Patent ID: 6398342
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: B41J,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
An ink-jet printer comprising a printhead having a plurality of print zones, wherein each print zone has a plurality of ink jets such that each ink jet is configured to print dots on a recording medium in accordance with a print mask, wherein said plurality of ink jets comprises a plurality of jet groups such that each jet group has at least one ink jet corresponding to each print zone, wherein each jet group is responsible for printing dots on a respective raster line of the recording medium, wherein when an ink jet in a jet group is detected as being non-functional, at least a portion of the print mask is replaced with a replacement print mask such that one or more of the remaining ink jets in that jet group compensates for the non-functional ink jet, and wherein the replacement print mask avoids the simultaneous printing of horizontally adjacent dots on the respective raster line.