Abstract: A method of jet printing is disclosed in which a jet printing fluid source advances in a helical progression with respect to a drum, and drops from the jet printing fluid source are guided to a substrate in steps that define a swathing order that separates their trajectories. A printing system is also disclosed in which a digital filtering function is applied to a desired input position value to obtain a guiding value for a drop of printing fluid.

Abstract: A nozzle for an ink-jet printer is provided. The nozzle is manufactured from a heat-softenable tube and has a gradually converging inner diameter leading to an orifice less than 30 microns in diameter and an outer nozzle diameter proximate the orifice at least as great as the outer diameter at other points along the tube. The nozzle is produced by heating a short segment of a heat-softenable tube while rotating it, until said segment is sufficiently softened to cause the inner diameter to converge at an angle between 5 and 25 degrees with respect to the axis of symmetry of the tube, and until the inner diameter is equal to or less than a selected orifice diameter. The gradual taper is achieved solely as a result of heat-activated surface forces inherent in the tube material and without external drawing or pulling of the tube. Further the gradual taper facilitates achieving a desired orifice dimension during removal of a portion of the tube having an inner diameter less than the selected orifice diameter.

Abstract: A deposited ink drop imposition proofing print sheet that includes two deposited ink drop printable faces each having a periphery defined by an ordered series of first, second, third, and fourth edges. These two faces have properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment. The sheet defines two first registration openings. The first is located closer to the first sheet edge than to the third sheet edge and closer to the second sheet edge than to the fourth sheet edge. The second is located closer to the first sheet edge than to the third sheet edge and closer to the fourth sheet edge than to the second sheet edge. In one embodiment, an inner edge of the first registration opening is nominally separated from an inner edge of the second registration opening by at least 36 inches.

Abstract: An imposition printer and associated method. The printer can disengage its rollers from a print substrate feed path, deploy a pair of registration stops, and align a print substrate by engaging the print substrate with the stops. The rollers can then engage the substrate in an aligned position, and the registration stops can be retracted. After they are engaged, the same rollers can advance the substrate as a deposited ink drop print head deposits ink on it.

Abstract: An ink pen assembly of a continuous ink jet printer includes a printhead nest and an ink pen cartridge removably received within the nest. The cartridge includes a pen body in electrical communication with the printhead nest, and a nozzle body in fluid communication with the printhead nest. A charge electrode charges ink drops breaking off from ink jetted from an outlet of the nozzle body. A deflection electrode deflects the charged ink drops along an axis substantially transverse to a direction of travel of a substrate being printed. An ink block mount includes an ink blocking element for diverting deflected ink drops. An ink block actuator pivots with respect to the pen body to adjust the position of the ink blocking element. The printhead nest defines at least four ink outlets for delivering different colored inks, and at least four ink pen cartridges are removably received by the printhead nest.

Abstract: A printer drum includes a leading edge assembly for holding a first end of a substrate, and a trailing edge assembly for holding a second end of the substrate. The leading edge assembly includes a first plurality of interconnected disks, and the trailing edge assembly includes a second plurality of interconnected disks. The disks of the two assemblies are interleaved such that the disks of the trailing edge assembly are rotatable relative to the disks of the leading edge assembly about the axis of rotation of the drum. A balancing disk is interleaved with the disks. A leading edge clamp interconnects the first plurality of disks, and a trailing edge clamp interconnects the second plurality of disks. A plurality of registration pins of the leading edge clamp selectively engage a substrate held by the clamp.

Abstract: A mordanting substrate is provided including a porous substrate, and, distributed within the substrate, a mordanting agent. Preferably, the substrate is a fibrous cellulosic material, and the mordanting agent is a cationic polymer that is soluble in polar solvents, preferably water-soluble. The polar solvent solubility of the polymer, in combination with the porosity and cellulosic nature of the material, has been found to cause the mordanting agent, when imbibed into the substrate in the form of a solution, to bind to fibers within the substrate. This binding in turn allows excellent immobilization of dye within the substrate.

Abstract: Ink jet printing apparatus including a printing substrate cassette containing a multiplicity of printing substrates in rolled cut sheet form, an ink jet head assembly operative to print on a printing substrate and an ink supply assembly operative to provide ink to the ink jet head assembly.

Abstract: An ink jet printer comprising a plurality of ink jets arranged for dot-on-dot continuous ink jet printing, at least two of said plurality of ink jets being supplied with ink of the same dye and different densities. A printed article and a method of printing are also disclosed.

Abstract: A deflection electrode for use in a continuous ink jet printing device molded of powdered ultra high molecular weight polyethylene combined with carbon black and subjected to oxygen plasma treatment.

Abstract: A system fop matching a first picture on a monitor to a second picture printed on a printing medium. The system includes a) a monitor for receiving a first image and for displaying the first image as the first picture, b) printing apparatus for receiving a second image and for producing the second picture and c) conversion apparatus for converting first colors of the first image, defined in a first color coordinate system of the monitor, to second colors of the second image, defined in a second color coordinate system of the printing apparatus and the printing medium, through third colors defined in a colorimetric color coordinate system, to convert from the first image to the second image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a color half-tone image from a digital data file are disclosed. The method includes the step of filling a pattern of dots for each of a plurality of colors, wherein the configuration and size of dots in a macropixel varies as a function of input density for each of the plurality of colors. The step of filling includes the step of producing a plurality of multiple droplet dots in less than the total available pixel locations in a macropixel in at least part of a range of input densities. The apparatus performs the operations of the method. The pixels are of variable size as a function of the number of droplets deposited at the pixel locations.

Abstract: A nozzle for an ink-jet printer is provided having a gradually converging inner diameter leading to an orifice less than 15 microns in diameter and having an outer nozzle diameter proximate the orifice at least as great as the outer diameter at other points along the nozzle. The nozzle is produced by heating a vitreous tube while rotating it, until a portion of the tube is sufficiently viscous to cause the inner diameter to converge at an angle between 5 and 25 degrees with respect to the axis of symmetry of the tube, and until the inner diameter is less than a selected orifice diameter. The gradual taper is achieved without drawing or pulling the tube and it facilitates achieving a desired orifice dimension during removal of a portion of the tube having an inner diameter less than the selected orifice diameter. The extremely small orifice size enables an ink-jet printer to deposit droplets of ink sufficiently small to make photographic-quality gray scale and color images.

Abstract: A system for converting a first representation of a color input image to a second representation and method for performing same are disclosed. The system includes apparatus for mapping primary axes and overprint axes of a selected color coordinate system to primary axes and overprint axes of a printer color coordinate system of the second representation, thereby to produce primary conversion tables and overprint conversion tables and apparatus for converting the first representation to the second representation utilizing the primary and overprint conversion tables. The system also includes printing apparatus for printing the second representation and for producing an output print, wherein the output print is a reproduction of the color input image within the selected color coordinate system. Furthermore, the system enables selection of operator-selected appearance parameters used to match desired printer conditions in accordance with the appearance parameters.

Abstract: Calibration apparatus for an ink jet printer of the type having a rotary drum which has a cylindrical surface and which rotates about an axis, and a print head which is movable parallel to that axis in an axial direction along the drum surface and between a head home position and a position beyond one end of the drum, the head projecting an ink jet comprised of ink droplets towards the drum surface. The apparatus comprises a needle-like ink jet sensor having a needle tip positioned at a selected distance in the axial direction beyond the one end of the drum and with its axis perpendicular to the drum axis. The sensor is movable in the direction of its axis between a sensor home position at a selected location relative to the drum and a position in which the sensor can intercept the ink jet and the sensor produces a sensor signal when it does intercept the ink jet.

Abstract: The present assembly is an ink jet printer of the continuous stream type for printing an image on a recording surface having a nozzle or orifice from which an electrically conductive ink stream is expelled by pressure along a predetermined path toward a recording surface apparatus to selectively deflect or interrupt portions of the ink stream such that the portions deflected or interrupt are prevented from reaching the area of the recording surface or which said image is printed, an ink mist shield positioned proximate to the recording surface, the mist shield being maintained at a first potential, apparatus for charging the recording surface to a second potential substantially different from the first potential whereby ink which impinges the recording surface is charged thereby and particles of the impinging ink which rebound from the recording surface are impelled toward the mist shield by the field resulting from the difference between the first and second potential.

Abstract: An ink jet recorder of the continuous jet type has a mounting block defining a reference surface. Nozzle units from which the ink streams are ejected are releasably keyed to the reference surface. An ink reservoir supplies electrically conductive ink to the nozzle units which selectively charge segments of the ink streams issuing from the nozzle units. Each unit also includes provision for accurately aiming the ink stream in both the x and y directions using simple knob controls. A deflection unit also releasably keyed to the reference surface downstream from the nozzle units.The ink stream is directed through a deflection unit mounted on the reference surface. Mating members are provided in said mounting block which corresponds with mating members on the deflection unit.