Ink jet color-coding method for leads

Method for labelling a moving lead by forming imprints, particularly a light waveguide fiber, by means of an ink printer by means of which color spots from a plurality of nozzles in at least two rows and aligned to extend transversely of the direction of movement of said lead are simultaneously ejected onto said lead, whereby said nozzles are separately controllable such that said at least two rows of nozzles produce color spots which are applied in successive work steps, and gaps between said spots are closed by means of longitudinal movement of said leads which has ensued between said work steps and said color spots at least partially overlap, characterized in that the individual nozzles of said two rows of nozzles are offset transversely of each other relative to the direction of movement of said lead and rows of color spots are applied parallel to the feed direction of said lead and the longitudinal feed is selected such that, beginning from the outer region of the color application, a gradual decrease in the width of the gaps between said color spots is achieved and at least two color spots are applied on top of one another in the middle region of the imprint being formed, whereby the cross-sectional profile of the color application is designed with a gradual rise up to a maximum value and, following a gradual decrease.