Patent ID: 6059397
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
In an ink-jet printer having a print head and a receiving surface that undergo relative movement, the print head including a plurality of jets for ejecting ink, the plurality of jets being spaced apart by a distance N along an X-axis, a method for printing multiple composite images having different widths, each of the composite images having at least two image portions interleaved at a seam, the method comprising the steps of:(a) positioning the print head a distance A along the X-axis from a fixed reference point;(b) printing a set of scan lines of a first image portion by moving the print head relative to the receiving surface a distance n along the X-axis while ejecting ink from at least a portion of the plurality of jets;(c) repeating step (b) until the first image portion having a tail is completed;(d) moving the print head relative to the receiving surface along the X-axis a fixed skip distance B;(e) printing a set of scan lines of a second image portion by moving the print head relative to the receiving surface a distance n along the X-axis while ejecting ink from a portion of the plurality of jets;(f) repeating step (e) until a second image portion having a head is completed, where the tail of the first image portion interleaves with the head of the second image portion to form the seam and to complete at least a portion of a first composite image having a width;(g) repeating steps (a) through (t) to print a second composite image having a different width than that of the first composite image, where movement of the print head relative to the receiving surface along the X-axis is identical for printing the first composite image and the second composite image.