Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided comprising a housing, an ink jet printing apparatus and a coating apparatus. The ink jet printing apparatus is located within the housing and includes an ink jet printing device capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a first side of a printing substrate which moves through the housing along a printing substrate feed path. The coating apparatus is positioned along the printing substrate feed path and spaced from the printing device. The coating apparatus applies a substantially uniform layer of coating material onto at least a portion of the first side of the printing substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for supplying ink to a print head on a moving carrier using the acceleration of the print head carrier to assist in pumping the ink. The system includes an ink supply reservoir and an ink pump on the moving carrier where the ink pump has a carrier reservoir including at least one flexible wall that deforms from inertial resistance to acceleration of the moving carrier, a print head, and a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the carrier reservoir and the print head. The system also has an ink supply tube in fluid communication with the ink supply reservoir and the carrier reservoir such that acceleration of the moving carrier and ink pump deforms the flexible wall and thereby pumps ink from the ink supply reservoir to the carrier reservoir and from the carrier reservoir to the print head, or solely to the carrier reservoir.

Abstract: Compensation for beam separation of multiple laser beams of a laser printer simultaneously scanning a photoconductor drum is automatically made. The time for the lead beam to travel a predetermined distance is ascertained and then the separation time between the lead beam and one of the remaining beams is determined. When using only one light sensor, the time for the lead beam to travel the predetermined distance is the scan time of the lead beam. When using two light sensors, the time for the lead beam to travel the predetermined distance is the time for the lead beam to travel between the two light sensors, which define the predetermined distance, in the same scan. This determination of the time for the lead beam to travel the predetermined distance and its separation time from another of the remaining beams is continuously made for all of the remaining beams even during printing.