Printing Apparatus White Mask Processing for Disc Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face issues when printing images on disc media, as they often result in ink bleeding outside the medium's boundaries, contaminating the tray, due to mismatched image processing between the host computer and the printing apparatus, especially when rectangular images are transmitted without proper white mask processing.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a determination unit to assess if white mask processing is required, an execution unit to perform the necessary processing, and a printing unit to ensure the image is printed within the disc medium's boundaries, using white mask processing to prevent ink from exceeding the disc's shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the printing apparatus performs printing processing on received image data without checking for pre-processing, then the printing speed is fast and productivity is high, but the image may be printed outside the disc medium boundaries causing tray contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The determination unit checks in advance whether white mask processing has been performed on the image data before printing. This preliminary check allows the system to identify images that need boundary conforming processing and apply appropriate corrections before the actual printing occurs, preventing ink from bleeding outside the disc medium boundaries while maintaining efficient printing operations
2Manufacturing precision
If the printing apparatus performs white mask processing on all received images, then the image boundaries are accurately maintained, but processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying white mask processing to all images, the determination unit identifies only those images that require boundary conforming processing. The execution unit then applies the white mask processing selectively to these specific images, avoiding unnecessary processing on images that already have proper boundaries. This partial action approach maintains image boundary accuracy where needed while preserving overall processing speed and productivity
3Ease of operation
If the host computer creates images without white mask processing, then the image creation process is simple and ease of operation is high, but the printing apparatus cannot print accurately on disc medium boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The printing apparatus autonomously determines whether received image data requires white mask processing through its determination unit. When an image is identified as needing processing, the execution unit automatically applies the white mask processing to conform the image to the disc medium boundaries. This self-service mechanism allows users to simply transmit images without worrying about pre-processing, while the system automatically ensures accurate print area boundaries are maintained
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus determines whether or not predetermined processing in accordance with a predetermined shape of a medium is executed on an image of a printing target. In a case where it is determined that the predetermined processing is not executed on the image of the printing target, the printing apparatus executes the predetermined processing on the image of the printing target to perform printing. In a case where it is determined that the predetermined processing is executed on the image of the printing target, the printing apparatus prints the image of the printing target on which the predetermined processing is not executed.