Printing apparatus, resolution conversion printing method for printing apparatus, and storage medium storing computer-readable program

A resolution conversion printing method for a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of performing printing in a main scanning direction and in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction respectively with different resolutions, said method comprising:

• an expansion step of expanding printing information into raster data of a predetermined resolution, on a memory;
• a first setting step of setting a multiple-speed number of printing speed to the printing unit, the multiple-speed number representing what times standard printing speed the printing is to be performed at;
• a second setting step of setting the printing resolution of the main scanning direction to be the resolution of the raster data expanded on the memory, and setting the printing resolution of the sub scanning direction to be a quotient of the resolution of the raster data divided by the multiple-speed number of the printing speed, to the printing unit;
• and
• a resolution conversion output step of outputting a video signal to the printing unit, the video signal being obtained by integrating to one pixel an area aligned with the sub scanning direction of the raster data expanded on the memory and composed of pixels of the number as much as the multiple-speed number of the printing speed.

A storage medium which stores a computer-readable program to control a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of performing printing in a main scanning direction and in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction respectively with different resolutions, said program comprising:

• an expansion step of expanding printing information into raster data of a predetermined resolution, on a memory;
• a first setting step of setting a multiple-speed number of printing speed to the printing unit, the multiple-speed number representing what times standard printing speed the printing is to be performed at;
• a second setting step of setting the printing resolution of the main scanning direction to be the resolution of the raster data expanded on the memory, and setting the printing resolution of the sub scanning direction to be a quotient of the resolution of the raster data divided by the multiple-speed number of the printing speed, to the printing unit;
• and
• a resolution conversion output step of outputting a video signal to the printing unit, the video signal being obtained by integrating to one pixel an area aligned with the sub scanning direction of the raster data expanded on the memory and composed of pixels of the number as much as the multiple-speed number of the printing speed.

A printing apparatus which has a printing unit capable of performing printing with resolutions of main and sub scanning directions differentiated by changing printing speed, comprising:

• expansion means for expanding printing data from a superior apparatus into raster data with a predetermined resolution;
• storage means for storing the expanded raster data;
• raster data conversion means for generating, when said printing unit performs the printing at speed N times (N is an integer of two or more) printing speed corresponding to the predetermined resolution, the raster data obtained by integrating to one pixel an area composed of N pixels, on the basis of the raster data of N pixels aligned with the sub scanning direction of the raster data stored in said storage means;
• and
• output means for outputting the raster data converted by said raster data conversion means to said printing unit.

A printing apparatus which has a printing unit capable of changing at least a resolution of a predetermined direction, comprising:

• expansion means for expanding, even when said printing unit performs the printing for the predetermined direction with a resolution 1/N times (N is an integer of two or more) a predetermined resolution printing data from a superior apparatus into raster data with the predetermined resolution;
• storage means for storing the expanded raster data;
• raster data conversion means for converting, when said printing unit performs the printing for the predetermined direction with the resolution 1/N times the predetermined resolution, the resolution of the raster data for the predetermined direction by generating a pixel value of one pixel, on the basis of pixel values of N pixels aligned with the predetermined direction of the raster data stored in said storage means;
• and
• output means for outputting the raster data converted by said raster data conversion means to said printing unit.

An image processing method for a printing apparatus having a printing unit capable of changing at least a resolution of a predetermined direction, said method comprising:

• an expansion step of expanding, even when the printing unit performs printing with a resolution 1/N times (N is an integer of two or more) a predetermined resolution, printing data from a superior apparatus into raster data with the predetermined resolution;
• a storage step of storing the expanded raster data in a storage means;
• a raster data conversion step of converting, when the printing unit performs the printing for a predetermined direction with the resolution 1/N times the predetermined resolution, the resolution of the raster data for the predetermined direction by generating a pixel value of one pixel, on the basis of pixel values of N pixels aligned with the predetermined direction of the raster data stored in the storage means;
• and
• an output step of outputting the raster data converted in said raster data conversion step to the printing unit.