Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a data amount of printing data generated for each different size of dot is reduced. Specifically, in quantization to obtain data for each printing head, printing data for a large dot is set as data in which a bit number per pixel is two bits, and printing data for a medium or small dot is set as data in which a bit number per pixel is one bit. Thereby, a data amount per pixel can be reduced compared with data in which all bit numbers per pixel for the large, medium and small dots are equally two bits.

Abstract: A hand-held printer is disclosed. The hand-held printer includes an image sensor configured to determine a color having plurality of color components associated with a print medium, an image processing module configured to process image data into a plurality of color layers; and a print module configured to receive information related to the plurality of color components from the image sensor and information related to the plurality of color layers from the image processing module. The print module being configured to enhance at least one of the plurality of color layers based on at least one of the corresponding plurality of color components associated with the print medium.

Abstract: A printing method includes the steps of: receiving a color image and separating the color image into a plurality of distinct color planes; dithering a first distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the first distinct color plane; dithering a second distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the second distinct color plane; providing the dot data for the first distinct color plane to a first print head cartridge for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the first print head cartridge; and providing the dot data for the second distinct color plane to a second print head cartridge positioned downstream from the first print head cartridge in a direction of print media propagation, the dot data for the second distinct color plane for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the second print head cartridge.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead having a plurality of color planes for ejecting a plurality of different inks. Each color plane has a nozzle row defined in a nozzle face of the printhead and each nozzle in a respective color plane is supplied with a same ink. The printhead is plumbed such that a first color plane ejecting a first ink having a relatively low luminance is sandwiched between second and third color planes ejecting respective second and third inks having a relatively high luminance. A plurality of ink reservoirs are in fluid communication with the printhead, the ink reservoirs containing the first, second and third inks. An amount of surfactant in the first ink is at least 0.4 wt % greater than an amount of surfactant in the second and third inks.

Abstract: The invention describes an inkjet printer with a printing bed for displacing a print medium in a forward feed direction and a print head carriage disposed above the printing bed for displacing at least one print head unit in a transverse feed direction, a print head unit with at least one print head being provided for every color to be printed, each print head having at least one nozzle row oriented in the forward feed direction of the print medium. The nozzles of the at least one nozzle row of the print head unit are disposed offset from one another by a nozzle distance D by reference to the forward feed direction. Another print head unit is provided, which has nozzles in at least one nozzle row disposed offset from one another by a second nozzle distance d by reference to the forward feed direction of the print medium, the ratio derived from the nozzle distance D and the second nozzle distance d being a rational number and greater than 1.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes: a plate base material; and an actuator; wherein the plate base material has: ejection holes having recessed portions; and an ejection face having ejection openings. The recessed portions include pairs each constituted by two recessed portions located side by side and at least one of which has the ejection openings. A shortest line segment of a certain pair is equal to or shorter than that of another pair, an average value of lengths of the respective recessed portions constituting the certain pair is not larger than that of lengths of the respective recessed portions constituting another pair.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print head that is able to apply light-blocking ink that blocks light and metallic ink that creates a metallic look on a printing medium, a metallic look control unit that determines the ink amount per unit area of the light-blocking ink that the print head applies based on the created metallic look, and an ink application control unit that controls the print head, applies the metallic ink and the light-blocking ink based on the determined ink amount on the printing medium, and laminates the metallic ink and the light-blocking ink such that the side that is viewed has the metallic ink.

Abstract: A printing device performs band printing during two-way printing, wherein the band printing uses black pigment ink and dye ink. In this printing device, in an advancing printed area for which a print head moves in an advancing direction, pigment ink dots are formed first and dye ink dots are formed second. In a retreating printed area for which the print head moves in a retreating direction, dye ink dots are formed first and pigment ink dots are formed second.

Abstract: Improved output quality of a printer used in UV curable ink jet printing is achieved by minimizing or eliminating a print artifact referred to as gloss banding or tire tracking. A same or a similar number of nozzles as used in conventional printers is used to achieve a desired throughput, but the nozzles are arranged so that any given square inch of substrate to which ink is being applied receives a lower amount of ink. A longer effective print head is provided by arranging the print heads into a longer array, where the print heads are butted substantially end-to-end. As a result, the net throughput of the printer is the same as that of a conventional printer because the printer uses the same number of print heads, but the amount of ink that is applied to any given square inch is less on a pass.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a first nozzles for ejecting first fluid are lined up in a predetermined direction; a second nozzles for ejecting second fluid are lined up in a movement direction; and a control unit which sets a first method of when formation of a main image with the first fluid and formation of a background image with the second fluid are performed to overlap the main image and the background image with each other on the medium, in a case where one of the nozzle group of the part of the first nozzles and the nozzle group of the part of the second nozzles is positioned closer to the other direction side of the predetermined direction than the other nozzle group to perform the image formation on a predetermined area of the medium in advance of the other nozzle group.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid droplet jetting apparatus including: a transporting mechanism; and a head moving mechanism configured to move the second liquid droplet jetting head between a first position facing the one surface of the object and a second position facing the other surface of the object. Under a condition that the second liquid droplet jetting head is arranged at the first position, a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row are arranged such that each of first nozzles is overlapped with one of second nozzles with respect to a nozzle-row direction.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes first and second rows of nozzles ejecting first and second fluids respectively. A control section repeats an image formation operation ejecting fluid from the first and second nozzles while moving them perpendicularly to the row direction and controls transportation of the medium in the row direction. After formation of a first image layer by the first and second fluids, a second image layer is formed thereon by the second fluid. For normal image formation, the first and second nozzles forming the first image layer are further upstream in the row direction than the second nozzles forming the second image layer, and for image formation of an upper end of the medium, the first and second nozzles forming the first image layer are further downstream in the row direction than the first and second nozzles forming the first image layer in normal image formation.

Abstract: A method for printing including preparing an image at a first resolution in a first direction, selecting pixels from the prepared image, reordering the selected pixels to create a translated image having a second resolution in the first direction, where the second resolution is different from the first resolution, and printing the translated image. Also included are a printing system and an article of computer readable code.

Abstract: A color chart having a plurality of mirror-image color blocks arranged in a matrix, with each color block a mirror image of an adjacent color block, each color block having rows and columns of color patches, wherein the concentration of a first color of the multiple colors changes unidirectionally across color patches in any given row of a color block, the concentration of a second color of the multiple colors changes unidirectionally across color patches in any given column of a color block, and the concentration of a third color of the multiple colors remains unchanged across all the plurality of color patches within a color block and differs only between color blocks.

Abstract: The present invention provides an printing apparatus including a pattern printing unit for causing printing elements in partial regions of first and second printing element arrays to print adjustment patterns on a print medium, the adjustment patterns being for acquiring an amount of printing position shift of the second print head with respect to a printing position of the first print head, an acquisition unit for acquiring an amount of relative inclination between the first and second print element arrays, and a selection unit for selecting positions of the partial regions of the first and second printing element arrays based on the amount of relative inclination between the first and second print element arrays. As a result, consumption of media and ink upon a registration process and the amount of time required for the registration process can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a first head that forms a first dot group and a second head that forms a second dot group. The first head has a first nozzle row for a first chromatic ink and a second nozzle row for a second chromatic ink. The second head has a third nozzle row for the first chromatic ink and a fourth nozzle row for the second chromatic ink. With respect to at least the first chromatic ink or the second chromatic ink, in a case in which the number of dots that configure dot rows that are lined up in the main scanning direction, is 3500 or more, a rational number, which is expressed using a number of dots included in the first dot group and a number of dots included in the second dot group in the dot rows, is a value other than zero.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid ejecting head, including two nozzle sequences, each nozzle sequence including nozzles for ejecting a liquid drop, separate liquid chambers communicating with the nozzles, and two common liquid chambers for supplying a liquid to the separate liquid chambers and correspond to the two nozzle sequences, each common liquid chamber including a supply port for supplying a liquid thereto, an aperture, a cross-section thereof in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction of arrangement of the plural nozzles decreasing toward an end portion thereof in the first direction, wherein the supply port and aperture of one of the two common liquid chambers are provided at one end portion and the other end portion in the first direction, respectively, and the supply port and aperture of another one are provided at the other end portion and the one end portion in the first direction, respectively.

Abstract: A print head has a first nozzle row that discharges yellow ink, a second nozzle row that discharges cyan ink, a third nozzle row that discharges magenta ink, a fourth nozzle row arranged between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row that discharges black ink, and a fifth nozzle row arranged between the second nozzle row and the third nozzle row that discharges black ink. The first to fifth nozzle rows are arranged in sequence of the first, fourth, second, fifth and third nozzle rows from the upstream side of the conveyance direction of the print medium to the downstream side, and each consists of a plurality of nozzles arranged in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and ink is discharged on the conveyed print medium without scanning the print head.

Abstract: A printing head configured to apply white light-blocking ink, specialty gloss ink, and color ink is controlled, and the inks are applied so that the color ink, the specialty gloss ink, and the white light-blocking ink are formed in this order onto a printing medium having light-transmissive properties. When the printing medium is viewed from the surface on which ink has not been formed, a white ink layer is formed behind the color ink layer and the metallic ink layer, and light-blocking properties can be ensured. Because the amount of the metallic ink can be reduced, adequate expression of the color ink can be ensured.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a first nozzle for ejecting clear ink to form a first dot; and a second nozzle for ejecting color ink to form a second dot, wherein, when forming a color image on a photoluminescent ground layer by means of the second dot, the first dot is formed at an area where the color image does not exist.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having a reduced size still can prevent an overall temperature increase in a printing element board. To this end, among ink supply port arrays formed on both sides of each nozzle array, the heat resistance of the portion (beams) of the printing element board between the adjoining ink supply ports is lowered in those arrays that are close to the end portions of the common liquid chamber. In one embodiment, the volume of the beams is greater in those arrays that are close to the end portion.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead die includes a first endmost black nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of a substrate, and an opposite second endmost black nozzle of which is disposed a distance D1 from the first endmost black nozzle; a first endmost nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of the substrate, and an opposite second endmost nozzle of which is disposed a distance D2 from the first endmost cyan nozzle; a first endmost nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of the substrate, and an opposite second endmost nozzle of which is disposed a distance D3 from the first endmost nozzle;, wherein D2 and D3 substantially equal to each other, and wherein D1 is greater than D2.

Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus that prints an image of a first colorimetric system that is constructed with a plurality of pixels by using dots having a plurality of sizes, including: a print head that ejects a printing material to form the dots on a printing medium; a color conversion unit that converts the image in the first colorimetric system to an intermediate image in a second colorimetric system that can be printed by the printing apparatus; a detection unit that detects edge pixels, which constitute an edge of the intermediate image, among a plurality of pixels constituting the intermediate image; a dot allocation unit that allocates dots having a predetermined size among the dots having the plurality of sizes to the edge pixels; and a printing unit that controls the print head based on printing data indicating the dot allocation to form the image on the printing medium.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of reducing color unevenness due to variations in ejection characteristics among a plurality of nozzles when printing an image using a plurality of inks. To that end, a first image which is made up a color with noticeable color unevenness and similar colors is printed onto a print medium. The user then specifies a color and a nozzle position where color unevenness has occurred. On the basis of these results, parameters are set for a correction table referenced by are MCS processor. In so doing, it becomes possible to address the factor causing the color unevenness, and mitigate the effects of color unevenness in a focused way without incurring increases in processor load, memory requirements, or processing time as compared to the case of calibrating all lattice points.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead die includes a first endmost black nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of a substrate, and an opposite second endmost black nozzle of which is disposed a distance D1 from the first endmost black nozzle; a first endmost nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of the substrate, and an opposite second endmost nozzle of which is disposed a distance D2 from the first endmost cyan nozzle; a first endmost nozzle of which is disposed proximate the first end of the substrate, and an opposite second endmost nozzle of which is disposed a distance D3 from the first endmost nozzle; wherein D2 and D3 substantially equal to each other, and wherein D1 is greater than D2.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus that performs printing by using inks of plural colors including a white color, which includes a first image forming unit that forms a first image, and a second image forming unit that forms a second image such that at least a part of the second image overlaps the first image. The second image forming unit forms at least a part of a section of the second image, which overlaps the first image, by using only a white ink, and forms at least a part of a section of the second image, which does not overlap the first image, by using inks of a white color and at least one color other than the white color.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head including: a base plate member having ejection holes and an ejection face having ejection openings; and an actuator; wherein the ejection face has first and second recessed portions extending in one direction and arranged in a perpendicular direction, wherein the ejection openings are formed in bottom portions of the respective first recessed portions; wherein each second recessed portion and a corresponding first recessed portion are arranged side by side such that a separation distance therebetween is not smaller than a separation distance between two first recessed portions located side by side at the shortest distance among first recessed portions and is shorter than a separation distance between two first recessed portions located side by side at the greatest distance among the first recessed portions; and wherein on the bottom portions is formed a liquid repellent layer having not been removed due to a masking material having entered into the first recessed portions to cover the l

Abstract: One of the two flow passages branches from one of two ink cartridges to one of the two discharging portions and one of the two individual discharging portions. The other flow passage branches from the other ink cartridge to the other discharging portion and the other individual discharging portion. A ratio of frequency of use of each of the discharging portions, Ra, and frequency of use of each of the individual discharging portions, Rb, satisfies Ra:Rb=1:½.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides sustained decap for inkjet inks and related methods. As such, an inkjet ink composition can comprise a linear polyurethane binder having a weight average molecular weight of less than 50,000 Mw; from 5 wt % to 20 wt % of an organic cosolvent system including a first organic cosolvent selected from the group of 2-hydroxyethylurea, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, di-(2-hydoxyethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, 1,1,1,-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, 1,2,4-butanetriol, and mixtures thereof; water; and a colorant. Additionally, the organic cosolvent system can also comprise less than 5 wt % total organic cosolvent having a boiling point less than 250° C. based on the weight of the inkjet ink composition.

Abstract: A print device is provided with a conveyance unit for conveying a medium in a conveyance direction; a magenta head; a cyan head; a black head; a yellow head; a first light source; a clear head; and a second light source. The first light source is provided downstream in the conveyance direction than the color ink heads; the clear head is provided downstream than the first light source; the second light source is provided downstream than the clear head; and, where the irradiation energy needed for the main curing of the color inks is Pc, the irradiation energy needed for the main curing of the clear ink is Pcl, the irradiation energy of the first light source is P1, and the irradiation energy of the second light source is P2, then relationships P1<Pc?P1+P2 and Pcl<P2<Pc are fulfilled.

Abstract: The ink jet recording method according to the invention includes a first image recording step of recording an image by adhering the background ink to a first region and a second region of a recording medium; a second image recording step of recording an image by adhering a color ink onto the background ink of the first region; and a heating step of heating the recording medium at 35° C. to 100° C., and in which at least one of the background ink and the color ink does not contain a pyrrolidone derivative with a standard boiling point of 240° C. or higher.

Abstract: The printing apparatus includes a control-section for forming an image on a print-medium by repeating an image-formation-operation and a transport-operation. Through the image-formation-operation, a plurality of nozzle-arrays discharges an ink while a moving-mechanism moves the plurality of nozzle-arrays, and through the transport-operation, the print-medium is transported to the transport-mechanism. The control-section forms a first-image by using a nozzle group for the first-image. The nozzle-group for the first-image is formed of N nozzles included in a first-nozzle-array of the plurality of nozzle-arrays. In addition, the control-section forms a second-image, which overlaps with the first-image on the print-medium, by using a nozzle-group for the second-image.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes first to fourth droplet ejection heads for ejecting a first liquid material and fifth and sixth droplet ejection heads for ejecting a second liquid material. The first and second droplet ejection heads, the third and fourth droplet ejection heads, and the fifth and sixth droplet ejection heads are arranged along a first direction so that nozzles of the first and second droplet ejection heads, the third and fourth droplet ejection heads, and the fifth and sixth droplet ejection heads are consecutive with a predetermined pitch via a first seam, a second seam and a third seam, respectively, when viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The third seam is arranged between the first seam and the second seam when viewed from the second direction.

Abstract: Two types of decimating mask patterns having different ink gradation ratio distributions are prepared, and in the outbound and inbound passes of a head unit during bidirectional printing, the numbers of times ink is ejected from nozzle rows in recording heads provided for each ink are controlled using mask patterns that differ in accordance with the darkness of the ink.

Abstract: A coating composition for pre-treating a substrate prior to inkjet printing thereon, and an inkjet receiving medium comprising a substrate and having a topmost layer coated thereon, where the coating composition and topmost layer comprise one or more aqueous-soluble salts of multivalent metal cations, a cationic polyelectrolyte comprising amidine moieties, and one or more second polymer which is distinct from the cationic polyelectrolyte and which is selected from the group consisting of a polyamide-epichlorohydrin, a polyamine solution polymer, and a waterborne or water-dispersible polyurethane. The topmost layer is advantageously at a solid content of from 0.1 to 5 g/m2, and comprises from 30-90 wt % of the one or more aqueous soluble salts of multivalent metal cations, at least 0.01 g/m2 of the cationic polyelectrolyte comprising amidine moieties, and at least 0.005 g/m2 of the second polymer which is distinct from the cationic polyelectrolyte comprising amidine moieties.

Abstract: Improved output quality of a printer used in UV curable ink jet printing is achieved by minimizing or eliminating a print artifact referred to as gloss banding or tire tracking. A same or a similar number of nozzles as used in conventional printers is used to achieve a desired throughput, but the nozzles are arranged so that any given square inch of substrate to which ink is being applied receives a lower amount of ink. A longer effective print head is provided by arranging the print heads into a longer array, where the print heads are butted substantially end-to-end. As a result, the net throughput of the printer is the same as that of a conventional printer because the printer uses the same number of print heads, but the amount of ink that is applied to any given square inch is less on a pass.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein overlapping portions of the recording heads for two different colors are separated from each other with a distance therebetween in an array direction of nozzles.

Abstract: A method for color measurement of printing materials produced in printing machines includes a first color measurement instrument in the printing machine measuring the color of printing materials, a second color measurement instrument outside the printing machine measuring the color of printing materials produced in the printing machine and a computer communicating with the instruments, storing nominal color values and regulating color in inking units of printing units with the first instrument based on deviations from the stored nominal color values, determined on the printing materials in the printing machine. Printing materials produced by the printing machine are recorded by the second instrument. The second instrument records deviations from an original based on the color measured values determined on printing materials.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to perform recording with at least three types of inks that are similar in color and different in pigment density. The apparatus is capable of operating in a first mode for performing recording on a first recording medium using at least one of a second ink having a pigment density that is lower than that of a first ink and a third ink having a pigment density that is lower than that of the second ink, and in a second mode for performing recording on a second recording medium, which has a lower glossiness than the first recording medium, using at least the first ink.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to increase the transfer rate of image data from a host computer to a printing apparatus. To achieve this object, a printing apparatus which divides the printing area in the printhead scanning direction into a plurality of regions and prints in each divided region in order to print by scanning the printhead on the printing medium includes a conversion circuit which rearranges image data that is transmitted from the host computer and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the data arrangement of the printhead, into image data in the same horizontal direction as the data arrangement direction of the printhead.

Abstract: A control section is included which performs a background image pre-printing which enables each ink to be ejected from the upstream side background color nozzle row and the downstream side color nozzle row and can land the color ink after landing the background color ink on the medium in a region concerning the transport direction, and a background image post-printing which enables each ink to be ejected from the upstream side color nozzle row and the downstream side background color nozzle row and can land the background color ink after landing the color ink on the medium in a region concerning the transport direction, the control section performing the printing so as to switch over the background image pre-printing and the background image post-printing on one medium.

Abstract: A printer provided in which a printing head is relatively scanned in a main scanning direction or a sub-scanning direction with respect to a printing medium to perform printing. The printing head includes a color ink nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles ejecting a color ink are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, a first white ink nozzle row and a second white nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles ejecting white ink are arranged in the sub-scanning direction. The second white nozzle row is different from the first white ink nozzle row. The first white ink nozzle row is provided at a position overlapping with the color ink nozzle row in the main scanning direction. The second white ink nozzle row is provided at a position which does not overlap with the color ink nozzle row in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a recording head which jets inks, and a cable which is connected to the recording head and which is provided with a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage of the recording head. The recording head is formed with nozzle arrays for jetting an ink of a dark color and an ink of a light color respectively. The nozzle array, which jets the ink of the dark color, is disposed farther from the driving circuit than the nozzle array which jets the ink of the light color. The nozzle array, which jets the ink of the dark color, is hardly affected by the heat from the driving circuit. Therefore, the deterioration of the recording quality, which would be otherwise caused by the disturbance of ink discharge from nozzles, is suppressed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a color information acquiring unit that acquires color information of each scanning line of each head in a main scanning direction; and a correction unit that corrects a parameter used for a halftone process of a scanning line in the main scanning direction and a parameter used for a halftone process of an adjacent line adjacent to the scanning line, and, based on the acquired color information, corrects a difference in colors of the scanning line and the adjacent line.

Abstract: A loss of print quality is suppressed even when the recording medium is skewed by the paper feed roller. A distance D2, which is the length of separation between a black nozzle line BT of an upstream head unit and a yellow nozzle line YT of a downstream head unit, is a distance corresponding to the distance offset the conveyance distance of the recording medium when the paper feed roller turns a half revolution from the conveyance distance of the recording medium when the paper feed roller turns an integer number of revolutions.

Abstract: A print device for moving a print head in a scanning direction and printing image data onto a print medium includes a color nozzle row, which is a nozzle row in which nozzles for ejecting P (where P is an integer 2 or higher) types of color ink are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting with the scanning direction, wherein the color nozzle row is constituted of P color nozzle groups, and a black nozzle row, which is a nozzle row in which nozzles for ejecting black ink are arranged side by side in parallel with the direction intersecting with the scanning direction and in parallel with the color nozzle row, wherein the black nozzle row is constituted of P black nozzle groups.

Abstract: Methods and means for imaging are provided. A sequential application hierarchy of two or more colors is defined. A page-wide print array forms images on a moving media using colored inks. Shingling is performed in accordance with the sequential application hierarchy within the overlap print zones of the page-wide print array. Images formed on the media are visually seamless and of proper hue and color saturation throughout as a result of the present teachings.

Abstract: A printing device that forms a background by a first ink and images on the background by a second ink includes a head having first and second nozzle lines that eject, respectively, the first and second inks. The inks are ejected as the head moves, with respect to a medium, in a main scanning direction intersecting the first and second nozzle lines. A transport section transports the medium in a sub-scanning direction along the first and second nozzle lines. In an ejecting operation, the first and second inks are ejected in the relative movement in the main scanning direction and the relative transportation in the sub-scanning direction is performed. In the sub-scanning direction, first and second nozzle line used areas are set where the first and second inks, respectively, are ejected from the first and second nozzle lines. A nozzle unused area is defined therebetween.

Abstract: A dither pattern is formed in such a manner that threshold values 1 to 16 are dispersed in regard to the order of magnitudes of the threshold values. First, there is made a calculation of multiplying each value of the image data by a ratio of 1/2. Thereby, there is produced the divided 17-valued data where every value of all pixels is “2”. Next, binarization is carried out for the divided data by using the dither pattern. As a result, binary data at the first pass is obtained. Next, there is obtained the data by a product of a ratio (1/2+1/2) obtained by adding 1/2 to the above ratio and each value of the image data. Binarization is carried out for the image data by using the dither pattern. This produces binary data. Finally, dot data for the second pass is obtained by subtracting data from the binary data.