Patent ID: 6776474
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method for printing a color image with an ink jet printer, the ink jet printer comprising:a printhead having printing nozzles arranged in first, second, and third columns extending in a first direction; wherein nozzles in the first column are supplied with light magenta ink; wherein nozzles in the second column are divided into first, second, and third sections, nozzles of the first section being supplied with dark magenta ink, nozzles of the second section being supplied with dark cyan ink, and nozzles of the third section being supplied with yellow ink; wherein nozzles in the third column are supplied with light cyan ink; wherein the first, second, and third columns each have a length approximately equal to 3*H, where H represents a length of each of the first, second, and third sections of the second column; the method comprising: ejecting ink from the nozzles of the first, second, or third sections of the second column during each pass of the printhead over a printing medium as necessitated by characteristics of the color image; advancing the printing medium in the first direction by a distance approximately equal to H; and ejecting ink from the nozzles of the first and third columns during every third pass that the printhead makes over the printing medium as necessitated by the characteristics of the color image.