Printing method and printing apparatus

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing one or more processors of a computer to execute an information processing method, the information processing method comprising:

• a step of forming a first dot pattern in a predetermined region on a print medium by causing a printing unit to perform a forward scan in a main scanning direction intersecting a predetermined direction, the printing unit including a first print element row in which print elements configured to apply printing material are aligned at a predetermined resolution in the predetermined direction and a second print element row in which print elements configured to apply printing material are aligned at the predetermined resolution in the predetermined direction and are arranged while being shifted relative to the first print element row in the predetermined direction by a distance corresponding to a resolution twice the predetermined resolution;
• and
• a step of forming a second dot pattern in the predetermined region by causing the printing unit to perform a backward scan in the opposite direction to that of the forward scan, wherein
• in the first dot pattern
• in a first dot array that is any dot array printed by print elements of one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, first dot groups, each formed of N1 (N1≥2) dots arranged A1 pixels away from each other in the main scanning direction, are arranged at an interval of B1 pixels (B1≥A1×N1), and
• in a second dot array that is a dot array adjacent to the first dot array in the predetermined direction and printed by the print elements of the other one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, the first dot groups are arranged at an interval of B1 pixels while being shifted relative to the first dot array by C1 pixels (A1×(N1−1)<C1<B1−A1×(N1−1)) in the main scanning direction,
• in the second dot pattern
• in a third dot array that is any dot array printed by the print elements of one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, second dot groups, each formed of N2 (N2≥2) dots arranged A2 pixels away from each other in the main scanning direction, are arranged at an interval of B2 pixels (B2≥A2×N2), and
• in a fourth dot array that is a dot array adjacent to the third dot array in the predetermined direction and printed by the print elements of the other one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, the second dot groups are arranged at an interval of B2 pixels while being shifted relative to the third dot array by C2 pixels (A2×(N2−1)<C2<B2−A2×(N2−1)) in the main scanning direction, and
• C1 and C2 are different from each other.

A printing apparatus configured to print an image of a predetermined grayscale value on a print medium, comprising:

• a printing unit including a first print element row in which print elements configured to apply printing material are aligned at a predetermined resolution in a predetermined direction and a second print element row in which print elements configured to apply printing material are aligned at the predetermined resolution in the predetermined direction and are arranged while being shifted relative to the first print element row in the predetermined direction by a distance corresponding to a resolution twice the predetermined resolution;
• a first forming unit configured to form a first dot pattern in a predetermined region on the print medium by causing the printing unit to perform a forward scan in a main scanning direction intersecting the predetermined direction;
• and
• a second forming unit configured to form a second dot pattern in the predetermined region by causing the printing unit to perform a backward scan in the opposite direction to that of the forward scan, wherein
• in the first dot pattern
• in a first dot array that is any dot array printed by print elements of one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, first dot groups, each formed of N1 (N1≥2) dots arranged A1 pixels away from each other in the main scanning direction, are arranged at an interval of B1 pixels (B1≥A1×N1), and
• in a second dot array that is a dot array adjacent to the first dot array in the predetermined direction and printed by the print elements of the other one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, the first dot groups are arranged at an interval of B1 pixels while being shifted relative to the first dot array by C1 pixels (A1×(N1−1)<C1<B1−A1×(N1−1)) in the main scanning direction,
• in the second dot pattern
• in a third dot array that is any dot array printed by the print elements of one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, second dot groups, each formed of N2 (N2≥2) dots arranged A2 pixels away from each other in the main scanning direction, are arranged at an interval of B2 pixels (B2≥A2×N2), and
• in a fourth dot array that is a dot array adjacent to the third dot array in the predetermined direction and printed by the print elements of the other one of the first print element row and the second print element row to be aligned in the main scanning direction, the second dot groups are arranged at an interval of B2 pixels while being shifted relative to the third dot array by C2 pixels (A2×(N2−1)<C2<B2−A2×(N2−1)) in the main scanning direction, and
• C1 and C2 are different from each other.