JP2003094782A - Print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system in which the print function of a printer can be evaluated absolutely by a relatively simple process. SOLUTION: The print system using a sheet recorded with an area having a reference density and a printer is arranged such that an area having an inherent density can be recorded on the sheet in the vicinity of the area having the reference density. Among a plurality of test print areas having a density equal to the reference density recorded previously, a test print area having a density closest to the reference density is selected so that print condition correction data can be obtained for each printer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system, and more particularly to a printing system capable of absolutely evaluating a printing function of a printer by a relatively simple process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a color ink jet printer, when the ink is replaced or the head for ejecting the ink is replaced, the tint of the print may change. The reason for this is that the density of the ink may change due to variations in the lot of ink or head,
The ejection characteristics of the head may change. When a color printer is used for design work or the like, such a change is a serious problem because a stable output of the same color is always required.

To solve this problem, a printer prints several gradation gradation patches for each ink color, and the densities of the patches are measured by an image scanner or a densitometer to obtain the target density characteristics. There is known a method of correcting the density of the printer by generating a lookup table for each. By using this method, stable color reproduction can be realized even if the ink or head is replaced.

However, in the above method, it is necessary to prepare an image scanner and a densitometer for measuring the density characteristic of the print output, and it is necessary to configure the system or add a scanner function to the printer. However, there are problems that the device becomes complicated and large, and the cost increases.

To address this, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-29
The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5110 can be used. This technology reads a test image stored in advance in a printer, a copying machine, etc., outputs the test image to create a test sample, and visually checks the image density of the test sample to determine the image quality. It's something that you do.

[0006] Here, for example, on the left side of the test sample, each of the three identical regions arranged in a vertical line is
Each image forming group constitutes one. Then, each image forming group includes a predetermined number of image areas, and the number described inside each image area indicates the density of the density at the corresponding position of the test image.

According to this technique, the uniformity of the density can be checked, but the absolute density cannot be evaluated. In that sense, there is a problem in performing a sufficient evaluation.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and to perform a relatively simple process. It is to provide a printing system capable of absolutely evaluating the printing function of a printer.

More specifically, the object of the present invention is to eliminate the need to prepare an image scanner, a densitometer, etc., and to use a reference sheet prepared in advance, so that the printing function of the printer can be performed by a relatively simple process. It is to provide a printing system capable of absolutely evaluating.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a printing system according to the present invention is a printing system using a sheet on which an area having a reference density is recorded and a printer. It is characterized in that an area having a density peculiar to the apparatus can be recorded in the vicinity of the existing area.

In the printing system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recording on the sheet is performed by thermal recording with a thermal head.

Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recording with the reference density on the sheet is performed by thermal recording having a plurality of levels of density.

Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, the recording with the density peculiar to the apparatus on the sheet is performed by thermal recording having a plurality of densities corresponding to the recording with the reference density. Preferably there is.

Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recording on the sheet by the density unique to the apparatus includes a numerical value corresponding to an absolute value of each density.

Furthermore, in the printing system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the recording with the reference density on the sheet is performed with at least three different densities.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a thermal printer used in a printing system according to the present invention. The thermal printer of the illustrated example records a thermal image on a thermal recording material such as a film F having a predetermined size such as B4 size, and includes a loading unit 14 in which a magazine 12 containing the film F is loaded. A supply section 16 inside, a recording section 20 for recording a thermal image on the film F by a thermal head 24, and a discharge section 22.
Etc.

The above-mentioned film F has a heat sensitive recording layer formed on one surface of a transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) support or the like, and is a laminate of a predetermined unit of, for example, about 100 sheets. Then, the sheets are accommodated in the above-mentioned magazine 12 and taken out one by one from the magazine 12 for thermal recording.

The loading section 14 has an insertion opening 30 formed in a housing 28 of the thermal printer 10, a guide / support plate 32, guide rolls 34, 34, a stopper 36, and the like. The magazine 12 is inserted into the thermal printer 10 from the insertion port 30 of the loading unit 14 with the lid 26 side facing forward, and the guide / support plate 32 and the guide rolls 34, 34 are inserted.
The thermal printer 10 is pushed into a position where it abuts on the stopper 36 while being guided to, and is loaded in a predetermined position of the thermal printer 10.

The feeding / conveying unit 16 takes out the film F from the magazine 12 loaded in the loading unit 14, and the recording unit 2
A sheet-fed mechanism that uses a suction cup 40 that sucks the film F by suction, and a transport unit 42,
The transport guide 44 and the cleaning roller pair 38 located at the exit of the transport guide 44 are included.

The carrying means 42 is composed of a carrying roller and a nip roller pressed by the carrying roller.
The cleaning roller pair 38 is a roller pair including an adhesive rubber roller and a normal roller, and is for removing dust and the like adhering to the film F.

When the recording start is instructed in the thermal printer 10, the lid 26 of the magazine 12 is opened by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown), and one film F is fed from the magazine 12 by a sheet-fed mechanism using a suction cup 40. The film F is taken out and the leading edge of the film F is supplied between the conveying roller of the conveying means 42 and the nip roller. When the film F is nipped between the transport roller and the nip roller,
The suction by the suction cup 40 is released, and the supplied film F
Are transported along the transport guide 44.

When the film F to be recorded is completely discharged from the magazine 12, the lid 26 is closed by the opening / closing means. The distance defined by the transport guide 44 from the transport means 42 to the cleaning roller pair 38 is set to be slightly shorter than the length of the film F in the transport direction, and the leading end of the film F is transported by the transport means 42 to the cleaning roller. Reach 38 pairs.

Here, the cleaning roller pair 38 may be initially stopped and the leading end of the film F may be temporarily stopped here. That is, when the front end of the film F reaches the cleaning roller pair 38, the temperature of the thermal head 24 is confirmed, and if the temperature of the thermal head 24 is a predetermined temperature, the film F by the cleaning roller pair 38 is at that time. Is restarted and the film F is transported to the recording unit 20.

On the other hand, in the system in which the cleaning roller pair 38 is not stopped, it is necessary to confirm that the temperature of the thermal head 24 has reached a predetermined temperature in advance (for example, when an instruction to start recording on the film F is given). After confirming it, the transport of the film F is continued, and the film F
Is controlled to be sent to the recording unit 20.

The recording section 20 comprises a thermal head 24, a platen roller 46, a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the thermal head 24, a guide 48, a guide 50, a film discharge roller pair 52 and the like.

The thermal head 24 is, for example, 300 dp.
a thermal head main body for performing thermal image recording at a recording (pixel) density of i, which performs thermal recording for one line on the film F, and in which a glaze in which heating elements are arranged in one direction is formed; And a heat sink fixed to the thermal head body. In addition, this thermal head 2
4 is supported by a support member 54 which is rotatable around a fulcrum 54a in the arrow a direction and in the opposite direction.

The platen roller 46 rotates at a predetermined image recording speed while holding the film F at a predetermined position and is substantially orthogonal to the glaze extending direction (main scanning direction) (sub scanning direction). The film F is conveyed to.

Before the film F is conveyed to the thermal head 24, the supporting member 54 is rotated upward (in the direction opposite to the arrow a), and the glaze of the thermal head 24 and the platen roller 46 are in contact with each other. Not not. When the conveyance of the film F by the cleaning roller pair 38 is started, the film F is conveyed while being guided by the cleaning roller pair 38 and the guide 48.

When the leading edge of the film F is conveyed to the recording start position (the position corresponding to the glaze), the above-mentioned supporting member 5
4 is rotated in the direction of arrow a, the film F is sandwiched between the glaze of the thermal head 24 and the platen roller 46,
The glaze is pressed against the recording layer. Next, the film F is conveyed in the direction of arrow b while being held at a predetermined position by the platen roller 46.

In synchronism with this transportation, the heat-sensitive image recording is carried out on the film F by heating each heating element of the glaze according to the recorded image. The film F on which the thermal image recording has been completed is conveyed by the platen roller 46 and the film discharge roller pair 52 while being guided by the guide 50, and is discharged onto the tray 18 of the discharge portion 22 provided at the top of the thermal printer 10. It

The thermal printer used in the printing system according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above and operates as described above. Hereinafter, the point that absolutely evaluates the printing function of the printer, which is a characteristic operation of this embodiment, will be described.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the reference density sheet 60 used in this embodiment. Here, the reference density sheet is composed of a heat-sensitive recording material having a plurality of areas that have been colored with various densities by applying predetermined energy in advance. It is manufactured under high-precision energy control at facilities.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the reference densities of 1.0 (area 61), 2.0 (area 62), 3.
Although it has three color development areas of 0 (area 63), it goes without saying that the number of areas and the density value of each area may be set arbitrarily. Also,
The above-mentioned color development area is provided in the left half area of the reference density sheet 60, and this is to perform thermal recording by the thermal printer to be evaluated in the remaining right half area, as will be described later. This is because.

In FIG. 3, the above-mentioned reference density sheet 60 is used, and printing by the thermal printer 10 for the respective reference densities of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 (hereinafter Is called a test print, and the density setting (actually, the signal value level required to obtain the density: QL) is changed little by little. A target sample) 70 is shown.

Here, as a test print corresponding to each of the reference densities described above, a plurality of areas (71 to 79) corresponding to densities obtained by gradually changing the QL value and a numerical value ( 81-89) are patterned and printed. With such a configuration, the operator need only read the numerical value attached to the test print area of the same density as each reference density on the evaluation target sample 70.

This situation is shown as a flow chart in FIG. It should be noted that this operation is performed by a control unit that controls the entire thermal printer 10.

When checking the print characteristics of the thermal printer 10 by performing a test print in the thermal printer 10, the operator first
Predetermined test print conditions (test print conditions) are set in the thermal printer 10 (step 101). This setting may be incorporated when the thermal printer 10 is manufactured.

Upon completion of the above settings, the operator
The reference density sheet 60 as shown in FIG. 2 is supplied to the thermal printer 10 (step 102), and test printing is performed based on the set conditions (step 103).

Next, the operator visually selects a test print area having the same density as each reference density (actually, the closest density) (steps 104 and 105) and makes a plurality of test print areas. Read the value corresponding to one of the test print areas. If there is a corresponding test print area, the process shifts to the creation of a correction curve, which will be described later, based on this.

On the other hand, in the evaluation in step 104, when there is no test print area having the same density as the reference density, that is, when the difference from the reference density exceeds the allowable range (N in step 105), Depending on the degree, the previously set (or preset) test print condition is changed (step 106), and step 102 and subsequent steps are repeated.

If a test print area having the same density as the reference density exists in the repeated test prints (step 105), the numerical value corresponding to the test print area corresponding to the reference density is read as described above. . Then, based on this, the process shifts to the creation of a correction curve described later.

The correction curve is created, for example, as follows. That is, the numerical value attached to the test print area of the same density as each reference density on the evaluation target sample 70 read by the operator can be obtained by referring to a table prepared in advance. Since it can be easily converted into the required QL value, by plotting these values as shown in FIG.
It becomes possible to obtain the QL value required to obtain an arbitrary concentration.

FIG. 5 shows a graph of the relationship between the densities of the test print areas having the densities equal to the respective reference densities visually selected by the operator and the QL values necessary to obtain the densities. By doing so, it is possible to easily create a correction curve for the printing conditions for each thermal printer to be evaluated.

According to the above-described embodiment, the operator visually compares the density of each area of the previously formed reference density with the density of the test print area by the printer to be evaluated, and thereby the operator can obtain high accuracy. It becomes possible to perform the printer condition correction extremely easily and with high accuracy without using a measuring machine or the like.

FIG. 6 shows an evaluation target sample according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, the numerical values themselves (91 to 99) corresponding to the respective densities are set as the coloring density without providing a plurality of density areas in the evaluation target sample. It was printed at the time of test printing by changing it according to the numerical value.

According to the sample to be evaluated according to the present embodiment having the above-described structure, since the number itself referred to when the density comparison is performed is the density value corresponding thereto, after the areas are compared, There is no need to read the density value corresponding thereto again, which has the effect of simplifying the comparison operation by the operator.

Also in the present embodiment, the operator determines the density of each area of the reference density that is formed in advance and the density value during the test print by the printer to be evaluated.
By making a visual comparison, it becomes possible to perform the printer condition correction extremely easily and with high accuracy without using a high-accuracy measuring device or the like.

It should be noted that each of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention should not be limited to these, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. , Needless to say, improvements may be made.

[0050]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing system capable of absolutely evaluating the printing function of a printer by a relatively simple process. It is effective.

More specifically, a test print having a density equal to the reference density recorded in advance by thermal recording is constructed so that the reference density and the density specific to the apparatus can be recorded on one sheet. By selecting the area and obtaining the print condition correction data for each printer from this area, it is possible to realize the print system that can obtain the practical effects as described above.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a thermal printer used in a printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a reference density sheet.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation target sample performed using the reference density sheet shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall operation of test printing.

5 is a graph showing a condition correction curve created from the evaluation target sample shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation target sample according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 thermal printer 24 thermal head 60 standard density sheet 61-63 Reference density area 70 Samples to be evaluated 71-79 Test print area 81-89 Density of test print area 91-99 Test print area (numerical display) 101-106 processing steps

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A printing system using a sheet on which an area having a reference density is recorded and a printer, wherein an area having a density peculiar to an apparatus can be recorded near the area having a reference density on the sheet. A printing system characterized by being configured. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording on the sheet is performed by thermal recording by a thermal head. 3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording with the reference density on the sheet is performed by thermal recording having a plurality of levels of density. 4. The recording according to the density specific to the apparatus on the sheet is performed by thermal recording having a plurality of levels of density corresponding to the recording with the reference density. The printing system according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording on the sheet with the density unique to the apparatus includes a numerical value corresponding to an absolute value of each density. . 6. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording with the reference density on the sheet is performed with at least three different densities.