Patent ID: 7901020

Claim:
A printing method, comprising: generating a plurality of types of drive signals, where a waveform section that is for a dark ink of a certain color and that corresponds to a minimum dot tone value in ejection of ink is different from a waveform section that is for a light ink of the certain color and that corresponds to the minimum dot tone value, and where a waveform section that is for the dark ink of the certain color and that corresponds to a maximum dot tone value is different from a waveform section that is for the light ink of the certain color and that corresponds to the maximum dot tone value; and ejecting the dark ink and the light ink from a head by applying a drive signal that is generated based on a dot tone value designated according to a size of a to-be-formed dot and based on a type of the inks, to an element that is provided on the head and that performs an operation for ejecting the inks, an amount of each ink being determined for each dot tone value, wherein in generating the plurality of the types of the drive signals, the drive signals including a drive signal whose waveform section that is for-light-ink and that corresponds to the maximum dot tone value is determined and a drive signal whose waveform section that is for the dark ink and that corresponds to the minimum dot tone value is determined, wherein an amount converted to the dark ink of a light ink that is ejected according to the maximum dot tone value is smaller than an amount of a dark ink that is ejected according to the minimum dot tone value.