Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for performing liquid electrophotographic printing, the method including: providing a printing medium, wherein said printing medium includes an ink-receiving layer and a second layer, the layers being coextruded, wherein at least the ink-receiving layer contains a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene copolymers, alpha-olefin copolymers, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyethyleneimines, and mixtures thereof, and printing an image on said printing medium.

Abstract: Coating apparatus including a spray to provide a coating, a controller to control the spray to vary a spraying width of the spray, and a first roller to receive the coating and to smear the coating on a substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure is drawn to an electrostatic ink composition comprising a resin and an elongate conductive species. Also disclosed herein is a substrate on which is electrostatically printed a conductive trace, wherein the trace comprises a resin and an elongate conductive species. Further disclosed herein is a method of electrophotographic printing an electrostatic ink composition comprising a resin and an elongate conductive species.

Abstract: A process application layer receives a command that define a generic test for an application under test. A test code generator transforms the command into test engine instructions that exercise the generic tests on the application under test.

Abstract: An indirect inkjet printing method comprising providing a jettable ink composition comprising, jetting said ink composition on a surface of an intermediate transfer member forming a film comprising an image thereon, and transferring said image to a printable substrate. The jettable ink composition comprises a hydrocarbon carrier liquid, colorant and polymeric binder resin which is soluble in the hydrocarbon carrier liquid.

Abstract: A system includes a structure module, graininess module, mottle module, and standard deviation (STD) module. The structure module is to identify a structure metric based on an input digital image, and remove a structured nonuniformity from the input digital image to produce a second input digital image. The graininess module is to identify a graininess metric based on the second input digital image. The mottle module is to identify a mottle metric based on the second input digital image. The STD module is to identify a STD metric that is to correspond to overall smoothness of the input digital image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for assessing the operation of a col or printing system (10) by measuring color plane mis-registration. The printing system (10) is caused to print a multi-sheet test job (26) with corresponding test points on each sheet distributed vertically and horizontally over the sheet. The test points comprise test markings for determining horizontal and vertical color plane mis-registration values. These test markings are measured by an imaging subsystem (30) to determine horizontal and vertical color plane mis-registration values (31) for the printing colors. The mis-registration values are then analyzed (33, 36) by a processing subsystem (32) to derive a plurality of mis-registration parameters that provide different respective views of mis-registration behaviour across the test sheets. An output is provided based on the mis-registration parameters.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided a visual security feature. The visual security feature comprises a security feature printed on a media. The security feature includes a security code printed on the media, and a holographic image is embossed on the printed security feature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a determination unit, a print unit, and an image forming blanket. The determination unit may determine a raised support image having a support perimeter to be printed on an impression media corresponding to a type of media. The print unit may at least one of print the image to be transferred by the image forming blanket to the media and print the raised support image determined by the determination unit on the impression media. The support perimeter may be smaller than the media perimeter. The image forming blanket may transfer the image to a front surface of the media from the image forming blanket by contacting the media and bending the edge portion of the media about the raised support image.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for coating conductive metallic pigment particles, the method comprising: providing a first liquid carrier containing a dissolved resin and suspended conductive metallic pigment particles; effecting precipitation of the resin from the first liquid, such that a coating of the resin is formed on the conductive metallic pigment particles. Also disclosed herein are conductive metallic pigment particles, and an electrostatic ink composition comprising coated conductive metallic pigment particles.

Abstract: An embossing apparatus comprises an embossing die comprising a printed relief pattern, and a resilient surface for pressing media against the embossing die to emboss features corresponding to the printed relief pattern on the media, in which the printed relief pattern comprises a number of layers of a deposited material, and in which a number of layers of the deposited material closest to the top of the printed relief pattern comprises a deposited material with a relatively lower coefficient of adhesion than layers of the deposited material disposed under the deposited material closest to the top of the printed relief pattern. A printed relief pattern for embossing media comprises a number of preliminary layers, the preliminary layers comprising a first material, and a number of terminal layers, the terminal layers comprising a second material, in which the second material has a lower adhesive coefficient than the first material.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus and methods are disclosed which include identifying a first ink density of ink in an ink tank by a density sensor unit disposed in the ink tank. The image forming apparatus and methods also include identifying an ink weight of ink in an intermediate reservoir by a weight sensor unit. The image forming apparatus and methods also include determining a second ink density of the ink in the intermediate reservoir based at least on the identified first ink density by the density sensor unit and the identified ink weight of the ink in the intermediate reservoir by the weight sensor unit.

Abstract: Apparatus for embossing media, the apparatus including cutter apparatus to cut a shape in a surface layer of a multi-layer substrate to form a die. The apparatus also includes an embosser to emboss the media using the die. The cutter apparatus is arranged to provide the die to the embosser.

Abstract: A method of maintaining a photoconductive member of a liquid electrophotography printing apparatus (LEP) is disclosed. The method includes storing a fluid having at least fluid particles and a carrier liquid in a fluid chamber and removing at least a portion of the fluid particles and the dissolved materials from the fluid through adsorption by filtration material disposed within a filtration assembly to form a filtered fluid. The method also includes maintaining the photoconductive member by periodically applying the filtered fluid to the photoconductive member and removing the filtered fluid and fluid residue therefrom.

Abstract: In an LEP printer having a wiper blade for wiping a photo imaging plate, the photo imaging plate may include a PIP foil with a trailing edge having a zone of a roughening pattern which includes notches that are inclined with respect to a contact line of the wiper blade. The zone of roughening pattern is confined between two opposite margins lacking any roughening.

Abstract: A printer applies an imaging material to form an image, withdraws vapors from the applied imaging material and treats the withdrawn vapors with a vapor treatment system. The printer heats untreated withdrawn vapors with heat from the vapor treatment system.

Abstract: Providing for workflow and finishing solutions for printing are disclosed herein. By way of example, disclosed workflow provides grouping and managing a stream(s) of digital images across a substrate width, for maximizing print productivity and profitability. Digital images are re-sized according to print instructions and oriented into a print stream. Multiple print streams can be organized onto the substrate width, to improve substrate packing. Moreover, disclosed finishing solutions provide for outputting streams of prints according to an output format, in conjunction with rendering the digital images in physical form.

Abstract: The present disclosure is drawn to a method for improving the durability of an ink printed on a substrate. In an aspect, the method comprises: (a) providing a substrate having an ink printed thereon; (b) applying an organosilane to the ink to form a coating over the ink, wherein the organosilane is of the formula X—SiR1R2R3, wherein R1, R2 and R3 are all hydrolysable groups, and X comprises an a nucleophilic nitrogen-containing group which is covalently bonded to Si in X—SiR1R2R3 via a non-hydrolysable linker group; and (c) curing the organosilane. The present disclosure further describes a substrate having an ink printed thereon, wherein the ink has a coating thereon formed by applying an organosilane to the ink and curing the organosilane.

Abstract: Apparatus for draining liquid droplets from a surface is described. The apparatus comprises an array of oleophilic channels substantially interspersed with oleophobic material, wherein a width of an oleophilic channel is arranged to move liquid associated with said droplets along the oleophilic channel by capillary action and wherein a distance between two successive oleophilic channels is less than a critical droplet diameter, the critical droplet diameter corresponding to a droplet that will separate from the surface. The oleophilic channels act to preferentially attract condensed oil and the oleophobic material acts to repel condensed oil such that formation of droplets is restricted by the oleophilic channel. By selecting an appropriate channel width, the size of droplets is prevented from exceeding a critical size, at which the droplets can no longer be held by surface tension to the condensing surface and drip away from the condensing surface.

Abstract: Portable interface devices for controlling machines at control locations. One example device is arranged, in response to a positive verification that it is at a control location, to enable a user to control the machine by means of the device. Another example device is arranged to display information comprising control-location-specific information, based on which of at least two control locations was identified. Another example device is arranged to enable machine control for a limited period of time after a positive detection that it is located at a control location. Another example device includes a barcode reader. The device enables a user to control the machine in response to a positive verification that the barcode read is associated with the at least one control location.