Patent ID: 8210627

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: a rotation drive unit for rotating a print object; a print head including at least two discharge nozzle lines arranged on at least two lines, out of a base line corresponding to a radial direction of a circle drawn by the rotating print object and at least one offset line parallel to the base line, the print head discharging ink drops of a same color from discharge nozzles of the at least two discharge nozzle lines; a head drive unit for moving the print head a first distance so as to minutely move each of the discharge nozzle lines on the base line or the at least one offset line and for continuously minutely moving the print head a second distance to a second print area and printing on the second print area after a first print area has been printed, the second distance being longer than the first distance; and a print control unit for controlling the head drive unit so as to minutely move paths of the discharge nozzles passing over the rotating print object, and controlling the print head so as to discharge ink drops from the discharge nozzles passing over the rotating print object through the paths moved minutely, in order to perform printing an area corresponding to a length of the discharge nozzle lines.