A recording device includes a platen as a support portion configured to support a medium, a head configured to perform scanning relative to the platen in a main scanning direction and discharge a droplet onto the medium supported by the platen, and a spacing change unit provided in at least one of a first region and a second region that sandwich a recording region PA of the medium in the main scanning direction, wherein the spacing change unit is provided without overlapping the recording region PA when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a surface at which the platen supports the medium, and a first spacing is narrower than a second spacing, the first spacing being a spacing between the spacing change unit and the head, the second spacing being a spacing between the platen and the head in the recording region PA.

A printer includes: a transport belt that transports a print medium; a print head that discharges ink to form an image on the print medium placed on the transport belt; a carriage that mounts the print head thereon and scans in an intersecting direction that intersects a transport direction of the print medium; a sensor unit that detects a non-printable area of the print medium capable of coming into contact with the print medium placed on the transport belt and the print head; and a control section that retracts the carriage from a position where the image is formed by the print head when the sensor unit detected the non-printable area during the printing, causes the transport belt to transport the print medium until the non-printable area is positioned downstream of the print head in the transport direction, and continues printing from a printable area adjacent to the non-printable area.

A printer includes: a transport belt that transports a print medium; a print head that discharges ink to form an image on the print medium placed on the transport belt; a carriage that mounts the print head thereon and scans in an intersecting direction that intersects a transport direction of the print medium; a sensor unit that detects a non-printable area of the print medium capable of coming into contact with the print medium placed on the transport belt and the print head; and a control section that retracts the carriage from a position where the image is formed by the print head when the sensor unit detected the non-printable area during the printing, causes the transport belt to transport the print medium until the non-printable area is positioned downstream of the print head in the transport direction, and continues printing from a printable area adjacent to the non-printable area.

A printing method for printing a first image and a second image while changing a relative position and a relative attitude of a print head relative to a printing object, includes a first printing step of printing a first print image obtained by forming an unprinted region in the first image, a detecting step of detecting the unprinted region, an adjusting step of adjusting the print head such that the second image adjoins the first image, and a second printing step of printing a second print image including the second image and a partial image.

In one example, a printing device can include a print zone that includes a print head and a print media area, wherein the print zone includes a paper to print head spacing (PPS) that corresponds to a distance between the print head and the print media area, and a computing device that includes instructions to determine a first print quality of an image on a print medium utilizing a first PPS value, and alter the first PPS value to a second PPS value based on the first print quality.

An inkjet recording apparatus captures an image of a recording surface of a recording medium including a test pattern recorded on the recording surface, calculates an interval between the test pattern and a reference position on the recording surface based on the image of the recording surface, and determines a height position of the recording head according to the recording medium based on the interval. The inkjet recording apparatus outputs information related to the determined height position.

An inkjet recording apparatus captures an image of a recording surface of a recording medium including a test pattern recorded on the recording surface, calculates an interval between the test pattern and a reference position on the recording surface based on the image of the recording surface, and determines a height position of the recording head according to the recording medium based on the interval. The inkjet recording apparatus outputs information related to the determined height position.

A printer includes a gap adjustment unit that displaces a carriage in a Z-axis direction in which a gap changes. The gap adjustment unit has a sliding member that moves in a width direction integrally with the carriage, and a cam member that is interposed between the carriage and the sliding member and has a stepped portion in which a maintenance surface that maintains a position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction and an adjustment surface that changes the position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction are alternately arranged in the width direction. The gap adjustment unit is configured such that the cam member slides in the width direction with respect to the carriage and the sliding member to change the gap. The gap adjustment unit includes a buffer unit that decreases a displacement speed of the carriage in the Z-axis direction when the gap is reduced.

A printer includes a gap adjustment unit that displaces a carriage in a Z-axis direction in which a gap changes. The gap adjustment unit has a sliding member that moves in a width direction integrally with the carriage, and a cam member that is interposed between the carriage and the sliding member and has a stepped portion in which a maintenance surface that maintains a position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction and an adjustment surface that changes the position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction are alternately arranged in the width direction. The gap adjustment unit is configured such that the cam member slides in the width direction with respect to the carriage and the sliding member to change the gap. The gap adjustment unit includes a buffer unit that decreases a displacement speed of the carriage in the Z-axis direction when the gap is reduced.

An example method to determine the change of a print medium due to heat dilatation or contraction is described. In that example the thickness before and after heating is determined and an offset value may be calculated to calibrate a print head to print medium distance.