Patent ID: 6336703
Filing Date: 2002-01-08
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
A printer that prints an image on a print medium by using a print head to form raster lines in a main scanning direction and scan in a sub-scanning direction at right-angles to the main scanning direction, said printer comprising:said print head having a plurality of dot formation elements disposed in said sub-scanning direction at a prescribed spacing that is at least two dot pitches, and said dot formation elements being divided into plural element groups each forming dots of different ink, said element groups being disposed separately in the main scanning direction; a first transport mechanism that effects a first type of sub-scanning by transporting at a first precision at least one selected from the print head and the print medium; a second transport mechanism that, even when sub-scanning cannot be effected by the first transport unit, effects a second type of sub-scanning by transporting at a second precision that is lower than the first precision at least one selected from the print head and the print medium; a data supply unit that assigns to the dot formation elements raster data representing raster lines constituting the image, supplies the raster data to the print head; a raster line formation unit that drives the print head to form each raster line in accordance with the raster data supplied by the data supply unit; and a first sub-scanning controller that performs sub-scanning by preset feed amounts with the first and second transport mechanism such that an area is formed in which raster lines formed during the second type of sub-scanning are interposed between raster lines formed during the first type of sub-scanning.