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Abstract

A scanning head ink jet printer prints at high-speed to produce large format output of graphics quality. The printer utilizes variable paper advance interlacing, which allows high speed, full coverage printing with a variety of saber angles. Several series of variable paper advances can be used to optimally correct potential banding problems in the image. The printer utilizes multiple print heads mounted on a single carriage. The multiple print head system allows for higher ink delivery rates than possible on prior art printers. Bi-directional printing allows even faster output, and several adjustments can be made to address the order of ink laydown. The printer utilizes a new calibration pattern wherein different frequencies of marks are printed by different colored ink jets. The marks can be easily analyzed to determine proper calibration setting between jets. The carriage rides on a single rail having upper and lower v-shaped roller tread surfaces. The rail is supported on a rigid attachment plate, avoiding parallelism, bending and vibration problems present in prior art printers. The printer utilizes a paper blotter with removable front and rear housing sections and a replaceable paper roll, allowing for quick and low-cost printer maintenance. Using a base pulse generated from an encoder strip, the timing of print head firing is precisely adjusted according to various parameters of the printer, and ink dots are more accurately positioned on the image.

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