Patent ID: 7503634

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: an image data acquiring unit that acquires multi-valued color image data; an image data dividing unit that divides the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit into plural pixel areas; a calculating unit that calculates a total concentration value for each pixel area of the plural pixel areas divided by the image data dividing unit, the total concentration value being calculated by totaling concentration values for each of the pixels in a corresponding respective pixel area of the plural pixel areas divided by the image data dividing unit; a pixel area dot constitution table storing unit having stored therein a pixel area dot constitution table having the total concentration value for each of the pixel areas calculated by the calculating unit and a dot constitution corresponding to the total concentration value of the pixel area; a dot constitution calculating unit that calculates a constitution of dots arranged in the pixel area based on the pixel area dot constitution table; a dot arrangement order table storing unit having stored therein a dot arrangement order table that designates an arrangement order of the dots arranged in the pixel area; a dot arranging unit that arranges the dots having the dot constitution calculated by the dot constitution calculating unit in the pixel area in accordance with the arrangement order of the dots designated in the dot arrangement order table of the dot arrangement order table storing unit; a print data generating unit that generates print data by combining the respective pixel areas in which the dots are arranged by the dot arranging unit; and a printing unit that executes printing based on the print data generated by the print data generating unit.