Ink Jet Print Head Mask Pattern for Surface Gloss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ink jet printing methods face challenges in maintaining the glossiness of glossy paper surfaces when using pigment ink, as pigment molecules are difficult to penetrate, leading to surface irregularities and degradation of image granularity, especially with high-density images.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a data generation unit that uses a mask pattern group with varying numbers of printing allowed pixels to control ink dot connectivity, where the first mask pattern generates image data for the final scan, ensuring higher connectivity of ink dots on the surface to improve gloss and prevent granularity degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multi-pass printing is performed using pigment ink on glossy paper, then the image can be completely printed with sufficient coverage, but the surface glossiness is impaired due to pigment particulates accumulating on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process is divided into multiple passes with different mask patterns. The first mask pattern (for initial passes) has lower connectivity to prevent surface accumulation, while the second mask pattern (for final passes) has higher connectivity to ensure complete coverage. This segmentation allows each pass to serve a specific function in the overall printing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask pattern is dynamically changed based on the print pass number. The system transitions from using the first mask pattern with lower connectivity in early passes to using the second mask pattern with higher connectivity in final passes. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both surface quality and complete coverage at different stages of the printing process.
2Productivity
If ink droplets are applied densely to ensure complete image coverage in a single pass, then productivity is improved, but the ink droplets come into contact and level each other, reducing surface irregularities and degrading image granularity
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process is segmented into multiple passes rather than attempting single-pass completion. This allows the system to apply ink with controlled connectivity in each pass, preventing excessive leveling while still achieving complete coverage through cumulative effect of multiple passes.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing process uses periodic repetition of scan operations with varying mask patterns. By periodically repeating the printing process multiple times with different connectivity settings, the system achieves both complete coverage and maintained granularity that would not be possible in a single dense pass.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an ink jet printing system and method which allows high-quality images to be printed while improving the gloss of an image surface, as well as a relevant storage medium. According to the present invention, an image is printed using a print head including multiple nozzle arrays provided for ink in respective multiple colors and in each of which multiple nozzles configured to eject ink are arranged; the print head ejects the ink in the multiple colors onto the same print area on a print medium during multiple scans. The multiple types of ink are ejected from the print head so that the connectivity of ink dots formed on the front outermost surface of a print area is higher than that of other ink dots formed in the print area.