Patent ID: 6416162
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
A printing apparatus that prints images by forming dots on a print medium, comprising:a print head that includes a plurality of dot formation elements for forming dots on the print medium; a main scanning drive section that drives at least one of the print head and the print medium for main scanning; a head drive section that during main scanning drives at least a portion of the plurality of dot formation elements to form dots; a sub-scanning drive section that at completion of each main scan drives at least one of the print head and the print medium for sub-scanning; and a controller for controlling each section; wherein the print head includes a plurality of dot formation element groups for forming dots of different inks, the plurality of dot formation element groups being arrayed in a prescribed order in the sub-scanning direction, the dot formation elements of each group being arranged at an identical pitch k in the sub-scanning direction, the pitch k being set at an integer multiple value that is at least two times a pitch of dots formed on the print medium in the sub-scanning direction; wherein the controller uses a mutually equal number N of dot formation elements of each group continuously arrayed at the pitch k to form dots on the print medium where N is an integer of at least 2, and the N dot formation elements of each group are selected so that a spacing between the groups of the N dot formation elements is M times the pitch k where M is an integer of at least 2.