Printing using a print head with staggered nozzle arrangements

A printing device for printing an image on a printing medium while performing main scanning, comprising:

• a print head having a plurality of nozzle arrays, each of the nozzle arrays having a plurality of nozzles arranged along a sub-scanning direction for discharging a same ink;
• a main scan driving mechanism configured to perform main scans by moving at least one of the print head and the printing medium;
• a sub-scan driving mechanism configured to perform sub-scans by moving at least one of the print head and the printing medium;
• a printing data memory for storing printing data;
• and
• a controller configured to control operations of the printing device;
• wherein at least one pair of nozzle arrays for discharging different inks are positioned such that nozzles of the nozzle array pair are arranged in a staggered manner and that no nozzles of the nozzle array pair are disposed at a same sub-scanning position, the pair of nozzle arrays being closer to each other than to any other nozzle arrays.
• wherein the staggered nozzle array pair consists of a leading nozzle array that reaches a leading edge of the printing medium relatively earlier and a trailing nozzle array that reaches the leading edge relatively later when the sub-scan is performed,
• wherein the controller is capable of:
• (a) performing interlace recording where only a plurality of main scan lines separated one another are recorded by each nozzle array in a single main scan pass, and where recording of successive main scan lines is achieved by a plurality of main scan passes that include at least one sub-scan feed therebetween;
• and
• (b) in the interlace recording, referring to the printing data memory prior to a main scan pass, for printing data of a plurality of main scan lines that correspond to an overall width in the sub-scanning direction of the staggered nozzle array pair, and performing the main scan pass according to the referenced printing data.

A print head used for a printing device for printing an image on a printing medium while performing main scanning, comprising:

• a plurality of nozzle arrays each having a plurality of nozzles arranged along a sub-scanning direction for discharging a same ink,
• wherein at least one pair of nozzle arrays for discharging different inks are positioned such that nozzles of the nozzle array pair are arranged in a staggered manner and that no nozzles of the nozzle array pair are disposed at a same sub-scanning position, the pair of nozzle arrays being closer to each other than to any other nozzle arrays,
• wherein the staggered nozzle array pair is connected to a pair of ink passages for supplying inks to the nozzle array pair, and
• wherein the pair of ink passages is disposed inside of a same ink passage forming member.