Global Inkjet Systems Limited

Philip Collins

Nicholas Campbell Geddes

Damian Howard Laurence Smith

A method includes providing a printhead for printing an image on a surface from two different printhead positions relative to the surface, the two different printhead positions at first and second orientations, wherein the at least one printhead and the surface move relative to each other along a print path having two potentially overlapping swathes, determining an overlap area on the surface for the two overlapping swathes wherein the overlap area is to be printed on from either of the two different printhead positions, determining for each position in the overlap area at which an inkjet drop may be printed the angle of incidence at the surface of that drop, and selecting a stitch point or region in the overlap area wherein the difference between the angles of incidence at the surface of drops from the two printhead positions is kept within an acceptable limit.

Stitching methods and systems

A method of controlling a system including an arrangement of at least two nozzles, wherein the arrangement and the shape move relative to each other, each nozzle traces a respective path on the shape, and each nozzle is configured to jet drops at actual jetting locations along the respective path of the nozzle. The method results in sequence of actuation events received from a control signal to be more frequent than would be needed for an arrangement printing on a flat surface to produce the required dot resolution. It is then possible to select which of the individual nozzles are to jet for a given actuation event from the sequence so that the actual jetting locations deviate from the target jetting locations by no ore than a define maximum error distance.

Control methods and systems

A method of controlling a system including a printhead for printing an image on at least one surface, wherein the at least one surface differs in shape from a nominal surface by a known tolerance, and wherein the printhead and the at least one surface move relative to each other along a predetermined print path comprising at least one swathe. Small dot patterns (referred to as 'pathfinders') are printed on a surface of the object in a preliminary printing pass, then the printed dot patterns are analyzed, for example with a machine vision system. The necessary corrections may then be calculated from this analysis and applied to a subsequent full printing pass.

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Philip Collins