Patent ID: 7097278

Claim:
A method of colour printing which includes the steps of: (a) printing pixels in swaths of different colours side by side in a repeating pattern in a first relative traverse of a printhead and a surface to be printed, each swath being printed by a respective block of print elements with an ink of a single formulation and being wider than a swath printed by a single print element wherein the blocks of elements are arranged in groups in an elongate array, the blocks in each group being adapted for printing in different colours from each other, the array comprising at least two groups and wherein the blocks form a repeating pattern of constant pitch along the array; (b) relatively indexing the printhead and the surface in a direction other than that of the relative traverse, and (c) in a further relative traverse printing further swaths which at least partially overprint previously printed swaths in registry therewith, wherein each overprinting swath is of a different colour to the previously printed swath which it overprints.