Printing apparatus and registration adjustment method

摘要

An embodiment of this invention solves a problem about a precision drop of registration adjustment of a range detection method due to variations of a registration state depending on a position associated with a carriage scanning direction. In that embodiment, reference and adjustment patterns are formed to be juxtaposed in a nozzle array direction to detect a position shift between patterns in the main scanning direction. In this case, coarse registration adjustment is executed by the range detection method, and its adjustment result is applied to a printing apparatus. After that, fine registration adjustment is executed by a density method, and results of the two adjustment methods are finally reflected.

主权项

1. A printing apparatus, which executes printing by reciprocally scanning a carriage, to which a printhead having a first nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arrayed in a first direction and a second nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arrayed in the first direction is mounted, in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, comprising:
a first print unit configured to print a first adjustment pattern on a print medium using the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array of the printhead; a first obtaining unit configured to (i) obtain print positions of two patches of a plurality of patches that form the first adjustment pattern by optically reading the first adjustment pattern and (ii) calculate a distance between the print positions; a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a first registration adjustment value based on the calculated distance; a second print unit configured to print, on a print medium, a second adjustment pattern different from the first adjustment pattern using the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array of the printhead in a state in which a registration of the printhead is adjusted by the first registration adjustment value; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain densities of a plurality of patches that form the second adjustment pattern by optically reading the second adjustment pattern; and a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a second registration adjustment value based on the obtained densities.