A liquid ejection head includes a flow channel structure, a supply channel structure, and a particular heater. The flow channel structure defines an ejection channel that leads liquid toward a plurality of nozzles arranged in a nozzle row along a first direction. The supply channel structure defines a supply channel configured to allow liquid to flow therefrom to the ejection channel. The particular heater is configured to heat liquid. The flow channel structure is made of inorganic material having a higher thermal conductivity than material used for the supply channel structure. The flow channel structure includes an end portion protruding outward relative to a side surface of the supply channel structure. The particular heater is disposed at the end portion of the flow channel structure.

An image forming method which enables more homogenous image gloss of an image made of gel ink and formed by lump-sum irradiation of active rays. The present invention is an image forming method using a plurality of types of active ray curable ink jet ink having different compositions. The method comprises: a step of gelatinizing each of liquid droplets of the plurality of types of ink jet ink by ejecting the liquid droplets of each ink from a nozzle of an ejection head and causing the same to land onto a surface of a recording medium; and a step of simultaneously irradiating the radiation rays onto the liquid droplets of the plurality of types of ink jet ink that have landed.

A liquid discharge head includes a recording element configured to generate thermal energy and a discharge orifice disposed at a position facing the recording element. A bubble is generated in liquid by the thermal energy, liquid between the bubble and the discharge orifice is discharged from the discharge orifice by the pressure of the generated bubble, and the bubble communicates with the atmosphere on the outside of the discharge orifice.

An inkjet recording apparatus has a recording head, a thermal head, and a heat control portion. The recording head has an ink discharge surface. The thermal head is arranged opposite the ink discharge surface across a recording medium conveying passage and heats a recording medium. In the thermal head, a plurality of element arrays each formed of a plurality of heating elements arrayed in the recording medium conveying direction are provided in the width direction. The heat control portion makes at least part of the heating elements in the element arrays that correspond to the ink discharge ports that discharge ink generate heat.

A liquid ejecting head includes: head chips including a first-head-chip and a second-head-chip; a holder holding the head chips; and a heater along a direction parallel to a nozzle surface. The first-head-chip and the second-head-chip are disposed to be offset from each other in both a first-direction and a second-direction parallel to the nozzle surface and intersecting with each other. When a first-side is one of the four sides of a virtual rectangle circumscribing the aggregate of the head chips and a second-side and a third-side are coupled to both ends of the first-side, the first-head-chip is in contact with the first-side and the third-side and the second-head chip is in contact with the second-side. The heater overlaps the head chips. A first-region surrounded by the first-side, the second-side, the first-head-chip, and the second-head-chip includes a first-outside-part positioned outside the outer edge of the heater.

There is provided a head module including: a case; and a head provided with nozzles through which a liquid is jetted. The head includes: two first inlets through which the liquid flows into the head; and a first outlet through which the liquid flows out of the head. The case includes: a second inlet through which the liquid supplied from an outside flows into the case; two inflow-connecting ports communicating with the second inlet and connected to the two first inlets; an outflow-connecting port connected to the first outlet; and a second outlet communicating with the outflow-connecting port and through which the liquid flows out to the outside.

An inkjet recording apparatus has a recording head, a thermal head, and a heat control portion. The recording head has an ink discharge surface. The thermal head is arranged opposite the ink discharge surface across a recording medium conveying passage and heats a recording medium. In the thermal head, a plurality of element arrays each formed of a plurality of heating elements arrayed in the recording medium conveying direction are provided in the width direction. The heat control portion makes at least part of the heating elements in the element arrays that correspond to the ink discharge ports that discharge ink generate heat.

A printing apparatus includes an ink treatment chamber having an inlet for receiving ink into the chamber. The ink is received in a non-gaseous statement. Heating elements heat the ink in the ink treatment chamber. After being heated, a nozzle ejects the heated ink. The heating of the ink may cause the ink to be changed to a gaseous ink and the gaseous ink may be ejected by the nozzle.

Disclosed is a liquid discharge method of discharging liquid with a liquid discharge head having a heating surface that contacts and heats the liquid and a discharge port that faces the heating surface and discharges the liquid. The method includes heating the liquid through the heating surface to generate a bubble such that the bubble communicates with an atmosphere, thereby discharging the liquid. The liquid that is being discharged from the discharge port includes a trailing portion. The trailing portion moves toward the heating surface in response to a reduction in volume of the bubble and contacts the heating surface. The method further includes heating the trailing portion through the heating surface while the trailing portion is in contact with the heating surface, thereby generating a bubble.

A liquid discharge head includes a recording element configured to generate thermal energy and a discharge orifice disposed at a position facing the recording element. A bubble is generated in liquid by the thermal energy, liquid between the bubble and the discharge orifice is discharged from the discharge orifice by the pressure of the generated bubble, and the bubble communicates with the atmosphere on the outside of the discharge orifice.