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US 8,465,144 B2Granted
System and method for single pass printing on textiles
AssigneeCafePress Inc.
InventorsRobert Marino, Fred Edward Durham, III, Christopher Allen Freeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for printing directly onto textiles including digitally printing an image in a single pass. The systems and methods provide for printing in one pass, thereby reducing distortion from movement of the textile or misalignment of the print head(s). The systems and methods provide for a second print head that may operate as a redundant print head.
Claims24
A method for direct to garment printing comprising:
- mounting a textile on a platen;
- disposing at least two print heads having multiple rows of nozzles above the textile wherein the at least two print heads are positioned along a first axis to provide coverage that spans a width of an area of the textile that is to receive a wide-format image, the wide-format image being an image that is wider than a width of one of the print heads;
- and
- printing the wide-format image on the textile, wherein the printing includes moving each of the print heads relative to the textile in no more than one direction in a single pass along a second axis and dispensing ink from the multiple rows of nozzles, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the second axis.
1 more element
A system for direct to garment printing comprising:
- a platen for holding a textile piece;
- and
- at least two print heads, the at least two print heads including multiple rows of nozzles for dispensing ink, the print heads being disposed directly above the platen for holding the textile piece and positioned along a first axis to provide coverage that spans a width of an area of the textile that is to receive a wide-format image, wherein the at least two print heads move relative to the textile in no more than one direction along a second axis to dispense the ink to create the wide-format image, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the second axis, the wide-format image being an image wider than a width of one of the print heads.
A method for direct to garment printing comprising:
- mounting a textile on a platen;
- disposing at least two pairs of print heads above the textile, the print heads in each pair having multiple nozzles and being positioned such that the long side of one print head abuts the long side of the other print head, wherein the at least two pairs of print heads are positioned along a first axis to provide coverage that spans a width of an area of the textile that is to receive a wide-format image, the wide-format image being an image that is wider than a width of one of the print heads;
- and
- printing the wide-format image on the textile, wherein the printing includes moving each pair of print heads relative to the textile in no more than one direction in a single pass along a second axis and dispensing ink from the multiple nozzles, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the second axis.
1 more element
A system for direct to garment printing comprising:
- a platen for holding a textile piece;
- and
- at least two pairs of print heads disposed directly above the platen for holding the textile piece, the print heads within each pair having multiple nozzles for dispensing ink and being positioned such that the long side of one print head abuts the long side of the other print head, the at least two pairs of print heads being positioned along a first axis to provide coverage that spans a width of an area of the textile that is to receive a wide-format image, wherein the at least two pairs of print heads move relative to the textile in no more than one direction along a second axis to dispense the ink to create the wide-format image, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the second axis, and the wide-format image being an image wider than a width of one of the print heads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.