Printer Pass Boundaries Diagonal Waveform Banding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing methods using multiple passes often result in noticeable banding due to errors in medium feeding distance and print head scanning width, leading to overlapping or clearance between printing passes, which affects printing quality.
Innovation Solution
A printer and printing method that sets printing passes with boundaries extending diagonally or in a waveform relative to the medium's width direction, reducing the impact of errors and making banding unnoticeable by adjusting the alignment and oscillation of printing passes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple printing passes are used to cover the printing zone, then the printing coverage is improved, but errors in feeding distance and scanning width cause overlapping or clearance between passes, resulting in noticeable banding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by setting the boundaries between printing passes to extend in a waveform (curved pattern) in the width direction of the medium, with oscillation in the feeding direction. This curved boundary configuration replaces straight-line boundaries, causing any feeding or scanning errors to manifest as variations along the curved path rather than creating uniform clearance or overlap. The waveform boundaries distribute the error impact across multiple zones, preventing the formation of noticeable banding while maintaining complete printing coverage.
2Device complexity
If straight boundaries between printing passes are used, then the printing process is simple, but errors create uniform clearance or overlapping that produces noticeable banding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the simple straight-line boundaries into waveform boundaries that extend diagonally relative to the width direction of the medium. This curvature increases the complexity of the printing pass configuration but eliminates banding by ensuring that feeding or scanning errors do not create uniform clearance or overlap. The waveform pattern distributes error effects across different zones, maintaining printing quality while accepting moderate increases in process complexity.
3Productivity
If printing passes are set to cover the entire printing zone, then the printing efficiency is improved, but the width of clearance or overlapping increases, making banding more noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The waveform boundary configuration allows printing passes to maintain adequate coverage for efficient printing while reducing the effective width of clearance or overlapping zones. The oscillating diagonal boundaries create a pattern where error-induced clearance or overlap is distributed and minimized in any given location, preventing noticeable banding even when multiple passes are used for efficient coverage of the printing zone.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer including a feeding unit configured to perform repeated feeding of a medium for a predetermined feeding distance in a predetermined feeding direction, a print head configured to print on a printing surface of the medium in a printing zone set each time the feeding unit performs a feeding of the medium for the feeding distance, and a printing pass setting unit configured to set the printing zone containing a plurality of printing passes. The printing pass setting unit sets the printing passes such that boundaries between the printing passes extend diagonally relative to a width direction of the medium that is perpendicular to the feeding direction. The printing pass setting unit can set the printing passes such that the boundaries between the printing passes extend in waveform in the width direction with oscillation of the waveform being in the feeding direction.