Pre-leveler cooling device for continuous feed imaging devices

A temperature leveling system for thermally conditioning ink deposited onto a print media prior to the ink being fixed to the print media, the leveling system including:

• a non-contact cooling device for reducing temperatures of ink deposited onto a print media to a first average temperature;
• a leveler including a thermal control for maintaining the leveler at a second temperature that is different than the first average temperature, the leveler being configured to bring the temperatures of the ink to within a predetermined range about the second temperature;
• and
• a heater for heating the ink and media to a third temperature after the leveler, the third temperature being greater than the second temperature.

A method of operating an imaging device comprising:

• transporting a print media along a media path;
• depositing ink onto the print media as it is being transported, the ink deposited onto the print media having a first average temperature;
• reducing the temperatures of the deposited ink to a second average temperature that is less than the first average temperature using a non-contact cooling device;
• equalizing the deposited ink temperatures to within a predetermined range about a third temperature, the third temperature being different than the first and the second average temperatures after the reduction in temperature;
• heating the deposited ink to a fourth temperature using a non-contact heater after equalization, the fourth temperature being greater than the third temperature;
• and
• spreading the deposited ink on the print media after being heated to the fourth temperature.