System and method for attenuating oxygen inhibition of ultraviolet ink curing on an image on a three-dimensional (3D) object during printing of the object

A printing system comprising:

• at least one printhead configured to eject drops of a non-aqueous ultraviolet (UV) curable marking material;
• a first member having a first end and a second end, the at least one printhead being positioned between the first end and the second end of the first member;
• a holder configured to hold an object and to move along the first member between the first end and the second end of the first member;
• a first actuator operatively connected to the holder, the actuator being configured to move the holder along the first member to enable the object to move past the printheads and receive marking material from the printheads in the plurality of printheads and form an ink image on the object;
• an ultraviolet (UV) curing device configured to emit UV light, the UV curing device being positioned between the plurality of printheads and the second end of the member to enable the UV curing device to cure the non-aqueous UV curable marking material ejected onto the object in the holder by the at least one printhead in the plurality of printheads;
• a vaporizer configured to form a vapor of a solution with a solvent and a particulate and direct the vapor toward the object in the holder to enable a portion of the vapor to condense on a surface of the object, the vaporizer being positioned between the UV curing device and the at least one printhead;
• a vapor removal device positioned between the vaporizer and the UV curing device, the vapor removal device being configured to remove uncondensed vapor from a vicinity of the object after the portion of the vapor has condensed on the surface of the object and before the object is exposed to the UV light emitted by the UV curing device;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the at least one printhead, the first actuator, the UV curing device, the vapor removal device, and the vaporizer, the controller being configured to operate the first actuator to move the holder and object along the first member in a process direction, to operate the plurality of printheads to eject marking material onto the object and form the ink image on the object, to operate the vaporizer to form and direct the vapor toward the object in the holder to enable the vapor to condense on the ink image on the object, to operate the vapor removal device to remove uncondensed vapor from the vicinity of the object before the object is exposed to UV light emitted by the UV curing device;
• and to operate the UV curing device to direct UV light onto the ink image and the condensed vapor on the object.