Image inspection method and apparatus, and ink jet printing apparatus

An image inspection apparatus comprising:

• an inspection image acquiring device that acquires an inspection image obtained by an imaging device imaging a printed matter printed by an ink jet printing apparatus comprising a line head;
• a first smoothed inspection image creating device that creates a first smoothed inspection image obtained by smoothing the inspection image by executing morphology processing of a grayscale image by respectively using non-scanning direction linear structural elements that are at least one linear structural element set as a structural element of an image and that are linear structural elements in directions not parallel to a scanning direction in moving a medium relative to the line head to scan the medium by the line head;
• and
• a stripe defect detecting device that detects a stripe defect extending in the scanning direction by using at least (1) one of the inspection image and a second smoothed inspection image created based on the inspection image and (2) the first smoothed inspection image.

An ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

• a line head including a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink in an ink jet system are arranged;
• a relative movement device that moves a medium relative to the line head;
• an imaging device that obtains an inspection image by imaging a printed matter printed by attaching the ink ejected from the line head to the medium;
• a first smoothed inspection image creating device that creates a first smoothed inspection image obtained by smoothing the inspection image by executing morphology processing of a grayscale image by respectively using non-scanning direction linear structural elements that are at least one linear structural element set as a structural element of an image and that are linear structural elements in directions not parallel to a scanning direction in moving the medium relative to the line head to scan the medium by the line head;
• and
• a stripe defect detecting device that detects a stripe defect extending in the scanning direction by using at least (1) one of the inspection image and a second smoothed inspection image created based on the inspection image and (2) the first smoothed inspection image.