A print position adjustment mode is performed with high accuracy while consumption of print media is saved. An inkjet printing apparatus prints an adjustment pattern including multiple patches for adjusting print positions of dots by a print head on a print medium. Patches set next to each other in a scanning direction are printed above platen ribs at intervals based on rib pitches at which the platen ribs are arranged.

There is a case where a reading unit cannot read an entire area of a recording medium in a scanning direction of a carriage, or a case where reading accuracy is low in the entire area. In such a case, a result of reading a test pattern for adjusting an ejection timing at each position cannot be obtained with high accuracy in a single reading operation. In order to solve the issue, a recording apparatus performs a reading operation a plurality of times and generates, based on results from the respective operations, an adjustment value for adjusting the ejection timing at each position in the scanning direction.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a discharge head including nozzles; a head scanning mechanism that reciprocatingly moves the discharge head in a main scanning direction; a conveyer that conveys a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; and a controller. In one pass, the controller executes: recording processing in which an image is formed on the recording medium by moving the discharge head in the main scanning direction and discharging liquid from the discharge head; setting processing in which the discharge head moves to a starting position of the recording processing for a subsequent pass following the one pass by changing a moving direction of the discharge head at a standstill position; and conveyance processing in which the recording medium is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction.

A test pattern formation method includes preparing a first pattern including a plurality of dot rows that are separated, and a second pattern including a plurality of regions having a width greater than a width of the plurality of dot rows and provided spaced apart by a plurality of gaps greater than or equal to the width of the plurality of dot rows. At least a portion of the first pattern and at least a portion of the second pattern are in positions overlapping each other. Given a largest overlap between one of the plurality of dot rows and one of the plurality of gaps as a reference, the other dot rows of the plurality of dot rows and the plurality of regions having a wide width overlap and are deviated from each other incrementally by a respective distance corresponding to a landing deviation amount.

A printing apparatus configured to perform printing while varying an amount of adjustment of a target of adjustment, executing: printing a first adjustment pattern on a printing medium; reading the printed first adjustment pattern to acquire a first adjustment amount; printing a part of a second adjustment pattern on the printing medium, the printed part of the second adjustment pattern corresponding to only a part of the amount of adjustment according to the first adjustment pattern; reading the printed part of the second adjustment pattern to acquire a second adjustment amount; setting a first parameter that is a result of adjusting the target of adjustment by using the first adjustment amount; and setting a second parameter that is a result of adjusting the target of adjustment by using the second adjustment amount.

When an image recording apparatus records an specific image over a boundary between a first dot formation range where dots are to be formed in a preceding recording operation of two consecutive recording operations and a second dot formation range where dots are to be formed in a subsequent recording operation of the two consecutive recording operations, the apparatus sets, as a correction portion, an end portion in a scanning direction of a specific region including at least one of a first boundary region adjacent to the second dot formation range and a second boundary region adjacent to the first dot formation range in the specific image, and forms the dot placed at the correction portion by discharging liquid of a discharge amount smaller than the discharge amount set for a dot element corresponding to the dot from nozzles.

A method for determining a recording timing includes: recording patches disposed along a second axis with a recording head; and determining a recording timing of the recording head based on a selected recorded patch; wherein the patches each include an overlap region, a first region, and a second region; A≥B is satisfied, where A is a width along the second axis of the first region and the second region, and B is a width along the second axis of the overlap region; the width B is recorded decreasing towards both ends along the second axis; and the recording includes a first recording in which the recording head moves in a first direction along the second axis and the overlap region is recorded with a first nozzle group and the first region is recorded with a third nozzle group, and a second recording in which the recording head moves in a second direction and the overlap region is recorded with a second nozzle group and the second region is recorded with the third nozzle group.

A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a carrying part, a carriage and a detector that optically detects an image recorded on a recording medium, and a controller that obtains a correction value of recording positions of dots from a test pattern, and corrects the recording positions of the dots based on the correction value. The test pattern includes an adjustment pattern and a reference pattern, the adjustment pattern includes multiple overlapping patterns that are each formed by overlapping two basic patterns, the reference pattern is formed of predetermined patterns that each correspond to the multiple overlapping patterns, the correction value of recording positions of dots, which is obtained by the controller, is calculated based on adjustment detection results respectively obtained by detecting the multiple overlapping patterns and a reference detection result obtained by detecting the predetermined pattern forming the reference pattern, and the controller corrects the recording positions of dots based on the correction value.

An inkjet printer including an inkjet head, a head scanning unit, a wave shape generating mechanism to deform a recording medium into a predetermined wave shape, an obtaining device to obtain information concerning a type of the recording medium to be used in a printing operation, a gap information storing device to store gap information related to a gap between an ink discharging surface and the recording medium in association with a predetermined type of the recording medium, the gap information being acquired from a predetermined range in the recording medium, and a correcting device to correct the gap information according to the type of the recording medium obtained by the obtaining device when the type of the recording medium obtained by the obtaining device is different from the predetermined type of the recording medium stored in association with the gap information, is provided.

A printer has first and second print sections 100, 200 joined along a line 12, and a controller 50. Each section contains a printhead 120; 220 travelling on a track 110; 210. A frame or frame part 104 supports the track and is driven on wheels by a motor, so that the printer can travel autonomously along a horizontally extending step edge, printing as it goes. It further includes a sensor for detecting the proximity of the vertical face 5v of the step. The printer can thus be set to print advertising, for instance, on the steps of a stadium.