Ink-jet printing
AssigneeDimatix, Inc.
InventorsJaan Laaspere, James R. Freedman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of printing which includes providing a print zone and a substrate. The print zone has a print zone length and multiple print regions in which ink drops are sequentially deposited on the substrate. The substrate and the print zone are moved relative to one another while controlling the rate of relative motion such that subsequent drops are deposited after previous drops from an adjacent previous print region have substantially wicked into the substrate and such that the substrate passes the print zone length before the substrate is substantially distorted by cockling.
Claims22
A method of printing, comprising:
- providing a print zone and a substrate, the print zone having a print zone length and multiple print regions in which ink drops are sequentially deposited on the substrate;
- and
- moving the substrate and the print zone relative to one another while controlling the rate of relative motion such that subsequent drops are deposited after previous drops from an adjacent previous print region have substantially wicked into the substrate and such that the substrate passes the print zone length before the substrate is substantially distorted by cockling.
A printing system, comprising
- a print zone including multiple print regions in which ink drops are sequentially deposited on a substrate as the substrate and the print zone move relative to one another;
- wherein the rate of relative movement satisfies the relationship ν≧L/τc, where L is the print zone length and τc is a cockling time constant;
- and
- wherein the rate of relative motion also satisfies the relationship ν≦l/τw, where l is a distance between adjacent print regions and τw is a wicking time constant.
A method of printing, comprising:
- providing a print zone and a substrate, the print zone having a print zone length and multiple print regions in which ink drops are sequentially deposited on the substrate;
- and
- moving the substrate and the print zone relative to one another while controlling the rate of relative motion such that subsequent drops are deposited after previous drops from an adjacent previous print region have substantially wicked into the substrate and such that the substrate passes the print zone length within a time characteristic of an interaction between the ink and the substrate, wherein ink deposited after the time would result in a distorted image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.