REGISTRATION CORRECTION FOR CONTINUOUS PRINTING

摘要

Image plane registration errors are corrected for a multi-channel printing system that prints on a continuous web of media. Nominal in-track line spacing are defined for each image plane, and are used to print lines of image data for each image plane. An in-track registration error is measured for a misregistered image plane in the printed image, and is used to determine an adjusted in-track line spacing that will bring the misregistered image plane back into registration in the in-track direction over a predefined correction time interval. Additional image data is then printed using the adjusted in-track line spacing during the correction time interval, after which image data is printed using a new in-track line spacing that is different from the adjusted in-track line spacing.

主权项

1. A method for correcting image plane registration errors for a multi-channel printing system that prints on a continuous web of media using a plurality printheads which each print lines of image data, comprising:
receiving image data for a plurality of image planes; defining a nominal in-track line spacing for each of the printheads; printing the image data using the multi-channel printing system to provide a printed image on the web of media, wherein lines of image data for each image plane are printed using an associated printhead operating at its associated nominal in-track line spacing; measuring an in-track registration error for a misregistered image plane in the printed image; determining an adjusted in-track line spacing for the misregistered image plane responsive to the measured in-track registration error that will bring the misregistered image plane back into registration in the in-track direction over a predefined correction time interval; determining a new in-track line spacing for the misregistered image plane for use in printing lines of image data after the correction time interval, the revised in-track line spacing being different from the adjusted in-track line spacing; and printing additional image data using the multi-channel printing system, wherein:
during the correction time interval, lines of image data for the misregistered image plane are printed using the adjusted in-track line spacing; andafter the correction time interval, lines of image data for the misregistered image plane are printed using the new in-track line spacing.