Patent ID: 7706023

Claim:
A printing system comprising a printing apparatus capable of printing an image to a unit area on a printing medium by scanning a printhead over the unit area a plurality of times, and a data supplying apparatus for supplying image data to said printing apparatus, wherein said data supplying apparatus comprises: generation means for generating thinned image data by applying a mask pattern, corresponding to a plurality of scans over the unit area, to image data to be printed on the unit area; compression means for compressing the thinned image data generated by said generation means, on the basis of the mask pattern which has been used for generating the thinned image data; and transfer means for transferring, to the printing apparatus, the compressed image data compressed by said compression means and information on the mask pattern which has been used for compressing the thinned image data, and said printing apparatus comprises: reception means for receiving the compressed image data and the information on the mask pattern transferred by said transfer means; and decompression means for decompressing the thinned image data, on the basis of the information on the mask pattern and the compressed image data received by said reception means.