A printing apparatus includes a carriage that can load multiple types of print heads, and is configured to print an image by causing the carriage to scan a printing sheet. In a case where the print head loaded on the carriage corresponds to a first head configuration, a first printing service using a first identifier to identify the printing apparatus is provided to a host device. In a case where the print head loaded on the carriage corresponds to a second head configuration being different from the first head configuration, a second printing service using a second identifier being different from the first identifier is provided to the host device.

Provided are an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a dither mask set, and an image recording apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of banding and color unevenness without productivity decrease. Halftone processing is performed with respect to image data of a first color, in a range of a part of a recording duty, using a dither mask that realizes a first nozzle jetting rate in which a nozzle jetting rate of an end part nozzle is suppressed to be smaller than a nozzle jetting rate of a central nozzle. Further, halftone processing is performed with respect to image data of a second color different from the first color, using a dither mask that realizes a second nozzle jetting rate having smaller difference between the nozzle jetting rate of the end part nozzle and the nozzle jetting rate of the central nozzle than that in the first nozzle jetting rate.

Provided are an image recording apparatus, a dither mask, and an image recording method capable of reducing occurrence of concentration unevenness without decrease in productivity. In an image recording apparatus that repeats a main scan operation of relatively moving a recording head having a nozzle row with respect to a recording medium in a main scan direction to perform recording and a sub scan operation of relatively moving the recording medium with respect to the recording head in a sub scan direction, a nozzle jetting rate of each nozzle is controlled by a dither mask. The dither mask is subjected to threshold setting so that a sum of a sum of nozzle jetting rates of corresponding nozzles of respective nozzle groups used in recording a first half scan for recording each scan band and a sum of nozzle jetting rates of corresponding nozzles of respective nozzle groups used in recording a second half scan becomes a specific value that is in a defined allowable range, with respect to at least a part of a recording duty range.

In an image forming apparatus (an ink jet printer 100), in a sub scanning direction, when an area in arrange of a nozzle at an end portion of a head (41) to a nozzle at a predetermined distance is set as a predetermined area, and a medium is transported in a certain amount by using the head (41), a scan portion, and a transport portion so as to form an image on medium sheet (10), the number of times of scanning for forming a dot array which is formed by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is more than the number of times of the scanning for forming a dot array which does not use the nozzle in the predetermined area, and the number of times of the scanning for forming the dot array by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is at least three times.

In an image forming apparatus (an ink jet printer 100), in a sub scanning direction, when an area in arrange of a nozzle at an end portion of a head (41) to a nozzle at a predetermined distance is set as a predetermined area, and a medium is transported in a certain amount by using the head (41), a scan portion, and a transport portion so as to form an image on medium sheet (10), the number of times of scanning for forming a dot array which is formed by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is more than the number of times of the scanning for forming a dot array which does not use the nozzle in the predetermined area, and the number of times of the scanning for forming the dot array by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is at least three times.

A printing apparatus includes a print unit including a carriage capable of loading a plurality of types of print heads, and configured to print an image by causing the carriage to scan a printing sheet, and a service providing unit to provide a host device with an identifier for a user to identify the printing apparatus and a printing service corresponding to the identifier. When the print head loaded on the carriage corresponds to a first head configuration, the host device is provided with a first identifier to identify the printing apparatus with a first identification name. When a second print head configuration is loaded on the carriage, the service providing unit provides the host device with a second identifier different from the first identifier to identify the printing apparatus with a second identification name which is different from the first identification name.

A printing apparatus includes a print unit including a carriage capable of loading a plurality of types of print heads, and configured to print an image by causing the carriage to scan a printing sheet, and a service providing unit to provide a host device with an identifier for a user to identify the printing apparatus and a printing service corresponding to the identifier. When the print head loaded on the carriage corresponds to a first head configuration, the host device is provided with a first identifier to identify the printing apparatus with a first identification name. When a second print head configuration is loaded on the carriage, the service providing unit provides the host device with a second identifier different from the first identifier to identify the printing apparatus with a second identification name which is different from the first identification name.

A liquid discharge method for a liquid discharge apparatus having a plurality of print modes includes determining and changing. The determining determines the print modes by a determiner. The changing changes, based on the print mode determined by the determiner, a use nozzle width and a discharge amount of a spot color head in a line feed direction such that a print mode having a low print speed has a narrower nozzle width and a larger discharge amount than a print mode having a high print speed by a controller.

A printing apparatus including a plurality of printing units along one guide can read test patterns printed with a plurality of types of conveying amount of a recording medium and determine a conveying amount based on the reading result.

A printing apparatus including a plurality of printing units along one guide can read test patterns printed with a plurality of types of conveying amount of a recording medium and determine a conveying amount based on the reading result.