Patent ID: 8223382

Claim:
A printing apparatus which prints by dividing a plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally driving the plurality of printing elements while a printhead having a printing element array in which the plurality of printing elements are arrayed scans based on image data in a direction intersecting an arrayed direction of the plurality of printing elements, the apparatus comprising: obtaining means for obtaining slant information of the printing element array in a scanning direction of the printhead; a printing buffer which stores the image data used to print by one scanning of the printhead; a transfer buffer which stores, for each column, image data of a plurality of columns used by the printing element array out of image data that are stored in said printing buffer and used to print by the plurality of printing elements; read control means for reading out, from said transfer buffer, for each block, image data of at least two successive columns of the printing element array out of the image data of a plurality of columns; selection means for selecting image data of a column read out by said read control means for each printing element of a block, based on the slant information; write control means for newly reading out image data of one column of the printing element array from said printing buffer, and rewriting in an area of said transfer buffer corresponding to one column of the printing element array where read-out by said read control means is completed; and transfer means for transferring the image data selected by said selection means to the printhead.