Customizing printmasks for printhead nozzle aberrations
US6278469A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 20, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 21, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 20, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2/2139
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An inkjet printer and printing method for improving print quality. The printer minimizes the visually perceptible effect of dot placement errors, dot size errors, and dot shape errors on a printed medium due to depositing drops of ink from lower print quality printhead nozzles. The printer provides a sensor which can test the ink drop output of the printhead nozzles to determine, for each particular printhead installed in the printer, which nozzles are of higher print quality and which are of lower print quality. A printmask is then defined based on the results of the testing for use in printing from that printhead. The printmask has a mask pattern which enables the deposition of more ink from higher quality nozzles and less ink from lower quality nozzles. Such a printer improves print quality without reducing throughput.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.