Patent ID: 8325359

Claim:
A swipe printer configured for printing in a swipe direction, the swipe printer comprising: a printhead for printing a graphic image and a position-coding pattern onto a surface; an ink supply containing at least one first ink for printing the graphic image and a second ink for printing the position-coding pattern; at least one first image sensor positioned downstream of said printhead relative to the swipe direction, said first image sensor being configured for imaging portions of said printed surface on which said printhead has printed during a swipe of the surface, each imaged portion containing part of the position-coding pattern printed by said printhead during said swipe; and a processor configured for: determining absolute positions of the swipe printer using said imaged parts of the position-coding pattern; and controlling an output of said printhead during said swipe using the determined absolute positions wherein the printhead is configured to print the position-coding pattern as a trail such that each portion of the printed surface imaged by the first image sensor contains part of the position-coding pattern.