Ink smear measurement in an imaging apparatus

摘要

A system implementing a method for determining smear tendency of a sheet of print media to reduce smearing on future media sheets of a similar type. The method includes creating an image on the sheet of print media. The sheet of print media is reversed to allow at least one upstream roller to contact and smear the image and create smear marks on the sheet of print media. Reference marks are created over the smear marks and at unsmeared areas of the sheet of print media. To determine the smear tendency, the reference marks over the smear marks are compared to the reference marks at the unsmeared areas. The smear tendency indicates future corrections to an imaging device to reduce smearing on the future media sheets when used by the imaging device.

主权项

1. A method for determining smear tendency of a media sheet in an image forming apparatus, comprising:
creating an image pattern on the media sheet; waiting for a time period to elapse to allow the image pattern to partially dry on the media sheet; smearing portions of the image pattern once the time period has elapsed in which the image pattern is still wet on the media sheet to create smear marks on the media sheet; printing reference marks over the smear marks and at unsmeared areas on the media sheet; and comparing the reference marks over the smear marks and the reference marks at the unsmeared areas to determine a value corresponding to the smear tendency of the media sheet, the smear tendency indicating future corrections to the image forming apparatus when printing on future media sheets of a similar type as the media sheet to reduce smearing on the future media sheets.