Method and appartus for printing

A printing method in a printing apparatus including:

• primary scanning means for performing primary scan of a printing head relative to a printing medium, said printing head having a plurality of printing elements arranged;
• printing head driving means for driving said printing elements of said printing head, during primary scan of said printing head by said primary scanning means, to form an image on the printing medium;
• and
• auxiliary scanning means for performing auxiliary scanning of said printing head in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of said primary scanning means, relative to said printing medium,
• the printing method, comprising the steps of:
• printing with excluding a printing element which caused failure, among a plurality of printing elements upon printing scan in a forward direction by said printing head driven for the primary scanning;
• shifting said printing head relative to said printing medium in the direction of auxiliary scan at least a pitch between said printing elements of said printing head, after said previous printing step is performed;
• complementally printing at a printing region of said printing medium corresponding to the printing element of said printing head which cannot perform printing in a forward direction of the primary scan, by another printing element in a condition where said printing head and said printing medium are relatively shifted by said previous shifting step;
• and
• eliminating said shift in said auxiliary scanning direction between said printing head and said printing medium for next printing scan.

A printing apparatus, comprising:

• primary scanning means for performing primary scan of a printing head relative to a printing medium, said printing head having a plurality of printing elements arranged;
• printing head driving means for driving said printing elements of said printing head, during primary scan of said printing head by said primary scanning means, to form an image on the printing medium;
• shifting means for shifting said printing head in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of said primary scanning means, relative to said printing medium;
• and
• printing control means, at a printing region of said printing medium corresponding to the printing element of said printing head which cannot perform printing in a forward direction of the primary scan, for performing complementally printing by another printing element in a condition where said printing head and said printing medium are relatively shifted by said shifting means at least a pitch between said printing elements of said printing head, and then performing next printing in a condition where the shifting of said printing head and said printing medium in the direction of the auxiliary scan be eliminated.

A printing method in a printing apparatus including:

• primary scanning means for performing primary scan of a printing head relative to a printing medium, said printing head having a plurality of printing elements arranged;
• printing head driving means for driving said printing elements of said printing head, during primary scan of said printing head by said primary scanning means, to form al image on the printing medium;
• and
• shifting means for shifting said printing head in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of said primary scanning means, relative to said printing medium;
• the printing method, comprising the steps of:
• printing with excluding a printing element which caused failure, among a plurality of printing elements upon printing scan in a forward direction by said printing head driven for the primary scanning;
• shifting said printing head relative to said printing medium by said shifting means at least a pitch between said printing elements of said printing head, after said previous printing step is performed;
• complementally printing at a printing region of said printing medium corresponding to the printing element of said printing head which cannot perform printing in a forward direction of the primary scan, by another printing element in a condition where said printing head and said printing medium are relatively shifted by said previous shifting step;
• and
• eliminating said shift in said auxiliary scanning direction between said printing head and said printing medium for next printing scan.