Eastman-kodak Company

Steven A Billow

Douglas W Couwenhoven

Mark Cameron Zaretsky

Richard C Reem

Kevin Edward Spaulding

James Albert Reczek

Kenneth D Stack

James Michael Chwalek

Thomas M Laney

Steven J Dietl

David Erdtmann

James S Newkirk

David Scott Uerz

Christopher Rueby

James A Mott

Yang Shi

Stephen T Faulkenberry

Roger A Whitney

Donald J Hodge

William E Bland

Sean E Skelly

A method for modifying an input digital image having three color channels, to form a modified digital image suitable for use by an inkjet printer having reduced ink bleed artifacts comprising computing a transformed digital image containing at least a black color channel and a color dependent scale factor channel, computing a filtered black color channel using a convolution operation, and forming the modified digital image in response to the corresponding pixel values of the color dependent scale factor channel and the filtered black color channel, so that when the modified digital image is used to produce a printed image on an inkjet printer there are reduced ink bleed artifacts.

Reducing ink bleed artifacts for RGB images

A printing method includes applying at least one of a plurality of pigmented colored inks to a receiving surface. A colorless ink is applied to the receiving surface. A majority of the colorless ink is ejected from of first nozzles on a printhead used for ejecting the colorless ink. At least 30% of an area on the receiving surface, which is passed over by the first nozzles, is covered with the colorless ink during a single pass of the printhead over the area.

Inkjet printing method for colorless ink using colorless ink printhead masks dependent on colored ink printing

A method for modifying an input digital image having one or more color channels corresponding to one or more color inks and a protective ink channel corresponding to a substantially clear protective ink, each channel having an (x,y) array of pixel values, to form a modified digital image including computing a first value responsive to corresponding pixel values of the one or more color channels; computing a second value responsive to the corresponding pixel value of the protective ink channel; and modifying the corresponding pixel value of the protective ink channel responsive to the first and second values.

Inkjet printing using protective ink

A method for printing input digital images using an inkjet printing system having a first and second drop ejector arrays for ejecting drops of a particular ink, wherein ink paths supplying drop ejector arrays have different length projections. The method comprising printing a first combined number of ink dots using the first and second drop ejector arrays during first and third time intervals where the printhead is accelerating and decelerating; and printing a second combined number of ink dots using the first and second drop ejector arrays during a second time interval where the printhead is moving at a substantially constant velocity, wherein the percentage of ink dots that are printed by the drop ejector array having a longer length projection is less than 40% of the corresponding combined number of ink dots in at least one of the first or third time intervals.

Method for printing with an accelerating printhead

A method of computing swath data in response to a digital image having a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel having a multitone code value, the swath data suitable for commanding an inkjet printer containing at least one printhead having plurality of nozzles, wherein the inkjet printer is capable of ejecting ink drops in response to the swath data.

Multilevel print masking method

A method for compensating for failed nozzles in multi-pass printing using an inkjet printer having at least one printhead containing a plurality of nozzles to print an input image having a plurality of raster lines on a receiver media.

Failed nozzle correction system and method for borderless printing

A fluid ejection device and a printhead including one or more such fluid ejection devices are provided. The fluid ejection device includes a substrate having a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, each array having a plurality of nozzles and being arranged along a first direction, the first nozzle array being arranged spaced apart in a second direction from the second nozzle array. A first fluid delivery pathway is in fluid communication with the first nozzle array, and a second fluid delivery pathway is in fluid communication with the second nozzle array. Nozzles of the first nozzle array have a first opening area and are arranged along the first nozzle array at a pitch P. Nozzles of the second nozzle array have a second opening area, the second opening area being less than the first opening area. At least one nozzle of the second array is arranged offset in the first direction from at least one nozzle of the first array by a distance which is less than pitch P. A printhead comprises one or more such fluid ejection devices arranged on a support member.

Fluid ejection device nozzle array configuration

A method of determining and applying a protective ink amount to be printed in addition to a plurality of colored ink amounts to make colored pixels in an image including determining the protective ink amount such that the sum of the protective ink amount and the colored ink amounts is greater than or equal to a minimum ink amount necessary to provide adequate durability for the image, and applying using an inkjet printer the colored ink amounts and the protective ink amount to make the colored image pixels.

A method is provided for reducing image artifacts in printers that employ two or more printhead nozzle banks that must be aligned and registered with respect to each other either through adjustment of orientation and/or position of one nozzle bank relative to another or through selective control of actuation. In the method, discrete dots are printed by the nozzle banks upon a target receiver medium. Examination of the receiver medium or a reproduction thereof is made by a scanner and information regarding location of the dots is generated. From information regarding location of the dots a determination is made of error placement of the dots from ideal locations. Alignment of the nozzle banks are made in accordance with any errors determined in placement.

Method of aligning inkjet nozzle banks for an inkjet printer

A computer program product is provided for optimizing a printer for driver settings and color profile in order to optimally print an image on a selected media. Data is stored in an index file for various combinations of printers, printer drivers, printer media and color profiles. The printer driver that is currently used on the user's machine for the selected printer is determined and the printer media selected for the printer is identified, e.g., by a simple query of the user. One set of steps involves choosing an appropriate stored color profile for the selected printer-media combination, and applying the chosen color profile to the image data, thereby generating transformed image data. Another set of steps involves retrieving printer settings for the selected printer-media combination and modifying the settings of the driver in use for the selected media. Finally the transformed image data is printed using the modified settings of the printer driver to obtain optimal printing of the image.

Optimized printing system

A method of selecting inkjet nozzle banks for assembly into an inkjet printhead. The printhead when assembled includes at least two nozzle banks and is operative for printing one particular color ink or other liquid and each nozzlebank includes plural nozzles. The printhead is operational in a printer to print raster rows so that at least one raster row is printed using ink drops deposited at respective different pixel locations on the raster row by respective different nozzles on each of the at least two nozzle banks. The method includes (a) characterizing a drop size parameter for predetermined nozzles of each of the nozzle banks; (b) identifying for each of plural raster rows the respective different nozzles on each of the at least two nozzle banks that would be used to print the respective raster row; (c) identifying a size characteristic associated with each of the plural raster rows using a predetermined computer algorithm without printing the raster rows; and (d) determining in accordance with a criterion and data derived from size characteristic identified in step (c) whether or not the at least two nozzle banks are an acceptable match.

Method of selecting inkjet nozzle banks for assembly into an inkjet printhead

A method for modifying a digital image having an array of raster lines, each raster line having an array of image pixels, to produce a modified digital image suitable for printing on an inkjet printer containing at least one printhead having nozzles, such that unwanted optical density variations in the print are reduced, includes determining an optical density parameter for each nozzle in the printhead; determining a line correction factor for a given raster line in response to the optical density parameter for each nozzle in the printhead and the raster line number; and modifying each pixel in the given raster line in response to the line correction factor to produce the modified digital image.

Compensating for drop volume variation in an inkjet printer

A method is taught for curtain coating a liquid composition onto a moving web at a coating point where the moving web is supported on a backing roller. The web is partially wrapped around the backing roller, the backing roller including a relief patterned area on the surface thereof, the relief patterned area including relieved features and non-relieved features, the relieved features and the non-relieved features creating an electrostatic force difference exerted on the liquid composition at the coating point when an electrostatic field is applied thereto. A web speed is specified and the electrostatic force difference exerted on the liquid composition at the coating point is varied to determine a maximum electrostatic force difference for the specified web speed that achieves the predetermined acceptable level of coating thickness non-uniformity. The web is moved at the specified web speed and an operating electrostatic force difference is generated at the coating point that is not greater than the maximum electrostatic force difference for the specified web speed.

Method for using a patterned backing roller for curtain coating a liquid composition to a web

A method for coating a liquid composition from an applicator to a moving web supported by a backing roller, characterized by the steps of a) conveying the web in a partial wrap around the backing roller of diameter equal to or greater than 10 cm, the backing roller being provided with a conductive, relieved surface; b) fabricating the relieved surface with a pattern that provides venting, the pattern having a geometry and depth such that the electrostatic force at the coating point does not vary by more than a factor of about ten, the pattern covering at least 30% or more of the width of the web; c) providing an electrostatic field at the coating point; and d) coating at a web speed greater than or equal to 75 meters/minute.

Method for coating a liquid composition to a web using a backing roller with a relieved surface

A coating method comprising advancing a web over a coating roller, applying electrostatic charges on the web or coating roller, and coating the web wherein the surface of the web to be coated has a characteristic electrical length of less than 400 &mgr;m.

Growing community of inventors

Victor, NY, United States of America

Steven A Billow