| 摘要 |
Ink jet printing apparatus and method using timing control of electronic waveforms for variable gray scale printing while eliminating image artifacts and while also reducing printing time and improving accuracy of ink droplet placement on a receiver medium. More specifically the prints an output image on a receiver medium in response to an input image file defined by a plurality of pixels, each pixel obtaining a pixel value. The apparatus includes a print head and a plurality of nozzles integrally attached to the print head. Each of the nozzles is capable of ejecting a plurality of ink droplets therefrom. A waveform generator generates a plurality of electronic waveforms, each of the waveforms being defined by a plurality of electric pulses supplied to the nozzles for ejecting the ink droplets. A printer performance look-up table is also provided for storing a plurality of waveform serial numbers therein. Each of the waveform serial numbers is associated with each one of the electronic waveforms and each of the waveforms is defined by waveform parameters. A controller connected to the look-up table and the waveform generator generates the waveform parameters. This configuration allows the waveforms to accurately place the ink droplets on the receiver medium. A calibrator adapted to receive the input image file for converting the pixel values thereof to a plurality of waveform index numbers is associated with respective ones of the waveform serial numbers and outputs a calibrated image file. The apparatus further comprises an image halftoning unit connected to the calibrator for halftoning the calibrated image file. In addition, the apparatus includes a nozzle selector interconnecting the waveform generator and the print head for selecting predetermined ones of the nozzles for actuation.
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