Patent ID: 7988250

Claim:
A printer comprising: a printhead including a nozzle bore; a source of liquid, the liquid being under pressure sufficient to eject a column of the liquid through the nozzle bore, the liquid having a temperature; a thermal modulator associated with the nozzle bore, the thermal modulator being operable to transiently modulate the temperature of the liquid as the liquid is ejected through the nozzle bore to cause drops to break off from the column of liquid ejected from the nozzle; and an electrical pulse source in electrical communication with the thermal modulator, the electrical pulse source being operable to provide a series of pulses to the thermal modulator that control the transient temperature lowering of the liquid, the series of pulses including a first pulse applied at a first power level for transferring heat to the liquid, a second pulse applied at a second power level for transferring heat to the liquid, and a third pulse applied at a third power level for transferring heat to the liquid, the third power level being in between the first power level and the second power level.