Can decorator apparatus and method

An apparatus comprising:

• a can body conveying mechanism for conveying can bodies to a printing zone;
• a blanket wheel comprising:
• a plurality of blanket segments and,
• a plurality of blankets, each blanket affixed to a corresponding blanket segment, each blanket having a printing surface, the blanket wheel being configured to bring each blanket printing surface into contact with a can body within said printing zone;
• and
• an ink station comprising a printing plate configured to contact the printing surfaces of passing blankets in order to impart a primary ink image to the printing surfaces of the plurality of blankets, the primary ink image including a composite ink image and a primary unprinted region that is unprinted onto the blanket, the primary ink image is adapted to be formed on at least one blanket printing surface and is adapted to be printed onto a can body upon contact of the at least one blanket printing surface and the can body within the printing zone,
• wherein each blanket printing surface comprises a secondary image, the secondary image including a positive image within a surrounding area of lower or reduced height with respect to the blanket printing surface such that the positive image is adapted to be printed on a can body as a positive image, wherein a surface area of the secondary image is substantially the same for each of the plurality of blankets, and wherein the printing plate and each of the plurality of blankets are configured such that said surrounding area lies wholly within the unprinted region of the primary ink image.