Image forming apparatus and landing position error correction method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a carriage carrying a recording head configured to discharge a droplet;
• a pattern forming unit configured to form a landing position error detecting pattern on a pattern forming member;
• a reading unit mounted on the carriage and configured to read the landing position error detecting pattern on the pattern forming member, the reading unit including a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit;
• and
• a landing position error correction unit configured to correct a landing position error of the droplet discharged by the recording head, based on a result of reading the landing position error detecting pattern by the reading unit,
• wherein the pattern forming unit selects either a first pattern or a second pattern as the landing position error detecting pattern depending on whether a predetermined value that correlates with a surface condition of the pattern forming member is exceeded,
• wherein the first pattern produces a relatively small amount of specular reflection compared with diffused reflection, while the second pattern produces a relatively large amount of specular reflection compared with diffused reflection, upon irradiation with light emitted by the light-emitting unit.

A method for correcting a landing position of a droplet discharged out of a recording head, the method comprising the steps of:

• detecting a surface condition of a region of a pattern forming member where a landing position error detecting pattern is formed;
• forming a first pattern or a second pattern on the pattern forming member as the landing position error detecting pattern depending on the surface condition of the pattern-formed region of the pattern forming member detected in the detecting step,
• wherein the first pattern produces a relatively small amount of specular reflection compared to diffused reflection, while the second pattern produces a relatively large amount of specular reflection compared with diffused reflection, upon irradiation with light;
• reading the landing position error detecting pattern formed on the pattern forming member;
• and
• correcting a landing position error of the droplet discharged out of the recording head based on a result of reading the landing position error detecting pattern in the reading step.