Print cutter calibration method and apparatus
OwnerTerence Chee Sung Chang, John F. Manard JR.inventors
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Abstract
A cutter having a plurality of stepper motor driven rollers has various components needing calibration to insure that a sheet printed with a plurality of images is properly positioned with respect to the cutter for cutting the sheet into individual prints. A calibration print having a plurality of fiducial marks is used to calibrate various components. These include adjusting the intensity of scanners used by the cutter to locate the prints, to adjust the linear distances the print is moved by drive rollers and to determine precisely the distance between critical components of the cutter.
Claims14
A method for calibrating at least one adjustable drive of a cutter associated with an image printer comprising:
- a) setting the adjustable drive of the cutter to a first setting;
- b) printing a calibration print with the image printer;
- c) moving the calibration print with the adjustable drive of the cutter;
- d) comparing a chosen feature of the calibration print to the distance that the print is moved by the adjustable drive;
- e) deriving an input signal representative of the difference between the chosen feature and the distance that the calibration print is moved by the adjustable drive;
- and
- f) correcting the adjustable drive responsive to the input signal.
A method for calibrating at least one component of a cutter associated with an image printer comprising:
- a) setting the adjustable component of the cutter to a first setting;
- b) printing a calibration print with the image printer;
- c) scanning the calibration print and measuring a feature of the calibration print that is affected by the setting of the adjustable component;
- and
- d) adjusting the component in response to the measurement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.