Abstract: A non-transitory memory storing a digital signature of a consumable product where the digital signature indicates that an identifier and host device setting data are from a trusted source.

Abstract: An input unit receives first image data corresponding to a first print image of a first ink. A density acquisition unit acquires a density value of each pixel included in the first image data. A glossy image density decision unit sets a gloss density value to the minimum possible value of the gloss density value when the density value of the pixel is less than a predetermined value, and sets the gloss density value to a value larger than the minimum possible value when the density value of the pixel is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. A dithering processor performs dithering based on the set gloss density value to create second image data corresponding to a second print image of a second glossy ink. A transfer device transfers the first and second print images on a print body to form a glossy image on the print body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a recording head to discharge a liquid on a recording medium while scanning in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction relative to the recording medium. The recording head includes a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array. The first nozzle array discharges the liquid in a first discharge amount per unit time per unit length in a longitudinal direction. The second nozzle array discharges the liquid in a second discharge amount per unit time per unit length in the longitudinal direction. The second nozzle array is shorter than the first nozzle array in the longitudinal direction and disposed not overlapped with the first nozzle array in the main scanning direction. The second discharge amount is larger than the first discharge amount.

Abstract: An electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing device, including: a support part; a jet printing module; a substrate bearing and moving module; and a roll-to-roll thin film conveying module. The jet printing module is disposed on the support part and includes a nozzle for ejecting printing fluid onto a substrate for pattern printing. The substrate bearing and moving module is disposed on the support part, and fixedly bears a rigid substrate as the substrate for pattern printing, and drives the rigid substrate to move with respect to the jet printing module. The roll-to-roll thin film conveying module is disposed on the support part, and transfers a flexible thin film as the substrate for pattern printing, and drives the flexible film to move with respect to the jet printing module.

Abstract: A head drive IC includes: a first waveform input part to which a first waveform signal being used for generation of drive signals is inputted; a second waveform input part to which a second waveform signal different from the first waveform signal and being used for generation of the drive signals is inputted; a switching signal input part to which a switching signal is inputted; and an input switching circuit which performs switching between a state in which both of the input of the first waveform signal and the input of the second waveform signal are allowed, and a state in which the input of the first waveform signal is allowed and the input of the second waveform signal is blocked.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a substrate having an element that discharges liquid by generating thermal energy to generate an air bubble in the liquid, and a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to the element, and a flow path forming assembly including a flow path forming member having a discharge port for discharging the liquid and, between the substrate and the flow path forming member, a pressure chamber including the element disposed adjacent thereto and a flow path causing the pressure chamber and the liquid supply port to communicate with each other. In addition, an interlayer is provided on a joining portion of the substrate and the flow path forming member and provided so as to protrude from between the substrate and the flow path forming member into the flow path, and a protection layer including metal is formed so as to cover the element.

Abstract: The image processing device executes first correction process and second correction process. The first correction process comprises correcting a pixel value corresponding to a first partial area, which is included in the achromatic-color representation area and is adjacent to the chromatic-color representation area, such that the achromatic color ink in the first partial area decreases to be zero, at least one of the three or more types of chromatic color inks increases, and the pixel value represents the achromatic color.

Abstract: A device for use in a high speed variable printing comprises a housing having at least one surface, a series of ejection nozzles mounted on the one surface, and a source of a gating agent communicating with the nozzles. The gating agent comprises from about 0.05 to about 10% by weight of a blocking agent, up to about 15% by weight of a surface tension modifying compound, up to about 8% by weight of viscosity modifier such that the gating agent has a viscosity within the range of about 1 to 14 mPa s, and the balance of the gating agent comprises a solvent. The gating agent has a dynamic surface tension of less than about 60 dynes/cm.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides fixer fluid compositions and related systems and methods. In one example, a fixer fluid can comprise a liquid vehicle, a surfactant, and a cationic polymer. The liquid vehicle can include water and co-solvent having a boiling point from 160° C. to 250° C., the co-solvent present in the fixer fluid in an amount of 1 wt % to 40 wt %. The surfactant can be present in the fixer fluid in an amount of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %. The cationic polymer can be present in the fixer fluid in an amount of 0.1 wt % to 25 wt %. The fixer fluid can be formulated for printing on non-porous media and does not include more than 5 wt % volatile co-solvent and more than 3 wt % non-volatile co-solvent.

Abstract: Ink port adapters for multi-color inkjet heads. In one embodiment, the ink port adapter includes two hose fittings for connecting to hoses, and four openings that align with four ink ports of a four-color inkjet head. The adapter includes one ink path that connects one of the hose fittings to two of the openings, and another ink path that connects the other hose fitting to the other two openings. The adapter therefore converts the four-color inkjet head into a two-color inkjet head.

Abstract: A multicolor image can include multiple overlaid items including a black region covering a color region. Raster image processing adds the color data to color pixels of the raster data print page uniformly across the area of the raster data print page that corresponds to the color region of the multicolor image, and adds the black data to over-print pixels (where the black region covers the color region in the multicolor image). Such over-print pixels include both the color data and the black data. The color data (but not the black data) is removed from the over-print pixels that are positioned a preset pixel distance from non-black color pixels. The raster data page is output from the processor device to a printing engine, and the printing device prints the raster data page on print media to produce a physically printed reproduction of the multicolor image.

Abstract: A display panel manufacturing device including a stage slider, a first stage configured to slide on the stage slider and to receive a test substrate, a second stage on the stage slider and configured to receive a main substrate, and a patterning unit located at a distance from the stage slider and configured to discharge organic drops onto the test substrate, configured to analyze patterns of the organic drops, configured to modify the patterns of the discharged organic drops according to an analysis of the patterns of the organic drops, and configured to discharge the organic drops onto the main substrate.

Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet printer including an ink-jet head, a conveyance section, and a controller. The ink-jet head includes a plurality of nozzle groups. Between the plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzles forming the nozzle groups are positioned in conformity with each other, respectively, in a second direction. The controller causes the conveyance section to convey the recording medium between a first pass and a second pass such that the respective nozzle groups have partly overlapped scanning areas, and causes the ink-jet head to print separately between the first pass and the second pass in the second direction. The controller sets usable bordering positions in the overlapping range with respect to the passes. The controller sets the usable bordering positions based on one of such conditions as a duty of printing on the recording medium and a type of the nozzle groups to be used in printing.

Abstract: In a printer, an inkjet head includes a plurality of head units. Each head unit has a nozzle layout area in which nozzles are arranged in an alignment direction crossing a conveying direction. The head units are arranged in a first row and a second row in the conveying direction. One head unit in the first row and another head unit in the second row define an overlap length. The overlap length is a length in the alignment direction of an overlap region in which the nozzle layout area of the one head unit and the nozzle layout area of the another head unit partially overlap in the conveying direction. The one head unit is shifted from the another head unit in the alignment direction. The overlap length in a center portion of the inkjet head is larger than that in each end portion of the inkjet head.

Abstract: A control device may create, in a case where one of a first printing method and a second printing method is selected, first print data for causing all of K groups of nozzles to discharge ink so as to perform a color printing of a target image, and create, in a case where the other of the first printing method and the second printing method is selected, second print data for causing (K?k) groups of nozzles to discharge ink so as to perform a color printing the target image, the (K?k) groups of nozzles being nozzle groups excluding k groups of nozzles (k being an odd integer satisfying 1?k<K) from the K groups of nozzles.

Abstract: Both highly reliable detection of a mark and suppression of a sheet consumption amount can be achieved when a continuous sheet is cut on an image basis after a plurality of images has been printed on the continuous sheet. For this purpose, at the time of a first surface printing operation, by accumulating correction factors obtained for a plurality of pages, a more highly reliable correction factor is obtained. Further, at the time of a second surface printing operation, by controlling a conveyance operation with the highly reliable correction factor, a cut mark is surely detected by the detecting operation of the cut mark sensor within a limited range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink droplets onto the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a head having a nozzle orifice that discharges ink droplets onto the recording medium, a main-scanning controller that controls the movement of the head in a main-scanning direction, a main-scanning encoder that generates a position signal indicating the position of the head in the main-scanning direction at a certain interval, a timing generating unit that generates a timing signal with a phase shifted from the position signal, a signal output unit that outputs a recording signal of a waveform pattern corresponding to image data at a timing of the timing signal, and a head drive unit that discharges ink droplets from the nozzle orifice in accordance with the recording signal.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes: a printing unit including an inkjet head that ejects a red ink and an inkjet head that ejects a black ink having resolution twice that of the above-described inkjet head in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, respectively, this printing unit performing printing on a sheet by ejecting inks from the inkjet heads while transferring the sheet; and a controller that controls the printing unit. In a pixel at an edge of a line drawing formed by two color inks, the edge being in a landing deviation direction of a dot with the red ink relative to dots with the black ink, the controller increases the number of drops to the dots with black on the side of the landing deviation direction.

Abstract: An ink set includes an ink composition for background containing a pigment for background and a coloring ink composition containing a coloring pigment. Provided that the surface tension of the ink composition for background is S1 (mN/m), and the surface tension of the coloring ink composition is S2 (mN/m), S1 and S2 satisfy ?5<(S1?S2)<4. the ink set is used in a first mode in which the ink composition for background and the coloring ink composition are recorded on a recording medium by being caused to be adjacent to each other, or in a second mode in which the ink composition for background is recorded on an image which has been recorded using the coloring ink composition. A recording apparatus includes this ink set.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method is provided in which an ink jet head having a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array which is arranged along the first nozzle array, in which the distance between the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array is 15 mm or greater and a nozzle density of the first nozzle array and a nozzle density of the second nozzle array are 600 dpi or greater is used, and while varying the relative position of the ink jet head in a direction intersecting an array direction of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array with respect to a recording medium, an ink composition is adhered to the recording medium by performing a scanning which discharges the ink composition at a frequency of 12 kHz or greater from nozzles in the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array.

Abstract: A removable printhead cartridge for a single-pass inkjet printer, the printhead assembly including: a body adapted for user removal and insertion in the printer; an elongate ink manifold assembly mounted in the body, the ink manifold assembly having a plurality of longitudinally extending ink channels, a plurality of outlets defined in a mounting surface; and a plurality of ink conduits connecting each ink channel to a corresponding set of outlets; a plurality of printhead chips mounted on the mounting surface; a plurality of ink storage modules, each containing a device for delivering ink to the printhead chips at a negative pressure; and a plurality of electrical connectors.

Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus including a head and a control unit. The head ejects, onto a printing medium, an image forming liquid for forming an image and an ancillary liquid ancillary to forming of the image performed by the image forming liquid. The control unit performs control so as to cause the head to perform a first operation of ejecting the image forming liquid onto a first region of the printing medium, and a second operation of ejecting the ancillary liquid onto a second region of the printing medium, the second region being different from the first region. Further, the control unit performs control so as to cause the head to perform the second operation in an anterior pass and perform the first operation in a posterior pass.

Abstract: An element substrate capable of suppressing occurrence of electromagnetic noise upon driving printing elements on an element substrate with long wiring lengths, preventing an operation error, and printing a high-quality image is provided. In the element substrate, plural element substrates each including printing elements are arrayed in an arrayed direction of the printing elements. Each element substrate including a wiring for supplying a driving power to drive the printing elements, and a ground wiring from the printing elements is configured as follows. Each element substrate includes a delay circuit for delaying a heat enable signal to drive the printing elements and supplying it to each printing element, and a switchover circuit for switching over, in accordance with a control signal, a delay sequence when supplying the heat enable signal to each printing element.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus for printing seamless cans comprising a mandrel wheel, a plurality of mandrels that can rotate and are provided on the mandrel wheel, and ink-jet printing stations for ink-jet printing images on at least the can walls on the outer surfaces of seamless cans fitted onto the mandrels, and a method of printing seamless cans by using the same apparatus. A plurality of ink-jet heads are arranged in each of the ink-jet printing stations to improve reproduceability of printing and productivity.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a pressure chamber formed to hold ink, and a nozzle plate including a vibrating plate forming a bottom wall of the pressure chamber, a driving element that is provided on a surface of the vibrating plate and configured to cause a volume of the pressure chamber to be changed by deforming the vibrating plate upon application of voltage to the driving element, an opening through which the ink held in the pressure chamber is discharged in response to the change of the volume of the pressure chamber, and an insulating layer disposed between the driving element and the opening.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit which is provided with at least one drawing head ejecting a first ink to perform drawing on a drawing target and at least one drawing tool in contact with the drawing target to perform drawing on the drawing target with a second ink; and a control unit controlling the drawing unit to perform first drawing on the drawing target with one of the drawing head and the drawing tool and perform second drawing with the other of the drawing head and the drawing tool over a region of the first drawing on the drawing target. This configuration achieves a variety of images drawn on the drawing target with a combination of the drawing head and the drawing tool.

Abstract: From a cost and productivity perspective, the recording and color-measurement of a test pattern to determine whether it is necessary to execute calibration places a heavy burden on a user. The present invention determines the need for processing to generate a color correction parameter without recording a test pattern. More specifically, the present invention determines whether it is necessary to execute color correction parameter generation processing based on an increase in a dot count since color correction parameter generation processing was previously executed, or a change in a ejection rate.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge head including: a nozzle substrate including a semiconductor substrate as a base, a first liquid channel disposed inside the nozzle substrate to communicate with first nozzles, and a second liquid channel disposed inside the nozzle substrate to communicate with second nozzles; first and second energy applying mechanisms; and an electrical element provided on the semiconductor substrate to be electrically connected to the first and second energy applying mechanisms. A first nozzle row and a second nozzle row which extend in a arrangement direction are formed in the nozzle substrate. A length of the first nozzle row in the arrangement direction is longer than a length of the second nozzle row in the arrangement direction.

Abstract: An inkjet printing method and system includes an arrangement that is adapted to repair a printed image using a combination of in-line imaging and feedback control of an inkjet printhead or printing with a redundant inkjet printhead. The inkjet printing method and system is further adapted to print at higher optical density than is normally possible by use of multi-pass capabilities.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a stationary inkjet printhead positioned relative to a media feed direction. The printhead includes a plurality of color planes for ejecting a plurality of different inks, each color plane having a row of nozzles and each nozzle in a respective color plane being supplied with a same ink. A first ink tank containing yellow ink is in fluid communication with a first color plane of the printhead and a second ink tank containing black ink is in fluid communication with a second color plane of the printhead. The first color plane is positioned furthest upstream in the printhead with respect to the media feed direction, and the second color plane neighbors the first color plane.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image on a transparent medium based on a selected mode, the apparatus includes: a head that ejects ink droplets from nozzles, wherein when a first mode is selected, the head prints a first image on the transparent medium, prints a background image on the first image, and prints a second image which is different from the first image on the background image, and wherein when a second mode is selected, the head prints a second image on the transparent medium, prints a background image on the second image, and prints a first image on the background image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit which acquires first image data indicating a first gray-scale value of an image having a first attribute and a second image data indicating a second gray-scale value of an image having a second attribute that is different from the first attribute, a correcting unit which corrects the first gray-scale value and the second gray-scale value acquired by the acquiring unit on basis of information on an ejection characteristic of a discharge head to different extents, the discharge head ejecting liquid to be used for forming the first image and the second image on a recording medium with dots.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for connecting multiple memory device dies 51-54 to a substrate 56 which requires no trace between dies. A first embodiment assigns the connections of a memory device die 51 to be matched with other memory device dies 52-54 when mounted in staggered formation on the both sides of a substrate. The result is a daisy chained array connecting multiple integrated circuits with reduced capacitive loading. The capacitive loadings on the buses 57,58 between memory device dies 51,52,53 are reduced. The number of vias 57,58,59 is reduced because two stubs on the both sides of the substrate share one via. Another embodiment FIG. 7 arranges the dies in a closed loop.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a first nozzle through which to eject color ink, a second nozzle through which to eject clear ink, a control unit that performs control, in a manner that ejects the color ink onto a glittering layer through the first nozzle, and ejects the clear ink onto the color ink through the second nozzle, at the time of forming an image on a medium on which the glittering layer is formed, in which the control unit controls ejection of the clear ink through the second nozzle in such a manner that an amount of the clear ink to be ejected onto the color ink varies according to a light absorption rate of the color ink.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a method comprising receiving a halftone image, the halftone image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels including pixel data associated with a plurality of color planes; forming a pixel group, the pixel group including (i) a target pixel and (ii) one or more pixels that are neighboring to the target pixel; generating a pixel window for the pixel group; comparing the pixel window with a plurality of candidate patterns; determining that the pixel window matches with at least one of the plurality of candidate patterns; and based on determining that the pixel window matches with at least one of the plurality of candidate patterns, performing an image processing operation on the pixel group.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head and a control unit. The head discharges an imaging liquid for forming an image, and a supplementary liquid for supplementing formation of the image onto a printing medium. The control unit controls the head to execute a first operation, in which the imaging liquid is discharged onto a first region and a second operation, in which the supplementary liquid is discharged onto a region of the printing medium onto which the imaging liquid is not discharged. The control unit controls the head such that the discharge amount of the supplementary liquid on a second region, which is adjacent to the first region, is less than the discharge amount of the supplementary liquid on a third region, which is a region onto which the imaging liquid is not discharged and is not adjacent to the first region.

Abstract: An ejection inspection method includes: preparing a liquid ejection nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium; irradiating a pattern formed by the liquid ejected onto the recording medium with light; and conducting ejection inspection of the liquid ejection nozzle based on results of observing or recognizing reflected light or transmitted light of the light from the recording medium. The recording medium includes an ink absorption layer having light transmittance where a great number of void cells having a particle diameter smaller than wavelength of the light are dispersed into a joining material, and an ejection amount of the liquid is adjusted such that a region where the liquid is sufficiently filled in the void cells and a region where substantially no liquid is filled exist in a thickness direction and a horizontal direction in planar view of the ink absorption layer.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head and a control unit. The head discharges an imaging liquid for forming an image, and a supplementary liquid for supplementing the formation of the image with the imaging liquid onto a predetermined printing medium. The control unit is capable of selectively executing a first mode, in which the imaging liquid and the supplementary liquid are discharged from the head onto the predetermined printing medium, and a second mode, in which the imaging liquid is discharged from the head and the supplementary liquid is not discharged from the head.

Abstract: A method and an inkjet printing device for single pass printing on an ink-receiver having a surface includes a plurality of sets of nozzles for jetting N inks on the surface, wherein N is larger than or equal to one, the N inks including a first ink, and wherein the plurality of sets of nozzles includes a first and a second set of nozzles for jetting the first ink; the device further including a radiation curing device arranged to cure the first ink when jetted on the surface by the first set of nozzles, wherein the radiation curing device is positioned between the first set of nozzles and the second set of nozzles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for applying a marking on an object, wherein the object is moved in an advance direction relative to a marking head comprising a plurality of marking devices and the marking is applied on the object by means of the plurality of marking devices during the relative movement between the object and the marking head. For applying the marking on a predetermined marking area relative to a transverse direction, which extends transversely to the advance direction, a position of the object in the transverse direction is determined and based on the determined position of the object in the transverse direction a first number of marking devices is deactivated and a second number of marking devices is activated, wherein the marking is applied on the object by the second number of marking devices. The invention also relates to a marking apparatus for applying a marking on an object.

Abstract: Systems, methods and structures for remanufacturing inkjet printer cartridges and inkjet printer print heads by removing the print head and adhesive holding the print head to a used inkjet printer cartridge, preparing the cartridge housing for a new print head by routing out the used print head and used adhesive to create a new mounting surface for new adhesive and a new print head, placing the adhesive and new print head on the new mounting surface, curing the adhesive and assembling a re-manufactured cartridge from the cartridge housing having a new print head positioned thereon.

Abstract: A printing apparatus that includes nozzle arrays, formed of nozzles for ejecting ink of the first to fourth ink color groups, and that scans a print medium while moving the nozzle arrays to perform printing. For printing a unit area of a print medium, where printing is to be completed by performing a plurality of scans, the printing apparatus performs a plurality of scans, and conveys, between movements, a print medium a predetermined amount, which is equivalent to the width of the unit area. Then, to perform a plurality of scans using the nozzle arrays for the first to fourth ink color groups, print data are generated, so that for the nozzle arrays that belong to two ink color groups, the nozzle array for the first ink color group is employed to eject ink into the unit area prior to the nozzle array for the second ink color group.

Abstract: A method includes deriving from print data a first intended position of a first dot to be printed, determining a first printing element from a plurality of printing elements suitable for printing the first dot at the first intended position, printing the first dot with the first printing element at a first location on the substrate, deriving from the print data a second intended position of a second dot to be printed, retrieving a tolerated deviation of a distance between the first intended position and the second intended position, determining a second printing element from the plurality of printing elements suitable for printing the second dot based on the tolerated deviation, and printing the second dot with the second printing element at a second location on the substrate.

Abstract: When the contact angle of a first color ink on a layer of a second color ink is larger than the contact angle of the second color ink on a layer of the first color ink, ejection of the first and the second color ink is controlled so that the number of pixel areas onto which the second color ink is applied after the first color ink is larger than the number of pixel areas onto which the first color ink is applied after the second color ink.

Abstract: In a printer controller, an obtaining unit automatically obtains the configuration of each station. Based on the obtaining result of the obtaining unit, a table creating unit creates a table of setting information for each data control unit as well as creates a table of setting information for an image output control unit; and sends the table of the setting information for the data control unit to the data control units and sends the table of the settings information for the image output control unit to the image output control unit.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of head modules of a first inkjet head includes a black nozzle array configured to eject a black ink and a cyan nozzle array configured to eject a cyan ink. A plurality of nozzles of the cyan nozzle array and a plurality of nozzles of the black nozzle array are offset by a half pitch in a main scanning direction. Each of a plurality of head modules of at least one second inkjet head other than the first inkjet head includes a magenta nozzle array configured to eject a magenta ink and a yellow nozzle array configured to eject a yellow ink.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing digital ink jet images to be backlit by a light source is provided. Such backlit printing relies upon additional color pigment to be hidden in the white layer to add additional color density to the image as the back light source passes light through the layers. Print heads are divided into a region of multiple single color print head arrays and a region of white and color print region printed over a color print region. Such backlit printing may be used on both first surface printing and second surface printing. When such backlit printing is used, it may not be necessary to divide the print heads exactly in half as one layer may require less print nozzles than the other as the interlacing and or DPIs may vary for the different layers.

Abstract: A printer includes a print unit that ejects ink droplets of at least one ink color onto the sheet, at least one roller that feeds the printed sheet, and a controller that controls the print unit to print the sheet based on image data that defines an ink provision amount of each ink color for every dot according to a print resolution. The controller detects, based on the image data, a broad solid area, and carries out a print setting change with respect to the broad solid area by making the print resolution in the image data lower and making the ink provision amount of each ink color in the image data larger according to the print resolution that is made lower. According to the printer, stains on the printed sheet can be restricted.

Abstract: A multi-color printer has an array of monochrome fixed inkjet printheads aligned in a media feed direction. The printer includes: a first printhead positioned furthest upstream relative to the media feed direction; a second printhead positioned furthest downstream relative to the media feed direction; and a third printhead positioned between the first and second printheads. Each printhead is supplied with a respective ink from a multi-color ink set, the first printhead being supplied with a lowest luminance ink of the ink set and the third printhead being supplied with a highest luminance ink of the ink set.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mask for divided printing that completes an image by plural scans using inks of different plural inks, the mask being able to suppress possible grains during printing to reduce image degradation resulting from beading. If for example, among the print permitting pixels for which the total repulsive potential is to be calculated, a print permitting pixel Do has the highest total repulsive potential, changes in repulsive potential after movement of the pixels are determined and the print permitting pixel Do is moved to a pixel having the lowest total repulsive potential after the movement. This processing is repeated to enable a reduction in the total energy of the entire plane. Consequently, the print permitting pixels are appropriately dispersed in overlapping plane masks so as to have few low frequency components.