Method of printing blinds with a fixed bed inkjet printer
A method of producing a set of blinds with a custom printed graphic image disclosed. The set of blinds have slats which are not connected and thus the set of blinds can be assembled easily after having been printed on.
1. A method for printing an image graphic on a set of blinds having flat slats and strings wherein each of the slats has a front face, a back face and a top and bottom edge comprising:
a) selecting a set of blinds wherein the slats are not connected to one another and are held in place on the strings during use solely by gravity;
b) aligning the slats horizontally directly on a fixed vacuum bed of an ink jet printer without the strings, in a top edge of one slat to bottom edge of another slat manner with the front face or back face of each slat aligned for printing thereon and holding them flat and edge to edge in place with vacuum of the vacuum bed;
c) printing the image on the aligned front face or back face of the slats;
d) removing the slats from the printer; and
e) positioning the slats on the strings to assemble the set of slats such that the image can be viewed when the blinds are in a closed position.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the slats are opaque.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the slats are semi-transparent or transparent prior to the printing step.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the ink used to print the image is semi-transparent or transparent.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein there is an image printed on both the front face and back face of the slats.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein both the image on the front faces and the image on the back faces can be viewed from a single selected viewing position by adjusting the position of the slats with the strings.
7. A set of blinds produced by the method of claim 1 .