Print control apparatus, print control method, and print control program

A print control method for controlling a print head adapted to discharge ink droplets of a plurality of sizes to execute printing, the print control method comprising:

• acquiring a gradation value of an ink color based on image data;
• determining whether or not to discharge an ink droplet of one of the plurality of sizes based on the gradation value;
• and
• controlling discharging of the ink droplets by the print head in accordance with determination,
• the determining of whether or not to discharge the ink droplet including determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of a first size and the ink droplet of a size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to a maximum value-side partial range including a maximum value, and determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is only the ink droplet of the first size when the gradation value belongs to a range outside the partial range,
• the determining of whether or not to discharge the ink droplet further including executing at least:
• a first discharge mode, for determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of the first size or the ink droplet of the size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to the partial range, and determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is only the ink droplet of the first size when the gradation value belongs to the range towards the minimum value-side than the partial range;
• and
• a second discharge mode, for determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of the size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to a second partial range further towards the minimum value-side including a minimum value,
• the first discharge mode being executed in a case of using a first recording medium resistant to ink droplet bleeding, and the second discharge mode being executed in a case of using the second recording medium, wherein the first recording medium and the second recording medium differ in how readily an ink droplet that has struck bleeds.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a print control program for controlling a print head adapted to discharge ink droplets of a plurality of sizes to execute printing, the print control program includes instructions for:

• acquiring a gradation value of an ink color based on image data;
• determining whether or not to discharge an ink droplet of one of the plurality of sizes based on the gradation value;
• and
• controlling discharging of the ink droplets by the print head in accordance with determination,
• the determining of whether or not to discharge the ink droplet including determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of a first size and the ink droplet of a size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to a maximum value-side partial range including a maximum value, and determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is only the ink droplet of the first size when the gradation value belongs to a range outside the partial range,
• the determining of whether or not to discharge the ink droplet further including executing at least:
• a first discharge mode, for determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of the first size or the ink droplet of the size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to the partial range, and determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is only the ink droplet of the first size when the gradation value belongs to the range towards the minimum value-side than the partial range;
• and
• a second discharge mode, for determining that the ink droplet to be discharged by the print head is the ink droplet of the size smaller than the first size when the gradation value belongs to a second partial range further towards the minimum value-side including a minimum value,
• the first discharge mode being executed in a case of using a first recording medium resistant to ink droplet bleeding, and the second discharge mode being executed in a case of using the second recording medium, wherein the first recording medium and the second recording medium differ in how readily an ink droplet that has struck bleeds.