Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and inkjet printing apparatus

An image processing method of generating ejection data for printing an image on a print medium,

• wherein the image is printed on the print medium by repeating a printing scan and a conveyance operation alternately,
• the printing scan being an operation of using a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array each having a predetermined number of nozzles arrayed in a predetermined direction, each nozzle configured to eject a same color ink, and scanning the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction while causing each nozzle to eject the ink toward the print medium,
• the conveyance operation being an operation of conveying the print medium in a conveying direction intersecting the direction of the printing scan by a distance corresponding to each of M print regions obtained by dividing the predetermined number of the nozzles into M regions, M being an integer of four or more, and
• the image processing method comprising:
• receiving print data indicating the image,
• generating first ejection data for the first nozzle array that defines a pixel at which the first nozzle array prints a dot and a pixel at which the first nozzle array does not print a dot, and
• generating second ejection data for the second nozzle array that defines a pixel at which the second nozzle array prints a dot and a pixel at which the second nozzle array does not print a dot, based on the print data,
• wherein a position at which a dot is printed of a pixel indicated by the first ejection data and a position at which a dot is printed of a pixel indicated by the second ejection data have (i) mutually complementary relationships among the M print regions, respectively, and (ii) a mutually complementary relationship in each of the M print regions.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute a method of generating ejection data for printing an image on a print medium,

• wherein the image is printed on the print medium by repeating a printing scan and a conveyance operation alternately,
• the printing scan being an operation of using a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array each having a predetermined number of nozzles arrayed in a predetermined direction, each nozzle configured to eject a same color ink, and scanning the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction while causing each nozzle to eject the ink toward the print medium,
• the conveyance operation being an operation of conveying the print medium in a conveying direction intersecting the direction of the printing scan by a distance corresponding to each of M print regions obtained by dividing the predetermined number of the nozzles into M regions, M being an integer of four or more, and
• the image processing method comprising:
• receiving print data indicating the image,
• generating first ejection data for the first nozzle array that defines a pixel at which the first nozzle array prints a dot and a pixel at which the first nozzle array does not print a dot, and
• generating second ejection data for the second nozzle array that defines a pixel at which the second nozzle array prints a dot and a pixel at which the second nozzle array does not print a dot, based on the print data,
• wherein a position at which a dot is printed of a pixel indicated by the first ejection data and a position at which a dot is printed of a pixel indicated by the second ejection data have (i) mutually complementary relationships among the M print regions, and (ii) a mutually complementary relationship in each of the M print regions.