Selectable Gloss Coating System Using Halftone Ink Dithering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing technologies face challenges in controlling gloss levels across printed images, as most printers can only provide a single gloss finish, requiring separate coating inks for each desired level, which are often ordered in advance and in excess quantities.
Innovation Solution
A coating system that uses a combination of high gloss and low gloss coating inks, where a controller generates driving signals for inkjet nozzles to eject these inks according to a halftone pattern, allowing for the creation of intermediate gloss levels by dithering or halftoning, enabling multiple selectable gloss coatings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single gloss coating ink is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to provide multiple gloss levels is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The coating ink system is segmented into multiple ink cartridges, each containing a coating ink with a different gloss level. The printhead is divided into multiple nozzle groups, with each group dedicated to a specific gloss level. This segmentation allows the system to provide multiple gloss levels while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure by using standard printhead technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating system is designed to be multi-functional by incorporating multiple coating inks with different gloss levels (high gloss, semi-gloss, matte) within a single printer unit. This allows the printer to perform multiple coating functions without requiring separate printing devices for each gloss level, thereby improving adaptability while controlling device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple coating inks are provided for different gloss levels, then the adaptability to provide multiple gloss levels is improved, but the quantity of substance required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses partial action by enabling the user to select only the gloss levels needed for specific print jobs. Not all coating ink cartridges or nozzle groups need to be used simultaneously or even at all, depending on the printing requirements. This reduces the effective quantity of coating ink consumed compared to having all inks always available.
Solution Approach 2:
The printer is pre-configured with multiple coating ink cartridges and nozzle groups during manufacturing, so when a print job requires multiple gloss levels, the system is already prepared and can immediately switch between different gloss levels without requiring additional ink supplies or reconfiguration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple coating inks are provided for different gloss levels, then the adaptability to provide multiple gloss levels is improved, but the loss of time for ordering and managing ink supplies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The printer is pre-loaded with multiple coating ink cartridges containing inks of different gloss levels during manufacturing or initial setup. This preliminary action ensures that when a print job requires multiple gloss levels, the system is already prepared and can immediately switch between different gloss levels without requiring additional ink supplies or reconfiguration, thereby eliminating the time loss associated with ordering and managing multiple ink supplies.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard printheads are used for coating inks, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision of gloss levels may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The printhead is segmented into multiple independent nozzle groups, with each group dedicated to a specific gloss level. This segmentation allows each nozzle group to be optimized for its specific function while using standard printhead manufacturing techniques, thereby maintaining both ease of manufacture and precision of gloss level control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different nozzle groups within the printhead are assigned different local qualities by dedicating each group to a specific gloss level (high gloss, semi-gloss, matte). This local quality assignment ensures that each group deposits ink with the appropriate gloss characteristics, maintaining manufacturing precision while using standard printhead manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the delivery of multiple gloss coatings, including high gloss, low gloss, and intermediate levels, enhancing aesthetic results and reducing the need for excess ink supplies by using preloaded inks, allowing for precise control and varied gloss levels across printed images.
Implementation Method 1
A phase change inkjet printer employs phase change inks that are in the solid phase at ambient temperature, but transition to a liquid phase at an elevated temperature. The melted ink can then be ejected as drops or jets by a printhead assembly onto a heated image substrate.
Implementation Method 2
coat the entire printed media with a colorless coating material that is designed to provide a protective layer on the printed media
Data Source
AI summary
A coating system comprises a high gloss coating ink supply source, and a low gloss coating ink supply source. The system includes a coating module configured to receive the high gloss coating ink and the low gloss coating ink. The coating module includes a first and second group of nozzles configured to emit the high gloss and low gloss coating inks, respectively. The coating system has a controller that is configured to selectively actuate the first group and second group of inkjet nozzles to deposit the high gloss and low gloss coating inks onto the image receiving surface in accordance with a halftone pattern to form a gloss coating, the halftone pattern specifying a halftone density for the high gloss coating ink and for the low gloss coating ink, the halftone densities of the high and low gloss coating inks corresponding to a gloss level for the gloss coating.