Empty separation printing

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for controlling a liquid electrophotography printer (LEP). The LEP may include a plurality of ink developers, IDs, to transfer charged ink to a photoreceptor, by virtue of a potential difference between the engaged ID and the photoreceptor selectively dischargeable to allow an image to be formed on a print medium in use through printing a spread of plural color separations thereon each corresponding to ink from one of a plurality of engaged IDs. the apparatus may comprise a print controller to, in use monitor an order of color separations to be printed onto the print medium. The print controller may also detect in the order of color separations an empty separation of an ID followed by a printing separation of the same ID, an empty separation representing a separation in which no image is formed on the photoreceptor and the engaged ID is at a voltage different to the voltage of the ID for a printing separation so as to, in the empty separation, substantially wet the photoreceptor and substantially not transfer ink thereto. The print controller may also, in response to the detection, replace in the order of the color separations the ID for the empty separation with a different ID.