Flatbed Inkjet Printer
From DDL Wiki
Flatbed inkjet printers are available on the market currently, but most are used in high-end, professional printing applications. They are used mainly to print on non-standard materials or for applications which require large printing area's (e.g. signs, posters, doors, etc.). Most flatbed systems use UV-curable ink, but this is mainly because the applications which they serve are high traffic or must be weather-proof. For simple in-home usage, regular inkjet ink would most likely work well.
Current flatbed systems can print on media up to about 96 inches. Some move the substrate below the print head, while others move the print head over the substrate. For our product, we feel that moving the print head over the substrate would be the easiest, most cost effective and the most universal (in terms of printable substrates) design.
Our printer should be able to print on small boxes, CD's, CD jewel cases, or other three dimensional objects with printable surfaces. It would still, however, only have the print capability of a normal inkjet printer with regards to printable materials. For instance, our flatbed printer would still be unable to print on plastics or other non-porous materials (unless they were specifically designed to work with inkjet printers).
A possible problem is the distance that the print heads must be from the substrate. According to EmeraldInsight.com, the print head must maintain a nominal distance of between 1-1.5 mm. This measurement was confirmed on our inkjet printer. This distance, while relatively small, should not pose a problem with corrective/preventative measures.
