Printing apparatus having operating mode in which ink ejection is shared by first head and second head at prescribed contribution ratio

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a first head having at least one first nozzle configured to eject ink in a first color;
• a second head having at least one second nozzle configured to eject ink in a second color same as the first color;
• a carriage configured to support the first head and the second head, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• a storage device;
• and
• a control device configured to perform:
• (a) setting an operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode;
• and
• (b) executing one of a first printing operation and a second printing operation in accordance with the operation mode set in the (a) setting, the first printing operation being performed in a case where the first mode is set as the operation mode, the second printing operation being performed in a case where the second mode is set as the operation mode, the first printing operation printing a first image over a first range in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, the second printing operation printing a second image over a second range in the third direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction,
• wherein the second range is narrower than the first range in the third direction, ink ejection contribution during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction being shared by the first head and the second head at a prescribed contribution ratio in the second printing operation,
• wherein the storage device is configured to store nozzle property information, the nozzle property information including nozzle property information for the first head and nozzle property information for the second head, the nozzle property information for the first head indicating an ink ejection property of the at least one first nozzle, the nozzle property information for the second head indicating an ink ejection property of the at least one second nozzle, and
• wherein the control device is configured to further perform:
• (d) setting an ink ejection contribution percentage based on the prescribed contribution ratio for each of the first head and the second head with respect to density of dots constituting the second image to be printed in the second printing operation, the (d) setting comprising:
• (d-1) selecting one of the first head and the second head to be a head with a higher ink ejection contribution percentage based on the nozzle property information.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a first head having at least one first nozzle configured to eject ink in a first color;
• a second head having at least one second nozzle configured to eject ink in a second color same as the first color;
• a carriage configured to support the first head and the second head, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• a storage device;
• and
• a control device configured to perform:
• (a) setting an operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode;
• (b) executing one of a first printing operation and a second printing operation in accordance with the operation mode set in the (a) setting, the first printing operation being performed in a case where the first mode is set as the operation mode, the second printing operation being performed in a case where the second mode is set as the operation mode, the first printing operation printing a first image over a first range in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, the second printing operation printing a second image over a second range in the third direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction;
• (e) determining whether a first color gamut when performing a printing operation during one movement of the carriage in the first direction differs from a second color gamut when performing a printing operation during one movement of the carriage in the second direction due to an arrangement of the at least one first nozzle and the at least one second nozzle in the first head and the second head;
• and
• (f) selecting, in response to determining that the first color gamut differs from the second color gamut, a printing direction from among the first direction and the second direction, the first direction being selected as the printing direction in a case where the first color gamut is wider than the second color gamut, the second direction being selected as the printing direction in a case where the second color gamut is wider than the first color gamut,
• wherein the second range is narrower than the first range in the third direction, ink ejection contribution during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction being shared by the first head and the second head at a prescribed contribution ratio in the second printing operation, and
• wherein the (b) executing executes the second printing operation by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head at the prescribed contribution ratio during one movement of the carriage in the printing direction.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a first head having at least one first nozzle configured to eject ink in a first color;
• a second head having at least one second nozzle configured to eject ink in a second color same as the first color;
• a carriage configured to support the first head and the second head, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• a storage device configured to store head property information, the head property information including head property information for the first head and head property information for the second head, the head property information for the first head indicating a shape property of a first ink channel in the first head, the head property information for the second head indicating a shape property of a second ink channel in the second head;
• and
• a control device configured to perform:
• (a) setting an operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode;
• (b) executing one of a first printing operation and a second printing operation in accordance with the operation mode set in the (a) setting, the first printing operation being performed in a case where the first mode is set as the operation mode, the second printing operation being performed in a case where the second mode is set as the operation mode, the first printing operation printing a first image over a first range in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, the second printing operation printing a second image over a second range in the third direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction;
• and
• (g) setting an ink ejection contribution percentage based on a prescribed contribution ratio for each of the first head and the second head with respect to density of dots constituting the second image to be printed in the second printing operation, the (g) setting comprising:
• (g-1) selecting one of the first head and the second head to be a head with a higher ink ejection contribution percentage based on the head property information.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a first head having at least one first nozzle configured to eject ink in a first color;
• a second head having at least one second nozzle configured to eject ink in a second color same as the first color;
• a carriage configured to support the first head and the second head, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• a storage device;
• and
• a control device configured to perform:
• (a) setting an operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode;
• and
• (b) executing one of a first printing operation and a second printing operation in accordance with the operation mode set in the (a) setting, the first printing operation being performed in a case where the first mode is set as the operation mode, the second printing operation being performed in a case where the second mode is set as the operation mode, the first printing operation printing a first image over a first range in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, the second printing operation printing a second image over a second range in the third direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction,
• wherein the first head and the second head are arranged to be partially overlapped in the third direction,
• wherein the storage device is configured to store priority level information indicating a priority level of each of the first head and the second head based on a layout of the first head and the second head in the printing apparatus, and
• wherein the control device is configured to further perform:
• (h) setting an ink ejection contribution percentage based on a prescribed contribution ratio for each of the first head and the second head with respect to density of dots constituting the second image to be printed in the second printing operation, the (h) setting comprising:
• (h-1) selecting one of the first head and the second head as a head with a higher ink ejection contribution percentage based on the priority level information, the first head being selected as the head with the higher ink ejection contribution percentage in a case where the priority level of the first head indicated by the priority level information is higher than the priority level of the second head indicated by the priority level information, the second head being selected as the head with the higher ink ejection contribution percentage in a case where the priority level of the second head indicated by the priority level information is higher than the priority level of the first head indicated by the priority level information.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a first head having at least one first nozzle configured to eject ink in a first color;
• a second head having at least one second nozzle configured to eject ink in a second color same as the first color;
• a carriage configured to support the first head and the second head, the carriage being reciprocally movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
• a storage device;
• and
• a control device configured to perform:
• (a) setting an operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode;
• (b) executing one of a first printing operation and a second printing operation in accordance with the operation mode set in the (a) setting, the first printing operation being performed in a case where the first mode is set as the operation mode, the second printing operation being performed in a case where the second mode is set as the operation mode, the first printing operation printing a first image over a first range in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction, the second printing operation printing a second image over a second range in the third direction by ejecting ink from both the first head and the second head during the one movement of the carriage in the first direction and the second direction;
• (i) storing usage history information in the storage device, the usage history information including usage history information for the first head and usage history information for the second head, the usage history information for the first head indicating usage history of the first head, the usage history information for the second head indicating usage history of the second head;
• and
• (j) setting an ink ejection contribution percentage based on a prescribed contribution ratio for each of the first head and the second head with respect to density of dots constituting the second image to be printed in the second printing operation, the (j) setting comprising:
• (j-1) selecting one of the first head and the second head to be a head with a higher ink ejection contribution percentage based on the usage history information, the first head being selected to be the head with the higher ink ejection contribution percentage in a case where the second head has been used more than the first head, the second head being selected to be the head with the higher ink ejection contribution percentage in a case where the first head has been used more than the second head.