Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Corporation

Brooke E Smith

Steve Orrin Rasmussen

Keshava A Prasad

Paul David Gast

Richard Alan Kelley

Jeffrey D Rutland

Michel Anthony Riou

David E DeBellis

Steven D Looman

Steven B Elgee

Geoff Wotton

Tod S Heiles

George C Ross

Mark L Choy

Hsue-Yang Liu

Mark H Kowalski

Stephen L Testardi

Jeff Rutland

Dave Debellis

Robert B McMaster

A method for locating a cutter in a web fed photo imaging system including the steps of measuring an actual fiducial distance between consecutive fiducials, comparing a measured actual fiducial distance between consecutive fiducials to an imaging engine feed distance, calculating a feed distance scaling factor equal to a difference between an average actual fiducial distance and the imaging engine feed distance divided by a total number of discrete incremental moves between fiducials and adjusting the imaging engine feed distance in an amount equal to the scaling factor.

Cutter position control in a web fed imaging system

The following described arrangements and procedures generate a smudge resistant image with an ink jet imaging device. Specifically, in an image printing zone on the ink jet imaging device, a first carriage generates an image on a print medium. Then, in an image protecting zone on the ink jet imaging device, a second carriage deposits an overcoat solution and a fixer solution onto the image to form a substantially smudge resistant image.

Smudge-resistant ink jet printing

A printing system includes a fixer printhead, an overcoat printhead and at least one ink printhead. The at least one ink printhead depositing drops of a colored ink on a medium. The fixer printhead deposits drops of a fixer onto the deposited drops of the colored ink. The overcoat printhead deposits drops of an overcoat onto the deposited drops of the colored ink.

Deposition of fixer and overcoat by an inkjet printing system

In combination with an inkjet printer having a glossy topcoat deposition feature, a method for printing security marks on an inkjet-printed sheet which includes the step of modulating the deposition of the topcoat layer, rather applying it uniformly to the imaged surface of the sheet. Modulated deposition results in variations in gloss which are visible when the document is viewed at an angle. Three alternatives for modulation are possible: the topcoat layer may be applied to the entire sheet, but with the amount thereof deposited per unit area over the surface of the document alternating between a low value and a high value; the topcoat layer may be applied to the entire sheet, but with the amount thereof deposited per unit area varying over the surface of the document as a continuous function between a low value and a high value; or the topcoat layer may be applied to only portions of the document surface. Modulated application of the topcoat can be controlled using one of several available techniques; the standard print driver can be employed in a manner similar to that used for the printing of standard images with pigmented inks; the printer may be designed to accept a custom plug-in module procurable from a secure source (e.g., the printer manufacturer) which, when enabled by the standard print driver, controls the printing of a particular security mark design; or an internet-based vendor may provide a secure downloadable security mark design in much the same manner that printable postage stamps are provided through various vendors in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service's Information Based Indicia Program.

Method of printing a security verification with inkjet printers

One or more reactive color inks are printed under and over black text and graphics areas. That is to say, one or more reactive color inks are first printed in a selected area in which black text and/or graphics are to be printed, then the black text and/or graphics are printed, and finally one or more reactive color inks are then printed over the black text and/or graphics. The use of under- and over-printing of black text and/or graphics by reactive color inks improves several important characteristics of inkjet printing. Specifically, the following improvements are obtained: dry-time, finger smudge, media independence/print quality, waterfastness, strikethrough, less noticeable missing/misdirected nozzles, and no dedicated pens are required. Alternatively, either underprinting alone or overprinting alone may be used.

Printing of color ink under and over black text and graphics areas

A black printhead is installed in a scanning carriage with at least one primary color printhead on both sides of the black printhead. To reduce the drying time of a printed black ink pattern and to achieve other benefits, a first one of the primary color inks underprints the black ink in a first scan direction, and a second one of the primary color inks underprints the black ink in an opposite second scan direction. To minimize hue shifts due to the different underprinted colors, the black ink is overprinted, during the same scan that printed the underprinted ink and black ink, by a color ink that is different from the underprinted ink, so that the resulting black image printed in both scan directions will contain the same three color components. In one embodiment, the order of print cartridges in the scanning carriage, as viewed from the front of the printer, is cyan, black, magenta, and yellow. Other orders may also be used, and additional colors may be used. The invention is also applicable to a color printer using a single printhead with multiple sets of nozzles, each set printing a different color ink.

Mixing overprinting and underprinting of inks in an inkjet printer to speed up the dry time of black ink without undesirable hue shifts

A media handling system having an endless belt which carries a media sheet through a print zone achieves improved media advance accuracy by including closed loop feedback control. The position of either a drive shaft which rotates the endless belt or the endless belt itself is monitored to provide feedback to a drive motor. The drive motor is linked to the drive shaft through a gear train. The endless belt is rotated by the drive shaft, either directly, or through rollers mounted to the drive shaft.

Belt driven media handling system with feedback control for improving media advance accuracy

Accurate advance of a media sheet is achieved by carrying the media sheet on a belt loop support. An upstream pinch roller holds the media sheet to the belt upstream of the print zone. A downstream pinch roller holds the media sheet to the belt downstream of the print zone. A guide shim extends along the media path from a position upstream of the upstream pinch roller, passed the upstream pinch roller under a printhead adjacent to the print zone. The location of a lead edge of the guide shim relative to the print zone determines the minimum bottom margin for the inkjet printing device. The guide shim presses the media sheet to the belt support and keeps the media sheet flat under the inkjet printhead as the printhead moves over the media sheet.

Inkjet printing apparatus with media handling system providing small

The present invention provides a dynamic adjustment of the printed fluid volume for underprinting and/or overprinting pigment-based inks (or other inks) for speeding up the drying time of the pigment-based ink or improving its adherence to a medium. The invention identifies a characteristic in the printer that affects the optimum volume of under/overprinted fluid to be printed, such as pen temperature, operating frequency, operating life, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity, and varies the printed volume of the under/overprinted fluid accordingly.

Growing community of inventors

Brush Prairie, WA, United States of America

Brooke E Smith