Patent ID: 6712441
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus capable of selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, comprising:a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles; a receiver configured to receive print data from an external device, the print data containing gradation data indicative of M values for each pixel in a printed image, M being a positive integer of (Nâˆ’1) at most; a dot selector configured to select one type of dot recording state for each pixel from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state smoothing an outline contained in a printed image; and a drive signal generator configured to generate drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state.