US 2003/0081023 A1 · Method and apparatus of optimizing discrete drop volumes for multidrop capable inkjet printers

Abstract

An ink jet printer apparatus and method includes a print head having at least one nozzle. In response to a signal related to media type that is to be recorded upon, gray level image data relating to at least three different drop volumes including no ink drop are recorded at different pixel locations to form dots of different dot size or dot density on the recording medium. In recording image data of the same multitone image data value on different media, drop volumes deposited on one medium by the nozzle are different than drop volumes deposited on another medium by that nozzle. In some embodiments or printing modes image data is also recorded by depositing a variable size dot on a reference raster location and a supplementary dot at an adjacent pixel location on a shifted raster.

Claims42

Dependent claims

An ink jet printer apparatus for printing on a receiver medium comprising:

at least one nozzle connected to a supply of ink;
a controller, responsive to a first signal related to media type, for generating a second signal for determining for said nozzle an ink drop volume to be deposited at each of plural pixel locations on the receiver medium by that nozzle including a decision of no drop to be deposited at some of the pixel locations, at least some of the second signals determining at least three different drop volumes including a no drop decision;
an actuator associated with said nozzle and responsive to said second signal for controlling said nozzle to deposit at a respective pixel location a respective drop volume to be deposited in accordance with said second signal so that the printer prints at least three different drop volumes including no drops at different pixel locations on the medium.

A method of processing image data for an inkjet print head, the method comprising:

receiving multitone image data representing at least three different gradation tone values including zero density or background;
receiving information relative to media type upon which ink drops are to be deposited;
in response to the information relative to media type, adjusting a parameter associated with drop volumes so that for different media types a gradation tone value will be printed differently.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus of optimizing discrete drop volumes for multidrop capable inkjet printers

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus of optimizing discrete drop volumes for multidrop capable inkjet printers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42