JP2005246650A - Printer, image processor, printing control method, program, test pattern data, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a test pattern which enables the ease identification of a poor place even in a print head with many nozzles arrayed in a highly dense state. <P>SOLUTION: This test pattern is composed of a test pattern area 10 with the following constitution, and a solid area 20. In the test pattern area 10, a plurality of unit test patterns 12, wherein ruled line patterns 14 corresponding to individual printing elements and having a fixed length in a relative moving direction are arrayed as parallel lines at different heights in the relative moving direction, are arrayed along the array direction of the printing elements. The solid area 20 is arrayed over a range equivalent to the array width of the plurality of printing elements. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  One invention relates to a test pattern printing technique suitable for application to a printing apparatus. Moreover, one invention relates to an information processing apparatus that controls a printing apparatus to print a test pattern. Furthermore, one invention relates to a method for controlling printing of a test pattern by a printing apparatus.

  Furthermore, one invention relates to the program which implement | achieves the printing control mentioned above. The present invention also relates to a recording medium on which the program is recorded. Furthermore, one invention relates to test pattern data. The present invention also relates to a recording medium on which the test pattern data is recorded.

  The prior art will be described below using an ink jet printer as an example. Inkjet printers are widely used as devices for printing a print pattern by ejecting ink droplets onto a print medium. In this print head, a large number of nozzles corresponding to the minimum print unit (dot) are arranged. In particular, today, where printing speed and high resolution are important, a large number of nozzles are mounted on the print head.

  On the other hand, very high processing techniques are required to process fine nozzles. In addition, a high control technique is required to land an appropriate amount of ink droplets at an appropriate position. For this reason, in this type of print head equipped with a large number of nozzles, there is a high possibility that nozzles having non-ejection, misalignment, defective ejection amount, and other ejection defects will appear.

  However, defective nozzle ejection causes a decrease in print quality. For this reason, a method for confirming whether normal printing is possible with the print head is required. Currently, a method of printing a test pattern on paper is known as a method for confirming nozzle ejection failure.

  For example, there is a method disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. FIG. 1 shows an example of a test pattern disclosed in Patent Document 1. This test pattern is printed when 16 nozzles are arranged in the vertical direction on the print head. The printing procedure of this test pattern is shown below.

  This printing is performed while the print head moves from the left side to the right side relative to the photographic paper. First, the first nozzle prints a horizontal line 1, and then prints a vertical line 2 indicating a break. Thereafter, the horizontal line 1 and the vertical line 2 are printed in order for the second to sixteenth nozzles in the same order as the first nozzle described above.

  At this time, each horizontal line 1 is printed so as to be lowered by one dot (interval between nozzles) with respect to the latest left horizontal line. The vertical line 2 is printed twice every five lines. The print pattern shown in FIG. 1 can be printed by such a procedure.

  In the case of this test pattern, for example, if there is a third non-ejection nozzle from the paper surface, the horizontal line portion to be printed by the third nozzle is blank. Therefore, the operator can know that the third nozzle is not ejecting by counting the number of blank portions from the left.

For example, there is a method disclosed in Patent Document 2. FIG. 2 shows an example of a test pattern disclosed in Patent Document 2. This test pattern is also basically the same as the test pattern shown in Patent Document 1. However, in the case of FIG. 2, a number for preventing miscounting is printed corresponding to each horizontal line.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-261078 JP-A-61-261079

  However, these two test patterns require a very long print area in the lateral direction of the paper. For this reason, when the number of nozzles increases, it becomes impossible to fit the test pattern print result on one sheet. In other words, it is not suitable as a test pattern for today's print heads equipped with a very large number of nozzles.

  If the test pattern is compressed so that it fits on one sheet, it is difficult to visually confirm the defective position. This is because the same number of vertical lines as the number of nozzles are densely arranged, so that the masking effect makes it difficult to identify horizontal lines. In addition, since the vertical lines themselves are arranged very densely, it is easy to make a mistake in counting the positions of the vertical lines.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a test pattern applicable to a print head on which a large number of printing elements are mounted, and a printing technique therefor.

  The test pattern proposed here is based on the following print head and drive system. That is, the print head is assumed to have a plurality of print elements corresponding to the minimum print unit.

  In addition, the print head and the print medium are relatively moved in a direction intersecting with the arrangement direction of the print elements. In other words, the printing apparatus prints a print pattern corresponding to the print data on the recording medium by such relative movement. The movement may be on the print head side, the printing target side, or both.

(1) Basic pattern 1
FIG. 3 shows one basic configuration example of the test pattern proposed in this specification. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the test pattern. Therefore, in actuality, printing is performed in a compressed state in the arrangement direction of the printing elements. This test pattern includes a test pattern region 10 and a solid coating region 20.

  The test pattern area 10 is composed of a plurality of unit test patterns 12 arranged along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. In each unit test pattern 12, a plurality of ruled line patterns 14 corresponding to individual printing elements are arranged.

  Each ruled line pattern 14 is a fixed length pattern having a fixed length in the relative moving direction of the print head and the printing medium. Here, the ruled line patterns 14 are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction in the unit test pattern 12. That is, the plurality of ruled line patterns 14 constituting the unit test pattern 12 are all arranged at different positions with respect to the relative movement direction.

  For this reason, the ruled line pattern 14 appears in the same stage in different unit test patterns. Therefore, if a certain number or more of the ruled line patterns 14 arranged in one unit test pattern 12 are secured, it is possible to secure the interval between the ruled line patterns 14 appearing on the same stage enough for visual identification.

  Note that the number of unit test patterns 12 constituting the test pattern region 10 increases in proportion to the number of printing elements mounted on the print head if the number of ruled line patterns 14 constituting the unit test pattern 12 is fixed. .

  By adopting such an arrangement pattern, regardless of the number of printing elements, the length in the relative movement direction necessary for the test pattern region 10 is the length necessary for printing the ruled line pattern 14 constituting the unit test pattern. Limited to

  In addition, the length required in the arrangement direction of the printing elements matches the arrangement width of the printing elements. For this reason, it can fit in one sheet. Thus, in this test pattern, the ruled line pattern 14 is distributed and arranged in two directions, the moving direction relative to the arrangement direction of the printing elements.

  Incidentally, when printing is performed, a plurality of ruled line patterns 14 positioned at the same stage in the plurality of unit test patterns 12 are simultaneously printed as a set of print patterns.

  One solid coating region 20 is arranged over a range equivalent to the arrangement width of the plurality of printing elements. That is, they are arranged over the same print width as the test pattern area 10. In the case of FIG. 3, the solid coating region 20 is arranged along the upper edge of the test pattern region 10.

  Note that a solid coating pattern 22 is arranged in the solid coating region 20. In the case of FIG. 3, the solid coating pattern 22 has a certain width in the relative movement direction and has a rectangular shape extending in the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a pattern in which the inside is filled is used.

  The solid coating pattern 22 is used to easily find a printing element having a printing problem. An example is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows a printing example of a printing element having a problem in the printing function (completely stopped functioning). A portion corresponding to this printing element is shown as a blank 16 in the test pattern region 10.

  If this white spot 16 can be found, a printing element having a problem in the printing function can be found. On the other hand, a very large number of ruled line patterns 14 are arranged in the test pattern area 10. For this reason, it is not always easy to confirm the absence of individual ruled line patterns 14 and positional deviation with only one glance. For example, depending on the relationship between the print color and the background color, it may be difficult to find the presence or position deviation of each ruled line pattern 14 having a small print area.

  In such a case, the solid coating pattern 22 is effective. As described above, when there are white spots 16, white stripes (white spots) 24 are recognized in the corresponding portions of the solid coating pattern 22. The white streaks 24 can be easily found from the contrast difference only when the periphery is solid (single color). That is, the visibility is excellent.

  Therefore, the problem portion can be found in a much shorter time than when searching for the presence or absence of the ruled line pattern 14 and the positional deviation from the test pattern area 10. As described above, the solid coating pattern 22 has a function of highlighting the defect of the fine ruled line pattern 14.

  The solid coating pattern 22 is effective for confirming the presence or absence of defects, but the cause is not known. In that case, the cause of the defect can be determined by observing the ruled line pattern 14 printed in the test pattern region 10.

  For example, if the ruled line pattern 14 does not exist, it can be seen that the printing element has completely stopped functioning. Further, for example, if the positional deviation of the ruled line pattern 14 can be confirmed, it is possible to estimate the possibility of the deviation of the mounting position of the printing element and the ink droplet ejection curve.

(2) Basic pattern 2
FIG. 5 shows another example of the basic configuration of the test pattern proposed in this specification. FIG. 5 is also an enlarged view of the test pattern. Therefore, also in this case, when the test pattern is actually printed, the test pattern is printed in a compressed state in the arrangement direction of the printing elements.

  As shown in FIG. 5, this test pattern includes a test pattern area 10 and a compressed pattern area 30. Here, the test pattern region 10 is exactly the same as that shown in FIG. For this reason, only the compressed pattern area 30 which is a difference will be described here.

  The compressed pattern region 30 is in a relationship in which the test pattern region 10 described above is compressed in the relative movement direction. This is different from the test pattern in which the entire area is solid-colored. For example, when the test pattern area 10 is 33 [mm], the compression pattern area 30 may be set to about 8 [mm]. Here, an appropriate compression ratio is set in consideration of the visibility of the compressed pattern region 30.

  Due to the compression in the relative movement direction, the display area of each ruled line pattern 14 becomes very small. That is, each ruled line pattern 14 has a shape close to a point. Accordingly, when the printing result of the compressed pattern region 30 is visually observed, it appears that a plurality of oblique line patterns 32 corresponding to the unit test pattern 12 are arranged.

  Note that if there are white spots or misalignment in the test pattern area 10, the defect is reflected in the corresponding hatched pattern 32. That is, it is reflected as a discontinuous point (straightness disorder or breakage) of the oblique line pattern 32. An example is shown in FIG. In the case of FIG. 6, the test pattern region 10 has a white spot 18 </ b> A and a positional deviation 18 </ b> B. In this case, discontinuous points 34A and 34B are generated in the corresponding oblique line pattern 32.

  Incidentally, the discontinuous point 34 </ b> A is caused by white spots in the ruled line pattern 14. On the other hand, the discontinuous point 34B is caused by a positional deviation of the ruled line pattern 14. Although different from the solid coating region 20 described above, the presence of discontinuous points is easily noticeable in a highly regular line segment pattern. As described above, the compressed pattern region 30 also has a function of highlighting the defect of the fine ruled line pattern 14.

  As described above, when any pattern is employed, a test pattern that can be printed within a certain range can be realized regardless of the number of printing elements mounted on the print head. Even when the printing elements are arranged at a high density, it is possible to realize a test pattern that allows easy confirmation of the presence or absence of printing defects.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described. For techniques not specifically shown or described in the present specification, well-known or publicly known techniques in the technical field are applied.

(1) Test Pattern Hereinafter, another pattern example based on the test pattern shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 will be described.

(1-1) Pattern example 1
Here, another pattern example based on the test pattern (solid coating) shown in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 7B shows a configuration example of the solid coating pattern 22 used in Pattern Example 1. Here, for convenience, it is referred to as a solid coating pattern 22A.

  The solid coating pattern 22A corresponds to a rectangular solid coating pattern 22 (FIG. 7A) arranged in a checkered pattern at regular intervals. By using a checkered pattern, it is possible not only to easily check the presence or absence of printing defects, but also to provide a guideline for specifying the defective position.

  For example, if the number of the rectangular pattern from the left is known, the range of numbers assigned to the printing elements where defects are recognized can be known. FIG. 8 shows a partially enlarged view of the test pattern region 10 and the solid coating region 20. In this example, it is assumed that the unit test pattern 12 includes 16 ruled line patterns 14.

Each ruled line pattern 14 corresponds to each printing element arranged in the print head. When the printing elements are arranged at 600 [dpi], 16 ruled line patterns 14 are arranged in a width of about 0.68 [mm]. Here, one ruled line pattern 14 is approximately
It is a fixed-length pattern with a length of 2.1 [mm].

  In this case, the length (width) of the unit test pattern 12 in the relative movement direction is about 33.6 [mm]. Of course, the discriminability can be improved by changing the ruled line pattern 14 to a longer pattern. For example, if the pattern length is 3 [mm], the discriminability can be improved accordingly.

  In the case of this example, one rectangular pattern constituting the solid coating pattern 22 </ b> A is arranged at a ratio of one to 20 unit test patterns 12. That is, one side of one rectangular pattern constituting the solid coating pattern 22A is about 13.6 [mm]. Further, the number of ruled line patterns 14 included in the range is 320 (= 16 × 20 sets). Therefore, if the solid coating pattern 22A of FIG. 8 is used, the position can be specified within 320 ranges by simply counting the rectangular patterns constituting the checkered pattern.

  Of course, if it is desired to uniquely specify the position of a specific ruled line pattern 14, the position can be specified by counting the number of unit test patterns 12 and the position in the unit test pattern 12. In addition, in the case of a print head in which a plurality of printing element arrays composed of a plurality of printing elements are arranged in a relative movement direction, a function of substituting another printing element array for printing in a certain range where a defective portion is found When equipped, it is sufficient to specify the approximate location using a checkered pattern.

  In FIG. 8, the repetition cycle of the rectangular pattern constituting the checkered pattern is set once per 20 unit test patterns 12, but this is an example and any value can be selected. For example, if the repetition period is shortened, the specific range of the found defect position can be narrowed accordingly.

  However, if the repetition period is too short, it will be difficult to check for defects. Accordingly, when determining the repetition period, it is desirable to select an appropriate value in consideration of visual effects and purposes.

  The solid coating pattern may be not only the checkered pattern shown in FIG. 7B but also the checkered pattern shown in FIG. The solid coating pattern 22B has an intermediate shape between a rectangular pattern and a checkered pattern shown in FIG. For example, if the amount of overlap between two adjacent rectangular patterns is increased, it approaches FIG. 7A, and conversely, if the amount of overlap is decreased, it approaches FIG. 7B.

  Note that as the amount of overlap between two adjacent rectangular patterns increases, a printing defect at the boundary position between the two rectangular patterns is more likely to be perceived as a white stripe. However, in the case of a checkered pattern, it is the same that a gap is formed at the boundary of the rectangular pattern.

(1-2) Pattern example 2
Pattern example 1 is a case where a checkered solid pattern 22A is arranged in the solid area 20. However, the effect of enabling not only the presence / absence of printing defects but also the confirmation of the position can be realized by a solid coating pattern of another shape.

  For example, the solid coating pattern 22C shown in FIG. The solid coating pattern 22C is a case where one side of the outer edge extending along the arrangement direction of the printing elements is a repetitive shape of a concave pattern and a convex pattern. The feature of the outer edge pattern is the same for the checkered pattern.

  This solid coating pattern 22C is obtained by painting the lower part of the checkered solid coating pattern 22A shown in FIG. Even in the case of such a shape, the entire region is filled over the array width. Therefore, if there is a printing defect, its presence can be easily confirmed as a white stripe.

  Also in the case of this solid coating pattern 22C, the position of a printing defect can be easily confirmed by counting the number of concave patterns or convex patterns appearing in the arrangement direction of the printing elements. As a special example of the uneven pattern, a solid coating pattern 22D shown in FIG.

  The solid coating pattern 22D is obtained by compressing the convex pattern of FIG. Further, it can be considered that a separator line is added to a position corresponding to the boundary portion of the uneven pattern in FIG.

(1-3) Pattern example 3
FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of Pattern Example 3. This pattern example 3 is an example in which the solid coating areas 20 are arranged on both sides of the test pattern area 10 in the arrangement direction. If two solid areas 20 are arranged in this way, the presence or absence of a defect can be confirmed with certainty.

  In addition to this, if the corresponding white portions appearing in the two solid areas 20 on both sides are connected with a line and combined with the ruled line pattern 14 in the test pattern area 10, it is easy to check which ruled line pattern 14 is abnormal. it can.

  In the pattern example 3 shown in FIG. 9, the test pattern area 10 includes 16 ruled line patterns 14. For this reason, when a printing defect occurs below the test pattern area 10, the line-of-sight area 20 is also on the lower edge side of the test pattern area 10. Is less advantageous.

  Note that the pattern length and arrangement density of the ruled line pattern 14 are the same as those in the pattern example 1. One unit test pattern 12 is composed of 16 ruled line patterns 14. These conditions are the same for other pattern examples described later.

(1-4) Pattern example 4
FIG. 10 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 4. This pattern example 4 has a configuration in which a separation area 40 is added to the test pattern (solid coating) shown in FIG. That is, the test pattern area 10, the solid coating area 20, and the separation area 40 are included.

  In the case of FIG. 10, the separation region 40 is arranged between the test pattern region 10 and the solid coating region 20. The delimiter region 40 includes a delimiter line 42 and a straight line 44 extending in the arrangement direction. The straight line 44 is for confirming the separation region 40. However, the straight line 44 is not essential.

  The dividing line 42 is for facilitating specification of the position of the ruled line pattern 14, and is arranged at a ratio of one for a plurality of printing elements. That is, the dividing lines 42 are arranged so as to repeatedly appear in the arrangement direction at regular intervals. The dividing line 42 is not necessarily a ruled line pattern, and may be a circle, a triangle, or other pattern.

  In the case of FIG. 10, the dividing line 42 is arranged at the head position of the unit test pattern 12. In the case of FIG. 10, the dividing lines 42 are not arranged for each unit test pattern 12 but are arranged at a rate of one for each of the plurality of unit test patterns 12. In the case of this example, one unit is arranged in four unit test patterns 12.

Therefore, when one unit test pattern 12 is composed of 16 ruled line patterns 14 arranged at 600 [dpi], the dividing lines are arranged at a ratio of 1 to 4 unit test patterns 12. 42 is approximately in the arrangement direction of the printing elements.
2.7 [mm] is arranged at intervals.

  For this reason, the appearance frequency of the dividing line 42 is reduced as compared with the arrangement density of the printing elements. As a result, even when the printing elements are densely arranged, the dividing line 42 can be easily confirmed visually.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the dividing line 42 is arranged in an area spatially different from the ruled line pattern 14. For this reason, the presence of the dividing line 42 does not hinder the confirmation of the ruled line pattern 14.

  By the way, the color printed using a printing element is arbitrary. In general, four colors of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow are set as basic colors. At this time, the same color as the color assigned to the ruled line pattern 14 can be assigned to the dividing line 42, or a different color can be assigned.

  For example, the magenta separator line 42 can be combined with the black and cyan ruled line pattern 14. Further, for example, a black dividing line 42 can be combined with the magenta and yellow ruled line pattern 14. However, the color combination of the ruled line pattern 14 and the dividing line 42 is arbitrary. In general, a combination that allows easy identification is selected in consideration of visibility.

  Incidentally, in general, when yellow is printed on white paper, the identification becomes difficult. Therefore, when the test pattern is printed on white paper, it is desirable to print the dividing line 42 in any one of black, magenta, and cyan.

  FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of a portion where a test pattern printing defect is recognized. In this case, the presence of printing failure can be easily confirmed by searching for the white stripe 24 of the solid coating pattern 22. If the eyes are close to where the white stripes 24 are found, the white spots 16 can be found in the test pattern area 10.

  In this case, it is assumed that the dividing line 42 (here, the right side in the figure) closest to the blank 16 corresponds to “014 *” in hexadecimal notation. Here, “*” corresponds to a numerical value indicating the order of the unit test pattern 12 in the ruled line pattern 14. For example, if the position of the first ruled line pattern 14 is represented by “0”, the position of the third ruled line pattern 14 is represented by “2”.

  Note that the numerical values shown in parentheses in FIG. 11 are for explanation. That is, the numerical values with parentheses do not constitute a test pattern.

  In the case of FIG. 11, the unit test pattern 12 to which the blank 16 belongs is located second from the dividing line 42 corresponding to “014 *”. Therefore, the ruled line pattern 14 belonging to the unit test pattern 12 can be expressed as “012 *”. Then, if it is known that the blank 16 is the fifth from the top, it can be easily specified by using the separator line 42 that the position is “0124” in hexadecimal.

  In the case of the pattern example 4, not only the presence of printing failure can be easily confirmed by the solid coating region 20, but also the position of printing failure can be easily specified by the separation region 40. The same effect can be realized when combining with the above-described pattern examples 1 to 3.

(1-5) Pattern example 5
FIG. 12 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 5. In this pattern example 5, the separation regions 40 are arranged on both sides of the test pattern region 10 in the arrangement direction. That is, it has two test pattern areas 40.

  Since the delimiter area 40 is on both sides of the test pattern area 10, the position of the ruled line pattern 14 can be counted from the delimiter line 42 of the delimiter area 40 closer to the defective position. This is effective in reducing counting mistakes. In particular, a high effect can be expected when the number of ruled line patterns 14 constituting the unit test pattern 12 is large.

  In the case of FIG. 12, since there are two separation areas 40, the line-of-sight movement distance even when the ruled line pattern 14 at a position away from the head in the unit test pattern 12 has a printing defect, such as the white spot 16. The position can be confirmed in a state with few.

  For example, in the case of FIG. 12, the dividing line 42 closest to the blank 16 corresponds to “014 *” in hexadecimal. Further, since the blank 16 is the third from the last in the unit test pattern 12 immediately before the dividing line 42, it can be easily confirmed that it is “013D”.

  As described above, by arranging the two separation regions 40 on the upper and lower sides of the test pattern region 10, not only the defective position (white spot, misalignment, etc.) on the first half side of the unit test pattern 12 but also the unit test pattern 12. The position of the second half can be confirmed with a small line of sight movement.

(1-6) Pattern example 6
FIG. 13 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 6. Similarly to the above-described pattern example 5, this pattern example 6 also uses two separation regions 40. However, in the case of this pattern example 6, the dividing line 42 is arranged so as to be positioned between the two dividing lines 42 of the other dividing area 40.

  In the case of pattern example 6, the dividing lines 42 located on both sides of the test pattern region 10 are substantially the same as doubling the density of pattern example 5. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce miscounting of the positions of the unit test patterns 12 including printing defects.

  In addition, as far as the same delimiter region 40 is concerned, the appearance interval of the delimiter line 42 is the same as that of the pattern example 5. For this reason, it is possible to effectively avoid a situation in which the identification of the dividing line 42 itself deteriorates.

  For example, in the case of FIG. 13, the dividing line 42 closest to the blank 16 corresponds to “012 *” in hexadecimal. However, since the delimiter line 42 corresponds to the head position of the unit test pattern 12, it can be seen that the position of the blank 16 is given in hexadecimal "011 *". Here, the white spots 16 appear second from the end of the unit test pattern 12. Therefore, the position of the white spot 16 can be specified as “011E”.

(1-7) Pattern example 7
FIG. 14 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 7. In the case of this pattern example 7, the dividing line 42 is arranged so as to reach from one outer edge side extending in the arrangement direction of the test pattern region 10 to the other outer edge side. That is, the dividing line 42 is arranged so as to cross the test pattern region 10.

  The extending direction of the dividing line 42 is the same as the relative moving direction of the print head and the print medium. That is, the direction of the ruled line pattern 14 is the same. In the case of this pattern example, the test pattern area 10 is divided into small blocks including four unit test patterns 12. In FIG. 14, a one-dot chain line is used as the dividing line 42, but a dotted line, a solid line, a two-dot chain line, or other line types may be used. Further, the thickness of the line may be changed.

  Thus, if the pattern length of the dividing line 42 is increased, the positional relationship of the unit test pattern 12 can be easily confirmed. However, in the case of this pattern example, the dividing line 42 overlaps the ruled line pattern 14 at the head position of the first unit test pattern 12 of the small block.

  For this reason, when the ruled line pattern 14 and the dividing line 42 have the same color, it is expected that it is difficult to confirm the defect position. However, even in that case, if the printing element for printing the ruled line pattern 14 and the printing element for printing the dividing line 42 are the same, it can be easily confirmed by the absence of the dividing line 42 as far as no ejection is concerned.

  In the case of this pattern example, it is desirable to separate the color assigned to the ruled line pattern 14 and the color assigned to the dividing line 42. By using two colors whose hues are easy to identify, the presence / absence of a defective position can be easily confirmed for the ruled line pattern 14 overlapping the dividing line 42 or the ruled line pattern 14 adjacent to the dividing line 42.

(1-8) Pattern example 8
FIG. 15 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 8. The pattern example 8 is configured to combine the auxiliary separator line 46 with the pattern example 4 (FIG. 10). Here, the auxiliary dividing line 46 refers to a dividing line extending perpendicularly to the relative movement direction in the test pattern region 10.

  However, the auxiliary dividing line 46 is arranged at a rate of one for the plurality of ruled line patterns 14. In this respect, this is different from the conventional method in which one dividing line is arranged for each ruled line pattern. By arranging the auxiliary dividing lines 46 at a ratio of one to a plurality, it is possible to avoid difficulty in confirming the ruled line pattern 14 that is the original observation target.

  In this example, auxiliary dividing lines 46 are arranged at a rate of one for the four ruled line patterns 14. Since the auxiliary dividing line 46 is provided, the unit test pattern 12 can be divided into four small blocks.

  If the number of ruled line patterns 14 constituting one block is about four, it is possible to visually determine the approximate positional relationship (the number in the small block). As a result, it is difficult to cause miscounting when specifying the position of the ruled line pattern 14 at the defective position.

  In FIG. 15, a one-dot chain line is used as the auxiliary dividing line 46, but a dotted line, a solid line, a two-dot chain line, or other line types may be used. Further, the thickness of the line may be changed. Further, as in pattern example 7 described above, the color of the auxiliary dividing line 46 may be the same as or different from the color of the ruled line pattern 14.

(1-9) Pattern example 9
FIG. 16 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 9. This pattern example is a modification of the pattern example 8. That is, this is an example in which auxiliary dividing lines 46 are arranged at the 4m + 3rd and 4m + 3 + 1th (m is an integer (variable) greater than or equal to 0) from the outer edge of the test pattern region in the arrangement direction.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the auxiliary dividing line 46 is arranged so as to cross the third and fourth, the seventh and eighth, the eleventh and twelfth, and the fifteenth and sixteenth from the top of the unit test pattern 12. . In this case, it can be easily confirmed that the ruled line pattern 14 located in the narrower region between the two auxiliary dividing lines 46 is fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth in order from the top.

  Further, in the case of this pattern example, the position of the ruled line pattern 14 located in the wider area of the region sandwiched between the two auxiliary dividing lines 46 can be easily determined. This is because the number of ruled line patterns 14 located in this area is three. In other words, the three ruled line patterns 14 can be classified as being in contact with the upper auxiliary dividing line 46, in contact with the lower auxiliary dividing line 46, or none of them.

  That is, since there are only three ruled line patterns 14, it is one of upper, lower and middle. For this reason, it becomes very easy to specify the position of the printing failure. In addition, if the position of printing failure can be specified, the position can be specified by adding or subtracting “1” or “2” starting from any of the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth positions.

  In the case of FIG. 16, the auxiliary delimiter lines 46 are arranged at the 4m + 3th and 4m + 3 + 1th pieces (m is an integer (variable) of 0 or more) from the top of the unit test pattern 12. Patterns are possible.

  For example, the present invention can also be applied to a pattern in which the auxiliary dividing line 46 is arranged at the 3m + 2 and the 3m + 2 + 1th, and a pattern in which the auxiliary dividing line 46 is arranged at the 5mth and 5m + 0 + 1. Of course, a number of 6 or more can be used as the number of breaks. Needless to say, various combinations can be considered for the line type, color, and the like of the auxiliary dividing line 46 as in the above-described pattern example.

(1-10) Pattern example 10
FIG. 17 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 10. If the auxiliary dividing line 46 is arranged as in the above-described pattern example 8 and pattern example 9, it is easy to specify the number of the ruled line pattern 14 from the top. However, if the number of auxiliary dividing lines 46 arranged in the test pattern region 10 is too large, the visibility of the ruled line pattern 14 is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the pattern example 10, the auxiliary dividing lines 46 are not arranged, but the blank areas 48 are arranged at a ratio of one to the four ruled line patterns 14. Since the blank area 48 performs the same function as the auxiliary dividing line 46, the blank area 48 extends in parallel with the arrangement direction of the printing elements. With this blank area 48, the test pattern area 10 is divided into four areas with respect to the relative movement direction of the print head and the printing medium.

  In the case of this pattern example 10, since the margin in the test pattern area 10 increases, it becomes easier to check the individual ruled line patterns 14 accordingly. Also, when specifying the position of the printing failure, the blank area 48 corresponds to the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth divisions from the top, and therefore the number of the ruled line pattern 14 from the relative positional relationship. Can be easily confirmed.

  In the case of FIG. 17, the blank area 48 is arranged at a ratio of one to the four ruled line patterns 14, but various patterns can be considered as necessary. For example, one of the three ruled line patterns 14 may be arranged, or one of the five ruled line patterns 14 may be arranged. Here, if the number of divisions is set to an odd number, the position can be easily specified depending on whether it is in the middle of the block divided by the blank area or on the front side or the rear side.

(1-11) Pattern example 11
FIG. 18 shows the configuration of Pattern Example 11. This pattern example 11 is an example of a configuration in which a pattern 50 that gives positional information is arranged in the vicinity of the dividing line 42 that forms the pattern example 4 (FIG. 10). In the case of FIG. 18, a hexadecimal value “010 *” corresponding to the dividing line 42 is added. From this, it can be seen that the position of the ruled line pattern 14 of the unit test pattern 12 immediately below the dividing line 42 corresponds to the values from “0100” to “010F”.

  Further, it can be seen that the ruled line pattern 14 of the unit test pattern 12 on the right side corresponds to values from “0110” to “011F”. As described above, in the case of this pattern example, the position information of each separation line 42 can be simultaneously confirmed on the test pattern printing result. This is effective in eliminating misreading of the position of the dividing line 42.

  Unlike FIG. 18, a hexadecimal numerical value “0100” corresponding to the ruled line pattern 14 at the position corresponding to the dividing line 42 may be arranged. Similar to the above description, when the position of the printing failure is specified, the numerical value of the first digit may be read according to the position.

  In addition, the pattern 50 for giving position information need not be limited to notation in n-ary (n is a natural number). For example, circles, triangles, and other patterns may be used as long as the position information can be confirmed.

(1-12) Other Pattern Examples As described above, various pattern examples have been described for the test pattern using the solid coating region 20, but these pattern examples can also be applied to a test pattern using the compressed pattern region 30.

  For example, as in pattern example 1, the compressed pattern regions 30 can be arranged in a checkered pattern. Further, as in pattern example 2, the imaginary line connecting the outer edges of the compressed pattern may be arranged so as to have a repeated shape of a concave pattern and a convex pattern.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the compressed pattern regions 30 may be arranged on both sides of the test pattern region 10 in the arrangement direction. By adopting this arrangement, it is possible to more easily check whether there is a printing defect and check the position.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 20, a separation region 40 may be additionally arranged between the compression pattern region 30 and the test pattern region 10. By adopting this arrangement, it is possible to further easily specify the position of the printing failure.

  Even in the case of a test pattern using the compressed pattern region 30, a configuration in which the partition regions 40 are arranged on both sides of the test pattern region 10 as shown in FIG. 21 may be adopted, as shown in FIG. In addition, the dividing positions may be interpolated on both sides of the test pattern region 10.

  Also, in the case of a test pattern using the compressed pattern region 30, it can be arranged so that the dividing line 42 crosses the test pattern region 10 as shown in FIG. By adopting such an arrangement, it is possible to easily identify the position of a small block to which a printing defect belongs.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 24, auxiliary dividing lines 46 that divide the test pattern region 10 into a plurality of small blocks in the relative movement direction can be combined. Of course, as shown in FIG. 25, the auxiliary dividing lines 46 can be arranged at the 4m + 3rd and 4m + 3 + 1th (m is an integer (variable) of 0 or more).

  In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 26, blank regions 48 can be arranged at regular intervals instead of the auxiliary dividing lines 46. In addition, as shown in FIG. 27, a pattern configuration in which a pattern 50 that gives position information in the vicinity of the dividing line 42 is also possible.

  As described above, also in the case of a test pattern using the compressed pattern region 30, the same pattern configuration as that in the case of using the solid coating region 20 can be adopted. In the above-described pattern examples, all the characteristic pattern examples have been selected and described, but a plurality of pattern examples described above may be combined.

  For example, any one of pattern examples 1 to 10 can be combined with pattern example 11 (an example in which a pattern 50 that provides position information of the dividing line 42 is added). By using test patterns related to these combinations, it is possible to more easily identify the position at the time of printing.

  Further, any one of pattern examples 1 to 7 and pattern example 8 or 9 can be combined. If a test pattern related to such a combination is used, the position of the defective position can be specified more reliably. Such a combination is, of course, the same for the test pattern using the compressed pattern region 30.

  Further, the solid pattern region 20 and the compressed pattern region 30 can be combined. FIG. 28 shows an example of such a pattern. FIG. 28 is an example in which the solid pattern region 20 is arranged along the upper edge of the test pattern region 10 and the compressed pattern region 30 is arranged along the lower edge of the test pattern region 10.

  By using two types of patterns having different properties, that is, the solid coating pattern region 20 and the compression pattern region 30, it is possible to more reliably confirm the presence of a printing defect. In particular, the compressed pattern region 30 can be confirmed from the position itself and the presence of white spots, so it is convenient for estimating the cause of printing failure. Of course, the above-described various pattern examples can be combined with the test pattern shown in FIG.

(2) Printing Device Next, an embodiment of a printing device that prints the above test pattern will be described. Note that the printing apparatus of this example is an inkjet printer. However, the printing apparatus according to the invention can be widely applied to a printing apparatus that performs printing in units of dots, such as a wire dot printer, a thermal transfer printer, or the like.

(2-1) Print Head An embodiment of the print head will be described. In FIG. 29, the elements on larger scale of the head surface 60 are shown. On the head surface 60, four nozzle groups N1 to N4 are arranged so as to be orthogonal to the printing direction (opposite to the moving direction of the recording medium).

  In the nozzle groups N1 to N4, nozzles 62 are arranged at the same density as the printing resolution over the printing width. The nozzle groups N1 to N4 are arranged at a specified pitch in the printing direction. The nozzle groups N1 to N4 correspond to ink slots in which containers (that is, ink cartridges) filled with ink are mounted.

  For example, the first nozzle group N1 corresponds to the ink slot 1. Similarly, the second, third, and fourth nozzle groups N2 to N4 correspond to the ink slots 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

  On the head surface 60, nozzle numbers 64 representing nozzle positions are arranged at regular intervals on both sides of the four rows of nozzle groups N1 to N4. In the case of FIG. 29, the mark 64 which gives a nozzle number is arranged for every 16 pieces. This mark 64 corresponds to each unit test pattern 12 of the test pattern described above. However, it is not essential to arrange the mark 64 on the head surface 60.

  FIG. 30 shows the top surface of the print head 66. On the upper surface, four ink slots 68A to 68D for mounting the ink cartridge 70 (FIG. 31) are provided. The ink slot 68A corresponds to the nozzle group N1. The ink slots 68B to 68D correspond to the nozzle groups N2 to N4, respectively.

  An ink supply opening is formed in the bottom surface of each of the ink slots 68A to 68D. Each opening is connected to a corresponding nozzle group N1 to N4 through an ink flow path. The opening is formed near the center of the bottom surface. The ink supply port 72 of the ink cartridge 70 (FIG. 31) is inserted into this opening.

(2-2) Apparatus Main Body FIG. 32 shows a configuration example of the discharge control unit 80 mounted on the apparatus main body. The ejection control unit 80 is a signal processing unit that converts print data captured from inside and outside the apparatus into gradation data suitable for ejection of ink droplets. As shown in FIG. 32, the ejection control unit 80 includes a color conversion unit 82, a gamma conversion unit 84, a gradation conversion unit 86, a test pattern storage unit 88, a system control unit 90, and a head drive data generation unit 91.

  The color conversion unit 82 converts print data composed of the three primary colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B) into cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and ink colors of the printer. A process of converting to a density signal of black (K) is executed.

  The converted density signal is output from the color converter 72 to the gamma converter 84. In this embodiment, the print data is an image signal Vin in the bitmap format. A known technique is used for the color conversion unit 82.

  The gamma converter 84 performs signal processing for converting the density signal of the original image into a density signal corresponding to the density reproduction characteristic. A gamma characteristic curve is used for this conversion. Gamma refers to a characteristic curve for density reproduction that varies depending on the ink absorption rate of the recording medium, the area filling rate of the ink to the recording medium, and the like.

  The gradation converting unit 86 executes signal processing for reducing the number of gradations of the density signal after gamma conversion. In other words, the gradation conversion unit 86 converts the gradation data into a gradation data with a reduced number of gradations while maintaining the reproducibility of the intermediate gradation of the original image as much as possible. That is, the gradation conversion unit 86 performs a quantization process.

  The test pattern storage unit 88 is a storage device that stores data (data structure) corresponding to one or more of the test patterns described above.

  That is, the test pattern storage unit 88 stores a test pattern including first print data corresponding to the test pattern area 10 and second print data corresponding to the solid coating area 20 or the compressed pattern area 30. Yes. In addition, the test pattern storage unit 88 also stores patterns such as the partition region 40 and the auxiliary partition line 46.

  There are various storage methods for this data. For example, the test pattern storage unit 88 stores the format of the head drive data created by the head drive data generation unit 91 in the form itself. Further, for example, the test pattern storage unit 88 stores the head drive data in a compressed form.

  Further, for example, the test pattern storage unit 88 stores only data necessary for generating head drive data. In this example, the head drive data is generated by processing data read from the test pattern storage unit 88.

  Incidentally, a non-volatile storage device is used for the test pattern storage unit 88. For example, a read only memory (ROM) is used. However, in the case of a system in which the test pattern can be rewritten, a rewritable nonvolatile memory is used.

  The system control unit 90 controls the entire apparatus. For example, a print mode detection process and a control process for each unit corresponding to the detected print mode are executed. For example, drive control of the transport mechanism is also executed. The system control unit 90 has a computer configuration and executes control operations of the respective units according to predetermined firmware.

  For example, when test pattern data having the same data format as the head drive data generated by the head drive data generation unit 91 is stored in the test pattern storage unit 88, the system control unit 90 performs the following operation during test printing. .

  First, the system control unit 90 sequentially reads test pattern data from the test pattern storage unit 88. Thereafter, the system control unit 90 gives the read test pattern data to the head and prints the test pattern. Of course, in this case, print data for one line corresponding to each of the nozzle groups N1 to N4 is read in the printing order.

  For example, when test pattern data in a format in which the head drive data generated by the head drive data generation unit 91 is compressed is stored in the test pattern storage unit 88, the system control unit 90 performs the following operation at the time of test printing To do.

  First, the system control unit 90 sequentially reads test pattern data stored in a compressed state from the test pattern storage unit 88. Thereafter, the system control unit 90 decompresses the test pattern data and gives it to the head to print the test pattern.

  Further, for example, when only data necessary for generating the head drive data is stored in the test pattern storage unit 88, the system control unit 90 executes the following operation at the time of test printing. First, the system control unit 90 reads out data necessary for generating head drive data from the test pattern storage unit 88.

  After that, the system control unit 90 generates head drive data from the data and gives it to the head to print a test pattern. Alternatively, the system control unit 90 generates data in a format that can be processed by the head drive data generation unit 91 from the data, and supplies the data to the head drive data generation unit 91. In this case, head drive data is generated based on the data input by the head drive data generation unit 91, and the head is driven.

  As described above, the head drive data generation unit 91 generates head drive data for actually driving the head. The head is driven by the head drive data, and ink is ejected from each ejection unit.

(2-3) Test Print Operation As described above, the test print operation is executed by reading data corresponding to the test pattern. However, as described above, the test pattern can be divided into first print data corresponding to the test pattern area 10 and second print data corresponding to the solid coating area 20 or the compressed pattern area 30.

  Therefore, this test printing operation can be grasped as a processing operation shown in FIG. 33 from a functional viewpoint. That is, a process P1 for sequentially reading a set of ruled line patterns 14 corresponding to each stage (one line) of the test pattern area 10, a process P2 for reading a pattern constituting the solid coating area 20 and the compressed pattern area 30, and a read Process P3 for printing the processed pattern data, process P4 for determining whether or not reading of all the pattern data corresponding to the test pattern is completed, and updating the print position information when a negative result is obtained in process P4 Can be represented as processing P5.

  In process P5, the position information of the printing target with respect to the relative movement direction is updated, and the process returns to process P1 again. By repeating this series of processing, the test pattern is printed on the printing target.

(3) Information processing apparatus The above description assumes that test pattern data held inside the apparatus is printed in accordance with a test print execution instruction given from inside or outside the apparatus. However, a method of giving test pattern data from an external device is also conceivable.

  Here, the external device can be realized as a dedicated device for test printing. However, generally, a test pattern necessary for an information processing apparatus having a computer configuration can be stored, or read out from a storage device (recording medium) connected to the information processing apparatus, and given to the above-described ink jet printer.

  FIG. 34 shows a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 100. The hardware itself has a well-known configuration. The information processing apparatus 100 includes a central processing unit 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 104, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 106, a hard disk drive 108, a keyboard 110, a display 112, and a communication port 114.

  The central processing unit 102 executes the program using the RAM 106 as a work area. Various functions are realized by executing the program. For example, the function of printing a test pattern is realized by the above-described processing procedure (FIG. 33). The ROM 104 stores a basic program for controlling input / output with peripheral devices. The RAM 106 executes an operation system and application programs.

  The hard disk drive 108 stores an operation system and application programs. A test pattern and a test pattern printing program are also stored in the hard disk drive 108.

  The test pattern may be stored in a semiconductor memory (including a memory card), an optical disk, or other storage medium. Further, it may be stored in an external storage device (recording medium).

  The keyboard 110 is one of input devices used for an operator to input instructions and information to a computer. Another example of the input device is a mouse. The display unit 112 is one of output devices that display a user interface designed using graphics parts such as buttons and menus.

  The operator can instruct execution of test printing through the user interface screen. The communication port 114 realizes communication between the central processing unit 102 connected to the internal bus and the inkjet printer.

  When the information processing apparatus 100 and the ink jet printer are connected via a network, a communication port 114 that supports a network protocol is used. Of course, the communication form is not limited to the wired system, but may be a wireless system.

  Such an information processing apparatus 100 can be applied to a mobile information terminal, a mobile phone, a game device, an imaging device, and other electronic devices incorporating a computer in addition to a so-called computer.

It is a figure which shows the prior art example (the 1) of a test pattern. It is a figure which shows the prior art example (the 2) of a test pattern. It is a figure which shows the basic structural example (the 1) of a test pattern. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a printing example in a case where there is a printing defect in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 3. It is a figure which shows the basic structural example (the 2) of a test pattern. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a printing example in a case where there is a printing defect in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 5. It is a figure which shows the checkerboard pattern and other rectangular pattern examples. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern in case a solid coating area | region is made into a checkered pattern. It is a figure which shows the example which arrange | positions a solid coating area | region on the both sides of a test pattern area | region. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the division | segmentation area | region with the pattern shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a printing example when a printing defect exists in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a pattern example in which a partition area is combined with the pattern illustrated in FIG. 3 (part 2). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a pattern example in which a partition area is combined with the pattern shown in FIG. 3 (No. 3). It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern in the case of lengthening the dividing line of the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the auxiliary parting line with the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the auxiliary parting line with the pattern shown in FIG. 10 (the 2). It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the pattern and blank area | region shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which added the pattern for position confirmation to the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example which arrange | positions a compression pattern area | region on the both sides of a test pattern area | region. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the division | segmentation area | region with the pattern shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a pattern example in which a partition area is combined with the pattern illustrated in FIG. 5 (part 2). FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a pattern example in which a partition region is combined with the pattern illustrated in FIG. 5 (part 3); It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern in the case of lengthening the dividing line of the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the auxiliary parting line with the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the auxiliary parting line with the pattern shown in FIG. 20 (the 2). It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the pattern shown in FIG. 20, and a blank area | region. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which added the pattern for position confirmation to the pattern shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a pattern which combined the solid coating area | region and the compression pattern area | region. It is a figure which shows the head surface of a print head. It is a figure which shows the top view of a print head. It is a figure which shows an ink cartridge. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a discharge control part. It is a figure which shows a functional test print processing procedure. It is a figure which shows the structural example of information processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Test pattern area 12 Unit test pattern 14 Ruled line pattern 20 Solid area 22 Solid pattern 30 Compression pattern area 32 Diagonal line pattern 40 Delimiter area 42 Delimiter line 46 Auxiliary delimiter line 48 Blank area 88 Test pattern memory | storage part

Claims (24)

A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In a printing device that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First storage means storing first print data for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
Second storage means for storing second print data for controlling the print head so that a solid coating region equivalent to the array width of the plurality of printing elements is printed on the printing medium. Characteristic printing device. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The solid coating region is arranged in a checkered pattern in the arrangement direction of the printing elements. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one outer edge extending in the arrangement direction in the solid coating region is a concave / convex pattern in which a concave pattern and a convex pattern repeat at regular intervals. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In a printing device that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First storage means storing first print data for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
Second storage means for storing second print data for controlling the print head so that a compressed pattern area obtained by compressing the test pattern area in a relative movement direction is printed on a printing medium. A printing apparatus characterized by that. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 4,
Third print data for controlling the print head is printed so that a separation region in which separation lines for position confirmation are repeatedly arranged at a ratio of one for a plurality of printing elements is printed on a printing medium. A printing apparatus comprising: a stored third storage unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the partition regions are arranged on both sides of an outer edge extending in the arrangement direction in the test pattern region. The printing apparatus according to claim 6.
The dividing line arranged along one outer edge and the dividing line arranged along the other outer edge are arranged so as to be positioned between the two dividing lines on the other side. Printing device to do. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dividing line is arranged so as to reach from one outer edge side extending in the arrangement direction of the test pattern region to the other outer edge side. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 is:
A position confirmation auxiliary dividing line extending from one outer edge side extending in the relative movement direction to the other outer edge side in the test pattern area is arranged at a ratio of one to the plurality of ruled line patterns. A printing apparatus comprising: a fourth storage unit storing four data structures. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
The auxiliary dividing lines are (k · m + n) th and (k · m + n + 1) th (k · m + n + 1) th (k is an integer (constant) greater than or equal to 3) from one outer edge of the test pattern region extending in the arrangement direction. An integer (variable) greater than or equal to 0. n is a position that divides a ruled line pattern of integers greater than or equal to 0 (constant). The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the test pattern area includes a blank area that separates the ruled line patterns in a relative movement direction at a ratio of one to a plurality of ruled line patterns. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pattern that gives positional information of a printing element that prints a ruled line pattern at a position corresponding to each dividing line is arranged in the vicinity of each dividing line. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In an information processing device that controls a printing device that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First printing control means for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern areas arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
An information processing apparatus comprising: a second print control unit configured to control the print head so that a solid coating region equivalent to an array width of the plurality of printing elements is printed on a printing medium. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In an information processing device that controls a printing device that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First printing control means for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern areas arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
And second print control means for controlling the print head such that a compressed pattern area obtained by compressing the test pattern area in a relative movement direction is printed on a printing medium. apparatus. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In a print control method for controlling a printing apparatus that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. A first process for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
And a second process for controlling the print head so that a solid-coated region equivalent to the array width of the plurality of printing elements is printed on the printing medium. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. In a print control method for controlling a printing apparatus that prints on top,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. A first process for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
And a second process for controlling the print head so that a compressed pattern area obtained by compressing the test pattern area in a relative movement direction is printed on a printing medium. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. To the computer that controls the printing device to print on,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. A first process for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
And a second process for controlling the print head so that a solid-coated region equivalent to the array width of the plurality of printing elements is printed on the printing medium. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. To the computer that controls the printing device to print on,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. A first process for sequentially controlling a set of printing elements corresponding to each stage so that the test pattern regions arranged individually are printed on the printing medium;
And a second process for controlling the print head so that a compressed pattern area obtained by compressing the test pattern area in a relative movement direction is printed on a printing medium. A computer-readable recording medium in which the program according to claim 17 is recorded. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 18 is recorded. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. Test pattern data for a printing device to print on,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First print data corresponding to the test pattern regions arranged individually;
Test pattern data comprising: second print data corresponding to a solid-coated region equivalent to an array width of the plurality of print elements. A print head in which a plurality of printing elements corresponding to the minimum printing unit are arranged and a printing medium are relatively moved in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the printing elements, and a printing pattern corresponding to the printing data is recorded on the recording medium. Test pattern data for a printing device to print on,
A plurality of unit test patterns, which are ruled line patterns corresponding to individual printing elements and have a certain length in the relative movement direction, are arranged in steps in the relative movement direction along the arrangement direction of the printing elements. First print data corresponding to the test pattern regions arranged individually;
Test pattern data comprising: second print data corresponding to a compressed pattern area obtained by compressing the test pattern area in a relative movement direction. The computer-readable recording medium on which the test pattern data according to claim 21 is recorded. 23. A computer-readable recording medium on which the test pattern data according to claim 22 is recorded.

Images