Patent ID: 8205552

Claim:
A printing apparatus, comprising: a conveyor that advances a planar substrate to be printed along a predetermined path of travel; a printing station positioned along the predetermined path of travel and comprising a print cylinder having a circumferential printing surface and configured to receive ink and print at least one print stripe onto the surface of the substrate as it is advanced into the printing station; a drive mechanism connected to the print cylinder and configured to rotate the print cylinder; a mounting mechanism connected to the print cylinder and configured to move vertically the print cylinder with respect to the conveyor and drive the print cylinder into and out of engagement with the surface of the substrate as it is advanced into the printing station; and a controller connected to the mounting mechanism that receives and processes data regarding the mounting mechanism and configured to control movement of the print cylinder into and out of engagement with the surface of the substrate at a predetermined location and for a predetermined length of time to apply at least one print stripe of predetermined length onto the surface of the substrate based on the length of time the printing surface engages the surface of the substrate.