Patent ID: 7407260

Claim:
A printing device for printing images on an image-receiving member in a sequence of printing stages, the printing device comprising: at least one print head for printing in each printing stage a portion of an image on a strip of the image-receiving member, said at least one print head being displaceable in reciprocation across the image-receiving member in a main scanning direction and having a plurality of discharging elements for printing in each printing stage a portion of an image on a strip of the image-receiving member, each printing stage corresponding with a traverse of said at least one print head in an operative statein the main scanning direction; a displacement device that establishes relative displacement between said at least one print head and the image-receiving member over a predetermined distance in a sub-scanning direction after each printing stage such that subsequently printed strips are at least partially overlapping; a device that generates a delay signal; and a control that controls, in an operative state of the printer, responsive to said delay signal, said at least one print head and the displacement device so that further printing is executed only on a strip whereon printing is in progress upon receipt of the delay signal until all printing stages of the sequence are completed for said strip.