Patent ID: 6488356
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
A method for controlling an ink jet printer having a reciprocable printhead, controllable to print a swath of an image with a forward transit and a reverse transit across a sheet, printing each color pixel forming the swath on the sheet with a set of colorants deposited in a predetermined colorant deposit order defined by the forward transit, including the steps of:a) receiving a set of colorant signals representing color pixels in a swath of the image; b) from the colorant signals, determining each colorant that may be deposited during the reverse transit while maintaining the predetermined colorant deposit order, and generating reverse transit signals indicative thereof; c) logically ANDing the reverse transit signals with a predetermined head signature mitigation signal to produce reverse transit print signals; d) determining from the colorant signals and the reverse transit print signals each colorant to be printed during the forward transit to complete printing the swath, and generating forward transit print signals indicative thereof; e) controlling the printhead to print a partial swath of the image with the forward transit print signals during the forward transit of the printhead across the sheet; f) controlling the printhead to print a complementary partial swath of the Image with the reverse transit colorant during the reverse transit of the printhead sheet.