Printing apparatus and processing method thereof

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a printhead including an element array in which a plurality of printing elements, for applying ink to a printing medium so as to print an image on the printing medium, are arrayed;
• a scanning unit configured to scan said printhead in a direction perpendicular to an array direction of the plurality of printing elements;
• a conveyance unit configured to convey the printing medium in the array direction of the plurality of printing elements, wherein a scan of the printhead by the scanning unit and a conveyance of the printing medium by the conveyance unit are alternately performed such that an image is printed in a predetermined printing region by a plurality of scans;
• a driving unit configured to drive the plurality of printing elements such that printing elements in each of a plurality of groups are driven in a set driving order, wherein the plurality of printing elements are divided into the plurality of groups each including consecutive printing elements;
• an obtaining unit configured to obtain, after a first scan is performed for the predetermined printing region, information, wherein the information indicates whether or not a position of printing elements which is used in a second scan for the predetermined printing region in the group to which the printing elements used in the second scan belong, coincides with a position of printing elements which is used in the first scan in the group to which the printing elements used in the first scan belong;
• and
• a setting unit configured to set the driving order for the printing elements in each of the plurality of groups,
• wherein said conveyance unit performs a first conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium for printing on a first area of the printing medium by a conveyance amount, which is an integer multiple of an amount corresponding to a width of the group, and a second conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium for printing on a second area of the printing medium by a conveyance amount, which is not an integer multiple of the width of the group, and
• wherein said setting unit sets, for the second scan, the driving order for the printing elements in each of the plurality of groups, based on the information obtained by the obtaining unit.