Improvements in or relating to continuous inkjet printers

(canceled)

A method of shortening an inter-message gap in a continuous inkjet printer configured to execute prints with gaps there-between and to undertake phase testing between said prints, said printer having a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier configured to amplify charges measured during phase testing, said method comprising switching out at least one of said amplifiers when said printer is not undertaking phase testing.

A continuous inkjet printer operable to execute prints with gaps there-between and to undertake phase testing between prints, the printer comprising first and second stage amplifiers operable to amplify charges measured during phase testing, wherein the printer further comprises a controller operable to switch out at least one of the amplifiers between phase tests.

A method of undertaking a phase test for a continuous inkjet printer configured to execute a sequence of prints wherein as an initial step, the charges on phase test droplets are measured at n positions and wherein a threshold is established so that the charges on droplets at some of the n positions are grouped, lie above the threshold, and are termed ‘passes’ while the charges on droplets at the remaining positions lie below the threshold and are termed ‘fails’;

• and an initial print position is established being at or near to the middle of the pass positions, said method being characterized in that between prints test charges are measured at a defined number of phase test positions and specified passes or fails.

A method of reducing the inter-message gap in a continuous inkjet printer executing prints with gaps there-between, wherein an initial phase test is undertaken on start-up to determine passes and fails at a sequence of phase test positions and wherein an initial print position is established being the position at which a pass charge is the greatest;

• and wherein phase test measures are subsequently undertaken between prints, said method being characterized in that a defined number of measures are made in a test, each being categorized as a pass or a fail and a combination of passes and fails is used to determine an optimum print position.

A continuous inkjet printer operable to execute prints with gaps therebetween and to undertake an initial phase test on start-up to determine passes and fails at a sequence of phase test positions and establish an initial print position at which a pass charge is the greatest, wherein the printer is operable to undertake phase test measures between prints, by testing at a defined number of phase test positions, categorising each as a pass or a fail, and determining from a resulting combination of passes and fails an optimum print position.