Apparatus and method for operating a flattener in an ink-based printing apparatus

A method in a printing apparatus including a media path, a marking module, a flattener including a first rotational flattener member having a first rotational flattener member surface and a second rotational flattener member coupled to the first rotational flattener member at a flattener nip, a release agent distributer, and a controller, the method comprising:

• transporting media sheets along the media path, the media sheets including a first media sheet and a second media sheet subsequent to the first media sheet spaced at an inter-copy gap distance from the first media sheet;
• jetting ink drops from the marking module for the first media sheet to generate an image on the first media sheet and jetting ink drops from the marking module for the second media sheet to generate an image on the second media sheet;
• flattening the ink jet drops of the image on the first media sheet in the flattener nip and flattening the ink jet drops of the image on the second media sheet in the flattener nip;
• distributing release agent from the release agent distributer onto the first rotational flattener member;
• and
• reducing the inter-copy gap distance between the first media sheet and the second media sheet to prevent the first rotational flattener member from contacting the second rotational flattener member between the first media sheet and the second media sheet.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a media path configured to transport media sheets including a first media sheet and a second media sheet subsequent to the first media sheet spaced at an inter-copy gap distance from the first media sheet;
• a marking module configured to jet ink drops on the first media sheet to generate an image on the first media sheet and configured to jet ink drops on the second media sheet to generate an image on the second media sheet;
• a flattener including:
• a first rotational flattener member including a first rotational flattener member surface;
• a second rotational flattener member coupled to the first rotational flattener member at a flattener nip, the flattener nip configured to flatten the ink jet drops of the image on the first media sheet in the flattener nip and configured to flatten the ink jet drops of the image on the second media sheet in the flattener nip;
• a release agent distributer configured to distribute release agent on the first rotational flattener member;
• and
• a controller configured to control the printing apparatus to reduce the inter-copy gap distance between the first media sheet and the second media sheet to a distance shorter than a width of the flattener nip width to prevent the first rotational flattener member from contacting the second rotational flattener member between the first media sheet and the second media sheet to minimize release agent transfer from the first rotational flattener member to the second rotational flattener member between the first media sheet and the second media sheet.