Patent ID: 6543871
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
A method of generating printmasks for printing by a printer, comprising:receiving an image to be printed; selecting a mask size; selecting a number of passes to be made by a print head over each swath of said image to be printed; selecting at least one constraint on a location of a second dot of ink to be placed during one of said number of passes relative to a location of a first dot of ink placed during a different one of said number of passes; selecting randomly a first pass number between one and said number of passes for a first pixel of said mask; checking said first randomly selected pass number to see if said first randomly selected pass number violates said at least one constraint; recording said first randomly selected pass number in said first pixel of said mask; selecting randomly a second pass number between one and said number of passes for a second pixel in said mask; checking said second randomly selected pass number to see if said second randomly selected pass number violates said at least one constraint; recording said second randomly selected pass number in said second pixel of said mask; and, repeating said steps until a pass number is recorded for every pixel of said mask.