Drop placement analyzer for inkjet printing system
A drop placement analyzer for an inkjet printer is described herein. The drop placement analyzer comprises a film support that has an opaque, optically non-interfering vacuum surface for immobilizing a film against the optically non-interfering vacuum surface and photographing drops disposed on the film from the same side of the film on which the drops are disposed.
1. An inkjet printer, comprising:
a processing table;
a printhead coupled to a printhead support disposed over the processing table; and
a drop placement analyzer with a film support that has an opaque, optically non-interfering surface for photography of drops disposed on a film, supported by the film support.
2. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface has a mirror finish.
3. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface comprises a reflective coating.
4. The inkjet printer of claim 3 , wherein the film support comprises a glass body and the reflective coating is applied to the glass body.
5. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface is a vacuum surface.
6. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface is a surface of a reflective insert.
7. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface is provided by a detachable body.
8. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the film support has openings in the optically non-interfering surface that fluidly communicate with a plenum inside the film support.
9. The inkjet printer of claim 8 , wherein the film support comprises a cover plate that defines the plenum, and a gas fitting is attached to the cover plate.
10. A drop placement analyzer for an inkjet printer, the drop placement analyzer comprising a film support that has an opaque, optically non-interfering vacuum surface for immobilizing a film against the optically non-interfering vacuum surface and photographing drops disposed on the film.
11. The drop placement analyzer of claim 10 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface has a mirror finish.
12. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface comprises a reflective coating.
13. The inkjet printer of claim 12 , wherein the film support comprises a glass body and the reflective coating is applied to the glass body.
14. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface is a surface of a reflective insert.
15. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface is provided by a detachable body.
16. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein the film support has openings in the optically non-interfering surface that fluidly communicate with a plenum inside the film support.
17. The inkjet printer of claim 16 , wherein the film support comprises a cover plate that defines the plenum, and a gas fitting is attached to the cover plate.
18. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
providing a support body that has a flat, opaque, optically non-interfering surface;
disposing a transparent test substrate securely against the optically non-interfering surface of the support body;
dispensing test drops onto the test substrate;
illuminating the test substrate using light adapted for use with the optically non-interfering surface of the support body to minimize noise and distortion of light reflected from the optically non-interfering surface of the support body; and
photographing the test drops on the test substrate.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the optically non-interfering surface comprises a mirror finish, a reflective coating, a vacuum surface, a reflective insert, a detachable body, openings that fluidly communicate with a plenum inside the support body, or a combination thereof.