Patent ID: 8915577
Filing Date: 2014-12-23
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus comprising: a first head that has a first nozzle row that is configured from a plurality of nozzles that discharge a first chromatic ink and a second nozzle row that is configured from a plurality of nozzles that discharge a second chromatic ink, the first head forming a first dot group on a print medium by moving along a guide member in a main scanning direction and discharging ink using at least the first nozzle row or the second nozzle row; a second head, different from the first head, that has a third nozzle row that is configured from a plurality of nozzles that discharge the first chromatic ink and a fourth nozzle row that is configured from a plurality of nozzles that discharge the second chromatic ink, the second head forming a second dot group on the print medium by moving along the guide member in the main scanning direction and discharging ink using at least the third nozzle row or the fourth nozzle row; a transport mechanism that performs a sub-scan that moves the print medium relatively with respect to the guide member in a sub-scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction; a controller that controls the first and second print heads, wherein, when a number of dots to be formed in one raster by either the plurality of nozzles in the first nozzle row or by the plurality of nozzles in the second nozzle row, as a result of ink to be discharged between a sub-scan and a subsequent sub-scan, is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, then the controller causes both the first print head and the second print head to execute ,printing of the raster, the first dot group and the second dot group being formed on different areas of the print medium, and wherein, when a number of dots to be formed in one raster by either the plurality of nozzles in the first nozzle row or by the plurality of nozzles in the second nozzle row as a result of ink to be discharged between a sub-scan and a subsequent sub-scan, is less than the predetermined number, then the controller causes one of the first print head and the second print head to execute printing of the raster.