Patent ID: 8305631

Claim:
A method for processing an image to optimize print time of the image by a print apparatus, the print apparatus comprising a print medium stage which holds a print medium on which the image is to be printed, at least one print head having at least one nozzle which deposits ink on the print medium during printing, a scan control mechanism which controls relative movement of the print medium stage and the at least one print head along a scanning axis during deposition of ink from the at least one nozzle, a print head displacement control mechanism which displaces the at least one print head relative to the print medium stage along a sub-scanning axis perpendicular to the scanning axis, the print apparatus configured to print the image on the print medium in a sequence of print passes, each print pass resulting in the printing, along the scanning axis, of a single printed swath of the image, wherein the number of swaths of the printed image depending on the dimension of the image along the sub-scanning axis, the method comprising: determining a dimension of the image corresponding to the dimension along the sub-scanning axis of the image as it will be printed by the print apparatus; determining a number of print passes required to print the image having the determined dimension; determining whether the size of the image could be reduced to require one less print pass by the print apparatus in printing the reduced image; determining whether the amount of reduction of the reduced image would be greater than a pre-determined maximum reduction threshold; and if it is determined that the size of the image could be reduced to require one less print pass by the print apparatus in printing the reduced image and the amount of reduction of the reduced image is less than or equal to the pre-determined maximum reduction threshold, scaling the image by a scaling factor such that the dimension along the sub-scanning axis of the scaled image is such as to require one less print pass by the print apparatus in printing the scaled image than the original image.