JP2009012320A - Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a storage medium that allow a user to determine an adjustment value for correcting an output result in accordance with changes in various use environments. .
In order to determine an adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads at an arbitrary timing, the output result is corrected according to changes in various usage environments. I can do it. That is, the user himself / herself can determine an adjustment value for correcting the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a storage medium, and in particular, an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a storage that correct an output image difference caused by a change in a use environment at an arbitrary timing. It relates to the medium.

2. Description of the Related Art An image processing apparatus has been developed that allows a user to correctly replenish paper set in a paper feed cassette and reliably perform print control according to the paper.
This is an image processing apparatus including one or more paper feed cassettes, and includes a paper code input means, a paper code setting means for associating the inputted paper code with the paper feed cassette, and a paper to be printed at the time of printing. Print control means for performing the corresponding print control, paper feed cassette locking means for locking the paper feed cassette, and locking of the paper feed cassette from the input paper code and the paper code set in the paper feed cassette. And a means for releasing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-36423 A

  As an image processing apparatus, not only an apparatus using an electrophotographic system, but in recent years, an image processing apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus) of an ink jet recording system in which a liquid discharge head for discharging a recording liquid (ink) is used as a recording head is used. It is popular.

As is well known, an ink jet recording apparatus uses, as a recording head, a liquid discharge head provided with pressure generating means for generating pressure to pressurize ink in a liquid chamber to which a nozzle that discharges droplets communicates. By driving the pressure generating means according to image information, pressure is applied to the ink in the liquid chamber, liquid droplets are ejected from the nozzle, and adhered to a recording medium such as paper or film to form (print) an image.
There is a difference between printing using the inkjet recording method and printing using the electrophotographic method in terms of dot positions and dot sizes that can be formed, and the spread of dots on the recording medium. That is, in the electrophotographic method, dots can be formed at almost arbitrary positions, whereas in the ink jet recording method, the dot positions that can be formed are limited by the nozzle pitch and the driving frequency of the recording head.

  In addition, in the electrophotographic system, the toner transferred to the recording medium does not penetrate into the recording medium and the dots do not spread, whereas in the ink jet recording system, the recording liquid lands on the recording medium after landing (attachment). Due to the penetration, the dot spreads. Further, even if an image is formed in the same manner with a plurality of ink jet recording apparatuses, an equivalent output result may not be obtained. This is because the dot size and the landing position shift due to the influence of mechanical variation and electrical variation of the ink jet recording apparatus.

  One solution to this problem is to use γ correction. For an inkjet recording apparatus in which the output result for the input is smaller than the target characteristic, the output image is adjusted to output a higher gradation so that the output image is darker. Adjust to output gradation. The γ curve shows the relationship of the output gradation with respect to each input gradation, and the output result can be made the same even in a plurality of inkjet recording apparatuses by such γ correction.

  The conventional γ curve is determined on paper that has a small variation before shipment from the factory. Therefore, when an image is formed in the same environment as the factory, a good image can be obtained as intended. When the usage environment of the recording apparatus changes, output results may vary. For example, if paper that is easy to bleed is used, the dot diameter will be larger than the target, and even if the paper is the same, ink ejection will also depend on the atmospheric conditions (temperature and humidity) of the inkjet recording device, the temperature of the ink, the temperature in the head, etc. The characteristics will change.

  Moreover, there are many cases where domestic / overseas image processing is made the same for shortening the design time, but there are also cases where images preferred by Japanese are not preferred by Westerners. The demand for inkjet image quality in the market is increasing year by year, but it is difficult to tune each inkjet recording device, and a system that can be tuned by the user is required.

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, adjustment can be made at an arbitrary timing. However, since adjustment is performed so as to achieve a target output characteristic in the image processing apparatus, the image processing method is complicated and the colorimeter is used. To increase the cost. In addition, since the processing is completed in the image processing apparatus, it becomes impossible to incorporate user preferences.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a storage medium that allow a user himself to determine an adjustment value for correcting an output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is an image processing apparatus for obtaining an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, wherein the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and Means is provided for determining an adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid discharge characteristic between the heads at an arbitrary timing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, an adjustment value determination pattern formed on the recording medium for determining the adjustment value is provided.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the adjustment value is an input / output corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance by comparing an output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference. It is characterized by selecting from a curve.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the adjustment value is determined by comparing a colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. And

  The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 3, the adjustment value is selected by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and the colorimetric result of the reference image.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern includes at least one patch, and the patch corresponds to the adjustment value. The adjustment value is determined by selecting an arbitrary patch from the patches.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the invention according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is monochromatic.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or the reference is a plurality of colors.

  The invention according to claim 9 is an image processing method for obtaining an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, wherein the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads are corrected. The adjustment value is determined at an arbitrary timing.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect of the invention, an adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value is formed on the recording medium.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, the adjustment value is an input / output corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance by comparing an output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference. It is characterized by selecting from a curve.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the eleventh aspect, the adjustment value is determined by comparing the color measurement result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect of the present invention, an adjustment value is selected by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and a colorimetric result of a reference image.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern has at least one patch, and the patch corresponds to the adjustment value. The adjustment value is determined by selecting an arbitrary patch from the patches.

  The invention according to claim 15 is the invention according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is monochromatic.

  A sixteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the invention according to any one of the tenth to fourteenth aspects, the adjustment value determination pattern or the reference is a plurality of colors.

  The invention according to claim 17 is a program for causing a computer to execute a process of generating print image data of an image processing apparatus that obtains an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium. A process of generating print image data is executed based on an adjustment value determined at an arbitrary timing in order to correct the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the computer according to the seventeenth aspect is characterized in that the computer is caused to execute a process of forming an adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value on the recording medium.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the invention, in the invention according to the tenth aspect, the computer compares the output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with the reference, and the input / output corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance. A process of selecting the adjustment value from a curve is executed.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the invention, in the invention according to the nineteenth aspect, the computer performs a process of determining an adjustment value by comparing a colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. It is made to perform.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the invention, the computer according to the nineteenth aspect causes the computer to execute a process of selecting an adjustment value by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and a colorimetric result of a reference image. Features.
According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the eighteenth to twenty-first aspects, an arbitrary patch corresponding to an adjustment value is selected from the adjustment value determination pattern and the adjustment value is selected by the computer. If determined, a process of generating print image data based on the adjustment value is executed.

  According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the eighteenth to twenty-second aspects, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is monochromatic.

  According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the eighteenth to twenty-second aspects, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference has a plurality of colors.

  The invention according to claim 25 is a storage medium storing the program according to any one of claims 17 to 24.

  According to the present invention, the adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads is determined at an arbitrary timing, so that the output result is corrected according to changes in various usage environments. I can do it. That is, the user himself / herself can determine an adjustment value for correcting the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments.

One embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus for obtaining an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid between the heads Means is provided for determining an adjustment value for correcting the ejection characteristic at an arbitrary timing.
An input device may be used as a means for determining at an arbitrary timing.

  According to the above configuration, the user himself / herself has various usage environments by including means for determining the adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads at an arbitrary timing. An adjustment value for correcting the output result can be determined in accordance with the change.

  Another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, an adjustment value determination pattern formed on a recording medium for determining an adjustment value is provided.

  According to the above configuration, since the adjustment value determination pattern formed on the recording medium for determining the adjustment value is provided, the adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value can be output at an arbitrary timing. The user himself / herself can correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value compares the output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference and corresponds to at least one adjustment value stored in advance. The input / output curve is selected.

  According to the above configuration, by providing a reference as a reference for determining the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself can easily and accurately correct the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  In another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value is determined by comparing the colorimetry result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above configuration, in order to accurately determine the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, by measuring the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can output the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments. It can be corrected.

  Another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value is selected by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and the colorimetric result of the reference image. To do.

  According to the above configuration, by measuring the color of both the adjustment value determination pattern and the reference image, the user can correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern includes at least one patch, and the patch corresponds to the adjustment value. The adjustment value is determined by selecting the patch.

  According to the above configuration, by selecting an arbitrary patch from a plurality of patches output to the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can correct the output result more accurately and easily according to changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  Another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.

  According to the above configuration, the output characteristics of each head can be corrected according to changes in various usage environments, so that the user can correct the output result accurately.

  Another embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference has a plurality of colors.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to correct the balance of multi-order colors that are frequently used in actual images in accordance with changes in various usage environments, so that the output result can be corrected more accurately.

  One embodiment of an image processing method according to the present invention is an image processing method for obtaining an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid between the heads An adjustment value for correcting the ejection characteristic is determined at an arbitrary timing.

  According to the above configuration, the adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads is determined at an arbitrary timing, so that the user himself can adapt to changes in various usage environments. The adjustment value for correcting the output result can be determined.

  Another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, an adjustment value determination pattern for determining an adjustment value is formed on the recording medium.

  According to the above configuration, by providing the adjustment value determination pattern formed on the recording medium for determining the adjustment value, the adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value is output at an arbitrary timing. It is possible to correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value compares the output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference and corresponds to at least one adjustment value stored in advance. The input / output curve is selected.

  According to the above configuration, by providing a reference as a reference for determining the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can easily and accurately correct the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  In another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value is determined by comparing the colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. Features.

  According to the above configuration, in order to accurately determine the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the output value can be corrected more accurately in accordance with changes in various usage environments by measuring the adjustment value determination pattern. I can do it.

  Another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, an adjustment value is selected by comparing an adjustment value determination pattern and a colorimetric result of a reference image.

  According to the above configuration, by measuring the color of both the adjustment value determination pattern and the reference image, the user can correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern includes at least one patch, and the patch corresponds to the adjustment value. The adjustment value is determined by selecting an arbitrary patch.

  According to the above configuration, by selecting an arbitrary patch from a plurality of patches output to the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can correct the output result more accurately and easily according to changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  Another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.

  According to the above configuration, the output characteristics of each head can be corrected according to changes in various usage environments, so that the user can correct the output result accurately.

  Another embodiment of the image processing method according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or the reference is a plurality of colors.

  According to the above configuration, the balance of multi-order colors often used in actual images can be corrected in accordance with changes in various usage environments, so that the user can correct the output result more accurately.

  An embodiment of a program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a process of generating print image data of an image processing apparatus that obtains an image by discharging a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium. It is characterized by causing a computer to execute processing for generating print image data based on an adjustment value determined at an arbitrary timing in order to correct the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads.

  According to the above configuration, the computer is caused to execute a process of generating print image data based on the adjustment value determined at an arbitrary timing in order to correct the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads. Thus, the user himself / herself can determine an adjustment value for correcting the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments.

  Another embodiment of the program according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, a computer is caused to execute a process of forming an adjustment value determination pattern for determining an adjustment value on a recording medium.

  According to the above configuration, by providing the adjustment value determination pattern formed on the recording medium for determining the adjustment value, the adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value is output at an arbitrary timing. It is possible to correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the program according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the computer compares the output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with the reference, and inputs corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance. A process of selecting the adjustment value from an output curve is executed.

  According to the above configuration, by providing a reference as a reference for determining the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can easily and accurately correct the output result in accordance with changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  In another embodiment of the program according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the computer performs processing for determining the adjustment value by comparing the colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. It is made to perform.

  According to the above configuration, in order to accurately determine the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, by measuring the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can output the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments. It can be corrected.

  In addition to the above configuration, another embodiment of the program according to the present invention causes a computer to execute a process of selecting an adjustment value by comparing an adjustment value determination pattern and a colorimetric result of a reference image. Features.

  According to the above configuration, by measuring the color of both the adjustment value determination pattern and the reference image, the user can correct the output result more accurately according to changes in various usage environments.

  In another embodiment of the program according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when an arbitrary patch corresponding to the adjustment value is selected from the adjustment value determination pattern and the adjustment value is determined by the computer, the adjustment value is adjusted. A process for generating print image data based on a value is executed.

  According to the above configuration, by selecting an arbitrary patch from a plurality of patches output to the adjustment value determination pattern, the user himself / herself can correct the output result more accurately and easily according to changes in various usage environments. I can do it.

  Another embodiment of the program according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.

  According to the above configuration, the output characteristics of each head can be corrected according to changes in various usage environments, so that the user can correct the output result accurately.

  Another embodiment of the program according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above-described configuration, the adjustment value determination pattern or reference has a plurality of colors.

  According to the above configuration, the balance of multi-order colors often used in actual images can be corrected in accordance with changes in various usage environments, so that the user can correct the output result more accurately.

  An embodiment of a storage medium according to the present invention is a storage medium storing any of the programs described above.

<Program and storage medium>
The image processing apparatus of the present invention described above is realized by a program that causes a computer to execute image processing. Examples of the computer include a microprocessor, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or a workstation may be used.

Thus, the image processing apparatus of the present invention can be realized anywhere as long as there is a computer environment capable of executing the program.
Such a program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.
Here, examples of the storage medium include computer-readable storage media such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (CD Recordable), and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Semiconductor memories such as HDD (Hard Disc Drive), flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and FeRAM (ferroelectric memory).

  The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a mechanism part of an example of an ink jet recording apparatus capable of forming multi-value dots will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side view for explaining the overall configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining the ink jet recording apparatus.
In this ink jet recording apparatus, a carriage 4 is slidably held in a main scanning direction by a guide rod 2 and a stay 3 which are guide members horizontally mounted on left and right side plates 1A and 1B constituting a frame 1, and a main scanning motor. 5 is moved and scanned in the direction indicated by the arrow (main scanning direction) in FIG. 2 via the timing belt 7 spanned between the driving pulley 6A and the driven pulley 6B.

  The carriage 4 includes, for example, four droplet ejection heads 11k, 11c, 11m, and 11y that eject ink droplets of each color of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (Bk). The recording head 11 is mounted with the nozzle row of the nozzle surface 11a on which a plurality of ink discharge ports (nozzles) are formed arranged in a direction (sub-scanning direction) orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and the ink discharging direction is directed downward. .

In the present embodiment, independent droplet discharge heads are used, but it is also possible to employ a configuration in which one or a plurality of heads having a plurality of nozzle rows for discharging the recording liquid droplets of each color are used.
Further, the number of colors and the arrangement order are not limited to this. In the present embodiment, the recording head 11 is composed of four separate heads 11k, 11c, 11m, and 11y that discharge droplets of each color as described above, and each head 11k, 11c, 11m, and 11y includes a liquid. It has a configuration having two nozzle rows in which a plurality of nozzles n for discharging droplets are arranged side by side.

  The present invention is not limited to this, and one recording head 11 may have a configuration in which two nozzle rows that discharge droplets of each color are arranged, and has one or a plurality of nozzle rows that discharge black ink. You may comprise with a head and a head which has a 1 or several nozzle row for each color which discharges a color ink.

  As the ink jet head (liquid ejection head) constituting the recording head 11, a vibration plate that forms at least a part of the wall surface of the ink flow path, and a piezoelectric ink jet head that deforms the vibration plate with a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element) are used. Used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and includes, for example, a vibration plate that forms at least a part of the wall surface of the ink flow path and an electrode that faces the vibration plate, and the vibration plate is deformed and displaced by electrostatic force so that ink is discharged. Pressure using an electrostatic head that pressurizes, a piezoelectric element that uses buckling deformation of a diaphragm, or pressure generated by heating ink in an ink flow path using a heating resistor to generate bubbles Also, a so-called thermal type that discharges ink droplets can be used.

  The recording head 11 includes a piezoelectric actuator such as a piezoelectric element as pressure generating means (actuator means) for generating pressure for discharging droplets. That is, in the case of a thermal type using a heating resistor for generating bubbles as pressure generating means, it is difficult to accurately control the volume of the bubbles, and the dot size that can be formed can be greatly changed. However, it is basically a binary dot size, and in general, gradation must be expressed by the number of dots to be formed.

  In contrast, when a piezoelectric actuator is used, the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric element can be accurately controlled, and the size of the dots to be formed can be changed greatly, so that multiple gradations can be expressed by the dot size. can do. In this case, in order to change the dot diameter, that is, to form multi-value dots (dots having different sizes), for example, the magnitude of the voltage of the drive pulse, the pulse width of the drive pulse, the number of pulses, etc. are changed. Can be done. However, the present invention can be applied even when only a single size dot can be formed.

A driver IC is mounted on the recording head 11 and connected to a control unit (not shown) via a harness (flexible print cable: FPC cable) 12. In addition, the carriage 4 is equipped with a sub tank 15 for each color for supplying ink of each color to the recording head 11. Each color sub-tank 15 is supplementarily supplied with ink of each color from the ink cartridge 10 of each color mounted in the cartridge loading unit 9 via the ink supply tube 16 of each color.
The cartridge loading 9 is provided with a supply pump unit 17 for feeding ink in the ink cartridge 10, and the ink supply tube 16 is engaged with the rear plate 1C constituting the frame 1 in the middle of turning. It is held by a stop member 18.

  On the other hand, as a paper feed unit for feeding the paper 22 stacked on the paper stacking unit (pressure plate) 21 of the paper feed tray 20, a half-moon roller (feed) that separates and feeds the paper 22 one by one from the paper stacking unit 21. A separation pad 24 made of a material having a large friction coefficient is provided opposite to the sheet roller 23 and the sheet feeding roller 23, and the separation pad 24 is biased toward the sheet feeding roller 23 side.

  In order to feed the paper 22 fed from the paper feeding unit to the lower side of the recording head 11, a guide member 25 for guiding the paper 22, a counter roller 26, a conveyance guide member 27, and a tip pressure roller. And a holding belt 28 as a conveying means for electrostatically attracting the fed paper 22 and conveying it at a position facing the recording head 11. The conveyance belt 31 is an endless belt, is configured to wrap around the conveyance roller 32 and the tension roller 33 and circulate in the belt conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction). 34 is charged (charged).

  The transport belt 31 may be a single-layer belt or a multi-layer (two or more layers) belt. In the case of the conveyance belt 31 having a one-layer structure, the entire layer is formed of an insulating material because it contacts the paper 22 and the charging roller 34. In the case of the transport belt 31 having a multi-layer structure, the side that contacts the paper 22 and the charging roller 34 is preferably formed of an insulating layer, and the side that does not contact the paper 22 and the charging roller 34 is preferably formed of a conductive layer. .

As an insulating material for forming the transport belt 31 having a single-layer structure or an insulating material for forming the insulating layer of the transport belt 31 having a multi-layer structure, for example, a conductive material such as PET, PEI, PVDF, PC, ETFE, or PTFE is used. It is preferable that the material does not contain a control material, and the volume resistivity is 10 ¹² Ωcm or more, preferably 10 ¹⁵ Ωcm. In addition, as a material for forming the conductive layer of the transport belt 31 having a multilayer structure, it is preferable that carbon be contained in the resin or elastomer so that the volume resistivity is 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁷ Ωcm.

The charging roller 34 is disposed so as to come into contact with an insulating layer (in the case of a multilayer belt) that forms the surface layer of the transport belt 31 and to rotate following the rotation of the transport belt 31. It is over. The charging roller 34 is formed of a conductive member having a volume resistivity of 10 ⁶ to 10 ⁹ Ω / □ (ohm per square). As will be described later, for example, a 2 kV positive / negative AC bias (high voltage) is applied to the charging roller 34 from an AC bias supply unit (high voltage power supply). The AC bias may be a sine wave or a triangular wave, but a square wave is more preferable.

  Further, a guide member 35 is disposed on the back side of the conveyor belt 31 (inside the belt loop) corresponding to the printing area by the recording head 11. The guide member 35 has an upper surface that protrudes toward the recording head 11 from the tangent line of the two rollers (the conveyance roller 32 and the tension roller 33) that support the conveyance belt 31, thereby maintaining high-precision flatness of the conveyance belt 31. Like to do. The transport belt 31 rotates in the belt transport direction of FIG. 2 when the transport roller 32 is rotationally driven by the sub-scanning motor 36 via the drive belt 37 and the timing roller 38.

  Although not shown, an encoder wheel having a slit is attached to the shaft of the conveying roller 32, and a transmission type photosensor for detecting the slit of the encoder wheel is provided, and the wheel encoder is configured by the encoder wheel and the photosensor. It is composed.

  Further, as a paper discharge unit for discharging the paper 22 recorded by the recording head 11 to the paper discharge tray 40, a separation claw 41 for separating the paper 22 from the transport belt 31, a paper discharge roller 42, and paper discharge The roller 43 is provided.

  A duplex unit 51 is detachably mounted on the back surface of the apparatus body 1. The duplex unit 51 takes in the paper 22 returned by the reverse rotation of the transport belt 31, reverses it, and feeds it again between the counter roller 26 and the transport belt 31.

  Further, a maintenance / recovery mechanism 61 for maintaining and recovering the state of the nozzles of the recording head 11 is disposed in a non-printing area on one side in the scanning direction of the carriage 4. The maintenance / recovery mechanism 61 includes cap members (hereinafter referred to as “caps”) 62 a to 62 d (hereinafter referred to as “caps 62” when not distinguished) and nozzles for capping the nozzle surfaces 11 a of the recording head 11. A wiper blade 63 that is a blade member for wiping the surface 11a, an empty discharge receiver 64 that receives liquid droplets when performing empty discharge for discharging liquid droplets that do not contribute to recording in order to discharge the thickened recording liquid, and the like It has.

  In this embodiment, the cap 62a is a suction and moisture retention cap, and the other caps 62b to 62d are moisture retention caps. Further, in the non-printing area on the other side of the carriage 4 in the scanning direction, there is an empty space for receiving a liquid droplet when performing an empty discharge for discharging a liquid droplet that does not contribute to recording in order to discharge the recording liquid thickened during recording or the like. A discharge receiver 68 is disposed, and the idle discharge receiver 68 is provided with an opening 69 along the nozzle row direction of the recording head 11.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a density sensor 71 including an infrared sensor (a type of sensor is not limited to the infrared sensor) which is a medium detecting unit for detecting the presence or absence of the paper 22 in the carriage 4. Is provided. The density sensor 71 is provided on the recording area (image forming area) side (conveying belt 31 side) side of the carriage 4 at the home position and upstream of the recording head 11 in the paper conveying direction. . Further, an encoder scale 72 having slits is provided on the front side of the carriage 4 along the main scanning direction, and an encoder sensor 73 including a transmission type photosensor for detecting the slits of the encoder scale 72 is provided on the front side of the carriage 4. These components constitute a linear encoder 74 for detecting the position of the carriage 4 in the main scanning direction.

Next, an example of a droplet discharge head constituting the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber of the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a lateral direction of the liquid chamber of the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional explanatory drawing of the arrangement direction of a nozzle.
The droplet discharge head includes a flow channel plate 101 formed by anisotropic etching a single crystal silicon substrate, a vibration plate 102 formed by nickel electroforming, for example, bonded to the lower surface of the flow channel plate 101, and a flow plate. A nozzle plate 103 bonded to the upper surface of the path plate 101 is bonded and stacked, and a nozzle communication path 105, a liquid chamber 106, and a liquid chamber, which are channels through which the nozzles 104 that discharge liquid droplets (ink droplets) communicate with each other. An ink supply port 109 communicating with a common liquid chamber 108 for supplying ink to 106 is formed.

  Also, two rows (only one row is shown in FIG. 4) of stacked piezoelectric elements as electromechanical conversion elements that are pressure generating means (actuator means) for deforming the diaphragm 102 to pressurize the ink in the liquid chamber 106. An element 121 and a base substrate 122 to which the piezoelectric element 121 is bonded and fixed are provided. Note that a column portion 123 is provided between the piezoelectric elements 121. This support portion 123 is a portion formed simultaneously with the piezoelectric element 121 by dividing and processing the piezoelectric element member. However, since the drive voltage is not applied, the support portion 123 becomes a simple support. Further, an FPC cable 12 equipped with a drive circuit (drive IC) (not shown) is connected to the piezoelectric element 121.

  The peripheral edge of the diaphragm 102 is joined to a frame member 130, and the frame member 130 serves as a through-hole 131 and a common liquid chamber 108 that house an actuator unit composed of the piezoelectric element 121 and the base substrate 122. A recess and an ink supply hole 132 for supplying ink from the outside to the common liquid chamber 108 are formed. The frame member 130 is formed by injection molding with a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin or polyphenylene sulfite, for example.

  Here, the flow path plate 101 is formed by, for example, subjecting the single crystal silicon substrate having a crystal plane orientation (110) to anisotropic etching using an alkaline etching solution such as an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution (KOH), so that the nozzle communication path 105, Although a recess or a hole serving as the liquid chamber 106 is formed, the invention is not limited to a single crystal silicon substrate, and other stainless steel substrates, photosensitive resins, and the like can also be used.

The diaphragm 102 is formed from a nickel metal plate, and is manufactured by, for example, an electroforming method (electroforming method). In addition, a metal plate or a joining member between a metal and a resin plate may be used. it can. The piezoelectric element 121 and the support post 123 are bonded to the diaphragm 102 with an adhesive, and the frame member 130 is further bonded with an adhesive.
The nozzle plate 103 forms a nozzle 104 having a diameter of 10 to 30 μm corresponding to each liquid chamber 106 and is bonded to the flow path plate 101 with an adhesive. The nozzle plate 103 is formed by forming a water repellent layer on the outermost surface of a nozzle forming member made of a metal member via a required layer.
The surface of the nozzle plate 103 is the nozzle surface 34a described above.

The piezoelectric element 121 is a stacked piezoelectric element (piezo in this case) in which piezoelectric materials 151 and internal electrodes 152 are alternately stacked. An individual electrode 153 and a common electrode 154 are connected to each internal electrode 152 drawn out to different end faces of the piezoelectric element 121 alternately.
In this embodiment, the ink in the liquid chamber 106 is pressurized using the displacement in the d33 direction as the piezoelectric direction of the piezoelectric element 121. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the piezoelectric direction of the piezoelectric element 121 is as follows. A configuration in which the ink in the pressurized liquid chamber 106 is pressurized using a displacement in the d31 direction may be employed. Alternatively, a structure in which one row of piezoelectric elements 121 is provided on one substrate 122 may be employed.

  In the droplet discharge head configured as described above, for example, by lowering the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 121 from the reference potential, the piezoelectric element 121 contracts, and the vibration plate 102 descends to expand the volume of the liquid chamber 106. As a result, the ink flows into the liquid chamber 106, and then the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 121 is increased to extend the piezoelectric element 121 in the stacking direction, and the diaphragm 102 is deformed in the direction of the nozzle 104 to change the volume of the liquid chamber 106. / By contracting the volume, the recording liquid in the liquid chamber 106 is pressurized, and droplets of the recording liquid are ejected (jetted) from the nozzle 104.

Then, by returning the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 121 to the reference potential, the diaphragm 102 is restored to the initial position, and the liquid chamber 106 expands to generate a negative pressure. The recording liquid is filled in 106.
Therefore, after the vibration of the meniscus surface of the nozzle 104 is attenuated and stabilized, the operation proceeds to the next droplet discharge. Note that the driving method of the head is not limited to the above example (pulling-pushing), and it is also possible to perform striking or pushing depending on the direction to which the driving waveform is given.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus configured as described above, the sheets 22 are separated and fed one by one from the sheet feeding unit, and the sheets 22 fed substantially vertically upward are guided by the guide 25, and the transport belt 31 and the counter roller 26, and the leading end is guided by a conveying guide 27 and pressed against the conveying belt 31 by a leading end pressing roller 29, and the conveying direction is changed by approximately 90 °. At this time, a positive output and a negative output are alternately and repeatedly applied to the charging roller 34 from an AC bias supply unit, which will be described later, that is, an alternating voltage is applied, and a charging voltage pattern in which the conveying belt 31 alternates, that is, a loop In the sub-scanning direction, which is the direction, plus and minus are alternately charged in a band shape with a predetermined width. When the paper 32 is fed onto the conveying belt 31 that is alternately charged with plus and minus, the paper 22 is attracted to the conveying belt 31 by electrostatic force, and the paper 22 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the circular movement of the conveying belt 31. Is done.

  Therefore, by driving the recording head 11 according to the image signal while moving the carriage 4, ink droplets are ejected onto the stopped paper 22 to record one line, and after the paper 22 is conveyed by a predetermined amount, Record the next line. Upon receiving a recording end signal or a signal that the trailing edge of the paper 22 has reached the recording area, the recording operation is finished and the paper 22 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 40.

  In the case of double-sided printing, when recording on the front surface (surface to be printed first) is completed, the recording belt 32 is fed into the double-sided paper feeding unit 51 by rotating the conveyor belt 31 in reverse. The paper 22 is reversed (with the back surface being the printing surface), fed again between the counter roller 26 and the conveyor belt 31, controlled in timing, and conveyed by the conveyor bell 31 as described above. After recording on the back surface, the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 40. When printing an image with this inkjet recording device, there is a problem unique to inkjet that the dots adhering to the paper penetrate and spread along the fibers of the paper, so minimize the spread and feathering of these dots. It is preferable to use ink.

  The ink used in this ink jet recording apparatus has the following constitutions (1) to (10), and a pigment is used as a colorant for printing, and a solvent for decomposing and dispersing it is essential. Wetting agents, surfactants, emulsions, preservatives, and pH adjusting agents are used as ingredients and as additives. The reason why the humectant 1 and the humectant 2 are mixed is to make use of the characteristics of the humectant and to easily adjust the viscosity.

(1) Pigment (self-dispersing pigment) 6 wt% or more (2) Wetting agent 1
(3) Wetting agent 2
(4) Water-soluble organic solvent (5) Anion or nonionic surfactant (6) Polyol or glycol ether having 8 or more carbon atoms (7) Emulsion (8) Preservative (9) pH adjuster (10) Pure water

  Here, regarding the pigment of (1), an inorganic pigment and an organic pigment can be used without particular limitation. As the inorganic pigment, in addition to titanium oxide and iron oxide, carbon black produced by a known method such as a contact method, a furnace method, or a thermal method can be used.

  Organic pigments include azo pigments (including azo lakes, insoluble azo pigments, condensed azo pigments, chelate azo pigments), polycyclic pigments (for example, phthalocyanine pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments). , Dioxazine pigments, thioindigo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, quinofullerone pigments, etc.), dye chelates (for example, basic dye type chelates, acidic dye type chelates), nitro pigments, nitroso pigments, aniline black, and the like. Of these pigments, those having good affinity with water are preferably used.

  The particle diameter of the pigment is preferably 0.05 μm to 10 μm, more preferably 1 μm or less, and most preferably 0.16 μm or less. The amount of pigment added as a colorant in the ink is preferably about 6 to 20% by weight, more preferably about 8 to 12% by weight.

Specific examples of the pigment preferably used include the following.
For black, carbon black (CI Pigment Black 7) such as furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black, channel black, or metals such as copper, iron (CI Pigment Black 11), titanium oxide, aniline black (CI And organic pigments such as CI Pigment Black 1).

  For color use, CI Pigment Yellow 1 (Fast Yellow G), 3, 12 (Disazo Yellow AAA), 13, 14, 17, 24, 34, 35, 37, 42 (Yellow Iron Oxide), 53, 55 81, 83 (Disazo Yellow HR), 95, 97, 98, 100, 101, 104, 408, 109, 110, 117, 120, 138, 153, CI Pigment Orange 5, 13, 16, 17, 36, 43 51, CI Pigment Red 1, 2, 3, 5, 17, 22 (Brilliant First Scarlet), 23, 31, 38, 48: 2 (Permanent Red 2B (Ba)), 48: 2 (Permanent Red 2B ( Ca)), 48: 3 (permanent red 2B (Sr)), 48: 4 (permanent red 2B (Mn)), 49: 1, 52: 2, 53: 1, 57: 1. Brilliant Carmine 6B), 60: 1, 63: 1, 63: 2, 64: 1, 81 (Rhodamine 6G Lake), 83, 88, 101 (Bengara), 104, 105, 106, 108 (Cadmium Red), 112 114, 122 (quinacridone magenta), 123, 146, 149, 166, 168, 170, 172, 177, 178, 179, 185, 190, 193, 209, 219, CI pigment violet 1 (rhodamine lake), 3, 5: 1, 16, 19, 23, 38, CI pigment blue 1, 2, 15 (phthalocyanine blue R), 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3 (phthalocyanine blue E), 16, 17: 1, 56 , 60, 63, CI pigment green 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 17, 18, 36, and the like.

  Other pigment pigments (eg carbon) treated with resin, etc., can be dispersed in water, and pigments (eg carbon) can be dispersed in water by adding functional groups such as sulfone groups and carboxyl groups to the surface. Processed pigments can be used. Further, a pigment may be included in a microcapsule so that the pigment can be dispersed in water.

  Here, according to a preferred embodiment, the pigment for black ink is preferably added to the ink as a pigment dispersion obtained by dispersing the pigment in an aqueous medium with a dispersant. As a preferable dispersing agent, a known dispersion used for preparing a conventionally known pigment dispersion can be used.

Examples of the dispersion include the following.
Polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, acrylic acid-acrylonitrile copolymer, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid ester copolymer, acrylic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer Polymer, styrene-acrylic acid-alkyl acrylate ester copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid-alkyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-α-methylstyrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-α-methylstyrene-acrylic Acid copolymer-alkyl acrylate ester copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl naphthalene-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate-fatty acid vinyl ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate -Maleate ester copolymer, vinyl acetate- Examples include crotonic acid copolymers and vinyl acetate-acrylic acid copolymers.

According to a preferred embodiment, these copolymers preferably have a weight average molecular weight of 3,000 to 50,000, more preferably 5,000 to 30,000, and most preferably 7,000 to 15. 000.
The addition amount of the dispersant may be appropriately added as long as the pigment is stably dispersed and other effects are not lost. The dispersant is preferably in the range of 1: 0.06 to 1: 3, more preferably in the range of 1: 0.125 to 1: 3.

  The pigment used for the colorant is a particle having a particle size of 0.05 to 0.16 μm, containing 6 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the recording ink, and is dispersed in water by a dispersant. The dispersant is a polymer dispersant having a molecular weight of 5,000 to 100,000. When at least one water-soluble organic solvent is a pyrrolidone derivative, particularly 2-pyrrolidone, the image quality is improved.

Regarding the wetting agents 1 and 2 of (2) to (4) and the water-soluble organic solvent, water is used as a liquid medium in the ink, but the ink has desired physical properties and prevents drying of the ink. For the purpose of improving the dissolution stability, for example, the following water-soluble organic solvents are used. A plurality of these water-soluble organic solvents may be used in combination.

  Specific examples of the wetting agent and the water-soluble organic solvent include the following. Ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, hexylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, glycerol, Polyhydric alcohols such as 1,2,6-hexanetriol, 1,2,4-butanetriol, 1,2,3-butanetriol, petriol; ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether , Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monomethyl ether Polyhydric alcohol alkyl ethers such as propylene glycol monoethyl ether; Polyhydric alcohol aryl ethers such as ethylene glycol monophenyl ether and ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether; 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-hydroxyethyl Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds such as 2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethylimidazolidinone, ε-caprolactam, γ-butyrolactone; amides such as formamide, N-methylformamide, N, N-dimethylformamide; monoethanol Amines such as amine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine; sulfur-containing compounds such as dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane and thiodiethanol; propylene carbonate Over bets is ethylene carbonate.

  Among these organic solvents, diethylene glycol, thiodiethanol, polyethylene glycol 200 to 600, triethylene glycol, glycerol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, 1,2,4-butanetriol, petriol, 1,5-pentane Diol, 2-pyrrolidone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone are preferred. These are excellent in solubility and prevention of poor jetting characteristics due to water evaporation.

  The other wetting agent preferably contains sugar. Examples of saccharides include monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides (including trisaccharides and tetrasaccharides) and polysaccharides, preferably glucose, mannose, fructose, ribose, xylose, arabinose, galactose, maltose, cellobiose, Examples include lactose, sucrose, trehalose, and maltotriose.

Here, the polysaccharide means a saccharide in a broad sense, and is used to include a substance that exists widely in nature such as α-cyclodextrin and cellulose. The derivatives of these saccharides are represented by the reducing sugars of the saccharides described above (for example, sugar alcohols (general formula HOCH ₂ (CHOH) _n CH ₂ OH (where n = 2 to 5 represents an integer)). ), Oxidized sugars (eg, aldonic acid, uronic acid, etc.), amino acids, thioic acids, etc. Particularly preferred are sugar alcohols, and specific examples include maltitol, sorbit, etc. Content of these sugars Is in the range of 0.1 to 40% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 30% by weight of the ink composition.

  The surfactant in (5) is not particularly limited, but examples of the anionic surfactant include polyoxyethylene alkyl ether acetate, dodecylbenzene sulfonate, laurate, and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate. Examples include salt. Nonionic surfactants include, for example, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl amines, polyoxyethylene alkyl amides, and the like. Can be mentioned.

  The surfactants described above can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The surface tension in the present invention is an index indicating the permeability to paper. In particular, the surface tension indicates the dynamic surface tension in a short time of 1 second or less after the surface is formed, and is different from the static surface tension measured by the saturation time. .

Any method can be used as long as it can measure a dynamic surface tension of 1 second or less by a conventionally known method described in JP-A-63-31237 or the like. In the present invention, a Wilhelmy type suspension plate type is used. It measured using the surface tension meter. When the value of the surface tension is preferably 40 mJ / m ² or less, more preferably 35 mJ / m ² or less, excellent fixing properties and drying properties can be obtained.

For (6) polyols or glycol ethers having 8 or more carbon atoms, partially water-soluble polyols and / or glycol ethers having a solubility of less than 0.1 to 4.5% by weight in water at 25 ° C. By adding 0.1 to 10.0% by weight based on the total weight of the recording ink, the wettability of the ink to the thermal element is improved, and ejection stability and frequency stability can be obtained even with a small addition amount. I understood that.
(A) 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol Solubility: 4.2% (20 ° C.)
(B) 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol Solubility: 2.0% (25 ° C.).
A penetrant having a solubility of less than 0.1-4.5% by weight in water at 25 ° C. has the advantage of very high permeability instead of low solubility.
Therefore, an ink having a very high permeability in a combination of a penetrant having a solubility of less than 0.1 to 4.5% by weight in water at 25 ° C. with another solvent or another surfactant. Can be produced.

(7) It is preferable that a resin emulsion is added to the ink of the present invention.
The resin emulsion means an emulsion in which the continuous phase is water and the dispersed phase is the following resin component. Examples of the resin component in the dispersed phase include acrylic resins, vinyl acetate resins, styrene-butadiene resins, vinyl chloride resins, acrylic-styrene resins, butadiene resins, and styrene resins.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the resin is preferably a polymer having both a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part. The particle size of these resin components is not particularly limited as long as an emulsion is formed, but is preferably about 150 nm or less, more preferably about 5 to 100 nm. These resin emulsions can be obtained by mixing resin particles in water, optionally with a surfactant.

  For example, an acrylic resin or styrene-acrylic resin emulsion can be obtained by adding (meth) acrylic acid ester or styrene, (meth) acrylic acid ester, and optionally (meth) acrylic acid ester, and a surfactant to water. It can be obtained by mixing. The mixing ratio of the resin component and the surfactant is usually preferably about 10: 1 to 5: 1. When the amount of the surfactant used is less than the above range, it is difficult to form an emulsion, and when it exceeds the above range, the water resistance of the ink tends to be lowered or the penetrability tends to deteriorate.

  The ratio of the resin and water as the dispersed phase component of the emulsion described above is suitably in the range of 60 to 400 parts by weight, preferably 100 to 200 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the resin. Commercially available resin emulsions include Microgel E-1002, E-5002 (styrene-acrylic resin emulsion, manufactured by Nippon Paint Co., Ltd.), Boncoat 4001 (acrylic resin emulsion, manufactured by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc.), Boncoat 5454 (styrene-acrylic resin emulsion, manufactured by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc.), SAE-1014 (styrene-acrylic resin emulsion, manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), Cybinol SK-200 (acrylic resin emulsion, Seiden Chemical Co., Ltd.) Etc.).

  The resin emulsion is preferably contained so that the resin component is 0.1 to 40% by weight of the ink, and more preferably in the range of 1 to 25% by weight. The resin emulsion has the property of thickening and aggregating, has the effect of suppressing the penetration of the coloring components, and further promoting the fixing to the recording material. Further, depending on the type of resin emulsion, a film is formed on the recording material, and the printed material has an effect of improving the abrasion resistance. Furthermore, conventionally known additives can be added in addition to the colorant, solvent and surfactant.

  For example, as an antiseptic / antifungal agent, sodium dehydroacetate, sodium sorbate, sodium 2-pyridinethiol-1-oxide, sodium benzoate, sodium pentachlorophenol and the like can be used in the present invention.

  As the pH adjuster, any substance can be used as long as the pH can be adjusted to 7 or more without adversely affecting the ink to be prepared. Examples thereof include amines such as diethanolamine and triethanolamine, hydroxides of alkali metal elements such as lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, quaternary ammonium hydroxide, and quaternary phosphonium. Examples thereof include carbonates of alkali metals such as hydroxide, lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate.

  Examples of the chelating reagent include sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, sodium nitrilotriacetate, sodium hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetate, sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, sodium uramil diacetate, and the like. Examples of the rust inhibitor include acidic sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, ammonium thiodiglycolate, diisopropylammonium nitrite, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, and dicyclohexylammonium nitrite. The pigment concentration is 6 wt% or more, comprising at least a pigment, a wetting agent, a polyol or glycol ether having 8 or more carbon atoms, an anionic or nonionic surfactant, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water. In addition, by using an ink having an ink viscosity of 8 cp (25 ° C.) or more, a good color tone (sufficient color developability and color reproducibility), high image density, and feathering when printed on plain paper. A clear image quality without ring phenomenon can be obtained.

Next, an outline of the control unit of the ink jet recording apparatus will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The control unit 200 includes a CPU 201 that controls the entire apparatus, a ROM 202 that stores programs executed by the CPU 201 and other fixed data, a RAM 203 that temporarily stores image data and the like, and a power source for the apparatus. A rewritable non-volatile memory 204 for holding data in between, an image processing for performing various signal processing and rearrangement on image data, and an ASIC 205 for processing input / output signals for controlling the entire apparatus. ing.

The control unit 200 includes an I / F 206 for transmitting / receiving data and signals to / from the host side, a head drive control unit 207 including a data transfer unit for driving and controlling the recording head 11, and a carriage 4 side. A head driver (driver IC) 208 that is a head driving device for driving the recording head 11 provided in the main head, a main scanning motor driving unit 210 for driving the main scanning motor 5, and a sub scanning motor 36. Sub-scan motor drive unit 211, AC bias supply unit 212 for supplying an AC bias to charging roller 34, linear encoder 74, detection pulse from wheel encoder 236, and detection signal from temperature sensor 215 for detecting the environmental temperature. And I / O 213 for inputting detection signals from various other sensors.
The control unit 200 is connected to an operation panel 214 for inputting and displaying information necessary for the apparatus.

Here, the control unit 200 transmits print data from the host side such as an information processing device such as a personal computer, an image reading device such as an image scanner, an imaging device such as a digital camera, etc. via an I / F 206 via a cable or a network. Receive.
Then, the CPU 201 of the control unit 200 reads and analyzes the print data in the reception buffer included in the I / F 206, performs necessary image processing, data rearrangement processing, and the like in the ASIC 205, and this image data is head-driven. The data is transferred from the control unit 207 to the head driver 208.
The generation of dot pattern data for image output may be performed by storing font data in the ROM 202, for example, and image data is developed into bitmap data by a host-side printer driver and transferred to this apparatus. Anyway.

  The head drive control unit 207 transfers the above-described image data as serial data, and outputs a transfer clock, a latch signal, a control signal, and the like necessary for transferring the image data and confirming the transfer to the head driver 208. Includes a drive waveform generation unit including a D / A converter and an amplifier that D / A converts drive pulse pattern data stored in the ROM 202 and read out by the CPU 201. One drive pulse or a plurality of drive pulses A drive waveform composed of (drive signal) is output to the head driver 208.

  The head driver 208 selectively selects drive pulses constituting a drive waveform supplied from the head drive control 207 based on image data corresponding to one row of the print head 11 input serially (actuator means ( In the head configuration described above, the head 11 is driven by being applied to the piezoelectric element 121). The main scanning motor driving unit 210 calculates a control value based on a target value given from the CPU 201 side and a speed detection value obtained by sampling a detection pulse from the linear encoder 74, and performs main scanning via an internal motor driver. The motor 5 is driven.

  Similarly, the sub-scanning motor drive control unit 211 calculates a control value based on the target value given from the CPU 201 side and the speed detection value obtained by sampling the detection pulse from the wheel encoder 236, and determines the internal motor driver. And the sub-scanning motor 36 is driven.

Next, an example of the configuration of the head drive control unit 207 and the head driver 208 will be described with reference to FIG.
As described above, the head drive control unit 207 generates and outputs a drive waveform (common drive waveform) composed of a plurality of drive pulses (drive signals) within one ejection cycle, and the image A data transfer unit 302 that outputs data (print data), a transfer clock, a latch signal, and a droplet control signal.

The droplet control signals M0 to M3 are signals for instructing opening / closing of the analog switch 315 of the head driver 208 for each droplet, and the state transitions to the H level with a waveform to be selected according to the ejection cycle of the common drive waveform, and is not selected. Sometimes the state transitions to the L level.
The head driver 208 includes a shift register 311 for inputting a transfer clock (shift clock) and serial image data from the data transfer unit 302, a latch circuit 312 for latching each register value of the shift register 311 with a latch signal, and an image. A decoder 313 that decodes data and droplet control signals M0 to M3 and outputs a result, a level shifter 314 that converts the logic level voltage signal of the decoder 313 to a level at which the analog switch 315 can operate, and a level shifter 314 And an analog switch 315 that is turned on / off (opened / closed) by an output of a given decoder 313.

The analog switch 315 is connected to the selection electrode (individual electrode) 154 of each piezoelectric element 121, and the common drive waveform from the drive waveform generation unit 301 is input thereto.
Therefore, when the analog 316 is turned on according to the result of decoding the serially transferred image data and the control signal by the decoder 313, a required drive signal constituting the common drive waveform passes (is selected) and is piezoelectric. Applied to the element 121.

Next, the operation of the head driver 208 will be described with reference to FIGS.
7A is a common drive waveform, FIG. 7B is a drive waveform during large droplet ejection, FIG. 7C is a large droplet control signal M0, and FIG. 7D is a drive waveform during medium droplet ejection. FIG. 7 (e) shows a medium droplet control signal M1, FIG. 7 (f) shows a drive waveform when ejecting a small droplet, FIG. 7 (g) shows a droplet control signal M2, and FIG. 7 (h) shows a drive when not ejecting. It is a waveform.
First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the drive waveform generator 301 falls from the reference potential (intermediate potential) V1 (in the direction in which the liquid chamber volume is expanded) within a single discharge period, and a predetermined hold time. After passing through, a common drive waveform including a plurality of pulses (drive signals) P1, P2, and P3 is output that rises toward the reference potential V1 (in the direction of contracting the liquid chamber volume). Here, a large droplet is formed by ejecting two droplets with pulses P1 and P2 and combining them during flight, and the waveform element of pulse P2 has a falling potential lower than that of pulse P1. The medium droplet can be ejected only by the pulse P2, and the waveform element of the pulse P3 can eject a small droplet only by the pulse P3 by setting the falling potential lower than that of the pulse P2 and rising in a stepwise manner. I am doing so.

  Further, from the drive waveform generation unit 301, when selecting a large droplet, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, a large droplet control signal M0 that becomes H level in the sections T1 and T2 corresponding to the pulses P1 and P2. When selecting a medium droplet, as shown in FIGS. 7D and 7E, the medium droplet control signal M1 which becomes H level in the section T2 corresponding to the pulse P2 as shown in FIG. ) And (g), the droplet control signal M2 which becomes H level in the section T3 is output. When non-ejection is performed, the voltage V1 is maintained as shown in FIG.

  Accordingly, large droplets, medium droplets, small droplets, and non-ejection can be selected according to the image data transferred from the data transfer unit 302. This makes it possible to form long dots, that is, multi-value dots.

Next, an image processing method for outputting a print image using this inkjet recording apparatus, an image processing apparatus equipped with a program, and an inkjet recording apparatus will be described below.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a printing system configured with an image processing apparatus and an inkjet printer that is the above-described inkjet recording apparatus, or a printing system configured with an image processing apparatus and the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention. .

  This printing system (image forming system) is configured by connecting one or a plurality of image processing apparatuses 400 including a personal computer (PC) or the like and an inkjet printer 500 via a predetermined interface or network.

  In the image processing apparatus 400, as shown in FIG. 9, a CPU 401 and various ROMs 402 and RAM 403, which are memory means, are connected by a bus line. The bus line is connected to a storage device 406 using a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, an input device 404 such as a mouse and a keyboard, a monitor 405 such as an LCD or a CRT, and the like via a predetermined interface. A storage medium reading device for reading a storage medium such as an optical disk is connected, and a predetermined interface (external I / F) 407 for communicating with a network such as the Internet or an external device such as a USB is connected.

An image processing program is stored in the storage device 406 of the image processing apparatus 400. This image processing program is installed in the storage device 406 by being read from a storage medium by a storage medium reader or downloaded from a network such as the Internet. With this installation, the image processing apparatus 400 becomes operable to perform the following image processing.
Note that this image processing program may operate on a predetermined OS. Further, it may be a part of specific application software.

Here, an example in which image processing is executed by a program on the image processing apparatus 400 side will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG.
This is a case where most image processing is performed by a host computer such as a PC as an image processing apparatus, and is a configuration suitably used in a relatively inexpensive inexpensive inkjet recording apparatus.

  A printer driver 411, which is a program according to the present invention on the image processing apparatus 400 (PC) side, converts image data 410 given from application software or the like from a monitor display color space to a recording device color space (RGB). CMM (Color Management Module) processing unit 412 that performs color system → CMY color system), BG / UCR (black generation / under color removal) process that performs black generation / under color removal from CMY values, and characteristics of the recording apparatus BG / UCR / γ correction unit 413 that performs input / output correction that reflects user preferences, zooming unit 414 that performs enlargement processing in accordance with the resolution of the recording device, and ejects image data from the recording device Halftone processing unit (multi-value / low-value matrix) 415 including a multi-value / low-value matrix to be replaced with the pattern arrangement of dots to be printed, printing The dot pattern data, which is image data, is divided into data for each scan, and further includes a rasterizing unit 416 that develops data in accordance with each nozzle position for recording, and outputs an output 417 of the rasterizing unit 416 to the inkjet printer 500. To do.

Next, an example in which the image processing method is executed mainly on the ink jet printer 500 side and partly executed by the image processing apparatus 400 side will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG.
Since this can process at high speed, it is the structure used suitably with a high-speed machine.
A printer driver 421 on the image processing apparatus 400 (PC) side converts image data 410 given from application software or the like from a color space for monitor display to a color space for a recording apparatus (RGB color system → CMY color system). CMM (Color Management Module) processing unit 423 that performs the system), BG / UCR (black generation / Under Color Removal) processing that performs black generation / under color removal from CMY values, and the characteristics of the recording apparatus and user's preferences are reflected It has a BG / UCR / γ correction unit 424 for performing γ correction for performing input / output correction, and sends image data as an original generated by the BG / UCR / γ correction unit 424 to the inkjet printer 500.

  On the other hand, a printer controller 511 (control unit 200) of the inkjet printer 500 is a multi-value that replaces a zooming unit 514 that performs enlargement processing in accordance with the resolution of the recording apparatus, and a pattern arrangement of dots ejected from the recording apparatus. A halftone processing unit (multi-value / low-value matrix) 515 including a small value matrix, the dot pattern data of the print image data is divided into data for each scan, and further developed according to each nozzle position for recording. A rasterizing unit 516 is included, and the output of the rasterizing unit 516 is supplied to the head control unit 207.

  Here, as in the configuration shown in FIG. 10, an example will be described in which the ink jet recording apparatus does not have a function of generating a dot pattern for actual recording upon receiving an image drawing or character printing command in the apparatus. That is, a print command from application software executed by the image processing apparatus 400 serving as a host is subjected to image processing by a printer driver 411 incorporated as software in the image processing apparatus 400 (host computer) and output from the inkjet printer 500. An example will be described in which possible multi-value dot pattern data (print image data) is generated, rasterized, transferred to the ink jet printer 500, and the ink jet printer 500 is printed out. Specifically, application software (for example, Microsoft Word or Excel (both are registered trademarks), etc., but not limited to these) is included in the image processing apparatus 400 (host computer). Using it, originals such as forms and documents are created.

  In response to a print command for this image from an application or operating system, the printer driver 411 in the host computer prints out the image with the inkjet printer 500, and as described above, CMM, BG / UCR, Zooming, gamma correction, multivalue Image processing such as small value matrix processing is performed, and image drawing data including dot size information that can be reproduced by the ink jet printer 500 is created. Thereafter, the image data is rasterized by the rasterizing unit 416 according to the configuration of the head of the ink jet printer 500, and the print image data having a delay corresponding to the vertical / horizontal conversion of the data and the arrangement of the nozzles is sent via the interface to the ink jet printer. The ink jet printer 500 stores the transferred print image data in a raster data memory, receives predetermined data, and then drives the recording head 11 according to the print image data to record media (paper). 22 prints an image.

In this embodiment, γ correction is used as a method for adjusting the output characteristics, but the adjustment value is not necessarily limited to this. The γ correction will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b).
FIG. 12A is a γ curve, and FIG. 12B is an output density characteristic diagram. In FIG. 12A, the horizontal axis indicates the input gradation and the vertical axis indicates the output gradation. In FIG. 12B, the horizontal axis indicates the input gradation, and the vertical axis indicates the density.
Even if an image is formed in the same manner with a plurality of inkjet recording apparatuses, an equivalent output result may not be obtained. This is because the dot size and the landing position shift due to the influence of mechanical variation and electrical variation of the ink jet recording apparatus. In γ correction, such variations are corrected. For example, for an ink jet recording apparatus in which the output characteristic with respect to the input is smaller than the target characteristic, conversion is performed so that a higher gradation is output so that the output image becomes darker (FIG. 12 (a) “γ3”). On the contrary, if it is too dark, conversion is performed so that a lower gradation is output (FIG. 12 (a) “γ1”).

The γ curve shows the relationship of the output gradation with respect to each input gradation, and this γ correction makes it possible to achieve the same output result even in a plurality of inkjet recording apparatuses, so the output density characteristics are the same. (FIG. 12B: output density characteristics of the ink jet recording apparatus).
In this embodiment, γ is described as three, but the number is not particularly limited. Normally, since γ is set before shipment from the factory, the output result is stable without any adjustment by the user. However, as described above, the output result of the ink jet recording apparatus is the characteristic of the recording medium (paper). Therefore, it may be possible to obtain a more accurate output result if γ is determined again according to the printing environment of the user.

An output flow of the adjustment value determination pattern and an explanatory diagram thereof are shown in FIGS. 13, 14A, and 14B.
Here, the determination pattern is output at an arbitrary timing when the user wants to adjust γ.
That is, as shown in FIG. 13, when the personal computer PC is set to the adjustment mode and an adjustment value input value is input, an adjustment value determination pattern is output from a printer connected to the PC. At this time, if a judgment pattern request is made to the PC, judgment pattern data is sent to the printer. In the printer, the CPU in the printer reads the adjustment value from the adjustment value memory and outputs a determination pattern (FIG. 14A).
When the user inputs an adjustment value to the PC after considering and examining the judgment pattern output from the printer, correction data is sent from the PC to the printer, and the CPU in the printer corrects the adjustment value memory in the printer (FIG. 14). (B)).

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the inkjet recording apparatus outputs a determination pattern in response to an output request from the PC. However, adjustment value determination processing may be performed in the inkjet recording apparatus. . That is, “output request → determination pattern output → adjustment value input → γ rewriting” may be executed in the ink jet recording apparatus without using a PC.

Next, the determination method of (gamma) is demonstrated using FIG. 15 (a)-(e).
FIGS. 15A to 15E are diagrams illustrating the following cases.
(1) When comparing an adjustment value determination pattern and a reference image (FIGS. 15A and 15B)
(2) When an adjustment value determination pattern including a plurality of patches is compared with a reference image (FIGS. 15C and 15D)
(3) When γ is determined from an adjustment value determination pattern having a plurality of patches (FIG. 15E)

  (1) compares two patches of the reference and the patch of the judgment pattern, and selects “γ2” if it is between the two of the reference, “γ3” if it is below, and “γ1” if it is above. Like that. The comparison here may be determined based on the subjective appearance of the evaluator, or may be determined using a colorimeter.

In (2), a plurality of patches in the determination pattern are compared with a reference patch, and γ is determined from the closest patch.
In this embodiment, both the reference and determination patterns are composed of secondary colors using cyan and magenta inks, but there is no need to limit the constituent colors. The determination pattern is composed of a 3 × 3 matrix, and is composed of cyan on the X axis and magenta on the Y axis from γ1 to γ3, respectively.

  The comparison here may be determined based on the subjective appearance of the evaluator, or may be determined using a colorimeter. See Tables 1 and 2 for which γ each patch corresponds to.

In Tables 1 and 2, for example, in the upper left patch, M is 1 and C is A, which represents M1C1. The lower right patch represents M3C3 because M is 3 and C is C.
Note that the patches in FIGS. 15D and 15E are actually color, and only the hue is displayed in this specification. According to the Munsell standard, in Tables 1 and 2, M1C1 is 5B1 / 1, M1C2 is 5B3 / 3, M1C3 is 5B4 / 3, M2C1 is 5PB2 / 2, M2C2 is 5B3 / 4, M2C3 is 5PB6 / 6, M3C1 is 5RP3 / 3, M3C2 corresponds to 5RP4 / 5, and M3C3 corresponds to 5RP4 / 3.
15A and 15B, only the hue is displayed. The left patch in FIG. 15A has a hue of 8, and the right patch in FIG. 15A has a hue of 3. And the hue of the patch shown in FIG. The patch in FIG. 15C corresponds to 5PB6 / 6 in the Munsell standard.
However, in the present invention, the hue, brightness, and saturation of each patch are not limited to these.

In (3), γ is determined by the evaluator selecting an arbitrary patch from a plurality of patches in the determination pattern without using a reference. Since γ is determined according to the evaluator's preference, it is possible to provide the output result that the evaluator is seeking. In this embodiment, the patch configuration is the same as (2), but this is not necessarily the case.

[Function and effect]
Since the adjustment value for correcting the output result between the image forming apparatuses can be determined at an arbitrary timing, the output result can be corrected in accordance with changes in various usage environments. For example, this is effective when the print medium is changed.

  By outputting an adjustment value determination pattern for determining an adjustment value at an arbitrary timing, the output result can be corrected more accurately in accordance with changes in various usage environments.

  By providing a reference as a reference for determining the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the output result can be corrected more easily and accurately in accordance with changes in various usage environments.

  In order to accurately determine the adjustment value from the adjustment value determination pattern, the output value can be corrected more accurately according to changes in various use environments by measuring the color of the adjustment value determination pattern.

  By measuring the color of both the adjustment value determination pattern and the reference image, the output result can be corrected more accurately in accordance with changes in various usage environments.

  By selecting an arbitrary patch from a plurality of patches output to the adjustment value determination pattern, the output result can be corrected more accurately and easily according to changes in various usage environments.

  Since the output characteristics of each head can be corrected according to changes in various usage environments, the output result can be corrected accurately.

  Since the balance of multi-order colors often used in actual images can be corrected in accordance with changes in various usage environments, the output result can be corrected more accurately.

  It is possible to cause the computer to execute processing relating to adjustment value determination.

  Processing relating to adjustment value determination can be executed by the image forming apparatus.

  The present invention can be used for an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a scanner, a printer, a scanner printer, and a facsimile apparatus.

It is side explanatory drawing explaining the whole structure of the mechanism part which shows an example of the inkjet recording device which can form a multi-value dot. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view of a mechanism unit of the ink jet recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the longitudinal direction of a liquid chamber showing an example of a droplet discharge head constituting the recording head of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view along the lateral direction of the liquid chamber showing an example of a droplet discharge head constituting the recording head of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory block diagram illustrating an outline of a control unit in the ink jet recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a head control unit and a head driver in a control unit in the inkjet recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. (A) is a common drive waveform, (b) is a drive waveform during large droplet ejection, (c) is a large droplet control signal M0, (d) is a drive waveform during medium droplet ejection, and (e) is a medium droplet control signal. M1 and (f) are drive waveforms during droplet ejection, (g) is a droplet control signal M2, and (h) is a drive waveform during non-ejection. 1 is a configuration diagram of a printing system including an image processing apparatus and an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention. It is block explanatory drawing of the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram with which it uses for description of the program regarding the image processing in the printing system shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram with which it uses for description of the other structural example of the program regarding the image processing in the printing system shown in FIG. (A) is a gamma curve and (b) is an output density characteristic diagram. It is a figure which shows the output flow of an adjustment value determination pattern. It is explanatory drawing of the output flow of FIG. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing in the case of comparing an adjustment value determination pattern with a reference image, and (c), (d) are in the case of comparing an adjustment value determination pattern with a plurality of patches with a reference image. It is explanatory drawing, (e) is explanatory drawing in the case of determining (gamma) from the adjustment value determination pattern in which several patches exist.

Explanation of symbols

1 frame 1A, 1B side plate 1C rear plate 2 guide rod 3 stay 4 carriage 5 main scanning motor 6A drive pulley 6B driven pulley 7 timing belt 11 recording head 11k, 11c, 11m, 11y head 12 harness (flexible print cable: FPC cable)
15 Sub tank 16 Ink supply tube 17 Supply pump unit 18 Locking member 20 Paper feed tray 21 Paper stacking section (pressure plate)
22 paper 23 half moon roller (paper roller)
24 Separating Pad 25 Guide Member 26 Counter Roller 27 Conveying Guide Member 28 Holding Member 29 Tip Pressure Roller 31 Conveying Belt 32 Conveying Roller 33 Tension Roller 34 Charging Roller 35 Guide Member 36 Sub-Scanning Motor 37 Drive Belt 38 Timing Roller 40 Discharge Tray 41 Separation Claw 42 Paper Discharge Roller 43 Paper Discharge Roller 51 Duplex Unit 72 Encoder Scale 73 Encoder 74 Linear Encoder

Claims (25)

  An image processing apparatus for obtaining an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, wherein an adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads is arbitrarily set. An image processing apparatus comprising means for determining at a timing.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment value determination pattern formed on the recording medium to determine the adjustment value.   3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment value is selected from an input / output curve corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance by comparing an output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference. An image processing apparatus characterized by that.   4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an adjustment value is determined by comparing a colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference.   4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an adjustment value is selected by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and a color measurement result of a reference image.   6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern includes at least one patch, the patch corresponds to the adjustment value, and is arbitrary from the patches. An image processing apparatus characterized in that an adjustment value is determined by selecting a patch.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a plurality of colors.   An image processing method for obtaining an image by ejecting recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, wherein an adjustment value for correcting the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and the recording liquid ejection characteristics between the heads is arbitrarily set. An image processing method characterized by determining the timing.   The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein an adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value is formed on the recording medium.   11. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment value is selected from an input / output curve corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance by comparing an output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference. A featured image processing method.   12. The image processing method according to claim 11, wherein an adjustment value is determined by comparing a colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference.   12. The image processing method according to claim 11, wherein an adjustment value is selected by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and a colorimetric result of a reference image.   14. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern includes at least one patch, the patch corresponds to the adjustment value, and is arbitrary from the patches. An image processing method characterized in that an adjustment value is determined by selecting a patch.   15. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.   15. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a plurality of colors.   A program for causing a computer to execute a process for generating print image data of an image processing apparatus that obtains an image by ejecting a recording liquid from at least one head onto a recording medium, the computer having the recording liquid ejection characteristics of the head and A program for executing a process of generating print image data based on an adjustment value determined at an arbitrary timing in order to correct a recording liquid ejection characteristic between heads.   18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the computer is caused to execute a process of forming an adjustment value determination pattern for determining the adjustment value on the recording medium.   11. The program according to claim 10, wherein the computer compares the output result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a reference, and selects the adjustment value from an input / output curve corresponding to at least one adjustment value stored in advance. A program characterized by causing processing to be executed.   20. The program according to claim 19, wherein the computer causes the computer to execute a process of determining an adjustment value by comparing a colorimetric result of the adjustment value determination pattern with a predetermined reference. .   20. The program according to claim 19, wherein the computer causes the computer to execute a process of selecting an adjustment value by comparing the adjustment value determination pattern and a color measurement result of a reference image.   The program according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein when an arbitrary patch corresponding to an adjustment value is selected from the adjustment value determination pattern and the adjustment value is determined by the computer, the adjustment value is determined. A program for executing a process of generating print image data based on the program.   The program according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a single color.   The program according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the adjustment value determination pattern or reference is a plurality of colors.   A storage medium storing the program according to any one of claims 17 to 24.

Images