Patent ID: 6866365
Filing Date: 2005-03-15
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method for bi-directional color inkjet printing comprising: providing a printer carriage for bi-directional movement along a print swath axis; providing a plurality of color inkjet printheads for printing with inks of different colors, each printhead having a nozzle array for emitting droplets of ink; supporting all of the plurality of color inkjet printheads on the printer carriage so as to form only two rows of printheads such that two or more respective printheads for printing a first primary color and a respective printhead for printing black are positioned in a row directed along the print swath axis and form one row of printheads and two or more printheads for printing a second primary color and a respective printhead for printing yellow are positioned in a row directed along the print swath axis and form a second row of printheads, and wherein nozzle arrays associated with the printheads for printing the first primary color and a nozzle array of the printhead for printing black do not overlap in the direction of the swath axis direction with nozzle arrays associated with the printheads for printing the second primary color and a nozzle array of the printhead for printing yellow; moving the printer carriage in a first direction along the swath axis from one side of a print area to a second opposite side of the print area while driving two or more of the printheads to emit droplets onto a print medium; providing relative motion between the print medium and the carriage in a direction transverse to the swath axis; moving the printer carriage in a second direction along the swath axis from the second side of the print area to the first side, while driving two or more of the printheads to emit droplets onto the print medium; and wherein the printer carriage moves in each of the first and the second directions along the swath axis, droplets of ink of the first primary color and of the second primary color are deposited at least partially overlapping on the medium to form dots of a color different than the first and second primary colors and further wherein the first primary color and the second primary color are of different primary colors and different in color from yellow and black.