Method of compensating missing nozzle and printer using the same

A method of compensating a missing nozzle of a printer, the method comprising:

• determining normal nozzles of a plurality of nozzles and adjacent nozzles of the plurality of nozzles disposed adjacent to a missing nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, when the missing nozzle is generated in the nozzles during a printing operation;
• storing information on the missing nozzle and the adjacent nozzles corresponding to the missing nozzle;
• and
• applying a first drive signal to the normal nozzles to eject ink through the normal nozzles by heating the ink according to the first drive signal, and applying a second drive signal to the adjacent nozzles to eject the ink through the adjacent nozzles by preheating and heating the ink according to the second drive signal.

A method of compensating a missing nozzle of a printer, the method comprising:

• determining a missing nozzle and normal nozzles among a plurality of nozzles;
• determining one or more adjacent nozzles among the normal nozzles disposed adjacent to the missing nozzles;
• and
• generating a first signal to the normal nozzles and a second signal to the adjacent nozzles, the first signal including a heating period signal to heat ink to be ejected through the normal nozzles, and the second signal including a preheating period signal and the heating period signal to preheat and heat the ink to be ejected through the adjacent nozzles.

A printer comprising:

• a controller to apply a first drive signal to normal nozzles and a second drive signal to adjacent nozzles corresponding to a missing nozzle, when the missing nozzle is generated in the nozzles performing a printing operation;
• a memory to store information on the missing nozzle and the adjacent nozzles corresponding to the missing nozzle;
• and
• a plurality of nozzle arrays having nozzles and nozzle heaters to eject ink through the nozzle after preheating the ink when the nozzle heater receives the second drive signal, and to eject the ink through the nozzle without preheating the ink when the nozzle heater receives only the first drive signal.

A printer comprising:

• a controller attached to a printing head with nozzle arrays that checks a print operation to determine missing nozzles and locates adjacent nozzles and applied preheating and ejection signals to said nozzles;
• a plurality of nozzle arrays each containing a heater, an ink container and a nozzle that ejects normal size and larger size dots;
• and
• a heater in each nozzle that heats and ink container in order to preheat ink of an adjacent nozzle to raise its temperature and the size of its ejected dots and to heat the container to create explosive bubbles to eject ink through the other normal nozzles and adjacent nozzles;