arrays typically all the parameters for blotting a pin on a blot slide are the same as for printing on a slide although slightly faster velocities can be used such as at about 75 100 milliseconds to travel the typically 2 mm distance from the pin up position the first position to the down position the second position a robot blotting routine using timed z axis movements preferably involve a first step loading a counter with the number of blots to be performed the second step sets up a loop which is to be executed the number of times by the counter the first step of the loop moves the robot down in the z axis to a calibrated position from its current position in preferably 100 milliseconds the next step moves the robot back up in the z axis to another calibrated point in preferably 100 milliseconds after this movement the robot is instructed to move laterally for example parallel to the x axis a set distance between two blots this movement is set to take about 200 milliseconds to avoid abrupt movement of the robot in a subsequent step the robot finishes its lateral movement before proceeding on to the next step the robot then moves back up to a safe position to a person in the art it is clear that variations to the above mentioned parameters may also be used for proper performance of the microarray microarrayer the above parametric values are offered as.