Patent attributes
A printing method includes: (A) creating print data by rearranging an order in which a plurality of pieces of pixel data which make up image data are arranged; and (B) based on the print data, alternately repeating a dot-forming process for forming, on a medium, a row of dots along a movement direction by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles which move in the movement direction and a carrying process for carrying the medium in a carrying direction with respect to the nozzles, to form, on the medium, a plurality of the rows of dots arranged in the carrying direction. In a case where lower-end printing for forming the rows of dots in a lower-end portion of the medium is to be performed after normal printing for forming the rows of dots in a central portion of the medium, positions, on the medium, of the rows of dots to be formed by the nozzles during each dot-forming process when the normal printing is continued without performing the lower-end printing are stored in a first table, positions, on the medium, of the rows of dots to be formed by the nozzles during a certain dot-forming process performing the lower-end printing are compared with the positions stored in the first table, and if there is any matching position as a result of the comparison, that position is stored in a second table, and the pixel data corresponding to the positions stored in the second table are extracted from the image data, to create the print data for performing the certain dot-forming process.
