An information processing apparatus used to determine a waveform of a drive pulse applied to a drive element provided in a liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid includes a first reception unit that receives an input of first information for determining a first waveform as the waveform of the drive pulse, a second reception unit that receives an input of second information for determining a second waveform different from the first waveform, as the waveform of the drive pulse, and a third reception unit that receives an input of third information regarding whether or not to adjust at least a portion of the second waveform to be identical to an element of the first waveform, the third information being used when the second waveform is determined.

An information processing apparatus used to determine a waveform of a drive pulse applied to a drive element provided in a liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid includes a first reception unit that receives an input of first information regarding a first setting item for determining the waveform of the drive pulse, a second reception unit that receives an input of second information regarding a second setting item different from the first setting item for determining the waveform of the drive pulse, and a third reception unit that collectively receives the inputs of the first information and the second information from information stored in advance.

An information processing apparatus is used to determine a waveform of a drive pulse applied to a drive element provided in a liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid, by using results obtained by evaluating a first discharge characteristic and a second discharge characteristic of the liquid discharge head. The information processing apparatus includes a first reception unit that receives an input of first information for designating a voltage based on the evaluation result of the first discharge characteristic as a voltage of the drive pulse used to evaluate the second discharge characteristic, and a second reception unit that receives an input of second information for designating a voltage freely designated by a user, as the voltage of the drive pulse used to evaluate the second discharge characteristic.

An inkjet head includes a pressure chamber storing ink, a nozzle communicating with the chamber, an actuator ejecting the ink through the nozzle by changing a volume of the chamber, and a circuit outputting a drive signal to the actuator with a drive waveform having a cycle based on a number of gradation levels being used for printing. When printing is performed using three or more gradation levels, the circuit outputs the signal that has a multi-drop drive waveform including two or more first waveforms for ejecting first to (n−1)-th droplets of the ink where n is equal to or greater than 3, a second waveform for ejecting an n-th droplet of the ink, and an intermediate time between the first waveform for ejecting the (n−1)-th droplet and the second waveform for ejecting the n-th droplet. The intermediate time is longer than a time between two adjacent first waveforms.

An electric current based on electric charge produced on the piezoelectric body changes by going through a first path, a second path, a third path, and a fourth path in this order. On the first path, the electric current becomes larger as the voltage becomes higher. On the second path, the electric current becomes smaller as the voltage becomes higher. On the third path, the electric current becomes larger as the voltage becomes higher. On the fourth path, the electric current becomes smaller as the voltage becomes higher.

A liquid ejection device includes a head having a nozzle, an element causing the nozzle to eject liquid, a reservoir configured to store the liquid to be supplied to the nozzle, and a controller. The controller is configured to change a drive signal to drive the element based on a quantity of the liquid stored in the reservoir.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head and circuitry. The liquid discharge head includes a nozzle to discharge liquid. The circuitry is configured to: generate and output a common drive waveform including a drive pulse for discharging liquid from the nozzle of the liquid discharge head; select a waveform portion of the drive pulse to be applied to a pressure generating element of the liquid discharge head; and output a selection signal for designating the waveform portion selected. The drive pulse includes at least an expansion waveform element for expanding a pressure chamber of the liquid discharge head and a holding waveform element for holding a state expanded by the expansion waveform element. The selection signal includes a deselection signal for deselecting at least a part of a waveform portion preceding the expansion waveform element having, as a terminal, a state held by the holding waveform element.

According to an embodiment, an inkjet head includes a nozzle that ejects ink, an ink pressure chamber that connects to the nozzle, an actuator that changes a volume of the ink pressure chamber, and an actuator driving circuit that drives the actuator with a driving waveform. The driving waveform includes an ejection pulse portion that changes from a first voltage to a second voltage at which the ink pressure chamber expands and then changes from the second voltage to a third voltage at which the ink pressure chamber contracts so as to eject the ink from the nozzle. The third voltage is between that of the first and second voltages in potential level. The potential difference between the second and third voltages is greater than the potential difference between the third and first voltages.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a nozzle plate with nozzles and actuators and a drive controller. First and second nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a first direction. First and third nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a second direction. The drive controller is configured to apply a drive signal to first, second, and third actuators corresponding to the first, second, and third nozzles, respectively, during a drive cycle. A difference between a first timing at which the drive signal is applied to the first actuator and a second timing at which the drive signal is applied to the second actuator and a difference between the first timing and a third timing at which the drive signal is applied to the third actuator is an odd number multiple of a half of an inherent vibration cycle of the liquid discharge apparatus.

A print head drive circuit that drives a print head including an ejection portion having a piezoelectric element and a changeover switch, with a selection signal including a first information block and a second information block for selecting whether or not to drive the piezoelectric element, and a switching timing signal for changing a logic level to control a switching timing of the changeover switch, outputs the first information block in which a logic level of the selection signal changes without changing a logic level of the switching timing signal in a first period, changes the logic level of the switching timing signal, and does not change the logic level of the selection signal in a second period, and outputs the second information block in which the logic level of the selection signal changes without changing the logic level of the switching timing signal in a third period.