Patent ID: 8439467
Filing Date: 2013-05-14
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming device comprising: a print head that comprises a plurality of print elements and that is configured to form an image on a recording medium; a moving mechanism that moves the print head reciprocatingly in a forward direction and a reverse direction opposite from the forward direction, wherein the print head performs bi-directional printing including a first print for forming a first image while being moved in the forward direction and a second print for forming a second image while being moved in the reverse direction; a storing unit that stores a value relating to an amount of offset in a conveying direction between a first position on the recording medium at which a first test image is formed in the first print when the recording medium is at a predetermined position and a second position on the recording medium at which a second test image is formed in the second print when the recording medium is at the predetermined position, the conveying direction being orthogonal to both the forward direction and the reverse direction, the first test image and the second test image being formed with a single print element of the plurality of print elements; a position determining unit that determines which one of the first position and the second position is on a further upstream side in the conveying direction; a print control unit that controls the print head in an overlap print mode to perform the first print and the second print in this order so as to form the first image over the second image when the position determining unit determines that the first position is on the further upstream side and to perform the second print and the first print in this order so as to form the second image over the first image when the position determining unit determines that the second position is on the further upstream side; a conveying mechanism that conveys the recording medium in the conveying direction relative to the print head, the conveying mechanism conveying the recording medium a first amount prior to one of the first print and the second print and a second amount prior to the other of the first print and the second print; and a convey-amount determining unit that determines the second amount based on the value stored in the storing unit, the convey-amount determining unit comprising: wherein the conveying mechanism conveys the recording medium the second amount upstream in the conveying direction prior to the other of the first print and the second print when the other of the first print and the second print is the second print and the second position is upstream of the first position in the conveying direction, and wherein the conveying mechanism conveys the recording medium the second amount downstream in the conveying direction prior to the other of the first print and the second print when the other of the first print and the second print is the second print and the second position is downstream of the first position in the conveying direction.