US Patent 7744184 Mechanical dithering of printing mechanisms

A system includes a control module that communicates with a printhead having nozzles, that detects a malfunctioning nozzle, and that generates control signals when the malfunctioning nozzle is detected. The system includes a vibration generator that selectively vibrates the printhead along a first axis of a print medium based on the control signals. The first axis is selected from a group consisting of parallel and perpendicular to a second axis of motion of the print medium. The printhead vibrates synchronously with at least one of a speed of the print medium and timing of firing of the nozzles.