Staggered multi-phase firing of nozzle heads for a printer
AssigneeAgfa-Gevaert
InventorsRudi Vanhooydonck, Patrick Van den Bergen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention describes a method for printing, with one type of printhead, with a resolution that differs from the resolution of the type of printhead used. In the method according to the present invention, the speed in the fast scan direction is changed with reference to a reference velocity which the printhead is intended to be driven with, while preferably keeping the firing frequency of the sets of nozzles unchanged. The firing order of the may or may not be changed.
Claims10
A method of driving a print head (10) having a longitudinal axis in a first direction (S) and having an array of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) comprising at least one group (G) of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D), marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of one group (G) being staggered with respect to each other over a stagger distance (D1) in a second direction (F) perpendicular to the first direction (S), the print head (10) being intended to be driven with a reference velocity (Vref) equal to the stagger distance (D1) multiplied by a reference firing frequency (Fref), each marking element of a group being firable at each reference firing frequency pulse, the marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of the print head (10) being intended to be fired according to a reference firing order to print an image at a first resolution, wherein the print head (10) is operated at an operating velocity which is different from the reference velocity to print the same image at a different resolution.
A printing device with a print head (10) having a longitudinal axis in a first direction (S) and having an array of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) comprising at least one group (G) of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D), marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of one group (G) being staggered with respect to each other over a stagger distance (D1) in a second direction (F) perpendicular to the first direction (S), the print head (10) being intended to be driven with a reference velocity (Vref) equal to the stagger distance (D1) multiplied by a reference firing frequency (Fref), each marking element of a group being firable at each reference firing frequency pulse, the marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of the print head (10) being intended to be fired according to a reference firing order to print an image at a first resolution, further comprising means for driving the print head (10) at an operating velocity which is different from the reference velocity to print the same image at a second resolution of printing.
A control unit for a printer for printing an image on a printing medium using a print head (10) having a longitudinal axis in a first direction (S) and having an array of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) comprising at least one group (G) of marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D), marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of one group (G) being staggered with respect to each other over a stagger distance (D1) in a second direction (F) perpendicular to the first direction (S), the control unit being adapted to control the driving of the print head (10) with a reference velocity (Vref) equal to the stagger distance (D1) multiplied by a reference firing frequency (Fref), and for controlling the firing of one marking element of a group at each reference firing frequency pulse, and for controlling the firing of the marking elements (A, B, C;
- A, B, C, D) of the print head is (10) according to a reference firing order to print the image at a first resolution, further comprising means for controlling the driving of the print head (10) at an operating velocity which is different from the reference velocity to print the image at a second resolution of printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.