Abstract: A printing system may comprise a page wide array printhead a capping station, and a number of modular caps comprising a housing to cover a nozzle array of a printhead and a cap coupler coupled to the housing to couple the cap to the nozzle array in which the modular caps are adapted to be coupled to and removed from the nozzle array of the printhead and stored in the capping station.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control a heater associated with a printing nozzle are disclosed. A method comprising controlling a heater associated with a printing nozzle to reduce a heat output of the heater based on a determination that the printing nozzle is outside a print area and printing an image on a substrate using other printing nozzles while the heat output of the heater is reduced.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed herein. The printer has a printhead having a plurality of ink nozzles for ejecting ink, a servicing mechanism for capturing the ejected ink from the ink nozzles, to service the printhead, and a control device coupled to the printhead and the servicing mechanism for regulating the servicing. As part of the regulation, the control device continues feeding a substrate towards the printhead during an idle period. The idle period of the printhead can be a duration when printing on the substrate is suspended. Further, the control device regulates ejection of ink from the ink nozzles towards the substrate during the idle period and operates the servicing mechanism during the idle period. In an example, the servicing mechanism captures the ink before the ink reaches the substrate.

Abstract: A method of applying a cap to a printhead may comprise selectively applying an immiscible fluid to a surface of a printhead in which the immiscible fluid caps a number of nozzles on a number of nozzles defined within the printhead. A printhead may comprise a layer of immiscible fluid in which the immiscible fluid is selectively applied to the surface of the printhead and in which the immiscible fluid caps a number of nozzles defined within the printhead. A printer may comprise a printhead comprising a number of nozzles, an immiscible fluid applicator, and a processor to instruction the immiscible fluid applicator to apply a layer of immiscible fluid to the surface of the printhead.

Abstract: A printing system may comprise a page wide array printhead a capping station, and a number of modular caps comprising a housing to cover a nozzle array of a printhead and a cap coupler coupled to the housing to couple the cap to the nozzle array in which the modular caps are adapted to be coupled to and removed from the nozzle array of the printhead and stored in the capping station.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control a heater associated with a printing nozzle are disclosed. A method comprising controlling a heater associated with a printing nozzle to reduce a heat output of the heater based on a determination that the printing nozzle is outside a print area and printing an image on a substrate using other printing nozzles while the heat output of the heater is reduced.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed herein. The printer has a printhead having a plurality of ink nozzles for ejecting ink, a servicing mechanism for capturing the ejected ink from the ink nozzles, to service the printhead, and a control device coupled to the printhead and the servicing mechanism for regulating the servicing. As part of the regulation, the control device continues feeding a substrate towards the printhead during an idle period. The idle period of the printhead can be a duration when printing on the substrate is suspended. Further, the control device regulates ejection of ink from the ink nozzles towards the substrate during the idle period and operates the servicing mechanism during the idle period. In an example, the servicing mechanism captures the ink before the ink reaches the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for developing a color mapping for mapping colors from a source gamut to an output gamut are described. In an example, defects in a printed output image are used to identify a region of an initial output gamut associated with a defect. A modified output gamut may be developed, the modified output gamut excluding the identified region. A color mapping for use in mapping colors from the source gamut to the modified output color gamut for producing an output image may also be developed.

Abstract: The printing apparatus comprises at least one printhead provided with nozzles for ejecting droplets of ink in a firing direction towards a printing media, and at least one priming device for performing a priming operation by which an amount of ink is caused to flow through the nozzles for maintenance thereof, wherein the priming device is actuated for said priming operation by a relative movement between the printhead being primed and the priming device, said movement being substantially in said firing direction.

Abstract: In a method of printing a plurality of pages during a print job, a page-wide-array printing device having redundant dot-forming elements is used. Print masks distribute dot-forming-element activity between the redundant dot-forming elements in a manner taking into account known malfunctions of dot-forming elements to hide such malfunctions, or reduce a visible effect of such malfunctions in the pages printed. The method includes generating a plurality of print masks which are different, as they distribute the dot-forming-element activity in different ways, but are equivalent, since they are based on the same knowledge of dot-forming-element malfunctions; dividing the print job into page-sets of at least one page; and printing the different page-sets of the print job using different equivalent print masks, thereby distributing the dot-forming-element activity in different ways from page-set to page-set.

Abstract: The printing apparatus comprises at least one printhead provided with nozzles for ejecting droplets of ink in a firing direction towards a printing media, and at least one priming device for performing a priming operation by which an amount of ink is caused to flow through the nozzles for maintenance thereof, wherein the priming device is actuated for said priming operation by a relative movement between the printhead being primed and the priming device, said movement being substantially in said firing direction.

Abstract: In a method of printing a plurality of pages during a print job, a page-wide-array printing device having redundant dot-forming elements is used. Print masks distribute dot-forming-element activity between the redundant dot-forming elements in a manner taking into account known malfunctions of dot-forming elements to hide such malfunctions, or reduce a visible effect of such malfunctions in the pages printed. The method includes generating a plurality of print masks which are different, as they distribute the dot-forming-element activity in different ways, but are equivalent, since they are based on the same knowledge of dot-forming-element malfunctions; dividing the print job into page-sets of at least one page; and printing the different page-sets of the print job using different equivalent print masks, thereby distributing the dot-forming-element activity in different ways from page-set to page-set.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a system and method for producing efficient ink drop overlap filled with a pseudo hexagonal grid pattern. In general, the present invention can include an inkjet printhead assembly that incorporates a preprogrammed correction scheme or schemes [1-n] (herein correction scheme will refer to all applications), for correcting systematic ink drop placement errors of the inkjet printhead. The printing system of the present invention uses a unique ink dot pattern, called a pseudo-hexagonal close pack system. The present invention optimizes the addressable grid for dot placement, pseudo hexagonal close pack system, with an efficient geometry for packing circles to fill an area, similar to the hexagonal close pack system. However, the present invention in creating dots on a non-symmetric grid is supported by available software and is not computationally complex.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for servicing a pen in an inkjet printing device includes receiving a print job, determining a level of print quality required for the print job, detecting the operating characteristics of a number of nozzles to be used to print the print job; and, in the event that the operating characteristics of the nozzles are sufficient to meet the level of print quality, printing the print job. A maintenance procedure may be scheduled in the event that an individual one of the nozzles is not fully functional. In addition, the maintenance procedure may be scheduled to be performed during a time when the inkjet printing device is idle.

Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.

Abstract: A method of servicing a pen comprising a printhead, having a plurality of nozzles, mounted in an inkjet printing device, comprising a servicing area and a drop detector comprising the following steps performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any of the nozzles of the printhead are malfunctioning; storing the result of the more recent drop detection operation, together with the results of the previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle; deciding whether or not to execute a recovery service in the servicing area to attempt to recover the current malfunctioning nozzles, based on the more recent status of the nozzles and on the history of the health status of the nozzles.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for checking a plurality of printer nozzles in a printer device comprises: a print head comprising a plurality of nozzles; a means for detecting at least one droplet of ink ejected from at least one nozzle of said plurality of nozzles; and a means for performing a sequence of measurements on a first output signal of said detecting means, wherein a determination of performance of said print head is made by analysing detected output signals produced by one or a plurality of ink droplets passing the detector, the one or plurality of ink droplets containing a predetermined minimum volume of ink, and said sequence of measurements being measured at a plurality of time intervals.

Abstract: A waste ink removal system for cleaning ink residue from an ink drop sensing belt in a printing mechanism is provided. The waste ink removal system has a base, an actuator coupled to the sensing belt, and an ink removal member, supported by the base, which removes ink residue from the sensing belt when the sensing belt is moved by the actuator. A method for drop detection, and a printing mechanism having such a waste ink removal system are also provided.

Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.

Abstract: A method for correcting deviations from the normal performance of the service station by adapting the level of servicing a printhead receives based upon the age of the service station. For relatively newer service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively less servicing operations on the printheads to thereby conserve ink and relatively increase the life of the service station and the printheads. For relatively older service stations, the service stations may be caused to perform relatively heavier servicing operations on the printheads to substantially compensate for the deleterious effects arising from the aging of the service station.