Image forming device and dot pattern determining method

A dot pattern determining method for an image forming device in which a plurality of nozzles aligned in a designated alignment direction and an object to be recorded are moved relative to each other in a scan direction different from the alignment direction, wherein

• in a case where one of the nozzles is detected as a defective nozzle, a plurality of pixels constituting a formed image includes dot omission pixels continuous in the scan direction by the defective nozzle, and neighboring pixels within a designated distance in the alignment direction from the dot omission pixels, the dot pattern determining method comprising:
• counting a total number of dots that are assigned to a predetermined designated range based on pre-supplementation recording data, with the predetermined designated range including the dot omission pixels, primary neighboring pixels of the neighboring pixels that are directly adjacent to the dot omission pixels in the alignment direction and secondary neighboring pixels of the neighboring pixels that are directly adjacent to the primary neighboring pixels in the alignment direction on a side of the primary neighboring pixels opposite to the dot omission pixels;
• and
• selecting one of a plurality of post-supplementation dot patterns based on the total number of dots.

An image forming device in which a plurality of nozzles aligned in a designated alignment direction and an object to be recorded are moved relative to each other in a scan direction different from the alignment direction, wherein

• in a case where one of the nozzles is detected as a defective nozzle, a plurality of pixels constituting a formed image includes dot omission pixels continuous in the scan direction by the defective nozzle, and neighboring pixels within a designated distance in the alignment direction from the dot omission pixels, the image forming device comprising:
• a pattern determining unit configured to determine one of a plurality of post-supplementation dot patterns based on a total number of dots that are assigned to the dot omission pixels and the neighboring pixels within a designated range based on pre-supplementation recording data;
• and
• a pattern forming unit configured to form the post-supplementation dot pattern,
• the pattern determining unit being configured to perform a first determination to determine whether the total number of dots that are assigned to the dot omission pixels and the neighboring pixels within the designated range based on the pre-supplementation recording data is a designated number or less, and configured to perform a second determination to determine whether the dots that are assigned to the dot omission pixels based on the pre-supplementation recording data are continuously arranged with respect to each other in the scan direction within the designated range, and
• the pattern determining unit being further configured to determine the post-supplementation dot pattern such that all of the supplemented dots are formed on the neighboring pixels in only one of the first area and the second area in a case where the first determination and the second determination satisfy the condition.