Patent ID: 7083259

Claim:
A multi-line color printer that prints an image on a recording sheet in accordance with an interlace printing method, comprising: a sheet feeding mechanism that feeds said recording sheet by a predetermined amount at a time; a carriage that is movable, substantially at a constant speed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction; a print head mounted on said carriage, said print head capable of simultaneously forming a plurality of print lines when said carriage moves; and a controller that controls said print head to form a color image with said plurality of print lines in a first operation mode, said controller forming a black and white image with predetermined part of print lines in a second operation mode, wherein the first operation mode is a color print mode in which all of color inks provided to said print head are used, and wherein the second operation mode is a color-mixing print mode in which a black and white image is formed by overlaying color inks without using a black ink.