There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid discharge head, a carriage, a carriage moving mechanism, a carriage motor, an output unit outputting a discharge determination signal, and a controller configured to carry out a determination of whether or not a liquid is discharged normally from the nozzle, based on the discharge determination signal outputted from the output unit when the liquid discharge head carries out an inspection driving. If a first condition is satisfied, then after a carriage drive in order to move the carriage to a predetermined position, the inspection driving is performed. If a second condition other than the first condition is satisfied, then the inspection driving is performed without performing the carriage drive.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection head, a carriage, a conveyor and a controller configured to, when it is determined that the state of the ejection is in a first state, execute a first printing process and, when it is determined that the state of the ejection is in a second state, execute a second printing process. In the first printing process, (i) a previous pass-printing is performed, (ii) the printed medium is conveyed by a first distance after the previous pass-printing, and (iii) a succeeding pass-printing is performed after the conveyance of the printed medium. In the second printing process, (i) the previous pass-printing is performed, (ii) the printed medium is conveyed by a second distance larger than the first distance after the previous pass-printing, and (iii) the succeeding pass-printing is performed after the conveyance of the printed medium, in the interlaced-printing.

A method of inspecting a dispenser including a faceplate comprises translating a sensor across the faceplate while measuring a distance between the sensor and the faceplate. The sensor is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the sensor extends at an acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the faceplate. The method may include translating another sensor across the faceplate while measuring the same distance. Or the method may include another translating of the sensor across the faceplate while measuring the same distance. In either case, the sensor is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of the sensor extends at an obtuse angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the faceplate. The method includes determining, based on the measured distances, whether an amount of accumulated formable material on the surface of the faceplate is greater than a predetermined value.

A method for printing an image on a substrate is provided. The method includes: providing image template data; analyzing the image template data by identifying image components; printing the image using the image template data using a printing procedure based on printing parameters with a printer operating using printer configuration parameters; capturing the printed image; providing captured image data of the captured image; analyzing the captured image data. The analyzing including determining the region of interest within the captured image data based on definition parameters, identifying an image component and an image metric for the region of interest, relating the image metric to the image component, relating the identified image component to the identified image component of the region of interest, selecting parameters based on the image metric and/or the image component, and computing an actual correction parameter based on an optimization computing procedure using the image metric.

The present disclosure is directed to a fluidic ejection device configured to detect whether one or more nozzles of the fluidic ejection device is in a normal state, a blocked nozzle state, or an accumulated fluid state. The fluidic ejection device includes an optical blockage detector having a light emitting device configured to emit a light signal, and a light sensor configured to detect the light signal. The optical blockage detector detects the normal state, the blocked nozzle state, and the accumulated fluid state based on the detected light signal.

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a discharge head including nozzles and actuators; a liquid detecting sensor; and a controller. The controller is configured to: cause the actuators to perform a discharge operation; calculate a discharge amount of the liquid discharged from each of the nozzles; determine the discharge amount of the liquid; and cause a first actuator corresponding to a first nozzle, whose discharge amount is less than a first predetermined amount, and a second actuator corresponding to a second nozzle, whose discharge amount is not less than the first predetermined amount and less than a second predetermined amount, to perform a flushing, without causing a third actuator corresponding to a third nozzle, whose discharge amount is not less than the second predetermined amount, to perform the flushing.

An inspection apparatus includes a liquid discharge head and a first light source. The liquid discharge head is configured to discharge a transparent liquid onto a discharged object. The first light source is configured to irradiate a pattern formed by the transparent liquid discharged onto the discharged object with light having a single peak wavelength to cause a difference between brightness and darkness.

After printing based on each job is ended, a printing control unit controls an operation of a printing unit so that an inspection pattern is printed on a print sheet in a period during which a conveyance control unit is keeping a conveyance speed of a print sheet at a constant speed. A maintenance content determination unit determines a maintenance content for the printing unit on the basis of an inspection result obtained by inspecting a print image for the inspection pattern. The printing control unit controls operations of the printing unit and a cleaning mechanism depending on the maintenance content determined by the maintenance content determination unit.

For assessing the functioning of an ejection unit of an inkjet print head, a comparison of a residual pressure wave with a residual pressure wave reference is employed. To enable assessment during printing, multiple residual pressure wave references are provided, each relating to a condition relevant to the residual pressure wave. Such a condition may relate to an actuation status of an adjacent ejection unit which may cause crosstalk, for example. When performing the assessment, the condition during assessment is taken into account, for example for selecting a suitable residual pressure wave reference, such that an appropriate and correct assessment can be performed independent from the conditions during assessment.

A printing apparatus includes a printing unit that includes an ejection port surface provided with ejection ports through which liquid is ejected, a wiping unit, a depressurizing unit, and detection unit. The wiping unit has an opening and wipes the ejection port surface by moving in a predetermined direction while the opening abuts against the ejection port surface. The depressurizing unit applies negative pressure to the ejection port surface via the opening. The detection unit detects an ejection state of the ejection ports. After driving the depressurizing unit when the opening abuts against the ejection port surface, the suction operation sucks the liquid from the ejection ports while moving the wiping unit. The suction operation is performed from a first ejection port detected as an ejection-failed ejection port by the detection unit under a suction condition different from suction conditions of the ejection ports other than the first ejection port.