JP2000175060A - Color laser printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute simple and proper print color correction processing by reading a print result by printer itself, comparing the read value with a reference value having been stored in advance in the inside of the printer, deciding a correction value thereby and conducting print color correction. SOLUTION: In the case of usual print, a print mechanism section 4 prints out data on paper fed from a paper feed section 1 and the printed paper is discharged to a paper discharge section 5 via a paper carrying path 7. In the case of conducting print color correction, the process feeding paper feed from the paper feed section 1 until the print mechanism section 4 prints data on paper is the same as that of the usual print. Then the paper is not discharged to the paper discharge section 5 in the case of print color correction, but the paper is carried to a scanner original platen 6 in a scanner section 2 through a paper carrying path 8 used for the print color correction. The print by the print mechanism section 4 in this case is print of a test chart for print color correction. The scanner section 2 compares the carried test chart with a read reference value to decide the correction value.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printing color correction function of a color laser printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a color printer, it is extremely important to perform printing with an appropriate printing color.

[0003] In particular, publishing based on the recent DTP environment,
For use in the printing industry, it is desirable to be able to print in a printing color that is as close as possible to the specified color in order to guarantee color consistency with the computer display and, finally, the final print.

However, actually, when a certain color is printed, the printing color differs in each printer. This can be broadly divided into two factors.

One reason is that a printer, as a printing device, has a certain degree of unique color characteristics depending on the model. This is the structure of the printer,
This is due to various factors such as the printing method and the type and components of the pigment used for printing.

Therefore, in the DTP environment, in order to absorb the color characteristics of each printer model, a correction is made to the color characteristic reference value unique to the printer so that an appropriate print color can be obtained. In general, color matching is achieved by a technique called color matching, in which printing is performed.

[0007] Another factor is that the printer cannot maintain the inherent color characteristics. In order to achieve the above color matching, the printer must always maintain the unique color characteristics defined for each model. However, in actuality, if a laser printer is used, deterioration of the photoconductor on the photosensitive drum due to aging changes,
Since the printing color changes due to a significant change in the operating ambient temperature or the like, as a result, the printer cannot always maintain the unique color characteristics.

Conventionally, in order to cope with such a change in print color, the charge position of the photosensitive drum is corrected in advance by a correction value corresponding to the deterioration characteristic of the photosensitive member at every specific operation time, or More advanced ones have a color correction function such that a test image is appropriately formed on a photosensitive drum with a pigment, the test image is read, and correction is performed based on the test image.

[0009]

However, none of the above-mentioned conventional systems performs correction based on colors actually printed on paper. For example, in the method of reading the formed image on the photoreceptor, in the actual printing, the formed image is transferred onto a sheet, and then fixed on the sheet in a fixing unit. In the process, there is an element in which the print color changes due to, for example, crushing of the pigment at the time of fixing.

Further, the color or material of the paper used, such as yellowish paper or pure white paper, may change the actual printing color.

On the other hand, in the conventional method, for example, the above-mentioned pigment crushing at the time of fixing can be dealt with to some extent by correcting the pigment in anticipation of the crushing. It is difficult to perform accurate correction because it is not based on the correction itself, and in order to obtain satisfactory correction, the determination of the correction value itself must be complicated considering various parameters .

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to perform simple and proper print color correction based on the actual print result of the printer itself. Specifically, the print result of the printer itself is read, and the read value is compared with a reference value stored in advance in the printer, that is, a read value obtained by reading the same print result printed in an appropriate color, Thus, the correction value is determined, and the print color correction is performed, thereby achieving simple and proper print color correction.

[0013]

To achieve the above object,
First, it is necessary that the printer has a device for reading its own print result.

In recent years, among multifunction printers and the like, those having a scanner as an image reading device have been commercialized.

The present invention is directed to a color laser printer provided with the scanner, and reads a print result of the user using a scanner mounted on the printer and performs print color correction based on the read result. Is to achieve.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a color laser printer provided with a scanner. In this figure, 1 is a printer unit, 2 is a scanner unit, 3 is a paper feeding unit, 4 is a printing mechanism unit, 5 is a paper discharging unit, 6 is the scanner platen, 7 is the paper path for normal printing,
Reference numeral 8 denotes a paper path at the time of print color correction.

In the case of normal printing, the paper fed from the paper feeding unit 1 is printed by the printing mechanism unit 4, and is discharged to the paper discharging unit 5 through the paper path 7 during normal printing. Is done.

The operation at the time of printing color correction is the same as that of normal printing until the paper is fed from the paper feeding unit 1 and printing is performed by the printing mechanism unit 4. Thereafter, in the case of print color correction, the paper is not discharged to the paper discharge unit 5 but is conveyed to the scanner platen 6 in the scanner unit 2 through the paper path 8 during print color correction. In the printing in the printing mechanism unit 4 in this case, a test chart for print color correction is printed.
Then, the conveyed test chart is read by the scanner unit 2, and the read value is compared with a reference value stored in advance in the printer, that is, a read value obtained by reading the same test chart printed in an appropriate color. Thus, the correction value is determined, and appropriate color correction is performed on the printing mechanism unit 4.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, a scanner mounted on a printer is used to read a print result printed by the user and perform print color correction based on the read result. Correction is possible.

Further, according to this method, for example, even in a printer in which the pigment used has a certain degree of transmittance, and as a result, the printing color is affected by the paper color, even if the printer By executing the print color correction using the paper, appropriate print color correction including the influence of the paper color on the print color can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Printer section, 2: Scanner section, 3: Paper feed section, 4: Printing mechanism section, 5: Paper discharge section, 6: Scanner platen, 7: Paper path for normal printing, 8: For printing color correction Paper path.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C061 AQ06 AR01 KK18 KK21 KK26 KK28 5B021 LG08 LL05 QQ04 5C077 LL12 LL19 MM27 MP08 PP37 PQ20 PQ22 TT03 TT06 5C079 KA04 LB01 MA01 MA10 MA11 NA03 PA02

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a color laser printer equipped with a scanner as an image reading device, a test chart printed for printing color correction is conveyed to the scanner unit, the test chart is read by the scanner unit, and a read value is stored in the printer. By comparing with the reference value stored in advance and performing print color correction,
A color laser printer which performs an appropriate print color correction based on a print result itself printed by itself.