Print information processing apparatus and print information processing method

A print information processing apparatus comprising:

• a print level information generating unit configured to generate print level information representing an amount of ink to be applied to a predetermined area on a print medium based on input pixel data;
• a print timing information generating unit configured to generate print timing information indicating a timing, at which the ink is applied to the predetermined area, based on the input pixel data;
• and
• a print information combining unit configured to combine the print level information and the print timing information so as to generate print information,
• wherein the print information combining unit outputs the print level information as the print information (i) in a case where ink is applied to all pixels in the predetermined area at a same time in each of printing timings, or (ii) in a case where ink is not applied to any pixels in the predetermined area in each of printing timings, and
• the print information combining unit replaces part of the print level information with at least part of the print timing information so as to output, as the print information, information obtained by combining the print timing information and the print level information, in a case where ink is applied to a first number of pixels in the predetermined area in a first printing timing and ink is applied to a second number of pixels in the predetermined area in a second printing timing, the second number being different from the first number, and the second printing timing being different from the first printing timing.

A print information processing method comprising the steps of:

• generating print level information representing an amount of ink to be applied to a predetermined area on a print medium based on input pixel data;
• generating print timing information indicating a timing, at which ink is applied to the predetermined area, based on the input pixel data;
• and
• combining the print level information and the print timing information so as to generate print information,
• wherein in the print level information combining step, the print level information is output as the print information in a case where the amount of ink to be applied to the predetermined area is maximum or minimum and part of the print level information is replaced with at least part of the print timing information so as to output, as the print information, information obtained by combining the print timing information and the print level information in a case where the amount of ink to be applied to the predetermined area is not maximum or minimum.