Printing methods and systems
AssigneeGlobal Inkjet Systems Limited
InventorsPhilip Collins, Nicholas Campbell Geddes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a system including a printhead for printing an image on at least one surface, wherein the at least one surface differs in shape from a nominal surface by a known tolerance, and wherein the printhead and the at least one surface move relative to each other along a predetermined print path comprising at least one swathe. Small dot patterns (referred to as “pathfinders”) are printed on a surface of the object in a preliminary printing pass, then the printed dot patterns are analyzed, for example with a machine vision system. The necessary corrections may then be calculated from this analysis and applied to a subsequent full printing pass.
Claims16
A method of controlling a system comprising a printhead for printing an image on at least one surface, wherein the at least one surface differs in shape from a nominal surface by a known tolerance, and wherein the printhead and the at least one surface move relative to each other along a predetermined print path comprising at least one swathe of image data, the method comprising:
- providing first swathe data for printing the image on the nominal surface;
- providing second swathe data for the at least one swathe, wherein the second swathe data defines a sequence of marks made by the printhead, which produces a sequence of predetermined dot patterns when printed on the nominal surface, wherein at least one dot pattern from the sequence of dot patterns and an existing feature of the nominal surface have a nominal geometric relationship;
- printing the second swathe data on the at least one surface;
- determining, for at least one of the least one dot pattern, an actual geometric relationship of the at least one dot pattern printed on the at least one surface and an existing feature of the at least one surface corresponding to the existing feature of the nominal surface;
- comparing the actual geometric relationship with the nominal geometric relationship to determine at least one difference;
- and
- providing third swathe data by applying an adjustment to the first swathe data to compensate for the at least one difference.
A system comprising a printhead configured to print an image on at least one surface, wherein the at least one surface differs in shape from a nominal surface by a known tolerance, and wherein the printhead and the at least one surface move relative to each other along a predetermined print path comprising at least one swathe of image data, the system further comprising a processor configured to:
- provide first swathe data for printing the image on the nominal surface;
- and
- provide second swathe data for the at least one swathe, wherein the second swathe data defines a sequence of marks to be made by the printhead, which produce a sequence of predetermined dot patterns when printed on the nominal surface, wherein at least one dot pattern from the sequence of dot patterns and an existing feature of the nominal surface have a nominal geometric relationship;
- wherein the printhead is further configured to print the second swathe data on the at least one surface;
- wherein the processor is further configured to:
- determine, for at least one of the least one dot pattern, the actual geometric relationship of the at least one dot pattern printed on the at least one surface and an existing feature of the at least one surface corresponding to the existing feature of the nominal surface;
- compare the actual geometric relationship with the nominal geometric relationship to determine at least one difference;
- and
- provide third swathe data by applying an adjustment to the first swathe data to compensate for the at least one difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.