Patent ID: 6325482
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An apparatus for correcting a printing characteristic of a printhead having a plurality of printing elements and memory means for storing data, comprising:printing control means for using said printhead, using n kinds of printing control signal patterns and experimentally printing a printing pattern made of pixels in response to the printing control signal patterns on a printing medium;reference density generating means for generating a reference density distribution on the basis of one of n kinds of the printing patterns printed on the printing medium;selecting means for selecting one of the n kinds of printing control signal patterns for each of the printing elements such that a density value on each pixel is equal or close to the reference density distribution;optimizing means for controlling said reference density generating means so as to generate a reference density distribution different from the initially generated reference density distribution on the basis of another one of the n kinds of the printing patterns printed, controlling a selection by said selecting means on the reference density distribution different from the initially generated reference density distribution created and selecting an optimum one of the n kinds of printing control signal patterns; andtransmitting means for determining an optimum printing control signal selected by said optimizing means as correction data and transmitting the correction data to said memory means of said printhead.