Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method

An ink jet apparatus for performing printing by applying to a printing medium, an ink and a processing liquid for making a coloring material in the ink insoluble, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for applying a black ink and color ink to the printing medium;
• and
• (b) means for applying a processing liquid to respective areas of the printing medium to which the black ink containing a black coloring material and the color ink are applied, respectively, the respective areas having a boundary between the areas, wherein the processing liquid is applied to each of the respective areas such that none of the respective processing liquids are in contact with one another on the printing medium.

A data generating method of generating processing liquid application data for application of processing liquid, said data being used in a printing apparatus which applies black ink, color ink and the processing liquid for making respective coloring materials in the black and color inks insoluble to a printing medium to perform printing, said method comprising the step of:

• generating processing liquid application data to control application of the processing liquid (i) to a first area to which the black ink is applied and a second area to which the color ink is applied, (ii) but not to a portion of the second area adjacent to a boundary between the first area and the second area.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for applying black ink, color ink and a processing liquid for making respective coloring materials in the black and color inks insoluble to a printing medium, to perform printing;
• and
• (b) means for generating processing liquid application data to control application of processing liquid to a first black area to which the black ink is applied and a second area to which the color ink is applied, but not to a portion of the second area adjacent to a boundary between the first area and the second area.

A program for a data generating process present on a medium containing code for generating processing liquid application data for application of a processing liquid, and said data being used in a printing apparatus which applies black ink, color ink and the processing liquid for making respective coloring materials in the black and color inks insoluble to a printing medium to perform printing, said process comprising:

• generating processing liquid application data to control application of processing liquid to a first area to which the black ink is applied and a second area to which the color ink is applied, but not to a portion of the second area adjacent to a boundary between the first area and the second area.

A control program present on a medium containing code to control a process of performing printing by applying to a printing medium, ink and a processing liquid for making a coloring material in the ink insoluble, said process comprising:

• applying the processing liquid to respective areas of the printing medium to which a black ink containing a black coloring material and color ink are applied, respectively,
• wherein the processing liquid is applied to each of the respective areas so that none of the respective processing liquids come in contact with one another on the printing medium.