Mesh Media Printing with Hole Masking to Cut Ink Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printing systems waste significant amounts of ink when printing on mesh media with holes, as they treat the media as continuous surfaces, leading to ink being fired through holes and wasted, especially in applications where ink cost dominates the end product price.
Innovation Solution
The printer identifies the locations of holes in the mesh medium and adjusts the image to be printed by removing image regions corresponding to the hole locations, using the hole pattern as a mask to prevent ink from being fired into the holes, either through user input or sensor detection, thereby reducing ink consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the printer treats mesh media as continuous surfaces and fires ink onto the entire surface, then the printing process is simple and fast, but significant amounts of ink are wasted through the holes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of hole locations in the mesh media before the actual printing process. By identifying hole positions in advance and storing them in a look-up table, the system can pre-calculate which image regions should be removed or masked, thereby preventing ink waste through holes during the printing phase without adding complexity to the printing mechanism itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step between image input and printing: a mask generation process that creates a modified image by removing regions corresponding to hole locations. This intermediary mask acts as a mediator that guides the printer to deposit ink only on valid substrate areas, effectively reducing ink waste while keeping the printer hardware unchanged
2Loss of substance
If ink is fired onto the entire mesh surface including over holes, then the printing process is straightforward, but ink is wasted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating different regions of the mesh media differently based on their characteristics. Valid substrate regions receive ink deposition while hole regions are identified and excluded from printing. The look-up table stores hole location information that enables localized masking of image regions, ensuring ink is applied only where the substrate can actually retain it
3Loss of substance
If the printer uses a sensor to detect hole locations and adjusts the image accordingly, then ink consumption is reduced, but the device complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor detects hole locations and builds a look-up table of hole positions during media loading or before printing begins. This preliminary detection and storage of hole information separates the detection phase from the printing phase, allowing the actual printing process to proceed efficiently by simply referencing the pre-stored hole locations rather than detecting them in real-time during printing
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or representation of the hole pattern in the form of a look-up table and uses this copy to generate the mask for image adjustment. Instead of physically blocking holes or modifying the media, the system works with a digital replica of the hole locations to guide the printing process, reducing physical intervention while achieving the same effect
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a printer and method for printing an image on a medium comprising a plurality of holes, said image enveloping at least one of said holes. According to an embodiment, the printer comprises a means for identifying the respective locations of the holes in at least a first part of the medium, a processor for adjusting at least a part of the image by removing image regions corresponding with the defined locations and at least one printer head responsive to the processor for printing the adjusted at least part of the image on the at least the first part of the medium.