Print position correction
AssigneeIntermec Technologies Corporation
InventorsThomas Axel Jonas Celinder, Chia Kiang Sum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for printing an indicia on a graphic medium is described. A print mechanism is operable for marking multiple printouts of the indicia at a target position on the graphic medium, and for outputting a printed media product. The printed media product has a first output group of the marked printouts, and continuous with the output of the first group of printouts, at least one output group of the printouts marked subsequent to the first output group. A controller is operable for adjusting the print mechanism in response to an input related to an evaluation of the printouts marked on the first output group. The adjustment conforms a position at which the printouts are marked in the at least one subsequent output group spatially to the target position.
Claims20
A system for printing on a graphic medium, the printing system comprising:
- a print mechanism operable to mark a plurality of printouts at a target position on the graphic medium and for outputting a printed media product, the printed media product comprising a first output group of the marked printouts, and continuous with output of the first group of printouts at least one subsequent output group of the printouts marked subsequent to the first output group;
- a product observer operable to:
- observe a spatial relationship between the first output group of the marked printouts and the graphic medium due to print position drift in a direction of movement of the graphic medium;
- and
- output a first print adjustment control input based on the observed relationship;
- and
- in response to receiving the first print adjustment control input, a controller operable to adjust the position of the at least one subsequent output group of the printouts on the graphic medium to correct the print position drift in the graphic medium in a direction of movement of the graphic medium, wherein the adjusting realigns a position at which the at least one subsequent output group of the printouts are marked spatially with the target position relative to edges of the graphic medium.
A method for printing on a graphic medium, the method comprising:
- marking a plurality of printouts at a target position on a substrate of the graphic medium, the target position comprising an area of a surface of the substrate of the graphic medium over which the marking is designated for each of the printouts;
- outputting a first output group of the marked printouts;
- upon the outputting of the first output group of the marked printouts and in continuity therewith, producing at least one subsequent output group of the printouts marked subsequent to the first output group;
- observing, with an automated product observer, a spatial relationship between the first output group of the marked printouts and the graphic medium due to a print position drift in a direction of movement of the graphic medium;
- outputting a print adjustment control input based on the observed relationship;
- and
- in response to the print adjustment control input, adjusting the position of the at least one subsequent output group of the printouts to correct a print position drift in the graphic medium in a direction of movement of the graphic medium, wherein the adjusting step realigns a position at which the at least one subsequent output group of the printouts are marked spatially with the target position relative to edges of the graphic medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.