Continuous motion printing on cylindrical objects

A method for process printing a multicolor image onto a cylindrical printing area of an object having a longitudinal axis in a single printing pass using an array of yellow, cyan, magenta and black printheads located around the longitudinal axis of the object comprising:

• positioning the nozzles of each printhead in a column aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical printing area,
• the yellow nozzles being represented as 2a:n, the cyan nozzles being represented as 2b:n, the magenta nozzles being represented as 2c:n and the black nozzles being represented as 2d:n, where n is an integer from 1 to an integer representing the number of nozzles in each printhead;
• advancing the cylindrical printing area along its longitudinal axis while simultaneously rotating it about the axis;
• firing the printhead nozzles beginning when the leading edge of the printing area enters the nozzle array to deposit successive yellow, cyan, magenta and black color dots over each in order from light colors to dark colors corresponding to the order from yellow to black,
• the firing of the yellow, cyan, magenta and black nozzles proceeding in successive sequences each producing successive overlapping helical deposition patterns,
• the first sequence in which n=1 comprising firing yellow nozzle 2a:n to deposit a yellow dot, followed by nozzle 2b:n+1 of the cyan printhead to deposit a cyan dot, followed by nozzle 2c:n+2 of the magenta printhead to deposit a magenta dot, followed by nozzle 2d:n+3 of the black printhead to deposit a black dot;
• continuing to fire the nozzles as required to deposit color dots over each other in the successive overlapping helical deposition patterns as necessary to complete the image where n increases by 1 in each successive sequence through n=the number of nozzles in each printhead, whereupon n begins again at 1 until the image is completed;
• and
• withholding firing of selected printhead nozzles as required by the image and to ensure that color dots are deposited over each other in order from light colors to dark colors.