Patent ID: 7513587
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing method that repeats in alternation a transporting operation of transporting a medium in a transporting direction, and a formation operation of forming an image on said medium by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles that are aligned in said transporting direction and that move in a movement direction, said method comprising: detecting, from an image to be printed in a certain formation operation, a first blank section that is arranged along said movement direction; detecting, from an image to be printed in a next formation operation, a second blank section that is arranged along said movement direction; and in case where conditions in which said first blank section and said second blank section are detected and a width in said transporting direction of an image to be printed in said next formation operation on a downstream side in said transporting direction from said second blank section is smaller than a width in said transporting direction of said first blank section are met, then the width in said transporting direction of said first blank section is shortened in order to print, in said certain formation operation, an image to be printed between said first blank section and said second blank section; in case where the conditions are not met, the width in said transporting direction of said first blank section is not shortened; and printing, that repeats in alternation said transporting operation of transporting said medium in said transporting direction, and said certain formation operation of forming said image on said medium by ejecting ink from said plurality of nozzles that are aligned in said transporting direction and that move in said movement direction.