Patent ID: 7287830
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image on a print medium by performing a main scan motion and a sub-scan motion, with the main scan motion performed by making a print head carry out a plurality of scan motions in a predetermined direction on a print medium, the print head having an away of a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink of a plurality of colors, each scan motion involving the ink being ejected from the plurality of nozzles onto the print medium, and the the sub-scan motion performed by moving the print medium and the print head relative to each other a predetermined amount in a direction different from a direction of the scan motion of the print head; the ink jet printing apparatus comprising: print mode selection means for selecting one print mode among a plurality of print modes including a first print mode and a second print mode, the first print mode using a first number of colors of ink employed for printing and the second print mode using a second number of colors of ink smaller than the first number of colors of ink used in the first print mode; and control means for controlling the printing operation performed according to the mode selected by the mode selection means, wherein the control means controls so that an image is printed by making the print head carry out a plurality of main scan motions for a predetermined area on the print medium, the control means further controls so that the number of main scan motions performed for the predetermined area on the print medium in the second print mode is greater than the number of main scan motions in the first print mode, and the control means controls so that, in the first print mode and the second print mode, printing of an image on the predetermined area on the print medium is completed through a plurality of scan motions of the print head by repeating the printing operation achieved through the scan motion of the print head and a print medium feeding operation covering a width smaller than a print width printed through a single scan operation of the print head in a print medium feeding direction.