Abstract: Print media products comprise a top layer of a printing material comprising a plurality of holes distributed on the surface area thereof, and a bottom layer of a printing material comprising a plurality of holes distributed on the surface area thereof, the top layer being overlayed on and removably attached to the bottom layer such that an ink-receiving side of the top layer is exposed and an ink-receiving side of the bottom layer is in contact with the top layer, and such that the holes of the top layer are at least in part overlapped with print material of the bottom layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a normal consumption state, a low consumption state, and a fluid applicator unit. The fluid applicator unit may selectively provide a first set of drops of fluid to perform a printing routine in a print mode. The fluid applicator unit may also selectively provide a second set of drops of fluid to perform a service routine in a maintenance mode. An amount of the first set of drops of fluid to perform the printing routine and an amount of the second set of drops of fluid to perform the service routine may be less in the low consumption state than in the normal consumption state.

Abstract: Systems and methods of fill area reduction during printing are disclosed. An example of a method includes identifying a fill area. The method also includes generating a depletion matrix corresponding to the fill area. The depletion matrix identifies which of the plurality of print heads to deactivate. The method also includes selectively adjusting output from the plurality of print heads based on the depletion matrix in order to reduce fill area during printing.

Abstract: A page-wide-array printer has a print unit including an array of print-heads, wherein a printing direction is defined by a relative movement between the print unit and a print medium during a printing process. The page-wide-array printer receives a continuous tone image and divides the continuous tone image into a series of slices along a printing direction. Halftone image data is generated from each of the slices using error diffusion halftoning. The error diffusion halftoning comprises processing, with regard to error diffusion, each slice pixel-by-pixel following a processing pattern mainly oriented along a main processing direction which is parallel to the printing direction. The page-wide-array printer prints the halftone image data along the printing direction.

Abstract: Leader devices usable with roll media arid an image forming system having an output member are disclosed. A leader device may include a leader member having a first end and a second end. The first end may attach to the output member of the image forming system. The leader device may also include an attachment means disposed on the second end of the image forming system for removably attaching the leader member to a leading edge of the roll media.

Abstract: A page-wide-array printer has a print unit including an array of print-heads, wherein a printing direction is defined by a relative movement between the print unit and a print medium during a printing process. The page-wide-array printer receives a continuous tone image and divides the continuous tone image into a series of slices along a printing direction. Halftone image data is generated from each of the slices using error diffusion halftoning. The error diffusion halftoning comprises processing, with regard to error diffusion, each slice pixel-by-pixel following a processing pattern mainly oriented along a main processing direction which is parallel to the printing direction. The page-wide-array printer prints the halftone image data along the printing direction.

Abstract: Methods and cassettes for discarding ink are disclosed. An example cassette includes a housing having a form factor to be received in a printer; a container to receive the discarded ink; and a memory to receive usage data from the printer, the usage data being indicative of an amount of the discarded ink received by the container.

Abstract: A barcode on a medium is received. It is determined whether misalignment of a printhead of the printer is present based on bars in the barcode.

Abstract: One example includes a printer (110) having a calculator (120) to determine plot density of a printer content page (130). A controller (140) is provided to set a print parameter based on the determined plot density for the printer content page (130) to mitigate dry time for a printed output page (150).

Abstract: A method for automated alignment adjustment of a printing head includes determining a current drop velocity for the printing head based on a cumulative amount of ink that was dispensed by the printing head. An alignment adjustment on the printing head is performed to compensate for a change in the drop velocity based on the current drop velocity. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions and a system are also described.

Abstract: A barcode on a medium is received. It is determined whether misalignment of a printhead of the printer is present based on bars in the barcode.

Abstract: An example printer or method involves recognizing artifacts in a digital image of at least a part of a nozzle plate, and triggering a nozzle plate cleaning routine if the recognized artifacts cover more than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method for automated alignment adjustment of a printing head includes determining a current drop velocity for the printing head based on a cumulative amount of ink that was dispensed by the printing head. An alignment adjustment on the printing head is performed to compensate for a change in the drop velocity based on the current drop velocity. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions and a system are also described.

Abstract: A method of printing a document using a fluid-ejection printing device includes receiving gray scale image data for the document, and identifying at least one area fill feature of the image data. It is determined whether the at least one area fill feature will be printed with a combination of different black inks and is likely to produce a visible image defect if printed in an N-pass bidirectional print mode, where N is an integer. Non-fill regions of the image data are printed using the N-pass bidirectional print mode. The method further includes automatically switching to an M-pass bidirectional print mode for printing the at least one area fill feature when it is determined that the at least one area fill feature will be printed with a combination of different black inks and is likely to produce a visible image defect, where M is an integer greater than N.

Abstract: Systems and methods of fill area reduction during printing are disclosed. An example of a method includes identifying a fill area. The method also includes generating a depletion matrix corresponding to the fill area. The depletion matrix identifies which of the plurality of print heads to deactivate. The method also includes selectively adjusting output from the plurality of print heads based on the depletion matrix in order to reduce fill area during printing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a calibration method for a printer having a mechanism for advancing a medium in a direction of media advance comprising the following steps: (a) providing a printhead, the printhead having a swath height in the direction of media advance; (b) providing an estimate of either the swath height or the characteristic of the mechanism; (c) printing a base pattern on a medium using the printhead; (d) printing an overlay pattern on the medium using the printhead to form an interference pattern; (e) advance the medium of a predetermined distance using the mechanism at a time between the printing of the base pattern and the printing of the overlay pattern; (f) analyze an optical evaluation of the interference pattern; (g) evaluate as either: (i) the swath height if the characteristic of the mechanism is known or estimated; or (ii) the characteristic of the mechanism if the swath height is known or estimated.

Abstract: A method of printing a document using a fluid-ejection printing device includes receiving gray scale image data for the document, and identifying at least one area fill feature of the image data. It is determined whether the at least one area fill feature will be printed with a combination of different black inks and is likely to produce a visible image defect if printed in an N-pass bidirectional print mode, where N is an integer. Non-fill regions of the image data are printed using the N-pass bidirectional print mode. The method further includes automatically switching to an M-pass bidirectional print mode for printing the at least one area fill feature when it is determined that the at least one area fill feature will be printed with a combination of different black inks and is likely to produce a visible image defect, where M is an integer greater than N.

Abstract: An N-pass hybrid fill-and-line print mode is used to print an image on a print medium. In this mode, each sequence of N longitudinally overlapping printhead passes over said print media includes at least one transverse forward pass using a fill mask and at least one transverse reverse pass using a line mask.

Abstract: Imaging devices and external storage media facilitate secured storage of user-specific data. An imaging device includes a processor configured to detect coupling of an external storage medium to the imaging device, to perform an authentication process upon detecting the coupling of an external storage medium, and to disable storage of print job data to an internal storage medium of the imaging device in response to authenticating an external storage medium. The imaging device processor may further be configured to determine if the internal storage contains identification information, and to perform the authentication process if the internal storage medium does not contain identification information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a calibration method for a printer having a mechanism for advancing a medium in a direction of media advance comprising the following steps: a—providing a printhead, the printhead having a swath height in the direction of media advance; b—providing an estimate of either the swath height or the characteristic of the mechanism; c—printing a base pattern on a medium using the printhead; d—printing an overlay pattern on the medium using the printhead to form an interference pattern; e—advance the medium of a predetermined distance using the mechanism at a time between the printing of the base pattern and the printing of the overlay pattern; f—analyze an optical evaluation of the interference pattern; g—evaluate as either: i—the swath height if the characteristic of the mechanism is known or estimated; or ii—the characteristic of the mechanism if the swath height is known or estimated.