Patent ID: 6902247

Claim:
A multiresolution printing method for printing an image onto a printing medium using a printing system having an elongate printhead including an array of marking elements comprising at least one group G of φ marking elements which are staggered with respect to each other over a stagger distance D 1 in a fast scan direction F, the marking elements forming a plurality of rows in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the printhead, the printhead being able to be operated at a reference velocity V ref to print images with a reference resolution X but actually being operated in the fast scan direction at an operating velocity V with V/V ref =RV≠1 to allow the marking elements to print markings on the printing medium along a swath a during printing passes whereby the marking elements are fired at a predetermined constant time difference T and the maximum firing frequency is determined by a method comprising the steps of: printing said markings along the swath on the printing medium during a first of the printing passes by firing adjacent said marking elements of one said group G at instants of time separated by time difference T thereby forming a partial image of the swath as a series of parallel lines of print at a non-zero angle with respect to both the longitudinal axis of the printhead and the fast scan direction, and printing additional said markings, during subsequent printing passes, at intermediate positions between the series of parallel lines of print to complete the image as determined by both the operating velocity V of the printhead, and the number of passes over each said swath, wherein the resolution Y of the printed image is given by Y = φ ⁢ ⁢ X  R ⁢ ⁢ V - 1  .