Patent ID: 9010891
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method for media-specific ink content control for delivering ink having a selected gel component concentration to a print head for printing on a specific media type, the method comprising: obtaining, with a controller, a specific media type to be printed with ink; analyzing, with the controller, at least one physical characteristic of the obtained specific media type; controlling, with the controller, a flow of a first gel ink component from a first gel ink component source to provide a first proportional amount of the first gel ink component to a mixing and heating reservoir, the first gel ink component having a first gel ink component concentration; controlling, with the controller, a flow of a second gel ink component from a second gel ink component source to provide a second proportional amount of the second gel ink component to the mixing and heating reservoir, the second gel ink component having a second gel ink component concentration different from the first gel ink component concentration, the first proportional amount of the first gel ink component and the second proportional amount of the second gel ink component being controlled based on the analyzed at least one physical characteristic of the obtained specific media type; physically agitating the first proportional amount of the first gel ink component and the second proportional amount of the second gel ink component with a mixing structure in the mixing and heating reservoir to obtain an ink having a preliminary test gel component concentration; heating the ink having the preliminary test gel component concentration to a first pre-determined delivery temperature in the mixing and heating reservoir; supplying the heated ink having the preliminary test gel component concentration to an inkjet print head; jetting the ink having the preliminary test gel component concentration from the inkjet print head onto an image receiving media substrate of the specific media type to print a test image; evaluating, with a sensor, at least one image quality component of the test image on the image receiving media substrate; adjusting at least one of the first proportional amount of the first gel ink component, the second proportional amount of the second gel ink component and the first pre-determined delivery temperature to obtain an ink having a final specific gel component concentration; and using the ink having the final specific gel component concentration to print digital images via the inkjet print head on a plurality of image receiving media substrates of the specific media type.