Optimizing Stability: Software Density Compensation for Improved Printing Stability

Software density compensation for increasing uniformity is gaining acceptance as a solution to eliminate banding artifacts in Inkjet digital printing. Compared with tuning physical parameters software compensation can be more efficient and produce a more uniform result. This paper highlights an additional significant benefit: using software density compensation can free up physical parameters to be optimized for stability: i.e. stable jetting, fewer dropped nozzles and lower PrintHead variability over time. We demonstrate that different printheads have greater intra-head stability at different printing densities. Paradoxically therefore by increasing inter-head density variations we can increase overall system stability. In conjunction with PrintFlatTM density compensation this insight can create a system which still has no banding but may be significantly more stable.