Method of modulating peak power requirement of modular printhead

1. A method of modulating a peak power requirement of a modular printhead, each module of said printhead having respective segments of each of a plurality of rows of inkjet nozzles so that each nozzle row is comprised in a respective color channel, said method comprising each of said modules firing a respective segment within a predetermined segment-time such that at least one of the fired segments is contained in a different color channel from at least one of the other fired segments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a peak power requirement of said printhead is modulated in accordance with a predetermined firing sequence.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said firing sequence modulates said peak power requirement such that said peak power requirement is within 10% of an average power requirement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printhead is a stationary pagewidth printhead.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said segment-time is a predetermined fraction of one line-time, all segments in a nozzle row being fired within one line-time, and wherein one line-time is defined as the time taken for print medium to advance past said printhead by one line.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising firing sequentially a segment from each color channel on the same printhead module, such that all said segments are fired within one line-time.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said segment-time is less than or equal to said line-time divided by the number of nozzle rows.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the number of color channels is equal to the number of printhead modules.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of said printhead modules fires a segment from a different color channel, within said predetermined segment-time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one nozzle row has a different peak power requirement for firing nozzles from other nozzle rows.