The embodiments provide a printer and a printing method that incorporate a printing mode capable of achieving high monochromatic quality at a low cost per page. This printing mode prints both fully saturated (or only minimally desaturated) monochrome images (e.g., black text and graphics) with no undercolor and significantly desaturated multi-color images on the same print medium. Optionally, the printing mode uses a specified resolution that is less than the maximum resolution, but greater than the minimum resolution. The printing mode also optionally prints outlines around monochrome images and/or color images in order maintain and enhance image quality.