Ink Ejection Position Correction for Print Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face issues with ink ejection position deviations between forward and backward paths, leading to image quality degradation due to overlapping ink areas during ejection position change correction, especially when the amount of ink ejected per unit area is small or when printing on varying materials.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus and method that perform ejection position change correction by determining the amount of ink ejected per unit area and adjusting the ejection accordingly, using a predetermined threshold value to minimize overlap and maintain image quality, with the option to set this value based on the material or experimentally obtained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ejection position change correction is performed to prevent position deviation between forward and backward paths, then positioning accuracy is improved, but ink overlap occurs causing image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the ejection amount parameter based on the ink color. Specifically, for ink colors where overlap would cause significant hue changes (like cyan and magenta), the ejection amount is reduced. This parameter adjustment prevents harmful ink overlap while maintaining positioning accuracy through selective ejection control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different ejection amounts to different ink colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) based on their individual characteristics and overlap sensitivity. This local quality approach ensures that each ink type is handled appropriately, preventing image quality degradation in specific areas where overlap would be most harmful.
2Measurement precision
If ejection position change correction is performed to maintain consistent ejection path, then positioning precision is improved, but ink overlap causes different hue areas leading to image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the ejection amount parameter according to ink color characteristics. For colors where overlap creates significant hue variations, the ejection amount is reduced. This maintains ejection position consistency while preventing harmful hue variations through color-specific parameter adjustment.
3Manufacturing precision
If ejection position change correction is performed, then position deviation is reduced, but ink overlap occurs degrading image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by setting different ejection amounts for different ink colors. The determination unit identifies ink colors where overlap would cause significant hue changes, and the execution unit reduces ejection amounts for those specific colors, thereby preventing image quality degradation while maintaining position deviation control.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing mechanism unit that forms an image by ejecting first ink and second ink which have hues different from each other toward a recording medium, while moving multiple number of times with respect to the recording medium; a pass analysis unit that decides an ejection position of the ink in multiple paths through which the printing unit moves, when the image is formed; an execution unit that, when two paths different from each other of the multiple paths are referred to as a first path and a second path, performs ejection position change correction in which the ejection position is changed such that at least one ink of the first ink and the second ink which are ejected into the first path is ejected into the second path; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the execution unit performs the ejection position change correction, based on an amount of ejection per unit area of at least one ink of the first ink and the second ink with respect to the image, are provided.