Method and apparatus for digitally printing absorbent article components

A method for digitally printing onto an advancing substrate, the method comprising:

• providing a first printhead, wherein the first printhead has a first printhead width extending in a cross direction;
• providing a second printhead, wherein the second printhead has a second printhead width extending in the cross direction, wherein only a portion of the first printhead width overlaps only a portion of the second printhead width in a cross direction to form a total printhead width and an overlapping print zone,
• wherein the first printhead defines a first print zone extending from the overlapping print zone in the cross direction to an edge of the first printhead, and wherein the second printhead defines a second print zone extending from the overlapping print zone in the cross direction to an edge of the second printhead;
• advancing a substrate in the machine direction past the first printhead and the second printhead, the substrate comprising a first surface, an opposing second surface, and a substrate width extending in the cross direction;
• depositing a first plurality of droplets on the first surface of the substrate using the first printhead, wherein the first plurality of droplets are deposited on at least a portion of the first print zone and a portion of the overlapping print zone;
• depositing a second plurality of droplets on the first surface of the substrate using the second printhead, wherein the second plurality of droplets are deposited on at least a portion of the second print zone and a portion of the overlapping print zone,
• wherein the first plurality of droplets comprise a first color and the second plurality of droplets comprise a second color, and
• wherein a portion of the first plurality of droplets unite with a portion of the second plurality of droplets in the overlapping print zone to form one or more combinations of colors.

A method for digitally printing onto an advancing substrate, the method comprising:

• providing a first printhead, wherein the first printhead has a first printhead width extending in a cross direction;
• providing a second printhead, wherein the second printhead has a second printhead width extending in the cross direction, wherein a portion of the first printhead overlaps a portion of the second printhead in a cross direction to form a total printhead width and an overlapping print zone,
• wherein the first printhead defines a first print zone extending from the overlapping print zone in the cross direction to an edge of the first printhead, and wherein the second printhead defines a second print zone extending from the overlapping print zone in the cross direction to an edge of the second printhead;
• advancing a substrate in the machine direction past the first printhead and the second printhead, the substrate comprising a first surface, an opposing second surface, and a substrate width extending in the cross direction;
• depositing a first plurality of droplets on the first surface of the substrate using the first printhead, wherein the first plurality of droplets are deposited on at least one of a portion of the first print zone and a portion of the overlapping print zone;
• depositing a second plurality of droplets on the first surface of the substrate using the second printhead, wherein the second plurality of droplets are deposited on at least one of a portion of the second print zone and a portion of the overlapping print zone;
• and
• adjusting at least one of the first printhead and the second printhead in the cross direction to form a second overlapping zone, wherein the second overlapping print zone has a different width than the overlapping print zone.