Printing apparatus, printing method, data processing method and recording material
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNaoji Otsuka, Kiichiro Takahashi, Hitoshi Nishikori, Osamu Iwasaki, Toshiyuki Chikuma
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Abstract
A data processing method for generating print data to be supplied to a printing apparatus capable of multi-value recording, includes a multi-value conversion step of converting obtained image data to multi-value print data; a binarizing step of converting the obtained image data to binary print data; and a selection step of selecting either one of the multi-value conversion step and the binarizing step in accordance with a condition.
Claims21
A data processing method for generating print data to be supplied to a printing apparatus capable of multi-value recording, said method comprising:
- a multi-value conversion step of converting obtained image data to multi-value print data;
- a binarizing step of converting the obtained image data to binary print data;
- a selection step of selecting either one of said multi-value conversion step and said binarizing step in accordance with a condition;
- a changing step of changing an order of application of the different color inks to be applied for formation of secondary color in a pixel area of secondary color using a changing means;
- and
- a forming step of forming the secondary color using a forming means while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another by said changing means;
- wherein said printing apparatus is capable of forming a color image by application of different color inks onto a print medium while scanningly moving a recording head thereof bi-directionally;
- and
- wherein the secondary color is formed on the basis of the multi-value print data provided by said multi-value conversion step.
A printing apparatus capable of multi-value recording on the basis of multi-value print data supplied thereto, said apparatus comprising:
- discriminating means for discriminating whether the data supplied to said printing apparatus is binary or not;
- bit converting means for making, when the supplied print data are binary, the number of bits of the binary print data equal to the number of bits of the multi-value print data.
A printing apparatus capable of forming a color image by application of different color inks onto a print medium while scanningly moving a recording head thereof bi-directionally, said apparatus comprising:
- changing means for changing an order of application of the different color inks to be applied for formation of secondary color in a pixel area of secondary color;
- forming means for forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another, by said changing means;
- and
- bit converting means for making, when the supplied print data are binary, the number of bits of the binary print data equal to the number of bits of the multi-value print data.
A printing apparatus for forming a color image by application of different color inks onto a print medium while scanningly moving a recording head thereof bi-directionally, said apparatus comprising:
- first forming means for changing an order of application of the different color inks to be applied for formation of secondary color in a pixel area of secondary color and forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another, by said changing means;
- and
- second forming means for changing an order of application of the different color inks to be applied for formation of secondary color in a pixel area of secondary color and forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another, by said changing means;
- and
- control means for forming the secondary color by said first forming means when the supplied print data are multi-value data, and forming the secondary color by said second forming means when the print data are binary data.
A printing method capable of multi-value recording on the basis of multi-value print data supplied thereto, the improvement residing in:
- a bit converting step of making, when the supplied print data are binary data, the number of bits of the binary print data provided by said binarizing step equal to the number of bits of the multi-value print data provided by said multi-value conversion step.
A printing method capable of forming a color image by application of different color inks onto a print medium while scanningly moving a recording head thereof bi-directionally, said method comprising:
- a changing step of changing an order of application of the different color inks to be applied for formation of secondary color in a pixel area of secondary color;
- a forming step of forming the secondary color while making the order of applications of the inks to at least one of a plurality of the secondary color pixel areas arranged along a raster scan direction different from the order of another, by said changing means;
- and
- a bit converting step of making, when the supplied print data are binary, the number of bits of the binary print data equal to the number of bits of the multi-value print data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.