Print engine controller for a multi-segment printhead

摘要

An inkjet printer comprises a printhead that includes a number of printhead segments that span a print area so that portions of consecutive printhead segments overlap in common print areas. Each printhead segment defines a lead-in area in one common print area and a lead-out area in a consecutive common print area. An interface is configured to receive image data. A memory device stores data relating to characteristics of the printhead. A dithering unit communicates with the interface and the memory device. The dithering unit is configured to generate a lead-in dither matrix associated with the lead-in area and a lead-out dither matrix associated with the lead-out area, to generate lead-in/lead-out dither matrices for each common print area, to generate a variable probability value that is dependent on a scalar value that corresponds to a position along a line spanning each common print area and to interpolate the lead-in/lead-out dither matrices with the variable probability value. A compositor communicates with the dithering unit to composite the data into print data. A printhead interface communicates with the compositor to receive the print data and to provide the printhead with the print data.