INK JET PRINTER AND METHOD OF OPERATION

摘要

The invention relates to a method for operating a continuous ink jet printer so as to reduce the loss of volatile solvent or carrier from ink recycled from a gutter (2) to a reservoir (3), the printer having an ink flow system in which ink flows from a reservoir (3) to a print head from which it is ejected to form a series of discrete droplets (1) directed at a substrate upon which an image is to be formed by applying droplets to the surface of the substrate and in which droplets which are not to be applied to the substrate are collected in the gutter (2) and are recycled to the reservoir (3) of the ink flow system for re-use, the method comprising removing ink from the gutter by suction which is varied, pulsed or interrupted. The invention also relates to a continuous ink jet printer for use in the method of the invention in which means are provided for varying, interrupting or pulsing the application of suction to the gutter.