Patent ID: 7588317

Claim:
A printhead having a substrate including at least first type printing elements and second type printing elements, wherein the first type printing elements form a first printing element array, the second type printing elements form a second printing element array, the first type printing elements are divided into first type blocks, each being concurrently driven in time-divisional drive, and the second type printing elements are divided into second type blocks, each concurrently driven in the time-divisional drive comprising: wirings for connecting part of the first type printing elements which belongs to the same block of the first type blocks and connecting part of the second type printing elements which belongs to the same block of the second type blocks to form plural blocks for the time-divisional drive; a time-division driving circuit, provided on the substrate, which selects a block of the plural blocks to time-divisionally and alternately drive the first and second type printing elements in corresponding first and second periods; and a common signal line, provided on the substrate, which supplies, to the first and second type printing elements, enable signals for designating different driving periods during which power is supplied in the first and second periods, wherein shapes of the first and second type printing elements are different from each other.