger of the two temperature differences should be used. In this case, T1 (laminate control) is set to a value 5°C lower than T2 (non-laminate control). Also, if the temperature at which the wax starts to melt is 7°C lower than Tm1, and the temperature variation of the fuser is similarly 5°C, T1 (laminate control) is set to a value 7°C lower than T2 (non-laminate control). By setting the temperature difference between the two controls as described above, it is possible to obtain stable adhesion to the laminate film even under temperature variations of the fuser. Depending on the type of wax material used and the temperature variation characteristics of the fuser, it is preferable to set the temperature difference between the fixing temperature T1 (laminate control) and the fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) to 3°C or more, more preferably 5°C or more. This allows for obtaining recording results with good productivity and adhesion of the laminate film.

[0088] The temperature of the ink film is controlled by the fuser in the recording device of this embodiment. In this case, if the physical properties of the recording medium, such as thermal conductivity, wettability, and permeability, differ, the amount of energy required to impart heat to the ink film recorded on the recording medium will also differ. Furthermore, the temperature profile of the ink film within the fuser will also differ for each recording medium. Therefore, the control conditions of the fuser will also differ for each recording medium.

[0089] Since it is difficult to set the temperature of the fuser mentioned above by checking the melting state of the wax, the adhesion strength of the laminate may be used as a criterion.

[0090] In this embodiment, the temperature of the ink film during fixing was varied for each recording medium, and lamination was performed on the fixed ink film. The adhesion strength of each laminate was measured, and the temperature at which the adhesion strength decreased by 50% was defined as T1 (lamination control). The adhesion strength was measured, for example, using a film peeling analyzer (VPA-3) manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd. In this embodiment, the recorded product that had been laminated and left for 24 hours was attached to a stainless steel plate, the peeling angle of the laminate film was set to 180°, and the peeling speed was set to 30 mm per minute, and the peeling force was measured. Furthermore, although the above description described a case where the threshold was set to 50%, it is not limited to this. For example, as long as sufficient lamination suitability is obtained, it is possible to set the threshold to any value smaller than 50%, such as 40%.

[0091] Furthermore, while an example of a fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) set higher than the wax melting point Tm1 to increase productivity has been shown, the example is not limited to this. For example, in recording modes where increased productivity is not necessary, or when the fixing temperature cannot be raised due to the heat resistance characteristics of the recording media, the fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) can be set to or below the wax melting point Tm1, and the lamination mode does not need to be set. Specifically, the fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) and the fixing temperature T1 (laminate control) may be set to the same value (T2=T1).

[0092] In the lamination control described above, if lowering the fixing temperature results in insufficient energy required for fixing, the energy deficit can be compensated for by increasing the overall fixing time. In Figure 13, arrow h2 (non-lamination control) represents the fixing time for non-lamination control. Arrow h1 (lamination control) represents the fixing time for lamination control. The fixing time is controlled by adjusting the transport speed of the recording medium P. For example, the transport speed of the recording medium P, i.e., the fixing time (h1 (lamination control), h2 (non-lamination control)), can be controlled by adjusting the scanning speed, number of scans, and waiting time between scans in the multi-path recording method. Specifically, if the scanning speed is kept constant and the number of scans is increased, the fixing time (h1 (lamination control) and fixing time h2 (non-lamination control)) will each become longer. By maintaining the scanning speed and number of scans unchanged and increasing the waiting time between scans, the fixing time (h1 (laminate control) and fixing time h2 (non-laminate control)) can also be extended.

[0093] Here, 3M Scotchcal™ Graphic Film IJ1220-10 polyvinyl chloride film was used as the recording medium, and 3M Scotchcal™ Overlaminate Film IJ4132 was used as the laminating film. The minimum film formation temperature was 65°C, and the recording ink density was set to 32 ng / 600 dpi. Note that dpi refers to the relative resolution, which indicates the number of recorded dots per inch.

[0094] For "Tm1," the adhesion strength of the laminating film was measured and used as the evaluation criterion. By applying lamination to multiple ink films fixed at different fixing temperatures and measuring the adhesion strength of each laminate film, it was confirmed that the fixing temperature at which adhesion strength decreased by 50% was 85°C. The heating gas velocity from the fuser was set to 5 m / second, common to both non-laminate and laminate control. The fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) was set to 90°C and the fixing time h2 (non-laminate control) to 70 seconds, while the fixing temperature T1 (laminate control) was set to 80°C and the fixing time h1 (laminate control) to 100 seconds.

[0095] Fixing time can generally be controlled by slowing down the scanning speed of multipath recording, increasing the waiting time between scans, or slowing down the transport speed of the recording medium. In this implementation, the waiting time between scans is controlled. Specifically, for non-laminate control, multi-pass recording was set to 6 passes, scanning speed to 60 inches per second, and inter-scan waiting time to 0 seconds. For laminate control, multi-pass recording was set to 6 passes, scanning speed to 60 inches per second, and inter-scan waiting time to 0.7 seconds.

[0096] Furthermore, if the energy required for fixing is sufficient even when the fixing temperature is lowered, the lamination control may be the same as the non-lamination control.

[0097] As described above, in this embodiment, when the ink contains wax, the lamination process is controlled to distinguish between cases where lamination is performed and cases where it is not. This makes it possible to perform lamination appropriately when using ink containing wax.

[0098] <<Embodiment 2>> This embodiment describes a method in which the amount of heat applied is made smaller than the amount of heat required for wax film formation by controlling the time it takes for the wax to reach a temperature above its melting point Tm1. This embodiment will primarily describe the differences from Embodiment 1.

[0099] (Second characteristic structure) The recording device of this embodiment has a function that allows setting either a laminate control, which is a recording mode suitable for lamination of the recorded output, or a non-laminate control, which is a recording mode unsuitable for lamination of the recorded output, for each recording medium. However, the fixing time h11 during laminate control and the fixing time h12 during non-laminate control have the following relationship.

[0100] The fixing time at which the temperature of the ink film reaches a temperature above the melting point Tm1, where the wax begins to dissolve, satisfies the following conditions. h12 (non-laminate control) > h11 (laminate control)

[0101] Figure 14 shows the temperature profile of the ink film during fixing according to this embodiment.

[0102] • Control method for fixing times h11 and h12 In this embodiment, the fixing times h11 and h12 are adjusted by controlling the transport speed of the recording medium.

[0103] For example, by changing the transport speed of the recording medium P without changing the heating temperature of the fuser, the fixing time h11 (laminate control) and fixing time h12 (non-laminate control) can be adjusted, as shown in Figure 14(a).

[0104] Specifically, this involves increasing the scanning speed of the multi-pass recording method, reducing the number of scans, or shortening the waiting time between scans. This makes it possible to shorten the fixing time h11 (laminate control) compared to the fixing time h12 (non-laminate control).

[0105] The recording medium, laminate film, minimum film-forming temperature, recording ink density, wax melting point Tm1, and wind speed are the same as in Embodiment 1, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. For example, in non-laminate control, the fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) was 90°C, and the fixing time h12 (non-laminate control) at which the temperature reached or exceeded the wax melting point Tm1 was 70 seconds. In contrast, in laminate control, the fixing temperature T1 (laminate control) was 90°C, and the fixing time h11 (laminate control) at which the temperature reached or exceeded the wax melting point Tm1 was 40 seconds. Thus, it was confirmed that the fixing time h11 (laminate control) could be shortened compared to the fixing time h12 (non-laminate control). In this embodiment, the fixing time is controlled by controlling the waiting time between each scan, similar to Embodiment 1. Specifically, the waiting time for non-laminate control is set to be 0.7 seconds longer than that for laminate control.

[0106] In the lamination control of this embodiment, shortening the fixing time may reduce the fixing energy and weaken the robustness of the recorded output. However, productivity can be increased by shortening the fixing time based on the idea that robustness is ensured by the lamination process performed after recording.

[0107] Furthermore, by changing the temperature profile, the fixing time h31 (laminated) can be shortened compared to the fixing time h32 (non-laminated).

[0108] In this embodiment, the fixing time h31 (laminate control) is controlled by adjusting the airflow velocity of the heated gas from the fuser.

[0109] For example, by controlling the airflow velocity of the heating gas blown by the fuser, the slope of the rise in temperature profiles Pr21 and Pr22 can be controlled, as shown in Figure 14(b). Specifically, the fuser's blower fan 203 is controlled to slow down the airflow velocity of the heating gas. This makes the slope of temperature profile Pr21 (laminate control) when the temperature exceeds the melting point Tm1 of the wax gentler compared to temperature profile Pr22 (non-laminate control).

[0110] Furthermore, if shortening the fixing time h31 (laminate control) results in insufficient energy for fixing, it is preferable to lengthen the overall fixing time h21 to compensate for the energy loss. In this case, the temperature profile can be controlled by combining it with a control that lengthens the fixing time.

[0111] Here, when measuring the profile of the change in laminate adhesion with respect to fixing time, it was confirmed that the laminate adhesion gradually decreases over time as the fixing time increases. This is thought to depend on the response speed of the melting time of the wax component contained in the ink and the physical properties of the recording medium. For example, with a polyvinyl chloride film with low thermal conductivity, the laminate adhesion decreases by 50% in 20 seconds. In this case, the fixing time h31 (laminate control) should be set to 20 seconds or less. Also, with a recording medium with high thermal conductivity, such as transparent PET film, the laminate adhesion decreases by 50% in 10 seconds. In this case, the fixing time h31 (laminate control) should be set to 10 seconds or less.

[0112] Depending on the type of wax material used and the physical properties of the recording medium, setting the fixing time (lamination control) to 20 seconds or less, more preferably 10 seconds or less, makes it possible to accommodate most recording media.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, multiple sets (e.g., two or three sets) of the heater 202, blower fan 203, blower duct 204, and blower exhaust unit 205 may be provided in the Y direction of the fuser. When multiple sets are provided in this way, the slope of the profile rise can also be controlled by changing the settings of the blower temperature and wind speed for each set.

[0114] For example, suppose there are three sets of heater 202, blower fan 203, blower duct 204, and blower exhaust unit 205 in the Y direction. The fixing temperature T2 (non-laminate control) is set from the carriage unit 2 side with a blower temperature of 90°C / 90°C / 90°C and a wind speed of 3 m / s for all sets. The fixing time h32 (non-laminate control) to reach or exceed the melting point Tm1 of the wax is set to 70 seconds, and the total fixing time h22 is set to 80 seconds. The fixing temperature T1 (laminate control) is set from the carriage unit 2 side with a blower temperature of 70°C / 80°C / 90°C and a wind speed of 3 m / s for all sets. The fixing time h31 (laminate control) to reach or exceed the melting point Tm1 of the wax is set to 20 seconds, and the total fixing time h21 is set to 100 seconds.

[0115] By performing the above control, it was confirmed that the lamination control can form an ink film without wax coating, as shown in Figure 12(a). However, wax coating does not mean that the entire surface of the ink film is covered by 100%, but rather that the wax coverage rate on the surface of the ink film is increasing.

[0116] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to obtain recording results with excellent robustness. Furthermore, by selecting non-lamination control, it is possible to perform recording control with high productivity. By selecting lamination control, it is possible to perform lamination processing appropriately.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fixing temperature by the fuser (non-laminate control) and the fixing temperature by the fuser (laminate control) may be different, provided that the wax does not form a film.

[0118] <<Other Embodiments>> Although this embodiment describes a serial scanning type recording device, it is not limited to this, and a full multi-type recording device using a line head with the same length as the width of the recording medium may also be used.

[0119] Furthermore, while this embodiment describes an example of recording a good image with suppressed bleeding, beading, etc., by using a reaction solution to insolubilize some or all of the solid components of the colorant ink, it is not limited to this. A good image with suppressed bleeding, beading, etc., may also be recorded without using a reaction solution, for example, by a heating mechanism provided in the platen.

[0120] This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above 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 implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. Furthermore, the program may be recorded on a recording medium readable by a computer and provided.

[0121] This embodiment includes the following configuration examples.

[0122] (Composition 1) A recording means for recording an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, A transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the aforementioned image is recorded, The recording means records the image, and the fixing means heats the recording medium that has been transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium. When the ink contains wax, a control means for distinguishing and controlling whether lamination is performed or not, A recording device characterized by having the following features.

[0123] (Configuration 2) The control means controls at least one of the recording means, the transport means, and the fixing means. A recording device according to configuration 1, characterized in that it is a recording device.

[0124] (Composition 3) The control means controls the fixing means such that, when lamination is performed, the amount of heat generated by heating is reduced compared to when lamination is not performed. A recording device according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0125] (Composition 4) The control means controls the fixing means so that, when lamination is performed, the amount of heat required is greater than the amount of heat required to form the ink film. A recording device according to configuration 3, characterized in that it is a recording device.

[0126] (Composition 5) The control means controls the fixing means such that, when lamination is performed, the film temperature of the ink is lower than when lamination is not performed. A recording device according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0127] (Composition 6) The control means controls the fixing means so that, when lamination is performed, the temperature of the fixing means is higher than the film-forming temperature of the ink. A recording device according to configuration 5, characterized in that it is a recording device.

[0128] (Composition 7) The fixing means includes a measuring means for measuring the temperature at which the recording medium is heated, The control means controls the fixing means based on the temperature measured by the measuring means. A recording device according to configuration 5 or 6, characterized by the above.

[0129] (Composition 8) The control means controls at least one of the recording means, the transport means, and the fixing means so that when lamination is performed, the time during which the wax reaches a temperature above its melting point is shorter compared to when lamination is not performed. A recording device according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0130] (Composition 9) The control means controls the transport means to adjust the transport speed of the recording medium. A recording device according to configuration 8, characterized by the above.

[0131] (Composition 10) The control means controls the recording means to perform at least one of the following: increasing the scanning speed of the recording means, decreasing the number of scans of the recording means, or shortening the waiting time between scans of the recording means. A recording device according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described therein.

[0132] (Composition 11) The control means controls the fixing means to adjust the airflow velocity at which the fixing means blows heated gas. A recording device according to configuration 8, characterized by the above.

[0133] (Composition 12) The control means controls the fixing means so that the wind speed decreases. A recording device according to configuration 11, characterized by the features described above.

[0134] (Composition 13) When lamination is performed, if the fixing energy required for fixing is insufficient, the control means controls the transport means so that the fixing time required for fixing is longer than when lamination is not performed. A recording device according to configuration 5 or 8, characterized by the above.

[0135] (Composition 14) When lamination is performed, if the fixing energy required for fixing is insufficient, the control means controls the recording means so that the fixing time required for fixing is longer than when lamination is not performed. A recording device according to configuration 5 or 8, characterized by the above.

[0136] (Composition 15) The control means controls the recording means so as to increase the number of scans without changing the scanning speed of the recording means. A recording device according to configuration 14, characterized in that...

[0137] (Composition 16) The control means controls the recording means to increase the waiting time between scans for operating the recording means, without changing the scanning speed or the number of scans of the recording means. A recording device according to configuration 14, characterized in that...

[0138] (Composition 17) The device has setting means for determining whether or not to perform the lamination process. A recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 16, characterized by the above.

[0139] (Composition 18) The system further includes a display control means that displays a UI screen for setting whether or not to perform the lamination process on the display means, The setting means sets the execution of the lamination process based on user operation via the UI screen. A recording device according to configuration 17, characterized in that it is a recording device.

[0140] (Composition 19) The control means controls at least one of the recording means, transport means, and fixing means, depending on the type of recording medium. A recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 18, characterized by the above.

[0141] (Composition 20) The device further comprises a processing means provided after the fixing means, which performs the lamination process on the recording medium on which the image has been fixed. A recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 19, characterized by the above.

[0142] (Composition 21) The processing means is provided integrally with the recording device, or is provided separately from the recording device. A recording device according to configuration 20, characterized in that...

[0143] (Composition 22) A recording means for recording an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, A transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the aforementioned image is recorded, The recording means records the image, and the fixing means heats the recording medium that has been transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium. A control method for a recording device having, The process includes a step to distinguish and control whether lamination is performed or not when the ink contains wax. A control method characterized by the following:

[0144] (Composition 23) A program to cause a computer to execute the control method described in configuration 22.

Claims

1. A recording means for recording an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, A transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the aforementioned image is recorded, The recording means records the image, and the fixing means heats the recording medium that has been transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium. When the ink contains wax, a control means for distinguishing and controlling whether lamination is performed or not, A recording device characterized by having the following features.

2. The control means controls at least one of the recording means, the transport means, and the fixing means. The recording device according to feature 1.

3. The control means controls the fixing means such that, when lamination is performed, the amount of heat generated by heating is reduced compared to when lamination is not performed. The recording device according to feature 2.

4. The control means controls the fixing means so that, when lamination is performed, the amount of heat required is greater than the amount of heat required to form the ink film. The recording device according to feature 3.

5. The control means controls the fixing means such that, when lamination is performed, the film temperature of the ink is lower than when lamination is not performed. The recording device according to feature 2.

6. The control means controls the fixing means so that, when lamination is performed, the temperature of the fixing means is higher than the film-forming temperature of the ink. The recording device according to feature 5.

7. The fixing means includes a measuring means for measuring the temperature at which the recording medium is heated, The control means controls the fixing means based on the temperature measured by the measuring means. The recording device according to feature 5.

8. The control means controls at least one of the recording means, the transport means, and the fixing means so that when lamination is performed, the time during which the wax reaches a temperature above its melting point is shorter compared to when lamination is not performed. The recording device according to feature 2.

9. The control means controls the transport means to adjust the transport speed of the recording medium. The recording device according to feature 8.

10. The control means controls the recording means to perform at least one of the following: increasing the scanning speed of the recording means, decreasing the number of scans of the recording means, or shortening the waiting time between scans of the recording means. The recording device according to feature 9.

11. The control means controls the fixing means to adjust the airflow velocity at which the fixing means blows heated gas. The recording device according to feature 8.

12. The control means controls the fixing means so that the wind speed decreases. The recording device according to feature 11.

13. When lamination is performed, if the fixing energy required for fixing is insufficient, the control means controls the transport means so that the fixing time required for fixing is longer than when lamination is not performed. The recording device according to feature 5 or 8.

14. When lamination is performed, if the fixing energy required for fixing is insufficient, the control means controls the recording means so that the fixing time required for fixing is longer than when lamination is not performed. The recording device according to feature 5 or 8.

15. The control means controls the recording means so as to increase the number of scans without changing the scanning speed of the recording means. The recording device according to feature 14.

16. The control means controls the recording means to increase the waiting time between scans for operating the recording means, without changing the scanning speed or the number of scans of the recording means. The recording device according to feature 14.

17. The device has setting means for determining whether or not to perform the lamination process. The recording device according to feature 1.

18. The system further includes a display control means that displays a UI screen for setting whether or not to perform the lamination process on the display means, The setting means sets the execution of the lamination process based on user operation via the UI screen. The recording device according to feature 17.

19. The control means controls at least one of the recording means, transport means, and fixing means, depending on the type of recording medium. The recording device according to feature 1.

20. The device further comprises a processing means provided after the fixing means, which performs the lamination process on the recording medium on which the image has been fixed. The recording device according to feature 1.

21. The processing means is provided integrally with the recording device, or is provided separately from the recording device. The recording device according to feature 20.

22. A recording means for recording an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, A transport means for transporting the recording medium on which the aforementioned image is recorded, The recording means records the image, and the fixing means heats the recording medium that has been transported by the transport means to fix the image onto the recording medium. A control method for a recording device having, The process includes a step to distinguish and control whether lamination is performed or not when the ink contains wax. A control method characterized by the following:

23. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in claim 22.

Images