Patent ID: 8104863

Claim:
A method for forming a printed pattern from a pattern layout using a printing system, the printing system comprising a print head and a camera rigidly connected to the print head, the camera having an imaging sensor, the method comprising: performing a first alignment operation to achieve a specified orientation between the print head and a first set of alignment marks on a substrate using first image data generated by the imaging sensor of the camera, wherein performing said first alignment operation comprises determining an alignment reference point having a known position on said substrate relative to the first set of alignment marks; performing a first print operation by positioning the print head at a first design layer origin having a known location relative to the alignment reference point determined during the first alignment operation, and then printing a first portion of the pattern layout on the substrate to generate a first portion of the printed pattern, wherein performing the first print operation includes making a plurality of printing passes across the substrate in a first print direction; performing a second alignment operation to orient the print head relative to the first set of alignment marks on the substrate using second image data generated by the imaging sensor of the camera, wherein performing said second alignment operation comprises determining the alignment reference point having the known position on said substrate relative to the first set of alignment marks; and performing a second print operation by positioning the print head at a second design layer origin having a known location relative to the first design layer origin, and printing a second portion of the pattern layout on the substrate to generate a second portion of the printed pattern, wherein performing the second print operation includes making a plurality of printing passes across the substrate in a second print direction that is non-parallel to the first print direction, wherein the first portion of the pattern layout comprises a first plurality of layout elements from the pattern layout, wherein substantially all of the first plurality of layout elements run parallel to a first reference axis, wherein performing the first print operation comprises making the plurality of printing passes across the substrate in the first print direction such that the first print direction is aligned with the first reference axis.