High throughput inkjet printer with provision for spot color printing
AssigneeCreo Inc.
InventorJames Madeley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inkjet printer has an array of individual inkjet printheads to allow high-speed printing in standard process colors while also having additional nozzles that can be used to print spot colors. There are fewer inkjet nozzles allocated to each spot color than each of the process colors so that the printing speed for printed sheets containing spot colors may be less than for printed sheets only containing the process colors.
Claims40
An inkjet printing apparatus for printing on a receiver medium using process colors and one or more spot colors, said apparatus comprising:
- a) for a black process color, a first plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads;
- b) for each of the other process colors, a second plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads;
- c) for each spot color, a third plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads, said third plurality less than said second plurality;
- d) a media carrier for securing at least one said receiver medium and for generating relative motion between said receiver medium and said first, second and third pluralities of nozzles, said relative motion in a receiver medium advance direction.
A method of inkjet printing on a receiver medium using process colors and one or more spot colors, said method comprising steps of;
- a) securing at least one said receiver medium on a media carrier;
- b) printing a black process color using a first plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads;
- c) printing each of the other process colors using for each color a second plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads;
- d) printing each of said one or more spot colors using for each spot color a third plurality of inkjet nozzles disposed on one or more individual printheads, said third plurality less than said second plurality;
- said printing performed while generating relative motion between said receiver medium and said first, second and third pluralities of nozzles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.