A control unit acquires an interval between weaving threads in a woven fabric, and changes an interval between ruled lines constituting a ruled line group in a test pattern on the basis of the acquired interval between weaving threads. When the interval between weaving threads in the woven fabric matches the interval between ruled lines constituting the ruled line group in the test pattern or when these intervals are in the relationship of integer multiple, ruled lines in the test pattern match the interval between weaving threads in the woven fabric. When they match, it is difficult to recognize the difference between the test pattern and the shadow of the weaving thread in the woven fabric. The control unit changes the interval between ruled lines constituting the ruled line group in the test pattern on the basis of the interval between weaving threads. This enables the difference recognition to be less difficult.

A repeatable manufacturing process uses a printer to deposits liquid for each product carried by a substrate to form respective thin films. The liquid is dried, cured or otherwise processed to form from the liquid a permanent layer of each respective product. To perform printing, each newly-introduced substrate is roughly mechanically aligned, with an optical system detecting sub-millimeter misalignment, and with software correcting for misalignment. Rendering of adjusted data is performed such that nozzles are variously assigned dependent on misalignment to deposit droplets in a regulated manner, to ensure precise deposition of liquid for each given area of the substrate. For example, applied to the manufacture of flat panel displays, software ensures that exactly the right amount of liquid is deposited for each “pixel” of the display, to minimize likelihood of visible discrepancies in the resultant display.

In a printing apparatus, an indefinite area in which slits are not formed is configured in a portion of a linear encoder scale in a rotation direction, and an adjustment unit, adjusts the timing of discharge from a printhead with respect to a first printing area out of a plurality of printing areas on a rotating member, without using a detection result of a first encoder sensor, based on a detection result of a second encoder sensor, the first encoder sensor being provided at a position corresponding to the indefinite area during a discharge of printing material with respect to the first printing, and the second encoder sensor being provided at a position that does not correspond to the indefinite area during the discharge of the printing material with respect to the first printing area.

A discharge position adjusting method includes: moving a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row in scanning directions, each of the first and second nozzle rows having a plurality of nozzles that eject liquid droplets, the first and second nozzle rows being disposed at different locations in a predetermined direction, the scanning directions intersecting the predetermined direction; forming a first image by ejecting liquid droplets from the first nozzle row, and forming a second image by ejecting liquid droplets from the second nozzle row; and adjusting positions at which liquid droplets are to be placed by using the first and second images. The first and second images are created during the moving of the first and second nozzle rows.

An information processing device performs processing of specifying a positional relationship between a first printing section and a second printing section based on image capturing data of a test image that is printed on a printing medium by the first printing section and the second printing section in each of which a plurality of printing elements are arranged. The test image includes a plurality of first lines which are printed by the first printing section so as to have printing positions different from each other in a line arrangement direction on the printing medium and a plurality of second lines which are printed by the second printing section so as to have printing positions different from each other in the line arrangement direction. The information processing device contains a printing coordinate acquisition section, a printing position acquisition section, and a positional shift amount calculation section.

A mobile printer includes an ultrasound sensor to sense a set of ultrasonically-sensed positional data points of a print nozzle of the printer, at least one optical sensor to sense a set of optically-sensed positional data points of the print nozzle, and a processor. The processor is to apply a correction function on the set of ultrasonically-sensed positional data points and on the set of optically-sensed positional data points to provide a set of corrected positional data points of the print nozzle and is to cause the print nozzle to deposit according to a print request and according to the set of corrected positional data points.

An image shifter creates plural pairs of shift image data. A shading corrector and a halftone dot processor create halftone shift image data from shift images. Further, a difference image creator creates halftone common image data which is a common part of a pair of halftone shift image data, and creates halftone positive difference image data and halftone negative difference image data each of which is a difference between the halftone common image data and one of a pair of halftone shift image data. A composite image creator synthesizes the halftone common image data corresponding to an amount of positional deviation, and the halftone positive difference image data or halftone negative difference image data. A controller executes printing on web paper. Since the image data is only synthesized, processing load can be lightened even if printing is performed to restrain positional deviations.

A printer includes a print engine and a controller configured to, when a particular condition is satisfied, control the print engine to perform first partial printing to form first dots corresponding to a first portion of a target image without forming second dots corresponding to a second portion of the target image, perform sub scanning over a first distance after the first partial printing and before second partial printing, and perform the second partial printing to form the second dots without forming the first dots, and when the particular condition is not satisfied, control the print engine to perform the first partial printing to form at least a part of the first dots, perform the sub scanning over a second distance different from the first distance after the first partial printing and before second partial printing, and perform the second partial printing to form the second dots.

There is provided a printing apparatus including: a mark detector which detects a mark that is formed on a recording medium and has a width in a first direction in a detection region thereof, and is supported to be rotatable around a rotation shaft that is parallel to a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a driving portion which drives the mark detector in the first direction; an angle determination portion which determines a rotation angle of the mark detector that considers the rotation shaft as a center; and a control portion which matches positions of the detection region and the mark in the first direction by adjusting a position of the mark detector in the first direction by the driving portion based on the rotation angle of the mark detector which is determined by the angle determination portion.

A printing apparatus includes: a plurality of heads configured to print mutually different colors; and a control unit configured to control the heads. The control unit operates the first head, configured to print a first color distinguishable from a surface color of an adjustment paper, to print a first correction pattern for performing alignment correction of the first head on the adjustment paper, and operates the second head, configured to print a second color distinguishable from the first color, to print a second correction pattern for performing alignment correction of the second head on the adjustment paper so as to at least partially overlap a first color area that is an area formed by the first head.