Patent ID: 6848846

Claim:
A printer comprising: (a) a table providing a substantially planar support surface for supporting a substrate; (b) a substrate feed system including at least one roller, said substrate feed system being configured to feed a longitudinally extending web of material in a longitudinal direction across said support surface; (c) an ink jet print head deployed in facing relation to said support surface and configured for depositing a printing medium on a substrate as part of a printing process, said print head being configured for printing and having associated with said print head and said table a transverse drive configured to move the print head in a transverse direction relative to the substrate; and (d) a longitudinal drive associated with said print head and said table, and configured to generate relative displacement between said print head and said support surface in said longitudinal direction, wherein said substrate feed system, said transverse drive and said longitudinal drive system are configured, while printing on the substrate with said print head, to move said print head transversely relative to the substrate and the table, and to (1) move said print head longitudinally relative to the substrate and the table with said substrate held stationary relative to said table, and (2) alternatively move the substrate longitudinally relative to the table and the print head.