PRINTING WITHIN DEFINED ZONES

• US 20190322109A1
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rubio, Leticia, Sarkar, Utpal, Rodriguez Alonso, Raul, Quintero Ruiz, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 11,034,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0065 Means for printing without leaving a margin on at least one edge of the copy material, e.g. edge-to-edge printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins

Abstract

A method of printing on a printable medium is disclosed. The method of printing may use a print head having a plurality of nozzles. The printable medium may have a leading edge and a defined zone adjacent to the leading edge. The print head may deposit print agent onto the printable medium via the plurality of nozzles during successive printing passes. The method may comprise printing outside, and not within, the defined zone on the printable medium using a first subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles. The method may further comprise printing within, and not outside, the defined zone on the printable medium using a second subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles.

Claims

1. A method of printing on a printable medium using a print head having a plurality of nozzles, the printable medium having a leading edge and a defined zone adjacent to the leading edge, wherein the print head is to deposit print agent onto the printable medium via the plurality of nozzles during successive printing passes, the method comprising:

printing outside, and not within, the defined zone on the printable medium using a first subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles; and

printing within, and not outside, the defined zone on the printable medium using a second subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein nozzles included within the first subset of nozzles are not included within the second subset of nozzles.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first subset of nozzles are to print outside the defined zone on the printable medium during a first printing pass, and the second subset of nozzles are to print within the defined zone on the printable medium during a second printing pass, after the first printing pass.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second subset of nozzles are to print within the defined zone on the printable medium when the leading edge of the printable medium is within a defined area.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a print mask corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, the print mask defining those nozzles which are to print within the defined zone, and those nozzles which are to print outside the defined zone; and

applying the print mask to the print head.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

advancing the printable medium between successive printing passes;

wherein, between printing passes in which the first subset of nozzles are to print, the printable medium is advanced by a first defined distance, and between printing passes in which the second subset of nozzles are to print, the printable medium is advanced by a second defined distance, different from the first defined distance.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein, during each printing pass while printing within the defined zone, the second subset of nozzles are to print with a print quality equivalent to the quality of printing performed by the first subset of nozzles during each printing pass while printing outside the defined zone.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying particular nozzles of the first subset of nozzles that are aligned with the defined zone of the printable medium during each printing pass; and

during each printing pass while printing outside the defined zone on the printable medium, preventing the particular nozzles of the first subset of nozzles from printing.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein preventing the particular nozzles from printing comprises applying a print mask to the print head, the print mask defining the particular nozzles of the first subset of nozzles which are not to print.

10. Print apparatus, comprising:

a print agent distributor having a plurality of nozzles to deposit print agent onto a substrate during successive printing passes; and

processing apparatus to;

enable a first subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles to deposit print agent outside, and not within, a defined zone on the substrate; and

enable a second subset of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles to deposit print agent within, and not outside, the defined zone on the substrate.

11. Print apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a print bed having a platen to support the substrate, and a print agent-absorbing element;

wherein the processing apparatus is to;

enable the second subset of nozzles to deposit print agent within the defined zone on the substrate when the defined zone is over the print agent-absorbing element.

12. Print apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a substrate advancer to advance the substrate between successive printing passes of the print agent distributor;

wherein, between printing passes in which the first subset of nozzles are to print, the substrate advancer is to advance the substrate by a first defined distance, and between printing passes in which the second subset of nozzles are to print, the substrate advancer is to advance the substrate by a second defined distance, different from the first defined distance.

13. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

cause a first group of nozzles of a print head to deposit print agent outside, and not within, a defined area on a printable medium; and

cause a second group of nozzles of the print head to deposit print agent within, and not outside, the defined area on the printable medium.

14. A machine-readable medium according to claim 13, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

create a first print mask corresponding to the first group of nozzles, and defining those nozzles which are to print outside the defined zone; and

create a second print mask corresponding to the second group of nozzles, and defining those nozzles which are to print within the defined zone.

15. A machine-readable medium according to claim 13, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

identify particular nozzles of the first group of nozzles that are aligned with the defined area of the printable medium; and

create a third print mask corresponding to the particular nozzles of the first group of nozzles, the third print mask to prevent the particular nozzles from delivering print agent while the first group of nozzles is caused to deposit print agent.