Patent ID: 6439687
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink-jet printing apparatus for printing by scanning a printing head having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a predetermined direction, composed of a plurality of nozzle groups each including continuously arranged plural nozzles in the predetermined direction, each nozzle for discharging an ink droplet, over a printing medium in a direction substantially perpendicular to an arranged direction of said nozzles, comprising:driving means for time-divisionally driving said nozzles according to block drive timing signals of a plurality of time-divisionally driven blocks of said plurality of nozzles, wherein said driving means includes a circuit for determining a relationship between nozzle positions in each of said nozzle groups and a driving sequence of said nozzles in each of said nozzle groups, such that a driving sequence of said nozzles in one of said nozzle groups is different from a driving sequence of said nozzles in another of said nozzle groups, and wherein when multipass printing is performed by scanning different nozzles over each printing area a plurality of times, said driving means drives nozzles used to print the same raster according to block drive timing signals of at least two different blocks.