Patent ID: 7328964
Filing Date: 2008-02-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image processor for a printer that forms an image on a medium by discharging N types (N is a natural number of at least 2) of ink having different densities for at least one color system from respective nozzles, the processor comprising: a printing image data generator generating printing image data based on image data, a printing image data output unit outputting the printing image data, a nozzle information acquisition unit acquiring nozzle information on the nozzles, and a substitute unit that, when a bad nozzle is found in the nozzle information, substitutes another nozzle, which discharges another type of ink among the N types of ink, for the bad nozzle, wherein said another type of ink is a light ink and the type of ink designed to be discharged from the bad nozzle prior to failure of the bad nozzle is a dark ink, the nozzles capable of generating a plurality of dots having different diameters, when a light ink is used to form dots having a greater diameter, a space between the dots being filled up, when an input density of a pixel is greater than an expressible highest density of the light ink, the input density is allocated to the expressible highest density of the light ink and an insufficient density being allocated to a corresponding pixel of the dark ink.