Printing apparatus and adjustment method therefor

An adjustment method for a printing apparatus including a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a base material, a printing unit configured to perform printing on the base material by ejecting ink, a reading unit configured to read a printed image obtained by printing by the printing unit, a conveyance control unit configured to control a conveyance speed being a speed at which the conveyance mechanism conveys the base material, and a printing condition setting unit configured to set a printing condition, the adjustment method comprising:

• an adjustment instruction step of instructing, by an operator, the printing apparatus to execute a batch adjustment process;
• and
• a plurality of times of adjustment steps of repeatedly performing, by the printing apparatus, an adjustment process related to printing based on an instruction by the adjustment instruction step, wherein
• the adjustment step at each time includes
• an acceleration step of increasing the conveyance speed by the conveyance control unit,
• a chart printing step of printing an inspection chart corresponding to a target adjustment item by the printing unit,
• a chart reading step of reading a printed image of the inspection chart by the reading unit,
• a deceleration step of decreasing the conveyance speed by the conveyance control unit, and
• a printing condition setting step of setting, by the printing condition setting unit, a printing condition based on read data obtained in the chart reading step,
• in the acceleration step included in the adjustment step for a first time, the conveyance control unit increases the conveyance speed from 0 to a first speed,
• in the acceleration step included in the adjustment step except for the first time, the conveyance control unit increases the conveyance speed from a second speed lower than the first speed to the first speed,
• the chart printing step and the chart reading step included in the adjustment step at each time are performed in a state where the conveyance speed is maintained at the first speed by the conveyance control unit,
• in the deceleration step included in the adjustment step except for a last time, the conveyance control unit decreases the conveyance speed from the first speed to the second speed, and
• in the deceleration step included in the adjustment step for the last time, the conveyance control unit decreases the conveyance speed from the first speed to 0.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor configured to convey a base material;
• an inkjet head group configured to perform printing on the base material by ejecting ink;
• a reading device configured to read a printed image obtained by printing by the inkjet head group;
• a conveyance controller configured to control a conveyance speed that is a speed at which the conveyor conveys the base material;
• and
• a processor configured to set a printing condition, wherein
• a batch adjustment process of performing a plurality of times of adjustment processes related to printing in succession based on one instruction from an outside is executable,
• one adjustment process includes a chart printing process in which the inkjet head group prints an inspection chart corresponding to a target adjustment item, a chart reading process in which the reading device reads a printed image of the inspection chart, and a printing condition setting process in which the processor sets a printing condition based on read data obtained by the chart reading process,
• the conveyance controller maintains the conveyance speed at a first speed in a period when the chart printing process is performed and a period when the chart reading process is performed, and
• the conveyance controller decreases the conveyance speed to a second speed lower than the first speed after an end of the chart reading process in an adjustment process except for an adjustment process that is performed last in the batch adjustment process, and increases the conveyance speed to the first speed before a start of the chart printing process in an adjustment process that is performed next.