Patent ID: 9193177
Filing Date: 2015-11-24
Classification: B41J,B41M

Abstract:
1. A printer comprising: a transport path configured to convey media through the printer in a process direction; a printhead assembly positioned opposite a first portion of the transport path, the printhead assembly being configured with printheads to eject drops of ink into a first portion of the media conveyed by the transport path past the printhead assembly in the process direction; at least one other printhead positioned opposite a second portion of the transport path, the at least one other printhead being configured to eject drops of water-containing material onto the media conveyed by the transport path past the at least one other printhead in the process direction prior to the media reaching the printhead assembly, the at least one other printhead having a width in a cross-process direction, which is perpendicular to the process direction in a plane parallel to the path past the printhead assembly and the at least one other printhead, to enable the at least one other printhead to eject the drops of water-containing material onto portions of the media that are outside the first portion of the media into which the printheads of the printhead assembly ejects the drops of ink; and a controller operatively connected to the printheads of the printhead assembly and the at least one other printhead, the controller being configured to operate the printheads of the printhead assembly to eject ink into the first portion of the media to form an ink image that corresponds to image data received by the controller and to operate the at least one other printhead to eject the drops of water-containing material onto the portions of the media that are outside the first portion of the media in the cross-process direction to reduce a moisture gradient between the ink image to be formed by printheads of the printhead assembly in the first portion of the media and the portions of the media outside of the first portion of the media in the cross-process direction.