Abstract: A method of forming a nozzle of a fluid ejection device, the nozzle having a straight mouth portion and a cavity portion, wherein the mouth portion is formed in a bottom surface of the substrate, and, after passivating the walls of the mouth portion, a wet etch process is applied from the bottom surface of the substrate for forming a part of the cavity portion with walls that diverge from the mouth portion, characterized in that a wet etch process is also applied from a top surface of the substrate for forming a part of the cavity portion which diverges towards the bottom surface and merges with the part that is etched from the bottom surface.

Abstract: A recording substrate treatment apparatus, includes a heating device for directly heating a recording substrate, a condenser for condensing liquid from air from surroundings of a recording substrate, and an energy transfer system arranged for transferring energy from latent heat, which is released by the condensing of liquid by the condenser, to the heating device. Further, a method of drying a recording substrate and a method of fixing a printing substance on a recording substrate include heating a recording substrate by a heating device; condensing liquid from air from surroundings of the recording substrate; and transferring energy from latent heat, which is released by the condensing of liquid, to the heating device.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a nozzle and an associated funnel in a single plate comprises providing the single plate, the plate being etchable; providing an etch resistant mask on the plate, the mask having a pattern, wherein the pattern comprises a first pattern part for etching the nozzle and a second pattern part for etching the funnel; covering one of the first pattern part and the second pattern part using a first cover; etching one of the nozzle and funnel corresponding to the pattern part not covered in step (c); removing the first cover; etching the other one of the nozzle and funnel; and removing the etch resistant mask.

Abstract: In a printer having a print head moveable relative to a recording medium, the recording medium and print head may touch each other, thereby possibly damaging the print head and/or the recording medium. In order to prevent further damage, it is advantageous to detect a medium touch as soon as possible. An available feedback signal relating to the print head, e.g. originating from a carriage on which the print head is mounted, is employed to determine whether a medium touch has occurred such that a dedicated medium touch or crash sensor may be omitted. A malfunctioning nozzle signal is used to determine a change in a number of malfunctioning nozzles to detect a medium touch. Alternatively, a print head position signal is used to determine a position error and derive from the position error whether or not a medium touch has occurred.

Abstract: A swath printer includes a print head that is moveable along a scan direction for applying an ink image to a receiving medium. A transport mechanism is configured to move the receiving medium and the print head with respect to each other in a transport direction that is substantially orthogonal to the scan direction. A first sensor is arranged to detect a position of a first reference pattern present on the receiving medium in a first area thereof, and a second sensor is arranged to detect a position of a second reference pattern present on the receiving medium in a second area thereof. A controller is provided to control the printer on the basis of the detected positions of the reference patterns during use of the printer.

Abstract: A method of preparing an inkjet printhead, prior to generating an image onto a receiving medium, the printhead containing a substantially closed ink duct comprising an inlet opening and a nozzle, said duct being operationally connected to an electro-mechanical transducer, the method including the steps of arranging that the duct is filled with ink; generating a pressure wave in the ink, the pressure wave causing a deformation of the transducer which generates an electrical signal as a result; analyzing the electrical signal, and deciding on the basis of the analysis whether the inkjet printhead is ready to proceed with the printing of the image. The inkjet printer is also modified to perform the present method.

Abstract: A method and system for application in an inkjet printer containing a substantially closed ink duct in which ink is situated, said duct being operationally connected to an electromechanical transducer, the method including the steps of: actuating the transducer with a number of actuation pulses according to a predetermined actuation setting in order to eject ink drops from a duct nozzle, where a pressure wave is generated in the duct by an actuation pulse, this pressure wave causing a deformation of an electromechanical transducer which generates an electrical signal; analyzing the electrical signal; analyzing the signal for a plurality of different actuation settings, and based on which analysis, determining an actuation setting, on the one side of which setting the ejection of a drop is a stable process and on the other side of which setting, the ejection of a drop is an unstable process.

Abstract: In a printer having a print head moveable relative to a recording medium, the recording medium and print head may touch each other, thereby possibly damaging the print head and/or the recording medium. In order to prevent further damage, it is advantageous to detect a medium touch as soon as possible. An available feedback signal relating to the print head, e.g. originating from a carriage on which the print head is mounted, is employed to determine whether a medium touch has occurred such that a dedicated medium touch or crash sensor may be omitted. A malfunctioning nozzle signal is used to determine a change in a number of malfunctioning nozzles to detect a medium touch. Alternatively, a print head position signal is used to determine a position error and derive from the position error whether or not a medium touch has occurred.

Abstract: A printing method for application in an inkjet printer containing a substantially closed ink chamber and a nozzle, said ink chamber being operationally connected to an electro-mechanical converter, which includes the steps of printing an image for the purposes of which the converter is actuated according to a predetermined printing strategy in order to eject ink drops from the nozzle for the formation of the image onto a carrier; detecting the presence of an obstruction, in particular a gas bubble, inside the ink chamber during printing: interrupting the printing process: modifying the printing strategy in such a way that the obstruction will not produce ink chamber failure while the process of printing the image continues by actuating the converter using the modified printing strategy: and continuing the printing process by application of the modified printing strategy. An inkjet printer which has been modified for using the present method is also provided.

Abstract: An image processing system and method are provided for judging whether a pixelised image or a part thereof is a monochrome or a color image. To increase the reliability of the judgement, instead of making the judgement on the level of an individual pixel, the judgement is made for substantially all the pixels of the image or image part at the same time by analyzing the cumulative histogram, wherein the distance of each pixel to the gray axis versus the logarithm of the cumulative pixel count is plotted. An advantage of the present system and the method of operating this system is their high sensitivity for detecting small color objects in monochrome images.

Abstract: A printing method for forming an image on a substrate by means of a printer containing a plurality of ink-filled chambers, which chambers each include a nozzle and which are operatively connected to a piezoelectric actuator, which includes the steps of image-wise energizing of the actuators to generate a pressure wave in each of the chambers so that ink drops are ejected from the nozzles of said chambers, and measuring the pressure wave in a chamber using a piezoelectric actuator operatively connected to said chamber, wherein the image for formation is analyzed with the use of an importance criterion for elements of said image, the image elements satisfying said criterion are determined, the chambers from which the ink drops should be ejected to form said image elements are determined, and the pressure wave in at least one of said chambers is measured during the formation of the image. The invention also relates to a printer adapted to the use of this method.

Abstract: An image processing system and method are provided for judging whether a pixelised image or a part thereof is a monochrome or a colour image. To increase the reliability of the judgement, instead of making the judgement on the level of an individual pixel, the judgement is made for substantially all the pixels of the image or image part at the same time by analyzing the cumulative histogram, wherein the distance of each pixel to the gray axis versus the logarithm of the cumulative pixel count is plotted. An advantage of the present system and the method of operating this system is their high sensitivity for detecting small colour objects in monochrome images.