Patent ID: 8348369

Claim:
An image forming method for an image forming apparatus having a recording head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising: discharging a droplet of a recording fluid via the nozzles of the recording head onto a print medium; performing a main scan in which the print medium is scanned by the recording head moving in a main scan direction; performing a sub-scan in which the print medium is scanned by the recording head by moving the print medium in a sub-scan direction; determining an overlap region in an image region formed by a single main scan; performing an overlap control by forming an image in the overlap region through a plurality of main scans while the print medium is moved in the sub-scan direction by a feed amount L, wherein L=(n−x)d−md, where n is a number of the nozzles in the recording head, x is a number of the nozzles in the overlap region, d is a nozzle pitch, and m is a feed correcting coefficient (0<m<1); determining a terminal nozzle at an end of the recording head on an overlap region side, the terminal nozzle configured to be not normally used; and shifting print data allocated to the nozzles toward the overlap region side in order to use the terminal nozzle when the feed amount L of the print medium is more than (n−x)d.