White and Color Printing Alignment Through Drying-Scale Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies fail to adequately address color misregistration due to slight scaling variations in recording media caused by residual stresses during manufacturing, leading to misalignment of white and color ink layers.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with separate recording units for white and color, incorporating a drying unit between them, and a control unit that adjusts recording positions based on media scaling to minimize misregistration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a drying unit is installed between white and color recording units, then color mixing is prevented, but recording position misalignment occurs due to media scaling
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary scaling calculation based on drying conditions (temperature, humidity, time) before the second recording unit operates. This allows pre-computation of position correction values that compensate for anticipated media scaling, ensuring accurate color layer alignment despite the drying process occurring between white and color recording
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where actual drying conditions are measured and used to dynamically adjust recording position parameters. The control unit continuously monitors drying process variables and feeds this information back to modify the positioning of subsequent color recording operations, maintaining precision despite variations in drying-induced scaling
2Manufacturing precision
If recording position is adjusted to compensate for scaling, then color misregistration is reduced, but recording precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Scaling compensation parameters are calculated in advance based on predetermined drying condition models and material properties. This preliminary calculation approach reduces the need for high-precision real-time measurement during actual recording operations, as the compensation values are prepared beforehand using less demanding measurement requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the complex spatial positioning problem into a parameter adjustment problem by using scaling factors derived from drying conditions. Instead of requiring precise measurement of final positions, the control unit adjusts recording parameters (such as ejection timing, head positioning) based on calculated scaling parameters, reducing measurement precision demands
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces color misregistration by dynamically adjusting recording positions, enabling high-definition image printing with minimal color misalignment.
Implementation Method 1
a drying unit configured to dry the recording medium on which the first image is recorded by the first recording unit
Implementation Method 2
a first recording unit configured to record a first image on a front surface of a recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
The technique of the present disclosure reduces color misregistration in a printing apparatus that incorporates a drying process during a printing process. In a printing apparatus that performs drying between a first recording unit and a second recording unit, a first misregistration amount between the recording units, i.e., the first recording unit and the second recording unit. Based on the calculated first misregistration amount between the printing units as well as a pattern printed in a second area for detecting misregistration between the first recording unit and the second recording unit, a second misregistration amount between the recording units, which is caused by the scaling of the sheet in the conveyance direction due to heating and cooling, is calculated. According to the calculated second misregistration amount between the recording units, a scaling process is performed on the image data for the first recording unit.