Imaging apparatus and method of using colorant density for reducing printing defects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757955-B2
Application number	US-201514963581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A method for reducing printing defects in inkjet printing includes determining a respective colorant density for each colorant of a plurality of colorants for a region to be printed; determining a colorant dry-time signal strength as a function of a combined colorant density value based on the respective colorant densities of the plurality of colorants for the region to be printed; determining a respective colorant swath contraction strength for each colorant as a function of the respective colorant density; selecting a dry-time threshold which if met by the colorant dry-time signal strength indicates that a dry-time defect may occur; selecting a respective colorant density threshold for each colorant which if met by the respective colorant density indicates a visible swath contraction may occur; and determining a printing action to be taken based on whether the dry-time threshold is met and whether at least one respective colorant density threshold is met.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing printing defects in inkjet printing, comprising:
determining a respective colorant density for each colorant of a plurality of colorants for a region to be printed;
determining a colorant dry-time signal strength as a function of a combined colorant density value based on the respective colorant densities of the plurality of colorants for the region to be printed;
determining a respective colorant swath contraction strength for each colorant as a function of the respective colorant density;
selecting a dry-time threshold which if met by the colorant dry-time signal strength indicates a dry-time defect;
selecting a respective colorant density threshold for each colorant which if met by the respective colorant density indicates a visible swath contraction; and
determining a printing action to be taken based on whether the dry-time threshold is met and whether at least one respective colorant density threshold is met.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the colorant dry-time signal strength meets the dry-time threshold, then do not print a black (K) colorant simultaneously with other colorants of the plurality of colorants.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the colorant dry-time signal strength meets the dry-time threshold, then print non-black colorants on a non-black colorant printing pass in a direction, followed by a non-printing return pass in an opposite direction, followed by a black (K) printing pass in the direction.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the respective colorant swath contraction strength for a black (K) colorant meets the respective colorant density threshold for the black (K) colorant, then split a K printing pass into a first K printing pass in a direction, a second K printing pass in the direction, and with a non-printing return pass in an opposite direction between the first K printing pass and the second K printing pass.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the respective colorant swath contraction strength for a black (K) colorant meets the respective colorant density threshold for the black (K) colorant, then provide shingled K printing in multiple K printing passes with a non-printing return pass between consecutive pairs of K printing passes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the respective colorant swath contraction strength for a respective colorant meets the respective colorant density threshold for the respective colorant, then split a respective colorant printing pass into a first respective colorant printing pass in a direction, a second respective colorant printing pass in the direction, and with a non-printing return pass between the first respective colorant printing pass and the second respective colorant printing pass.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the respective colorant swath contraction strength for a respective colorant meets the respective colorant density threshold for the respective colorant, then provide shingled respective colorant printing in multiple respective colorant printing passes.

8. A method for reducing printing defects in inkjet printing, comprising:
setting a dry-time threshold as a combined CMYK colorant density value, which if met indicates a dry-time defect;
setting a black (K) density threshold representing a black (K) ink drop density, which if met indicates a visible swath contraction;
determining a colorant dry-time signal strength as a function of a cyan (C) ink drop density, a magenta (M) ink drop density, a yellow (Y) ink drop density, and a black (K) ink drop density, wherein each ink drop density for a respective colorant is based on image data for a print swath to be printed;
determining a black (K) swath contraction strength as a function of the black (K) ink drop density; and
selecting a predetermined printing action for the image data for each of four possible scenarios of colorant dry-time signal strength and black (K) swath contraction strength relating to the dry-time threshold and the black (K) density threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein if the dry-time signal strength does not meet the dry-time threshold, and the black (K) swath contraction strength does not meet the black (K) density threshold, then perform CMY shingled printing comprising a CMY printing pass in a first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in a second direction opposite to the first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in the first direction, and followed by a CMYK printing pass in the second direction.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein if the dry-time signal strength does not meet the dry-time threshold, and the black (K) swath contraction strength meets the black (K) density threshold, then perform shingled printing comprising a CMY printing pass in a first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in a second direction opposite to the first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in the first direction, and followed by a CMYK printing pass in the second direction, followed by a non-printing return pass in the first direction, followed by a K printing pass in the second direction.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein if the dry-time signal strength meets the dry-time threshold, and the black (K) swath contraction strength does not meet the black (K) density threshold, then perform CMY shingled printing comprising a CMY printing pass in a first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in a second direction opposite to the first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in the first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in the second direction, followed by a non-printing return pass in the first direction, followed by a K printing pass in the second direction.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein if the dry-time signal strength meets the dry-time threshold, and the black (K) swath contraction strength meets the black (K) density threshold, then perform shingled printing comprising a CMY printing pass in a first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in a second direction opposite to the first direction, followed by a CMY printing pass in the first direction, and followed by a CMY printing pass in the second direction, followed by a non-printing return pass in the first direction, followed by a K printing pass in the second direction, followed by a non-printing return pass in the first direction, followed by a K printing pass in the second direction.

13. A method for reducing printing defects in inkjet printing, comprising:
determining a cyan (C) ink drop density for a region to be printed;
determining a magenta (M) ink drop density for the region to be printed;
determining a yellow (Y) ink drop density for the region to be printed;
determining a black (K) ink drop density for the region to be printed;
determining a colorant dry-time signal strength as a function of the cyan (C) ink drop density, the magenta (M) ink drop density, the yellow (Y) ink drop density, and the black (K) ink drop density;
setting a dry-time threshold as a combined CMYK colorant density value;
determining a cyan (C) swath contraction strength as a function of the cyan (C) ink drop density;
determining a magenta (M) swath contraction strength as a function of the magenta (M) ink drop density;
determining a yellow (Y) swath contraction strength as a function of the yellow (Y) ink drop density;
determining a black (K) swath contraction strength as a function of the black (K) ink drop density;
setting a cyan (C) density threshold representing a cyan (C) ink drop density;
setting a magenta (M) density threshold representing a magenta (M) ink drop density;
setting a yellow (Y) density threshold representing a yellow (Y) in

Assignees

• Funai Electric Co

Inventors

• Barkley Lucas D
• Marra Iii Michael A
• Deboard Bruce A
• Ito Yu

Classifications

• B41J2/2054

  by the variation of dot disposition or characteristics, e.g. dot number density, dot shape · CPC title

• B41J2/2132 Primary

  Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding (methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40) · CPC title

• B41J2/21

  for multi-colour printing · CPC title

• H04N1/60

  Colour correction or control {(H04N1/54 takes precedence)} · CPC title