RAPID DRYING AND LOW FEATHERING IN A PLAIN PAPER INK-JET PRINTER

A new method for high speed drying of wet ink on media, essential for the operation of a high-speed full-color ink-jet printer, is proposed and studied experimentally. Immediately prior to jetting of ink drops, a medium is heated to a very dry condition by bringing it into contac t with a moving-belt-type preheater. Experimental results show a clear print quality with low feathering, for such paper as plain paper for laser printers and recycled paper. Also, features such as high-speed d rying, short warmup times, low power consumption, compactness, and saf ety, all inherent in the proposed drying method, are confirmed.