Matan now offers an automatic blockout option on its newest Barak 8Q printer that it says makes double-sided blockout printing simple and quick.
A combination of optical sensors and smart software algorithms work to create a workflow for accurate ouput. The first optical sensor is located underneath the media. A pair of parallel stripes is printed before each job. These stripes serve to help the sensor identify where the image printed on side ‘A’ starts and where it ends, in relation to the length of the media (‘Y’ axis).
The second sensor is the media measurement detector and is attached to the printhead carriage. This sensor detects where the media is situated along on the width of the printer (the ‘X’ axis). This is how the software receives precise information about the exact position of the media and where the image of side ‘A’ was printed, so that when it is time to print side ‘B’, the printer knows just where to accurately place the image, so they overlap with each other, within the same boundaries.
The software supports two possible workflow options: head-to-head and head-to-tail. In the first option, the media is rewound after printing, the roll is then flipped over with side ‘A’ on the under-side. In the second option, the media is wound on a core while printing side ‘A’, and is then installed with side ‘A’ facing down.