Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9333762-B2
Application number	US-201213447063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2012
Priority date	Apr 27, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A recording method includes applying and overcoating. A color ink is applied to a region on a medium. A clear ink is applied to the region. The applied color ink and the applied clear ink are overcoated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording method for a recording apparatus to form a color image on a medium, the recording method comprising:
obtaining, for a region of color image data, representing the color image, divided into a plurality of regions, an index indicating ratio of haze to gloss for the region;
determining whether the haze to gloss ratio index for the region is less than a predetermined threshold;
applying ink to the region on the medium by an applying unit,
wherein, in response to determining that the haze to gloss ratio index for the region is less than the predetermined threshold and before applying an overcoating member, applying ink to the region on the medium includes simultaneously applying, in a same scanning between the applying unit and the medium, droplets of color ink and droplets of clear ink from the applying unit in a way that causes the droplets of color ink and the droplets of clear ink to immingle and form a predetermined amount of ink irregularities in a surface of the color ink layer, and
wherein, in response to determining that the haze to gloss ratio index for the region is not less than the predetermined threshold, applying includes refraining from using droplets of clear ink and applying the droplets of color ink to form the color ink layer without using droplets of clear ink; and
applying, after ink irregularities are formed in the surface of the color ink, the overcoating member to overcoat the applied color ink and any applied clear ink.

2. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein obtaining includes further estimating a ratio of haze to gloss for that portion of an ink image that is to be formed in the region by using the color ink,
wherein estimating a ratio of haze to gloss is in accordance with an information that is related to a type of the color ink and an amount of the color ink applied to the region, and
wherein, in response to determining that the estimated ratio of haze to gloss is less than the predetermined threshold, applying includes applying the clear ink to the region in addition to applying the color ink and, in response to determining that the estimated ratio of haze to gloss is not less than the predetermined threshold, applying includes applying the color ink to the region and does not apply the clear ink to the region.

3. The recording method according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of (i) the predetermined threshold is a value set in a range of 0.35 to 0.40 and (ii) applying the overcoating member includes forming, as the overcoating member, a clear ink layer having a thickness of at least 100 nm.

4. The recording method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
discharging the color ink and the clear ink relative to the medium from an ink jet head; and
repeatedly scanning the ink jet head to form the color image in the region on the medium, wherein applying the color ink to the region and applying clear ink to the region are performed in a same scanning of the ink jet head.

5. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein applying includes causing the droplets of color ink and the droplets of clear ink to immingle by discharging the droplets of color ink and the droplets of clear ink in the same scanning.

6. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein applying ink and applying the overcoating member apply ink while maintaining a thickness d of the overcoating member to within a predetermined range.

7. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein applying droplets of color ink and droplets of clear ink in a way that causes the droplets of color ink and the droplets of clear ink to immingle results in at least one droplet of clear ink being completely covered by droplets of color ink.

8. The recording method according to claim 4 , wherein the overcoating member is applied to the applied color ink and any applied clear ink after scans for applying the color ink are completed.

9. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein the droplets of color ink and the droplets of clear ink immingle in a way that causes a predetermination variation in a thickness of the subsequently deposited overcoating member.

10. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of ink irregularities is such that generation of an interference color is suppressed regardless of a type of ink used and recording density.

11. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of ink irregularities is such that light interference at the overcoating member is inhibited from causing color development irrelevant to the color image regardless of a type of ink used.

12. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of ink irregularities is such that an interference color is visually recognized as white.

13. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein the overcoating member provides scratch resistance as a last layer applied to the region on the medium.

14. The recording method according to claim 1 , wherein a final color image is formed immediately after the overcoating member is applied.

Assignees

• Hirakawa Ayumi
• Kaneko Takumi
• Takekoshi Rie
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hirakawa Ayumi
• Kaneko Takumi
• Takekoshi Rie

Classifications

• B41J11/0015 Primary

  for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114) · CPC title

• B41J2/2114 Primary

  Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41M2205/16

  Correction processes or materials · CPC title

• B41M2205/22

  improving gradation of image · CPC title

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title