Patent ID: 6293643
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A printing apparatus that records plural types of dots on a printing medium, based on input image data, and thereby prints an image, said printing apparatus comprising:a head configured to create plural types of dots with respect to at least one hue by combining different ink densities and different ink weights, the dots including smaller dark dots having a first ink density and larger light dots having a second ink density lower than the first ink density such that the smaller and darker dots have a substantially identical unit density or density per unit area and at least one type of different-density dot having a different unit density from the identical-density dots;a dot specification unit configured to determine according to the input image data for a pixel whether to create a dot with respect to the pixel and which type of a dot among plural types of dots having different unit densities is to be created;a dot type selection unit configured to select one of the at least two types of identical-density dots based on a predetermined selecting condition with respect to the pixel where one of the identical-density dots is to be created; anda head driving control unit configured to drive said head and to create the dots determined by said dot specification unit and the dots selected by said dot type selection unit in order to print a resulting image.