IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20130187971A1
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogata, Takao, Kunimine, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 9,039,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/07 characterised by jet control B41J2/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2107 characterised by the ink properties supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2132 Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40

Abstract

There are provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which can shorten a drying time of inks in an edge region of an image, and can form a sharp image without bleeding of the ink applied onto the edge region into a blank paper. The image processing method generates applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and lower in surface tension than the first ink, and the print medium. The image processing method generates first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generates second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

Claims

1. An image processing method for generating applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and lower surface tension than the first ink, and the print medium, the image processing method comprising:

a step for generating first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generating second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

2. An image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step for generating third data for applying the first ink to a region not adjacent to the edge region in the inside region.

3. An image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step for generating fourth data for applying the first ink to the edge region on which the second ink is applied based upon the second data.

4. An image processing method according to claim 3, further comprising:

a step for applying the first ink based upon the fourth data after applying the second ink based upon the second data during the single relative scan.

5. An image processing method according to claim 3, wherein

a quantity of the second ink applied in the edge region based upon the second data is smaller than a quantity of the first ink applied in the edge region based upon the fourth data.

6. An image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step for generating fifth data for applying the second ink to the predetermined region on which the first ink is applied based upon the first data.

7. An image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a step for applying the second ink based upon the fifth data after applying the first ink based upon the first data during the single relative scan.

8. An image processing method according to claim 6, wherein

a quantity of the first ink applied in the predetermined region based upon the first data is smaller than a quantity of the second ink applied in the predetermined region based upon the fifth data.

9. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein

in the print head, a first nozzle row and a third nozzle row, in which nozzles for ejecting the first ink are arrayed in a first direction, are arranged in a direction crossing the first direction, and a second nozzle row, in which nozzles for ejecting the second ink are arrayed, is arranged between the first nozzle row and the third nozzle row in the second direction.

10. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein

the print medium includes a non-absorption print medium not provided with a receiving layer for receiving the ink.

11. An image processing method for generating applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and higher permeability into the print medium than the first ink, and the print medium, the image processing method comprising:

a step for generating first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region; and

generating second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

12. An image processing apparatus for generating applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and lower surface tension than the first ink, and the print medium, wherein

the image processing apparatus generates first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generates second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

13. An image processing apparatus for generating applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and higher permeability into the print medium than the first ink, and the print medium, wherein

the image processing apparatus generates first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generates second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.