Abstract: A printing system and method of printing a digital image resulting in an elevated print on a support. The elevated print has a surface of varying height. The printing system is configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes. The definition of the digital image comprises color data for each pixel of the digital image and height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the digital image. A raster image processor is connected to the printing system and rasterizes the digital image into a raster image. A digital slicer is connected to the printing system and derives from the raster image a number of pass images to be printed on top of each other. The printing system is then printing the pass images on top of each other by applying a number of recording materials on the support. The printing system receives information related to the print order of the recording materials in the pass images for each pass pixel for establishing a special effect.

Abstract: A printing system and method of printing a digital image resulting in an elevated print on a support. The elevated print has a surface of varying height. The printing system is configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes. The definition of the digital image comprises color data for each pixel of the digital image and height data for indicating a height of each pixel of the digital image. A raster image processor is connected to the printing system and rasterizes the digital image into a raster image. A digital slicer is connected to the printing system and derives from the raster image a number of pass images to be printed on top of each other. The printing system is then printing the pass images on top of each other by applying a number of recording materials on the support. The printing system receives information related to the print order of the recording materials in the pass images for each pass pixel for establishing a special effect.

Abstract: A printer control system for controlling the printing of an object on a support in a number of passes on top of each other includes a user interface which has a display device and is arranged to visualize in a window on the display device a pixel-precise preview image before printing of the object. The preview image includes a representation of the surface of the object. The printer control system further includes a digital analyser for analysing the pass images in order to deduce before printing of the object locations of smooth areas at the surface of the object, and a preview emulator for digitally shining on the pixel-precise preview. The printer control system calculates a digital move path to be applied by the preview emulator over the pixel-precise preview based on the locations of the smooth areas in order to highlight regions of interest with a potential print artefact.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for printing a plurality of voxels of an object in a plurality of passes of a print head of a printing system over a substrate, each pass having a movement direction of the print head relative to the substrate while ejecting marking material from the print head towards the substrate, each voxel having a position in the object, the method comprising the steps of for each voxel of the object selecting a movement direction of the print head based on the position of the voxel in the object, selecting at least one pass in which the voxel will be printed, the at least one pass having a movement direction which corresponds to the selected movement direction of the print head, and printing the voxel in the selected at least one pass. The present invention also relates to a printing system configured to execute the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer control system and a method for controlling the printing of an object on a support in a number of pass images on top of each other. The object has a surface of varying height. The printer control system comprises a user interface having a display device and arranged to visualize in a window on the display device a preview image before printing of the object. The preview image comprises a representation of the surface of the object. The printer control system further comprises an analysis section which is configured to analyze the pass images in order to predict before printing the object a location of a contouring artefact at the surface of the object, and a transformation section which is configured to transform the predicted location into a contour representation to be added to the preview image. The contour representation is visually distinguishable from the representation of the surface of the object in the preview image.

Abstract: A printing system and method of printing an object having a surface of varying height, by a printer configured to print a number of pass images on top of each other in a number of passes, including: deriving from an object image a number of pass images to be printed on top of each other, including: establishing pass pixels of the pass images for which pass pixels a pass pixel height is defined, where a sum of the defined heights of a sequence of pass pixels that corresponds to a respective pixel of the object image equals the height of that pixel of the object image; and printing the pass images on top of each other. An amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel is varied in accordance with the defined pass pixel heights. The pass pixels heights are selected, based on random data, from a respective set of at least two positive pass pixel heights.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer control system for controlling the printing of an object on a support in a number of passes on top of each other. The object has a surface of varying height. The printer control system comprises a user interface which has a display device and is arranged to visualize in a window on the display device a pixel-precise preview image before printing of the object. The preview image comprises a representation of the surface of the object.

Abstract: A system for detecting friction between an object, that is being printed in a printer, and a print head moving relative to the object, comprising: an acoustic sensor system arranged to detect an acoustic noise signal generated by the printer; a recording system arranged to record the noise signal while the print head moves relative to the object; and an electronic processing system arranged to detect, in the recorded noise signal, correlated with the reciprocating movement of the printhead over the printed object, a signature that is characteristic of an event of friction between the print head and the object.

Abstract: A method for printing an object that is specified to have a pattern image visible at the surface of the object includes generating a plurality of layers of voxels to be printed on top of each other on a support by depositing voxel drops of marking material in order to create the object consisting of columns of said voxel drops. Each voxel drop in a column of voxel drops is deposited in a different layer. For each column of voxel drops intended to be printed marking material is deposited for each layer in the column. For each column of voxel drops intended to be printed, it is determined if the location of a top layer of the column is intended to be part of the pattern intended to be established at the surface of the object. If so, a voxel drop deposition is paused for a predetermined number of layers within the column before the top layer of the column is printed. The remaining originally intended layers of the column are deposited after the pause of the voxel drop deposition within the column.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for printing a plurality of voxels of an object in a plurality of passes of a print head of a printing system over a substrate, each pass having a movement direction of the print head relative to the substrate while ejecting marking material from the print head towards the substrate, each voxel having a position in the object, the method comprising the steps of for each voxel of the object selecting a movement direction of the print head based on the position of the voxel in the object, selecting at least one pass in which the voxel will be printed, the at least one pass having a movement direction which corresponds to the selected movement direction of the print head, and printing the voxel in the selected at least one pass. The present invention also relates to a printing system configured to execute the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer control system and a method for controlling the printing of an object on a support in a number of pass images on top of each other. The object has a surface of varying height. The printer control system comprises a user interface having a display device and arranged to visualize in a window on the display device a preview image before printing of the object. The preview image comprises a representation of the surface of the object. The printer control system further comprises an analysis section which is configured to analyze the pass images in order to predict before printing the object a location of a contouring artefact at the surface of the object, and a transformation section which is configured to transform the predicted location into a contour representation to be added to the preview image. The contour representation is visually distinguishable from the representation of the surface of the object in the preview image.

Abstract: A method of gloss correction in a process of printing a three-dimensional object, wherein a print head is moved in two directions parallel to a substrate to slicewise apply material building the object up to a height as defined in a height map, comprising the steps of: deriving, from the height map, a normal map which assigns to any point of the object surface a normal vector that is normal to the surface of the object; segmenting the surface points into at least two regions in which the normal vectors of points in the region fulfill a predefined similarity criterion that is related to a surface gloss of the object; for each region, estimating an expected surface gloss value of the object; calculating a gloss correction map based on a difference between the estimated surface gloss values for said at least two regions; and applying to the object a surface treatment in accordance with the gloss correction map.

Abstract: A system for detecting friction between an object, that is being printed in a printer, and a print head moving relative to the object, comprising: an acoustic sensor system arranged to detect an acoustic noise signal generated by the printer; a recording system arranged to record the noise signal while the print head moves relative to the object; and an electronic processing system arranged to detect, in the recorded noise signal, correlated with the reciprocating movement of the printhead over the printed object, a signature that is characteristic of an event of friction between the print head and the object.

Abstract: A printing system and method of printing an object having a surface (36) of varying height, by a printer configured to print a number of pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) on top of each other in a number of passes, including: deriving (S12) from an object image a number of pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) to be printed on top of each other, including: establishing (S28; S40) pass pixels of the pass images for which pass pixels a pass pixel height is defined, wherein a sum of the defined heights of a sequence of pass pixels that corresponds to a respective pixel (A; B) of the object image equals the height of that pixel of the object image; and printing the pass images (1; 2; 3; . . . ) on top of each other. An amount of printed material that is printed per printed pass pixel is varied in accordance with the defined pass pixel heights. The pass pixels heights are selected S26), based on random data, from a respective set of at least two positive pass pixel heights.