Test substrate for inkjet printer drop placement analyzer

1. A substrate for an inkjet printer, the substrate comprising a material selected to provide high contrast reflected light and having a print material receiving surface with a neutral response to the print material, a reflective backing layer, and a print material receiving surface support layer disposed between the print material receiving surface and the backing layer.

2. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is opaque.

3. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the print material has a contact angle no less than about 75 degrees with the print material receiving surface.

4. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the print material receiving surface is a transparent film applied to a reflective backing layer.

5. The substrate of claim 1 , having a thickness no more than about 150 μm.

6. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the print material receiving surface is made of an environmentally stable material.

7. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the print material receiving surface is a transparent coating.

8. The substrate of claim 7 , wherein the backing layer comprises a metallic film.

9. The substrate of claim 8 , wherein the print material receiving surface is a hydrophobic polymeric material.

10. The substrate of claim 1 , wherein the print material receiving surface is a polymeric material layer, and the polymeric material layer is adhered to a metallic backing layer coated onto the print material receiving surface.

11. The substrate of claim 1 , further comprising a pigment.

12. A drop placement test system for analyzing drops of a print material, the drop placement test system comprising:

a test substrate system comprising a stage for a test substrate, the test substrate being a flexible substrate comprising a material selected to provide high contrast reflected light, the substrate having a print material receiving surface with a neutral response to the print material, the print material receiving surface comprising a transparent film, backing layer, and a print material receiving surface support layer disposed between the print material receiving surface and the backing layer; and

an imaging apparatus with a light source disposed to illuminate the print material receiving surface using light matched to optical properties of the backing layer and a detector for capturing an image of light reflected from the test substrate.

13. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the stage is coupled to a vacuum source for securely holding the test substrate against the stage in a flat orientation.

14. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the print material has a contact angle no less than about 75 degrees with the print material receiving surface.

15. The drop placement test system of claim 14 , wherein the print material receiving surface is made of an environmentally stable material.

16. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the backing layer is a reflective film.

17. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the transparent film is a hydrophobic film and the backing layer is a metallic coating on the hydrophobic film.

18. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the print material receiving surface comprises a surface treatment on the test substrate.

19. The drop placement test system of claim 12 , wherein the light is also matched to optical properties of the print material and the print material receiving surface such that the light reflected from the test substrate provides a clear image of drops of print material placed on the print material receiving surface.

20. A method, comprising:

dispensing a plurality of drops of a print material from nozzles of a printhead of an inkjet printer onto a test substrate, the test substrate comprising a material selected to provide high contrast reflected light and having a print material receiving surface with a neutral response to the print material upon contact;

imaging the drops using light matched to the material of the test substrate to be reflected by the test substrate with high contrast from light reflected by the drops; and

collecting the test substrate using a roll.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the print material has a contact angle of no more than about 75 degrees with the print receiving material.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the test substrate comprises a backing layer, the print material receiving surface is a transparent material, and the backing layer is a reflective material.