Method for enhancing printing resolution for photosensitive imaging systems

A method for enhancing resolution of a radiation sensitive microcapsule-based printer, the method comprising:

• generating, by a controller, multiple subpixels in a sub-scan direction based on an image data set of an image to be printed on a photosensitive medium;
• mapping, by the controller, multiple grids onto the photosensitive medium, the multiple grids corresponding to the multiple subpixels;
• determining, by the controller, an exposure energy required for each grid of the multiple grids based on a corresponding image subpixel of the multiple subpixels;
• allocating, by the controller, the exposure energy required for each grid into a set of sub-energy exposure levels, wherein a number of sub-energy exposure levels in the set of sub-energy exposure levels is N;
• and
• exposing, by the controller, each grid of the photosensitive medium to the corresponding set of sub-energy exposure levels sequentially using an exposure element as the photosensitive medium passes through the radiation sensitive microcapsule-based printer in the sub-scan direction, wherein each grid is smaller in the sub-scan direction than the exposure element.

A radiation sensitive microcapsule-based printer comprising:

• an exposure element array including a set of exposure elements;
• a media transportation system configured to transport a photosensitive medium along a sub-scan direction;
• a controller including a processor and a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• generate multiple subpixels in the sub-scan direction based on an image data set of an image to be printed on the photosensitive medium;
• map multiple grids onto the photosensitive medium, the multiple grids corresponding to the multiple subpixels;
• determine an exposure energy required for each grid of the multiple grids based on a corresponding subpixel of the multiple subpixels;
• allocate the exposure energy required for each grid into a first exposure level and a second exposure level;
• and
• expose each grid of the photosensitive medium to the corresponding first exposure level and the corresponding second exposure level sequentially using an exposure element of the set of exposure elements as the photosensitive medium passes through the radiation sensitive microcapsule-based printer in the sub-scan direction, wherein each grid is smaller in the sub-scan direction than the exposure element.