(57) A method and apparatus for an electrophotographic color printer (200, 300, 400, 500).
The method of developing a color image onto a photoconductor (212, 214, 312, 314,
316, 412, 414, 416, 512, 514) includes providing at least two photoconductors (212,
214, 312, 314, 316, 412, 414, 416, 512, 514) and at least three developing stations
(231, 232, 233, 331, 332, 333, 334, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 531, 532, 533, 534,
535) such that the number of developing (231, 232, 233, 331, 332, 333, 334, 431, 432,
433, 434, 435, 436, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535) stations is greater than the number of
photoconductors (212, 214, 312, 314, 316, 412, 414, 416, 512, 514). The method also
includes discharging the photoconductors (212, 214, 312, 314, 316, 412, 414, 416,
512, 514) so as to produce at least two patterns on at least one photoconductor and
at least one pattern on at least one photoconductor, then developing each pattern
with a respective toner and combining the patterns to form a multi-color finished
image.
The invention further includes an apparatus (500) for performing four-color laser
printing, including dot-on-dot printing, using five developing stations (535, 532,
533, 534, 535) and only two photoconductors (512, 514). The apparatus (500) includes
at least two photoconductors (512, 514), and at least three developing stations (531,
532, 533, 534, 535), such that at least one photoconductor has at least two developing
stations associated therewith. The invention also includes an apparatus (400) which
produces color images of increased quality by using six toners, including light and
dark tints of two colors, and no more than three photoconductors (412, 414, 416).
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