Abstract: A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path including a web-guiding roller located in proximity to a fixed web-guiding structure having a pattern of air holes formed through its exterior surface. The web of media travels around the web-guiding roller with the web of media contacting the web-guiding roller through a wrap angle of less than 5 degrees, and travels around the fixed web-guiding structure through a wrap angle of more than 10 degrees. An air source provides an air flow through the air holes formed lifting the web of media away from the web-guiding structure such that the web of media is substantially not in contact with the web-guiding structure.

Abstract: A system for using tension control adjustments on a web to reduce registration errors while printing multiple copies of a print job on the web comprises a printing system with a print station disposed opposite a first side of the web and one or more rollers adapted to receive tension control commands, the tension control commands operating on the first rollers to control the amount of tension in the web. A sensor is used to determine a plurality of registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. A processor is used to determine first tension control adjustments based on the plurality of registration errors and to use the adjustments to adjust the tension control commands to the rollers in the printing system to change the tension in the web when printing a second copy of the print job, thereby reducing registration errors.

Abstract: A method for using tension control adjustments on a web to reduce registration errors while printing multiple copies of a print job on the web comprises providing a printing system with a print station one or more rollers adapted to receive tension control commands. The tension control commands operate on the rollers to control the amount of tension in the web. The printing system is used to print a first copy of the print job. A plurality of registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job is determined. First tension control adjustments based on the plurality of registration errors are used to adjust the tension control commands to the rollers in the printing system for printing a second copy of the print job, thereby reducing registration errors.

Abstract: A system for reducing tension fluctuations in a web while printing multiple copies of a print job on the web comprises a printing system with a print station disposed opposite a first side of the web and one or more rollers adapted to receive tension control commands, the tension control commands operating on the first rollers to control the amount of tension in the web. A sensor is used to measure tension changes produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. A processor is used to determine first tension control adjustments based on the measured tension changes and to use the adjustments to adjust the tension control commands to the rollers in the printing system to change the tension in the web when printing a second copy of the print job, thereby reducing tension fluctuations in the web.

Abstract: A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path including a fixed web-guiding structure and a web-guiding roller. The fixed web-guiding structure includes two sections, each having a pattern of air holes formed through a convex exterior surface. The web-guiding roller is located between the first and second fixed web-guiding structure sections. At least one air source provides an air flow through the air holes in the fixed web-guiding structure sections. The web of media travels around the web-guiding roller and the fixed web-guiding structure through a wrap angle of more than 10 degrees, with the web of media contacting an exterior surface of the web-guiding roller. The air flow through the air holes lifts the web of media away from the first and second web-guiding structure sections.

Abstract: A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path including a web-guiding roller located in proximity to a fixed web-guiding structure having a pattern of air holes formed through its exterior surface. The web of media travels around the web-guiding roller with the web of media contacting the web-guiding roller through a wrap angle of less than 5 degrees, and travels around the fixed web-guiding structure through a wrap angle of more than 10 degrees. An air source provides an air flow through the air holes formed lifting the web of media away from the web-guiding structure such that the web of media is substantially not in contact with the web-guiding structure.

Abstract: A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction. A web-guiding structure includes an exterior surface having a pattern of alternating ridges and recesses formed into the exterior surface. The web of media travels past the web-guiding structure with the first side of the web of media contacting at least some of the ridges on the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure. The ridges and recesses are formed into the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure such that the exterior surface has a continuous and smooth surface profile in the cross-track direction having a specified maximum slope magnitude and a specified minimum radius of curvature magnitude.

Abstract: A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path comprising a drive roller rotated by a motor and a plurality of nip rollers. The drive roller includes a first section, a second section and a third section along the length of the roller, the second section being located between the first section and the third section. A diameter of a surface envelope around the exterior surface of the drive roller is substantially constant within the second section, and is larger in the first section and the third section than in the second section. The nip rollers are aligned with the second section of the drive roller, with the web of media passing between the drive roller and the nip rollers.

Abstract: A method for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A first copy of the print job is printed using a plurality of color planes. A first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job is determined. For each document in the print job, a processor is used to determine a first plurality of local color plane correction values for each color registration error produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. Each of the first plurality of local color plane correction values corresponds to one of the first plurality of color registration errors. A second copy of the print job is printed using the local color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A method for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A first copy of the print job is printed using a plurality of color planes. A first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job is determined. For each document in the print job, a processor is used to determine a first plurality of local color plane correction values for each color registration error produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. Each of the first plurality of local color plane correction values corresponds to one of the first plurality of color registration errors. A second copy of the print job is printed using the local color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A printing system for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A plurality of printheads prints each of a plurality of color planes of a first copy of the print job. One or more processors determine a first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. Global color plane correction values for each document of the print job are determined. The global color plane correction values are adjusted locally for each document based on the first plurality of local color plane correction values. The plurality of printheads prints a second copy of the print job using the locally adjusted global color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A printing system for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A plurality of printheads prints each of a plurality of color planes of a first copy of the print job. A processor is used to determine a first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. A first plurality of local color plane correction values for each document of the print job is determined. Each of the first plurality of local color plane correction values corresponds to one of the first plurality of color registration errors. The plurality of printheads prints a second copy of the print job using the local color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A method for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A first copy of the print job is printed using a plurality of color planes. A first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job is determined. For each document in the print job, one or more processors are used to determine a global color plane correction value for each color plane error based on the first plurality of color registration errors. The global color plane correction values are adjusted locally based on the first plurality of local color plane correction values. A second copy of the print job is printed using the locally adjusted global color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple print jobs comprise receiving a first print job, wherein the first print job has one or more documents, receiving a second print job, wherein at least a portion of one of the documents in the second print job is different from a corresponding document in the first print job, and printing a copy of the first print job. One or more processors are used to determine a plurality of color plane registration errors produced during the printing of the copy of the first print job, local color plane correction values based on the plurality of color registration errors, and a difference between the corresponding documents in the first print job and second print job. When the amount of difference is less than a predetermined threshold, the local color plane correction values are used to print the second print job.

Abstract: A method for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A first copy of the print job is printed using a plurality of color planes. A first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job is determined. For each document in the print job, one or more processors are used to determine a global color plane correction value for each color plane error based on the first plurality of color registration errors. The global color plane correction values are adjusted locally based on the first plurality of local color plane correction values. A second copy of the print job is printed using the locally adjusted global color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A printing system for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A plurality of printheads prints each of a plurality of color planes of a first copy of the print job. A processor is used to determine a first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. A first plurality of local color plane correction values for each document of the print job is determined. Each of the first plurality of local color plane correction values corresponds to one of the first plurality of color registration errors. The plurality of printheads prints a second copy of the print job using the local color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: A printing system for printing multiple copies of a print job having one or more documents is disclosed. A plurality of printheads prints each of a plurality of color planes of a first copy of the print job. One or more processors determine a first plurality of color registration errors produced during the printing of the first copy of the print job. Global color plane correction values for each document of the print job are determined. The global color plane correction values are adjusted locally for each document based on the first plurality of local color plane correction values. The plurality of printheads prints a second copy of the print job using the locally adjusted global color plane correction values for each document in the print job.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing color-to-color correction for printing multiple print jobs comprise receiving a first print job, wherein the first print job has one or more documents, receiving a second print job, wherein at least a portion of one of the documents in the second print job is different from a corresponding document in the first print job, and printing a copy of the first print job. One or more processors are used to determine a plurality of color plane registration errors produced during the printing of the copy of the first print job, local color plane correction values based on the plurality of color registration errors, and a difference between the corresponding documents in the first print job and second print job. When the amount of difference is less than a predetermined threshold, the local color plane correction values are used to print the second print job.

Abstract: An automatically-adjusting tensioning mechanism for use in a roll-fed web media transport system, the tensioning mechanism adding tension to the web media, comprising a bracket assembly being adapted to freely pivot around a pivot axis, and first and second tensioning shoe having curved surfaces attached to the bracket assembly. The web media feeds through the tensioning mechanism in an S-shaped media path where the web media is wrapped around the first and second tensioning shoes. The pivot angle of the bracket assembly automatically adjusts in response to differences in a coefficient of friction between the web media and the tensioning shoes such that the tension in the web media has a reduced level of variability relative to configurations where the bracket assembly is held in a fixed position.

Abstract: An automatically-adjusting tensioning mechanism for use in a roll-fed web media transport system, the tensioning mechanism adding tension to the web media, comprising a bracket assembly being adapted to freely pivot around a pivot axis, and first and second tensioning shoe having curved surfaces attached to the bracket assembly. The web media feeds through the tensioning mechanism in an S-shaped media path where the web media is wrapped around the first and second tensioning shoes. The pivot angle of the bracket assembly automatically adjusts in response to differences in a coefficient of friction between the web media and the tensioning shoes such that the tension in the web media has a reduced level of variability relative to configurations where the bracket assembly is held in a fixed position.