Phase change ink printing architecture suitable for high speed imaging

A method of offset printing in an ink jet prinetr, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) creating relative ,otion between a support surface and a plurality of print head modules;
• b) applying a liquid to the support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surcae on the support surface;
• c) forming two or more compltete ink images on the liquid intermediate transfer surface in a single pass between the support surface and the plurality of print head modules by applying drops of ink to the liquid intermediate transfer surface using a phase change ink having a hardening time on th eliquid intermediate transfer surface of approximately less than 0.6 seconds;
• d) transferring the two or more complete ink images to a final receiving medium;
• and
• e) performing steps a) through d) in parallel.

A method of offset printing in a jet printer, the method comprising the steps of;

• a) rotating an arcuate support surface;
• b) applying a liquid to the arcuate support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surface on the arcuate support surface;
• c) forming a portion of a complete ink image on the intermediate transfer surface within one revolution of the arcuate support surface by overlaying two or more component images, each of the component images having a different color using a phase change ink having a hardening time on the liquid intermediate transfer surface of approximately less than 0.6 seconds;
• d) transferring the portion of the complete ink image to a final receiving medium;
• and
• e) performing steps a) through d) in parallel.

A method of high speed, offset full color printing in an ink jet printer comprising the steps of:

• a) creating relative motion at a fixed speed in a Y-axis direction between a continuous support surface having a length in the Y-axis direction and a plurality of print head moduled;
• b) continuously applying a liquid to the continuous support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surface on the continuous support surface;
• c) forming a full color ink image on the liquid intermediate transfer surface in a single pass between the continuous support surface and the print head modules by depositing drops of ink from the print head onto the liquid intermediate transfer surface wherein the full color image has a length in the Y-axis direction greater than the length of the continuous support surface so that a portion of the full color image is formed on the liquid intermediate transfer surface for each length of the continuous support surface and the forming and transferring step occur continuously until the full colr image is transferred to the final receiving medium;
• d) transferring the full color image from the liquid intermediate transfer surface to a final receiving medium;
• whereby the above process steps are performed simultaneously in parallel.