Apparatus and method for fabricating three-dimensional object

An apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• a flattening unit to transfer and flatten a powder on the stage;
• a fabrication liquid discharger to discharge droplets of fabrication liquid on a surface of the powder on the stage to bind the powder together to fabricate a layered fabrication object;
• and
• circuitry to:
• repeat an operation of transferring and flattening the powder by the flattening unit and an operation of discharging, by the fabrication liquid discharger, of a plurality of droplets of the fabrication liquid on the surface of the powder deposited on the stage by the fabrication liquid discharger to fabricate the three-dimensional object by a process of lamination;
• control the discharging by the fabrication liquid discharger of the plurality of droplets of the fabrication liquid to the surface of the powder on the stage, including:
• discharge of plural first droplets of the fabrication liquid to the surface of the powder on the stage such that the plural first droplets partially overlap;
• and
• discharge of a second droplet, a liquid amount of which is smaller than a liquid amount of each of the first droplets, on a portion where the plural partially overlapping first droplets do not overlap, said portion being disposed between the plural first droplets that partially overlap.