Web printer with straight print media path

A web printer for printing patterns on print media, the web printer comprising:

• a cabinet;
• a plurality of ink reservoirs mounted, in a releasable manner, within the cabinet and storing respective types of ink to be printed;
• a print media cartridge mounted, in a releasable manner, within the cabinet and carrying a wound length of print media;
• a platen extending away from the print media cartridge to support print media provided from the print media cartridge along a print media travel path;
• a stationary printhead mounted within the cabinet to extend transverse to the print media, and configured to print a web pattern with the ink and upon print media provided from the platen, the print media travel path from the print media cartridge to the printhead forming a substantially straight line;
• and
• a data capture device configured to capture the identity of an identifier carried by a web sample and wherein, subsequent to the capture of the identity of the web sample, the printhead can print the web pattern which corresponds to the web sample.