Method for forming braille text and inkjet printer

Abstract

A method for forming braille text on a recording medium, the braille text including cells with one or more dots in each cell, and at least one of the cells includes a plurality of dots therein, includes discharging a photocurable ink onto the recording medium and curing the discharged photocurable ink with light, thus forming a print layer on the recording medium, and discharging a photocurable ink onto the print layer and curing the discharged photocurable ink with light, thus forming one or more additional print layers on the print layer. The braille text has an intra-cell dot-to-dot spacing of about 0.38 mm or more and about 1.32 mm or less.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming braille text on a recording medium, the braille text including a plurality of cells with one or more dots arranged in each cell, at least one of the plurality of cells including a plurality of dots arranged therein, the method comprising:
 discharging a photocurable ink onto the recording medium and curing the discharged photocurable ink with light to form a print layer on the recording medium; and   discharging a photocurable ink onto the print layer and curing the discharged photocurable ink with light to form one or more additional print layers on the print layer; wherein   the step of forming at least one of the print layer and the one or more additional print layers includes a step of repeating the discharging and curing of the photocurable ink and an operation of moving the recording medium in a first direction over a first distance; and   the first distance is greater than an intra-cell dot-to-dot spacing in the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The method for forming braille text according to  claim 1 , wherein the first distance is greater than a dot diameter of the braille text. 
     
     
         3 . The method for forming braille text according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 discharging the photocurable ink so as to form a first ink dot;   discharging the photocurable ink so as to form a second ink dot at a second distance from the first ink dot in a second direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein   the second distance is less than a dot diameter of the braille text.   
     
     
         4 . The method for forming braille text according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 discharging the photocurable ink so as to form a first ink dot;   discharging the photocurable ink so as to form a second ink dot at a second distance from the first ink dot in a second direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein   the second distance is less than the intra-cell dot-to-dot spacing in the first direction.   
     
     
         5 . The method for forming braille text according to  claim 1 , wherein the first distance is greater than an inter-cell spacing in the first direction. 
     
     
         6 . The method for forming braille text according to  claim 1 , wherein a dot diameter of the braille text is greater than a diameter of an ink dot of the photocurable ink upon landing on the recording medium. 
     
     
         7 . An inkjet printer for forming braille text on a recording medium, the braille text including a plurality of cells with one or more dots arranged in each cell, at least one of the plurality of cells including a plurality of dots arranged therein, the inkjet printer comprising:
 an ink head including a plurality of nozzles arranged in line in a first direction that discharge a photocurable ink onto the recording medium;   a conveyor that moves the ink head in a second direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction;   a photoirradiator that outputs light to cure the photocurable ink onto the recording medium;
 a feeder that moves the recording medium in the first direction; and 
 a controller configured or programmed to include a print controller that controls the ink head, the conveyor, the photoirradiator, and the feeder so as to form the braille text with the photocurable ink on the recording medium; wherein 
   the print controller is configured or programmed to include:
 a feed amount setter that sets an amount by which the recording medium is fed per one iteration; 
 a feed controller that controls the feeder so as to feed the recording medium in the first direction by the feed amount set by the feed amount setter per one iteration; 
 a discharge controller that controls the ink head so as to discharge the photocurable ink onto the recording medium between a feed operation and another feed operation by the feeder; 
 a moving controller that controls the conveyor so as to move the ink head in the second direction between a feed operation and another feed operation by the feeder; and 
 an irradiation controller that controls the photoirradiator so as to output light onto the photocurable ink having been discharged onto the recording medium between a feed operation and another feed operation by the feeder; wherein 
   the feed amount setter sets the feed amount to be greater than an intra-cell dot-to-dot spacing in the first direction.   
     
     
         8 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the feed amount setter sets the feed amount to be greater than a dot diameter of the braille text. 
     
     
         9 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the feed amount setter sets the feed amount to be greater than an inter-cell spacing in the first direction. 
     
     
         10 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the controller includes a size setter that sets a size of the photocurable ink discharged from the plurality of nozzles; and   the size setter sets a diameter of an ink dot of the photocurable ink upon landing to be less than a dot diameter of the braille text.   
     
     
         11 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the plurality of nozzles are arranged in line on the ink head in the first direction with a first pitch; and
 the print controller performs control so that the dot diameter of the braille text is greater than the first pitch. 
   
     
     
         12 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the discharge controller discharges the photocurable ink to form a first ink dot and discharges the photocurable ink to form a second ink dot with at least a second distance from the first ink dot in the second direction; and
 the second distance is less than the dot diameter of the braille text. 
   
     
     
         13 . The inkjet printer according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the discharge controller discharges the photocurable ink to form a first ink dot and discharges the photocurable ink to form a second ink dot with at least a second distance from the first ink dot in the second direction; and   the second distance is less than an intra-cell dot-to-dot spacing in the first direction.