Inkjet Full Bleed Printing Reference Pattern Edge Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing full bleed printing methods in inkjet printing face inaccuracies due to variations in thermal expansion affecting the positioning of print heads relative to the receiving medium, leading to potential ink spillage outside the medium's edges and resulting in white edges or contamination of the printing apparatus.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a carriage with a print head that moves relative to the receiving medium in both main and sub-scanning directions, where a reference pattern is printed to determine the distance between the pattern and the medium's edge, allowing for precise positioning of ink droplets close to the edge without exceeding it, thereby minimizing white edges and preventing ink spillage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the droplets of ink are positioned as close to the edge of the receiving medium as possible, then the white edges surrounding the image are minimized, but the risk of ink spillage outside the edges and contamination of the printing apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by printing a reference pattern at a known offset distance from the edge of the receiving medium before printing the actual image. This reference pattern serves as a preliminary marker that enables subsequent precise positioning calculations, allowing the system to determine the exact distance to the edge and adjust droplet placement accordingly, thereby achieving full bleed printing without ink spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a scanner to detect the position of the reference pattern and calculate the actual distance between the reference pattern and the edge of the receiving medium. This detected distance is fed back into the system to dynamically adjust the positioning of subsequent ink droplets, ensuring they are placed at the correct distance from the edge even when thermal expansion or mounting errors occur.
2Measurement precision
If the position of the scanner is used to monitor the edges of the receiving medium, then edge detection is achieved, but inaccuracies occur due to thermal expansion affecting the scanner's position relative to the print heads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the reference pattern - that is printed at a known fixed distance from the edge of the receiving medium. Instead of directly measuring the edge position, the system measures the position of this intermediary reference pattern and uses the known offset distance to calculate the edge position. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for direct scanner-to-edge alignment and compensates for thermal expansion effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a reference pattern that replicates the edge information at a safe distance from the actual edge. The reference pattern serves as a copy or proxy for the edge position, allowing the system to work with this copied reference rather than directly with the edge, thereby avoiding the problems of direct edge measurement under thermal conditions.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for full bleed printing using an inkjet printing apparatus. In the method for full bleed printing, a reference pattern is applied on the receiving medium in a current swath. The carriage of the inkjet printing apparatus and the receiving medium are moved with respect to one another in the sub scanning direction and in a subsequent swath, the distance between the reference pattern and a side edge of the receiving medium is determined, and based on the determined distance between the reference pattern and the side edge of the receiving medium, dots to be printed in an area between the side edge of the receiving medium and the reference pattern are determined.