Abstract: A method of authenticating a document including data printed on a media includes detecting one of a presence and an absence of authentication fibers in the media, detecting one of a presence and an absence of authentication indicia on the media, and continuing the method if detecting one of the presence and the absence of authentication fibers in the media includes detecting the presence of authentication fibers in the media and if detecting one of the presence and the absence of authentication indicia on the media includes detecting the presence of authentication indicia on the media.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a drop detection method includes: moving a light source along a first side of the drop zone to illuminate drops passing through a drop zone; and, without blocking any part of the drop zone, detecting light scattered off the drops as the drops pass through the drop zone. In another embodiment, a drop detector includes: a light source on a first side of the drop zone for illuminating drops passing through a drop zone; a light detector on the first side of the drop zone near the light source and a movable carriage carrying the light source and the light detector. The light detector is exposed to the drop zone for detecting light scattered off drops as the drops pass through the drop zone. The carriage is movable along the first side of the drop zone in a direction transverse to the drop direction.

Abstract: A method of producing an authenticatable document includes providing a media having authentication fibers embedded therein, detecting a presence of at least one of the authentication fibers in the media, and printing authentication indicia on the media after detecting the presence of at least one of the authentication fibers.

Abstract: A system of classifying incoming media entering an inkjet or other printing mechanism is provided to identify the media without requiring any special manufacturer markings. The incoming media is optically scanned using a blue-violet light to obtain both diffuse and specular reflectance data, from which a media signature is generated. The generated signature is compared with known signatures for different media types to classify the incoming media, and a corresponding print mode is selected. Finally, the selected print mode for the classified incoming media is stored for future reference. Thus, a consumer can teach the printing mechanism to recognize new types of media. For borderline media falling between two categories, the printer remembers which category was selected previously, and then applies the same print mode to the next borderline media to provide a visually consistent output. A printing mechanism constructed to implement this method is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optical determination of turn-on energy and operational printhead energy for ink-jet printing includes a computerized method for using reflectance readings from a test pattern generated by a printhead under test. The test pattern includes regions (|1|−|N|) generated by applying to the printhead ink drop generators firing pulses having a pulse energy substantially equal to a predetermined reference pulse energy at a predetermined pulse frequency starting with a pulse energy substantially equal to the predetermined reference energy and incrementally changing the pulse energy of the firing pulses such that firing pulses of increasing or decreasing pulse energies are sequentially applied to the drop generators.