A three-dimensional printing device includes a first head having a first nozzle array that ejects liquid, a second head having a second nozzle array that ejects liquid, and a moving mechanism having a linear motion mechanism that changes relative positions of the heads with respect to a three-dimensional workpiece. The first region of the workpiece is more inclined with respect to the first axis than the second region of the workpiece. A time period when the first nozzle array faces the first region and the second nozzle array faces the second region is a first time period. In the first time period, the first nozzle array ejects the liquid onto the first region in a first ejection cycle. In the first time period, the second nozzle array ejects the liquid onto the second region in a second ejection cycle. The first ejection cycle is shorter than the second ejection cycle.

A recording device includes a recording head and a control unit. When recording a raster line forming a partial image of a image, using, of a nozzle row, a plurality of OL nozzles in a positional relationship to record a common raster line, the control unit performs recording using the OL nozzles of a first range, in a range of the OL nozzles in a first direction, when a recording condition is a first recording condition, and performs recording using the OL nozzles of a second range narrower than the first range, of the range of the OL nozzles in the first direction, when the recording condition is a second recording condition in which a density difference, in the image, between the partial image and an image other than the partial image is greater than in the first recording condition.

A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second printheads supplied with a same ink. The method includes the steps of: allocating first lines of the image to the first printhead; allocating second lines of the image to the second printhead; dithering the first lines of the image using a selected first dither mask; dithering the second lines of the image using a selected second dither mask; printing the dithered first lines of the image using the first printhead; and printing the dithered second lines of the image using the second printhead. The first and second dither masks are selected based on a relative alignment of the first and second printheads.

In an image processing apparatus, a processor sets a target printing method for printing a target image to one of a bidirectional printing method and a unidirectional printing method. In a case where the bidirectional printing method is set as the target printing method: the processor executes both a first generation process and a second generation process. The first generation process generates first partial print data by converting a set of partial image data using a first color conversion profile. The second generation process generates second partial print data by converting another set of partial image data using a second color conversion profile. In a case where the unidirectional printing method is set as the target printing method, the processor executes a third generation process generating third partial print data by converting a set of partial image data using a third color conversion profile.

An image forming apparatus includes a liquid discharge device and processing circuitry. The liquid discharge device includes at least one nozzle group, where N represents an integer, to discharge liquid. The processing circuitry causes the first nozzle group to discharge in a first scan, causes the second nozzle group to discharge in a second scan, and causes the N-th nozzle group to discharge in an N-th scan to form a complete image. The processing circuitry, with respect to an image completion rate indicating a rate of an image formed by each of the first nozzle group to the N-th nozzle group in the complete image, sets the image completion rate of a portion of the first nozzle group adjacent to the second nozzle group in the sub-scanning direction to be not higher than the image completion rate of any one of the second nozzle group to the N-th nozzle group.

A liquid jetting apparatus includes a recording head unit including nozzles; a moving mechanism configured to alternately perform a scanning operation of moving the recording head unit in a scanning direction while causing the recording head unit to discharge a liquid and a sub-scanning movement operation of moving the recording head unit or the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction without causing the recording head unit to discharge the liquid; a gradation setting unit configured to set gradation on portions of image data corresponding to setting regions at ends of the recording head unit; an irregular pattern setting unit configured to set an irregular pattern on the image data to randomize a dot ratio indicating the number of dots per unit area; and a head discharge drive unit configured to cause the nozzles to discharge the liquid based on the image data.

A recording apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit that moves in a first direction relative to a medium and eject liquid, and a control unit that controls the liquid ejection unit. The liquid ejection unit includes a plurality of nozzles arranged in a direction different from the first direction and configured to eject the liquid, the control unit forms, by using a first nozzle of the nozzles, a first pattern with a first length in the first direction, the control unit forms, by using two or more nozzles different from the first nozzle, a second pattern including an image arrangement in which images are arranged so as to be displaced in a step-like manner in the first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, a region on the medium where the second pattern is formed has a second length in the first direction, and the first length is greater than the second length.

Examples describe maintenance scheduling of printhead in an image forming device by monitoring image data processed by an image forming device, determining that the image data processed by the image forming device comprises color image data, and generating a firing signal based on a mode of the image forming device.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge device, a driving device, processing circuitry, and a reading device. The discharge device discharges liquid to a recording medium to form a test pattern. The driving device causes the discharge device to discharge the liquid according to a driving waveform. The processing circuitry inputs a plurality of driving waveforms and acquires first data indicating a standard pattern that corresponds to the driving waveform and is formed with the driving waveform or indicating a parameter of the standard pattern. The reading device reads the test pattern to generate second data. The processing circuitry compares the second data with the first data and selects a driving waveform generating a smallest difference between the second data and the first data, based on a result of comparison of the second data with the first data.

A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method are provided, which can improve the yield by minimizing the occurrence of stains. The substrate processing method includes forming on the substrate a plurality of ink patterns spaced apart from each other by jetting ink onto the substrate by using a plurality of nozzles, calculating the density of each of the plurality of ink patterns, and selecting at least one nozzle for jetting ink into one pixel area based on respectively calculated densities of the plurality of ink patterns.