Patent ID: 7724342

Claim:
An apparatus for printing bead spacers on an LCD substrate, comprising: a rotating cylindrical transfer roller having an exterior surface rotating at a first velocity; a generally planar printing plate having a plurality of recesses disposed in a first surface thereof for providing bead spacers; means for loading a volume of an ink containing bead spacers into each of the recesses of the printing plate; means for translating the first surface of the printing plate at a second velocity that is substantially the same as the first velocity tangentially relative to the exterior surface of the rotating roller such that the volumes of ink in the recesses of the printing plate are transferred onto the exterior surface of the transfer roller; a support plate having an LCD substrate supported thereon; and, means for translating the support plate such that a surface of the LCD substrate moves tangentially with respect to and at the same velocity as the exterior surface of the rotating transfer roller and thereby transfers the volumes of ink on the surface of the transfer roller onto the surface of the LCD substrate at respective selected longitudinal and transverse locations thereon, wherein each of the recesses defines a segment of a sphere, and wherein each recess includes a radial protrusion disposed at a center of the recess.