Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a counter that counts the accumulated number of predetermined printed recording sheets and an image correction controller that performs an image correction operation when the accumulated number of recording sheets reaches a predetermined number. The image forming apparatus is configured to advance an execution timing of the image correction operation, depending on its predetermined operating status.

Abstract: Embodiments of an ink jet printing system include a motion stage adapted to move a substrate having a display object in a printing direction and a first printing assembly mounted over the motion stage including a set of print heads aligned and arranged consecutively in the printing direction such that the display object moves under the print heads sequentially. Embodiments of a method of ink jet printing include moving a substrate under the print heads of printing assembly sequentially in a printing direction, activating alternate ink jetting channels within each print head of the first printing assembly, activating corresponding channels within adjacent print heads in the first printing assembly alternately, and depositing ink in alternating sub-pixels within one or more pixels on the substrate.

Abstract: A color printing system comprising a combination of at least four, and preferably six coloring materials, each of a different color, wherein these colors are selected from (1) an orange-red; (2) a violet-red; (3) a violet-blue; (4) a green-blue; (5) a green-yellow; and (6) an orange-yellow; as well as white and black. This system may be incorporated into a wide range of printing devices and provides achieving of a wide range of colors.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method and image processing device for performing image processing, based on image data and/or drawing instructions, on a page layout which employs process colors inputted from an image processing terminal. The image processing method includes: (a) specifying a color substitution of one of the process colors for the image data and/or drawing instructions; (b) instructing addition of a paper color, including color information, to the whole area of the page layout; and (c) performing the color substitution by adding the color information of the paper color to color information of a substitution color which is being substituted for the process color specified by the color substitution.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a first direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings, the liquid ejection head and a printing medium being subjected to the relative movement, wherein an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming an end group located in the respective opposite end section along the first direction is longer than an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming a central group located in the central section along the first direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate white streaks which may generate in a solid printing.

Abstract: For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array c1 and a magenta nozzle array m1, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A head unit includes first to fourth droplet ejection heads. The first and second droplet ejection heads are arranged along a first direction parallel to nozzle arrays so that the nozzles constitute a first consecutive long nozzle array when viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Also, the nozzles of the third and fourth droplet ejection heads constitute a second consecutive long nozzle array. In the first to fourth droplet ejection heads the nozzle arrays are arranged side by side in the second direction and the first nozzle array is shifted with a half pitch in the first direction with respect to the second nozzle array when viewed from the second direction. The nozzles of the first and second droplet ejection heads are arranged so as not to overlap with the nozzles of the third and fourth droplet ejection heads when viewed from the second direction.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead comprises a plurality of sets of inkjet nozzles. Each nozzle comprises a nozzle head from which ink can be ejected and an ink ejection actuator tail extending from the nozzle head. Each set comprises a first row of the nozzle heads and a second row of the nozzle heads with the ink ejection actuator tails being located between the rows.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head can discharge a droplet of differently colored ink, so that the volume of the ink discharged is efficiently stabilized, without the apparatus size and the manufacturing costs being increased. Three ink supply ports are formed in a recording element board, and one nozzle array is arranged along one side of each ink supply port. The discharge portions for cyan ink and magenta ink, which have high visibility, are located on opposite sides of the recording element board, and the discharge portion for yellow ink, which has low visibility, is located in the center of the recording element board. Further, in the cyan ink and magenta ink discharge portions, sub heaters for temperature adjustment are arranged, relative to the ink supply ports, along the same sides as the nozzle arrays.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a patterned layer (106) on a substrate (100) includes the following steps: providing a substrate having a plurality of banks (102) formed thereon, the substrate and the banks cooperatively defining a plurality of accommodating spaces (104), wherein each of the accommodating spaces has a first edge (110) and a second edge (112) parallel to the first edge, a distance between the first edge and the second edge is b; the first nozzle (302) moving along a first path (306), and the first path is parallel to the first edge, a distance between the first path and the first edge is a; the first nozzle jetting ink into the accommodating space; the second nozzle (304) moving along a second path (310), a distance between the first path and the second path is c, and the distance c satisfies one of the two equations: 0<c<b?a, and 0<c<a.

Abstract: A method of printing an image of a three-dimensional object includes printing multiple dots of a colored ink to form an image of the object and printing dots of a transparent ink having a refractive index greater than 1 within the image. The dots of transparent ink local alter the path length of light that shines through the image to create phase variations on the image.

Abstract: A printing head, having ejection openings arranged symmetric, is to be suppressed from deteriorating in image quality as caused by the manufacturing errors or problems in mounting accuracy thereof. Specifically, in the case the printing head inclines, for example, by 0.5 degrees at the line connecting between the corresponding ejection openings of ejection opening arrays relative to the scanning direction, deviations occur in the dots formed through the ejection opening arrays with reference to the dot formed through other ejection opening array. However, the deviations can be minimized by arranging adjacently small-ejection opening arrays for cyan and magenta with a spacing reduced between those ejection opening arrays.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing method and ink jet printing apparatus capable of outputting a smooth monochrome photograph with indistinctive beading and conveying unevenness even in monochrome black mode for printing an image by using achromatic color inks. For this object, if it is determined that printing is carried out in the monochrome black mode, different mask patterns, such as mutually-exclusive mask patterns or mask patterns having a logical product result that shows a state where low-frequency components are less than high-frequency components, are set for two or more kinds of achromatic color inks. Use of such mask patterns suppresses the generation of grains of achromatic color inks, increases dispersibility of the grains, and also makes positions where conveying unevenness appear indistinctive.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles 3 and a bubble forming chamber 7 corresponding to each nozzle respectively. Each nozzle 3 defines a nozzle aperture 5 with a central axis. At least one heater element 10 suspended in each bubble forming chamber 7 to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop 16 of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle 3, to effect printing. The heater element is spaced from the central axis and defines a current path substantially around the central axis. Directing the current flow around the axis of the nozzle aperture provides bubble alignment with the aperture for better ejection of drops while ensuring that the bubble collapse point is not on the heater element. This avoids the corrosive problems caused by cavitation forces.

Abstract: An active-energy ray curable ink-jet recording apparatus includes: an active-energy ray irradiation source; a plurality of full-line ink-jet heads which eject a liquid functional material that is curable by an active-energy ray, onto a recording medium which is scanned and transported; and a head controller for controlling the heads to form an image on the recording medium, wherein the full-line ink-jet heads include: a head arrangement having adjacent combinations of at least one set of colors in a complementary relationship; and active-energy ray irradiation sources which are placed respectively for each of the combinations on downstream sides of the combinations in the scanning transporting direction.

Abstract: A method for modifying an input digital image having one or more color channels corresponding to one or more color inks and a protective ink channel corresponding to a substantially clear protective ink, each channel having an (x,y) array of pixel values, to form a modified digital image including computing a first value responsive to corresponding pixel values of the one or more color channels; computing a second value responsive to the corresponding pixel value of the protective ink channel; and modifying the corresponding pixel value of the protective ink channel responsive to the first and second values.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for printing swaths of an image in an inkjet printer with reduced memory usage for delay buffer. The present invention provides methods for allocating a memory space of M1, and M2, for the delay buffer, where M1 equals N*S*(P+1)/2, and M2 equals N*S*(P?1)/2, wherein N is the number of nozzles in a color bank of a printhead, S is the horizontal swath resolution and P is the minimum number of pass required to print the image. The proposed methods lower the hardware requirement of the physical memory by saving up to about 50% of the physical memory by implementing a memory space of M1 and more than 50% of physical memory may be saved by implementing a memory space of M2.

Abstract: A memory integrated into a removable cartridge for an image forming device is formatted to store a state variable reflecting a state of a printing component. A method embodiment includes reading the state variable. An image enhancement technique, selected according to the state variable, is implemented. In another embodiment, the memory contains technique selection criteria. The technique selection criteria is processed with the state variable to select a template set identifying one or more image enhancement techniques.

Abstract: A sheet material information-detecting apparatus is provided which is capable of detecting the type of a sheet material even if the sheet material is anisotropic. When recording paper sheet P is fed, feed rollers 1a and 1b are moved to narrow the nip of the rollers and front edge of recording paper sheet is pushed thereto to correct the oblique feed. Thereafter, external force is applied to recording paper sheet P by external force applying member 2. A signal based on the external force is detected by signal detecting means 3, and sheet material information-acquiring means 5 identify the type of the recording paper sheet. Owing to the oblique feed correction, the type of the sheet material can be identified precisely even if the sheet material is anisotropic.

Abstract: Provided area head chip unit capable of discharging a plurality of kinds of ink, down sizing, and of printing by the plurality of kinds of ink. A head chip unit includes a head chip having a substantially plate shape including: a channel extending from one edge side to another edge side to be opened on the another edge side; and an ink chamber formed in an arrangement direction orthogonal to a supply direction for forming the channel and communicating with the channel on the one edge side, the head chip being laminated in multiple.

Abstract: A method of printing a three-dimensional object is provided. The method comprises providing a plurality of stationary printhead layer groups, each layer group comprising at least one printhead for printing a respective layer of the object; conveying a partially-formed object past the layer groups; and simultaneously printing material from at least one printhead in each layer group, such that a plurality of different layers are printed simultaneously by the layer groups.

Abstract: A method for printing in which print data is first generated by receiving compressed page data having a layer of continuous tone data and a layer of bi-level data; decompressing the continuous tone data and the bi-level data in parallel processes; halftoning the continuous tone data; and compositing the bi-level data over the continuous tone data. The print data is then provided to a print engine controller for printing onto a substrate.

Abstract: In a printer apparatus of the invention, a file storage unit stores an archive file including plural files each having a reservation keyword, a processing content designation data holding unit holds plural processing content designation data in which the reservation keyword and processing content on the file are made to correspond to each other, a processing content designation data retrieval unit extracts the reservation keyword from the file name of each of the plural files and retrieves one or plural processing content designation data including the extracted reservation keyword among the plural processing content designation data, and a print processing unit print-processes the data to be printed contained in the stored document file in accordance with the processing content on the file held in the processing content designation data holding unit corresponding to the retrieved processing content designation data.

Abstract: A printing method includes: preparing a drive element that corresponds to a nozzle, and a controller that drives the drive element so as to eject a liquid droplet from the nozzle, the controller having a first input section and a second input section; in the case of printing with a first number of gradations, driving the drive element based on a first signal and a second signal, by inputting the first signal to the first input section and inputting the second signal to the second input section; and in the case of printing with a second number of gradations that is lower than the first number of gradations, driving the drive element based on a first signal, by inputting the first signal to the first input section and inputting a signal of a constant potential to the second input section.

Abstract: A head unit 103 for use in a droplet ejection apparatus is provided with a plurality of droplet ejection heads for ejecting one or more kind of liquid material of a predetermined color onto a base in the form of droplets. Each of the droplet ejection heads includes at least one nozzle array constituted from a plurality of nozzles linearly aligned. The liquid material is adapted to be ejected through the plurality of nozzles of the plurality of droplet ejection heads in the form of droplets. The plurality of droplet ejection heads for ejecting the liquid material of the same color are arranged so that the nozzle arrays of the plurality of droplet ejection heads are parallel to each other in a first direction and each of the plurality of droplet ejection heads partially overlaps at least one of the other droplet ejection heads when viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: In an ink-jet head including black, yellow, magenta, cyan nozzle rows, the nozzle rows are arranged so that in each of the nozzle rows, adjacent nozzles are arranged by a predetermined spacing distance P, and that the black nozzle row is shifted in a nozzle-row alignment direction by a spacing distance smaller than the predetermined spacing distance P, with respect to the cyan, magenta and yellow nozzle rows. When a black dot is formed between monochrome-black dots adjacent in the sub-scanning direction, a dot of color-mixed black which is a mixture of the other three colors is formed between the monochrome-black dots. At this time, by adjusting a black-ink jetting amount to be greater than a total amount of the other three color inks, it is possible to make the monochrome-black dot and the color-mixed black dot to be mutually uniform in size.

Abstract: For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array c1 and a magenta nozzle array m1, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A color inkjet recording apparatus includes a plurality of multi-nozzle inkjet recording heads ejecting inks of respective colors, an electrical system unit controlling the operation of the color inkjet recording apparatus, and an ink container connected to the multi-nozzle inkjet recording heads. The ink container is provided below the multi-nozzle inkjet recording heads and the electrical system unit.

Abstract: An image processing method performs processing to generate image data based on input data and output the image data to an image forming device. The image forming device includes a printing head in which first nozzles for ejecting color ink drops are arranged in a symmetrical formation to forward and backward scanning directions and second nozzles for ejecting black or gray ink drops are arranged in an unsymmetrical formation with respect to the first nozzles. The image forming device is adapted to perform a uni-directional printing or a bidirectional printing with the printing head. In the image processing method, a black generation processing to the input data is performed, and when performing the black generation processing, a black-generation start level for the bidirectional printing is delayed to a shadow-side gradation level from a black-generation start level for the uni-directional printing.

Abstract: A head unit 103 for use in a droplet ejection apparatus is provided with a plurality of droplet ejection heads for ejecting one or more kind of liquid material of a predetermined color onto a base in the form of droplets. Each of the droplet ejection heads includes at least one nozzle array constituted from a plurality of nozzles linearly aligned. The liquid material is adapted to be ejected through the plurality of nozzles of the plurality of droplet ejection heads in the form of droplets. The plurality of droplet ejection heads include at least two sets of two adjacent droplet ejection heads which are arranged in a consecutive manner in a first direction parallel to each of the nozzle arrays.

Abstract: A pagewidth printhead assembly for an inkjet printer comprising: a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and distributing the ink along the length of the printhead assembly; a plurality of integrated circuits extending the length of the printhead assembly, each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles formed in rows thereon, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and an ink distribution member upon which the integrated circuits are fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to the nozzles of the integrated circuits; wherein the integrated circuits are aligned in an abutting arrangement across the length of the ink distribution member.

Abstract: A print controller for an inkjet printhead is provided. The print controller has contone decompression circuitry for decompressing a contone layer of compressed page data, bi-level decompression circuitry for decompressing a bi-level layer of the compressed page data, halftoner and compositor circuitry for halftoning the decompressed contone planes to associated bi-level versions and compositing the decompressed bi-level layer over the halftoned contone layers, and printhead interface circuitry for receiving the halftoned and composited data so as to generate print data suitable for printing by the printhead.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid discharging device including: a first head unit which discharges liquid; a second head unit which faces a portion of a medium, in which the liquid is discharged from the first head unit, and discharges liquid; and a support member which faces the first head unit and the second head unit and supports the medium, wherein in the first head unit and the second head unit, a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a crossing direction crossing a transporting direction of the medium over an overall dischargeable range of the liquid, and a distance between the second head unit and the support member is larger than that between the first head unit and the support member.

Abstract: The liquid droplet ejection head has a plurality of nozzles arranged in a fixed arrangement pattern two-dimensionally in a first direction and a direction oblique to the first direction. The nozzles compose a projected nozzle row in the first direction when supposing that the nozzles are projected so as to align in the first direction; first one of the nozzles and second one of the nozzles are located in a juncture region; a distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the first and second nozzles is larger than a distance in the second direction between other two of the nozzles that are located in a region other than the juncture region and sequenced in the projected nozzle row; third at least one of the nozzles lies substantially halfway between the first and second nozzles; and the first, third and second nozzles are sequenced in the projected nozzle row.

Abstract: A method of selecting inks for use in imaging with an imaging apparatus includes determining a maximum usage of a diluted ink for use in conjunction with a saturated ink based on visual perception characteristics relating to a combination of the diluted ink and the saturated ink; generating an initial colorant space based on the maximum usage of the diluted ink, the initial colorant space expressing an initial usage of the diluted ink and an initial usage of the saturated ink at each point in the initial colorant space; optimizing the initial usage of the diluted ink and the initial usage of the saturated ink in the initial colorant space to generate a final usage of the diluted ink and a final usage of the saturated ink in a final colorant space; and generating a color conversion lookup table based on the final colorant space.

Abstract: End portions on one side of respective heads in a head unit are inserted and arranged in respective spaces between end portions on the other side of respective heads in an adjoining head unit.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus having excellent throughput can continue a printing operation without interruption if one or more line heads falls into an unprintable state when the apparatus is printing images of the same color using a plurality of line heads. For this purpose, image data for images of the same color is divided and the divided image data is supplied to such a line head of the plurality of line heads intended to form images of the same color that is capable of ejecting ink properly, so that the ink ejectable line head performs the printing operation according to the supplied image data.

Abstract: If print agents used are detected by an optical sensor at different sensitivities, the present invention enables the easy setting of adjustment values for print positions resulting from these print agents. To accomplish this object, for example, the present invention substitutes and sets adjustment values for print positions resulting from cyan, light cyan, or black ink, corresponding to a high detection sensitivity, for adjustment values for print positions resulting from a light magenta, yellow, or magenta ink, corresponding to a low detection sensitivity.

Abstract: An ink jet printing device comprises a head unit, a head-unit moving unit, a recording-medium moving unit, and a control unit controlling the head unit, the head-unit moving unit, and the recording-medium moving unit. The control unit is configured to carry out printing so that a rear-end portion of discharge nozzles in an array direction after printing of a printing region and a front-end portion of the discharge nozzles in the array direction before printing of a non-printed region overlap each other with respect to a sub-scanning direction, and invalid nozzles that do not discharge ink drops are determined from among arbitrary ones of overlapping discharge nozzles including a front-end portion and a rear-end portion in the array direction of the discharge nozzles.

Abstract: Disclosed are printing systems and printhead assemblies in which yellow print nozzles are paired on a die with black print nozzles, with cyan and magenta print nozzles on a separate die. The pairing of yellow and black nozzles reduces constraints imposed by the printhead architecture and manufacturing processes.

Abstract: A printhead nozzle array includes groups of nozzle assemblies configured to eject respective colored inks. Each group has its nozzle assemblies arranged in rows. Each nozzle assembly includes a common substrate assembly. A nozzle is configured to contain ink and defines a nozzle opening through which the ink can be ejected. The nozzle includes a static wall portion extending from the substrate assembly and a movable crown portion defining the nozzle opening. An actuator extends from the substrate assembly. A lever arm extends from the actuator and is fast with the crown portion so that, upon actuation of the actuator, the lever arm moves the crown portion relative to the static wall portion to eject the ink out through the nozzle opening.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes (A) a first black nozzle column having a plurality of nozzles arranged at a predetermined pitch in a transportation direction of a medium and discharging black ink, (B) a second black nozzle column having a plurality of nozzles arranged at the predetermined pitch in the transportation direction and located at positions shifted from the plurality of nozzles of the first black nozzle column in the transportation direction and discharging the black ink, and (C) a color nozzle column having a plurality of nozzles arranged at the predetermined pitch in the transportation direction and located at the same positions as the plurality of nozzles of the second black nozzle column in the transportation direction and discharging different colors of ink from different groups of nozzles thereof, each group including a predetermined number of nozzles consecutively disposed in the transportation direction.

Abstract: A controller generates printing data to be printed by the printing nozzles of at least first and second adjacent printing nozzle arrays out of a plurality of printing nozzle arrays on the basis of tone information of image data to be printed. In particular, the controller generates printing data to be printed by each of the first and second printing nozzle arrays in the range in which the influence of an air flow generated along with ink discharge from the first and second printing nozzle arrays is admissible. Printing by the first and second printing nozzle arrays of the printhead is controlled on the basis of the generated printing data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a screen for projectors which comprises a screen base in which at least two kinds of colorants selected from a colorant having an absorption wavelength region in 400 nm to 440 nm, a colorant having an absorption wavelength region in 470 nm to 510 nm, and a colorant having an absorption wavelength region in 570 nm to 610 nm are carried on the whole image display area of the screen base. Also disclosed are processes for producing the screen and projectors having the screen.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus has a recording head including: large nozzles which eject ink containing pigment particles serving as a coloring material; small nozzles which eject the ink; and a common ink flow channel which is connected to the large nozzles and the small nozzles, wherein: a volume of the ink ejected from each of the large nozzles is different from a volume of the ink ejected from each of the small nozzles; the large nozzles and the small nozzles eject the ink to perform image recording on a recording medium in terms of one direction or both directions while the recording head is moved bi-directionally in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium; of the pigment particles which are dispersed in the ink, the pigment particles having a particle diameter not less than 150 nm account for not more than 5 volume percent; and an ink ejection process in which the large nozzles and the small nozzles eject the ink that is unrelated to the image recording

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes three sets of nozzle arrays each having a large nozzle array including a first ejection outlet group and an adjacent small nozzle array including a second ejection outlet group. The ejection outlets of the second ejection outlet group have smaller diameters than those of the first ejection outlet group. In nozzle arrays constituted by two adjacent ones of the three nozzle array sets, a large nozzle array, a small nozzle array, a small nozzle array, and a large nozzle array are arranged in the order named, in the main scanning direction. One of the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects cyan ink, the other one of the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects magenta ink, and a nozzle array set other than the two adjacent nozzle array sets ejects yellow ink.

Abstract: By initially setting a tone value-drive signal relation in which an assumed ink jet volume determined from the number of times the jettings of ink droplets of a respective kind relative to a tone value does not monotonically increase, the actual jet ink volume is set to monotonically increase relative to the jet volume.

Abstract: An ink jet head 22 of linear form which consists of a plurality of nozzles 27 arranged as a nozzle row 28 is provided in an ink jet device for manufacture of a color filter. Filter element material 13 from the nozzles 27 which differ from the motherboard 12 is discharged four superimposed times by the plurality of nozzles 27, and is formed to a predetermined film thickness upon a single filter element 3. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of undesirable deviations in film thickness between different ones of the filter elements 3, so that it is possible to flatten and make even the optical transparency characteristic of the resulting color filter 1.

Abstract: A color filter manufacturing apparatus of this invention includes a plurality of ink-jet heads (120a, 120b, 120c) each having a first ink discharging nozzle group (108) in which the pitch of a plurality of ink discharging nozzles in the Y-axis direction is set to be equal to the pitch of pixels of the same color in the Y-axis direction, and a second ink discharging nozzle group having a nozzle pitch set to be equal to the pixel pitch in the Y-axis direction like the first ink discharging nozzle group. Control of an ink discharging operation is performed for only one of the first and second ink discharging nozzle groups which is to be used to color pixels of corresponding colors on a substrate (1).

Abstract: This invention provides a printing apparatus which employs a print head constructed to minimize a memory area to hold ejection data and not requiring a sophisticated manufacturing technology and thus realizes a print mode to perform a higher-than-normal-resolution printing, making it possible to form a high quality image when needed. For each of cyan and magenta that make large contributions to the formation of an image, four nozzle arrays are allocated. For each of the remaining colors, two nozzle arrays are allocated. For cyan and magenta, the interval between adjoining nozzles of the paired two arrays is set to ¼ the nozzle pitch. For cyan and magenta, all of the four nozzle arrays are used in the high resolution print mode and, in the normal print mode, only two of the four nozzle arrays are used for printing. Of the paired adjoining nozzle arrays, only one is used.