Method for printing contiguous swaths

摘要

A method for printing an image on an image receiving member is provided, in which a print head having an array of print elements moves in a scanning direction to print image lines and the image receiving member is advanced in a transport direction after printing a swath. In order to obtain various contiguous swaths of print lines without a light or dark line between the swaths, the position of a prior swath printed preceding to a current swath is determined during the printing of the current swath. A digital mask is applied to the print data that is associated with the print elements at the to the prior swath adjoining edge of the current swath in dependence on the determination of the position of the prior swath.

主权项

1. A method for printing an image on an image receiving member in a plurality of swaths, each swath being printed by a print head that reciprocates in a scanning direction, the print head being configured to apply marking material to the image receiving member in accordance with image data provided to the print head and the image receiving member being advanced stepwise in a transport direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction, the method comprising the steps of:
a) preparing first swath image data from the image, the first swath image data comprising image data to print a first swath; b) printing the first swath using the first swath image data by the application of a selected part of the print head; c) defining an advancement step for advancing the image receiving member, such that, after application of the advancement step, at least a part of the print head overlaps the first swath; d) preparing second swath image data from the image, based on the defined advancement step, the second swath image data comprising image data to print a second swath and comprising at least a part of the first swath image data; e) advancing the image receiving member in the transport direction using the advancement step; f) determining a position of the first swath on the image receiving member relative to the print head position after advancing the image receiving member; g) defining, in dependence on the determined position, a digital mask that prevents the application of the part of the print head that overlaps the first swath, the digital mask only being able to block or not block an application of marking material; and h) printing a second swath with the application of the digital mask on the second swath image data without changing a positional relation between the second swath image data and the print head.