Interlace printing process

Claim 1

A process for using an ink-jet printer to produce high quality printed images on a plurality of pixel locations of a printing medium comprising a sequence for depositing an ink on the pixels of the medium, including: a first pass of a printhead across a first swath of the printing medium wherein alternate of the pixel locations are printed, as required to produce a desired image, such that those of the pixels which are horizontally and vertically adjacent are not printed on said first pass of the printhead, and such that only the alternate pixel locations in a top half of said first swath are printed on said first pass; a second pass of the printhead across said first swath wherein alternate of the pixel locations are printed, as required to produce a desired image, such that those of the pixel locations to be printed on the top half of said first swath which were not printed on said first pass of said printhead are printed on said second pass of said printhead, and wherein alternate of the pixel locations to be printed in a bottom half of said swath are printed such that those of the pixels which are horizontally and vertically adjacent are not printed on said second pass of said printhead; a third pass of the printhead across said first swath wherein alternate of the pixel locations are printed, as required to produce a desired image, such that the pixel locations to be printed in said first swath not printed on said first pass of said printhead or said second pass of said printhead are printed on said third pass of said printhead, and wherein a first pass on a next succeeding swath is accomplished simultaneously with said third pass of the printhead across said first swath; and a continuation of passes of said printhead across a plurality of succeeding swaths, repeating the requirements of said first pass, said second pass, and said third pass, until the entirety of said desired image is produced.