Selvage Edge Compensation for Digital Wallpaper Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Digital printing techniques for wall coverings often result in unprinted selvage edges due to cutting errors, leading to mismatched print patterns and increased production costs, as existing methods are not effective in accurately cutting the substrate to match the print pattern, especially when using digital printing.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves providing an additional continuous print pattern on the selvage edges of the substrate, along with a marker to guide the cutting device, ensuring accurate cutting and minimizing errors, thus maintaining the coherence of the print pattern across strips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital printing techniques are used to apply print patterns to substrate, then print quality and resolution are improved, but cutting accuracy cannot match the printing accuracy resulting in cutting errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a compensating print pattern to the selvage edges before cutting occurs. This preliminary action anticipates potential cutting errors by pre-positioning corrective patterns that will mask or compensate for inaccuracies in the final cutting process, allowing the high-precision digital print to remain visible despite cutting variations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color and pattern matching on the selvage edges to camouflage cutting errors. By applying additional print patterns that match or blend with the main print pattern, the visual appearance maintains coherence even when cutting boundaries do not align perfectly with the printed design
2Stability of the object's composition
If substrate is cut to match print pattern dimensions, then print pattern coherence is improved, but cutting errors result in unprinted areas or mismatched patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating print pattern is applied to the selvage edges before cutting, creating a buffer zone that anticipates and compensates for cutting variations. This ensures that even if cutting boundaries shift, the print pattern coherence is maintained through the pre-positioned corrective patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of cutting errors into a beneficial outcome by using the selvage edge patterns to mask or compensate for inaccuracies. What would normally be visible defects (unprinted areas or mismatched patterns) are transformed into acceptable variations through the strategic application of compensating prints
3Adaptability or versatility
If selvage edges are left unprinted to accommodate cutting, then cutting flexibility is improved, but production efficiency decreases due to disposal of defective wall coverings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously wasted selvage edges into useful compensating zones. By applying corrective print patterns to these edges, the areas that would have been discarded due to cutting errors now serve a functional purpose in maintaining print coherence, thereby reducing waste and improving production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding wall coverings with cutting errors, the patent recovers value by applying compensating print patterns to the selvage edges. This allows defective pieces to be salvaged and used, transforming waste material into functional product and significantly improving production efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The current invention concerns an automated method to produce digitally printed wall coverings, such as wallpaper, which can be produced with high quality in a flexible and cost effective manner with minimum side effects due to cutting occurring on the edges of the wall covering.