Printing apparatus, landing position correction method, and control device

A landing position correction method for performing landing position correction of an ink with respect to a printing apparatus that performs printing with an inkjet method,

• wherein:
• a head unit having a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are aligned and an optical detection mechanism detecting reflected light at a position corresponding to an adjustment pattern that is a pattern used for correcting a landing position deviation of the ink discharged from the nozzles in the nozzle array are used, and the landing position correction method comprises:
• causing the head unit to perform a primary scanning operation of discharging the ink while moving in a preset primary scanning direction relative to a medium that is a discharge target of the ink, and
• causing the head unit to discharge the ink to discharge positions of the ink associated with the adjustment pattern, and performing landing position correction based on the reflected light detected by the optical detection mechanism,
• the head unit comprises:
• a first nozzle array that is a nozzle array for discharging a first ink which is an ink of a first color;
• and
• a second nozzle array that is a nozzle array for discharging a second ink which is an ink of a colored color different from the first color,
• the adjustment pattern comprises:
• a first pattern that is a pattern for causing at least some nozzles in the first nozzle array to discharge the first ink;
• and
• a second pattern that is a pattern for causing at least some nozzles in the second nozzle array to discharge the second ink, and
• the landing position correction method further comprises:
• causing nozzles in the first nozzle array to discharge the first ink to discharge positions associated with the first pattern, and after the first ink is fixed to the medium, causing nozzles in the second nozzle array to discharge the second ink to discharge positions associated with the second pattern;
• and
• causing the optical detection mechanism to detect the reflected light after migration of the second ink that occurs due to the second ink contacting the first pattern in a liquid state.

A control device for performing landing position correction of an ink with respect to a printing apparatus that performs printing with an inkjet method,

• wherein the printing apparatus comprises:
• a head unit, having a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are aligned;
• a primary scanning drive unit, causing the head unit to perform a primary scanning operation of discharging an ink while moving in a preset primary scanning direction relative to a medium that serves as a discharge target of the ink;
• and
• an optical detection mechanism, detecting reflected light at a position corresponding to an adjustment pattern that is a pattern used for correcting a landing position deviation of the ink discharged from the nozzles in the nozzle array,
• the head unit comprises:
• a first nozzle array that is a nozzle array for discharging a first ink which is an ink of a first color;
• and
• a second nozzle array that is a nozzle array for discharging a second ink which is an ink of a colored color different from the first color,
• the adjustment pattern comprises:
• a first pattern that is a pattern for causing at least some nozzles in the first nozzle array to discharge the first ink;
• and
• a second pattern that is a pattern for causing at least some nozzles in the second nozzle array to discharge the second ink, and
• the control device is configured to:
• by controlling operations of the head unit and the primary scanning drive unit, cause the head unit to discharge the ink to discharge positions of the ink associated with the adjustment pattern and perform landing position correction based on the reflected light detected by the optical detection mechanism,
• cause nozzles in the first nozzle array to discharge the first ink to discharge positions associated with the first pattern, and after the first ink is fixed to the medium, cause nozzles in the second nozzle array to discharge the second ink to discharge positions associated with the second pattern, and
• cause the optical detection mechanism to detect the reflected light after migration of the second ink that occurs due to the second ink contacting the first pattern in a liquid state.