Printing apparatus and printing method

• US 9,944,071 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohara, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zimmermann, John P
• Application Number:
  US15/124,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04536 using history data
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/21 for multi-colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/102 using ink jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/107 Mask selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/101 involving the use of ink jets

Abstract

With respect to a configuration for performing printing in an inkjet method, the disclosure implements a more appropriate configuration in which it is difficult for the quantity of printing to deteriorate. This configuration includes a head unit (12), a main scan driver (14), and a controller (20). When main scan operations are performed, the controller (20) performs control with respect to the same area on the medium (50) such that the head unit (12) ejects ink drops of one selected color onto a plurality of first selection pixels selected on the basis of a first mask data item and a plurality of second selection pixels selected on the basis of a second mask data item different from the first mask data item in the arrangement of a plurality of pixels to be selected.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for performing printing on a medium in an inkjet method, comprising:

a head unit having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink drops onto the medium;

a main scan driver configured to drive the head unit to perform main scan operations of ejecting ink drops from the nozzles while moving in a main scan direction which is predetermined; and

a controller configured to control operations of performing printing on the medium by controlling the main scan operations of the head unit and the main scan driver,

wherein, when the main scan operations are performed, the controller performs control with respect to each area of the medium such that the head unit ejects ink drops of one selected color onto a plurality of first selection pixels selected on a basis of a first mask data item and a plurality of second selection pixels selected on a basis of a second mask data item different from the first mask data item in an arrangement of a plurality of pixels to be selected,

wherein, printing on the plurality of first selection pixels and the plurality of second selection pixels is performed by a plurality of main scan operations to be performed with respect to a same position,

a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of second selection pixels is different from a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of first selection pixels,

in a first pattern of the first mask data item and a second pattern of the second mask data item, a spatial frequency characteristic of one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the high frequency side, and a spatial frequency characteristic of the other one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the low frequency side,

a pattern that is one-sided on the high frequency side is a distance at which spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of all inter-dot distances are higher than a peak frequency of a visual sensitivity function,

a pattern that is one-sided on the low frequency side is a distance at which the spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of the all inter-dot distances are lower than the peak frequency of the visual sensitivity function.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the one selected color is a color which is used to blot out a predetermined area.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the head unit includes a nozzle row which is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in a sub scan direction perpendicular to the main scan direction,

the controller controls the main scan driver such that the main scan driver performs a plurality of main scan operations on each area of the medium,

during a first main scan operation of the plurality of main scan operations, on the basis of the first mask data item, ink drops are ejected from the nozzle row, and during a subsequent main scan operation, on the basis of the second mask data item, ink drops are ejected from the nozzle row.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the nozzle row ejects ink drops of ink which is fixed on the medium by drying.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the ink is solvent ink containing a volatile organic solvent as its main component.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the head unit includes;

a first nozzle row which is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in a sub scan direction perpendicular to the main scan direction; and

a second nozzle row which is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in the sub scan direction with an interval from the first nozzle row in the main scan direction, and

when the head unit performs the main scan operations, the controller performs control such that ink drops are ejected from the first nozzle row onto the first selection pixels and ink drops of the same color as that of ink drops which are ejected from the first nozzle row are ejected from the second nozzle row onto the second selection pixels.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row eject ink drops of ultraviolet curing ink,

the printing apparatus further includes an ultraviolet light source configured to radiate ultraviolet light onto dots formed by the ink drops.

3. A printing apparatus for performing printing on a medium in an inkjet method, comprising:

a head unit having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink drops onto the medium;

a main scan driver configured to drive the head unit to perform main scan operations of ejecting ink drops from the nozzles while moving in a main scan direction which is predetermined; and

a controller configured to control operations of performing printing on the medium by controlling the main scan operations of the head unit and the main scan driver,

wherein, when the main scan operations are performed, the controller performs control with respect to each area of the medium such that the head unit ejects ink drops of one selected color onto a plurality of first selection pixels selected on a basis of a first mask data item and a plurality of second selection pixels selected on a basis of a second mask data item different from the first mask data item in an arrangement of a plurality of pixels to be selected,

wherein;

the head unit includes;

a first nozzle row which is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in a sub scan direction perpendicular to the main scan direction; and

a second nozzle row which is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side in the sub scan direction with an interval from the first nozzle row in the main scan direction, and

when the head unit performs the main scan operations, the controller performs control such that ink drops are ejected from the first nozzle row onto the first selection pixels and ink drops of the same color as that of ink drops which are ejected from the first nozzle row are ejected from the second nozzle row onto the second selection pixels,

printing on the plurality of first selection pixels and the plurality of second selection pixels is performed by a plurality of main scan operations to be performed with respect to a same position,

a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of second selection pixels is different from a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of first selection pixels,

in a first pattern of the first mask data item and a second pattern of the second mask data item, a spatial frequency characteristic of one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the high frequency side, and a spatial frequency characteristic of the other one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the low frequency side,

a pattern that is one-sided on the high frequency side is a distance at which spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of all inter-dot distances are higher than a peak frequency of a visual sensitivity function,

a pattern that is one-sided on the low frequency side is a distance at which the spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of the all inter-dot distances are lower than the peak frequency of the visual sensitivity function.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row eject ink drops of ultraviolet curing ink,

the printing apparatus further includes an ultraviolet light source configured to radiate ultraviolet light onto dots formed by the ink drops.

8. A printing method of performing printing by ejecting ink drops from a head onto a predetermined area on a medium while moving the head in a main scan direction, comprising:

a step of ejecting ink drops of one selected color from the head onto a plurality of first selection pixels of the predetermined area of the medium selected on a basis of a first mask data item; and

a step of ejecting ink drops of a same color as that of the ink drops associated with the first mask data item, from the head onto a plurality of second selection pixels of a same area as the predetermined area selected on a basis of a second mask data item different from the first mask data item,

wherein, printing on the plurality of first selection pixels and the plurality of second selection pixels is performed by a plurality of main scan operations to be performed with respect to a same position,

a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of second selection pixels is different from a spatial frequency characteristic of a pixel arrangement of the plurality of first selection pixels,

in a first pattern of the first mask data item and a second pattern of the second mask data item, a spatial frequency characteristic of one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the high frequency side, and a spatial frequency characteristic of the other one of the first pattern and the second pattern is one-sided on the low frequency side,

a pattern that is one-sided on the high frequency side is a distance at which spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of all inter-dot distances are higher than a peak frequency of a visual sensitivity function,

a pattern that is one-sided on the low frequency side is a distance at which the spatial frequencies corresponding to 80% or more of the all inter-dot distances are lower than the peak frequency of the visual sensitivity function.