Abstract: Absorbent pads are provided at various positions on a substrate of a service station. The substrate may be in the form of a device intended to be implemented during a capping operation of an ink ejection elements, e.g., printheads, pens, etc.. The various positions on the substrate generally correspond to various locations on the ink ejection element that are known to accumulate ink and other debris. During use, the substrate is drawn near the ink ejection element to thereby cause contact between the absorbent pads and the various locations. The relative movement between the substrate and the ink ejection element is substantially vertical to thereby greatly reduce the possibility of the absorbent pad damaging the nozzles of the ink ejection element. Absorbent pads are also provided on upstanding members of the substrate to substantially remove ink and debris that may accumulate on the sides of the ink ejection element.

Abstract: A nozzle detection test pattern has been developed which can be sensed by an optical sensor located on an inkjet printer carriage. By having the same nozzle print ink drops on multiple pixels to form a single thickened test line during multiple passes of the printhead, it is possible to thereafter scan across such test line and automatically determine by the light contrast ratios which nozzles are not firing properly. A green light LED is used to illuminate the magenta, cyan and black test patterns as they are being sensed, and a blue light LED is used to illuminate the yellow test pattern as it is being sensed. A separate test pattern is used for each printhead ink color. The test pattern constitutes six rows with forty test lines on each row for a printhead having 240 active nozzles.

Abstract: Described is a dynamic multi-pass print mode correction method which corrects for malfunctioning or inoperable ink ejection elements by substituting a fully functioning ink ejection element. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a printmask; identifying ink ejection elements which are malfunctioning; ascertaining potential replacement ink ejection elements from the printmask for the ejection elements which are malfunctioning; selecting replacement ink ejection elements from the potential replacement ink ejection elements; and modifying the printmask by removing the malfunctioning ink ejection elements from the printmask and replacing them with the selected replacement ink ejection elements.

Abstract: An ink jet printing system comprises multiple print cartridges each containing a different ink and having a plurality of printhead nozzle arrays scanning across printing media in a printing zone. After a specified amount of ink has been dispensed, an ink jet printhead carriage is moved to a refill station for ink replenishment. A label on a print head service module displays encoded visual indicia which are sensed by an optical sensor on the ink jet printhead carriage. The optical sensor is used to read pre-encoded information as well as on the fly information which is recorded on a label when the carriage moves along a traverse path to the printhead service station.