Printing apparatus and method for correcting print positions

摘要

In the print position adjustment procedure when performing bidirectional printing by using a first head and a second head, patterns (A) and (B) are printed to adjust the print positions of the first and second heads relative to each other in each of the forward and backward directions. A pattern (C) is printed to adjust the print position deviation of one of the two heads (first head) between the forward and backward directions. From these patterns three correction values are obtained to perform corrections. This allows the print position alignment between the forward and backward scans for one head (first head) to be performed by using the pattern (C). The print position alignment of the second head with respect to the first head as a reference in each of the forward and backward directions can be performed by using the patterns (A) and (B). As a result, print position deviations that may occur when the printing apparatus performs bidirectional printing using a plurality of heads can be minimized without having to maintain the precision of the apparatus at so high a level. <IMAGE>