Ink jet printer with inclined rows of jet drop streams

摘要

An ink jet printer for selectively depositing drops from a plurality of jet drop streams along associated print lines on a moving print receiving medium includes a print head which generates a plurality of such streams arranged in one or more rows, which rows are inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium. The drops in the jet drop streams are selectively charged to a plurality of charge levels. Thereafter, the drops are deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium into a plurality of print trajectories or, alternatively, into a catch trajectory. An apertured catch plate in one embodiment may be utilized with an inverted print head which prints upon the bottom of the print receiving medium.