Abstract: The system and method of the present invention forms an item specific pattern on a plain or holographic metallized film or hot stamp foil, including an embossed substrate with or without holograms. An ink jet printhead includes a plurality of ink jet channels and respective ink jets that receive one of etchant or etchant-resistant mask material for ejecting etchant or etchant-resistant mask material through the respective ink jets onto a metallized surface of the metallized film or hot stamp foil. A controller individually and digitally controls the ejection of etchant or etchant-resistant mask material in a programmed manner for ink jet printing on the metallized surface a unique pattern of etchant or etchant-resistant mask. Etchant etches the metallized surface into an item specific pattern by the ink jet printed etchant or subsequently applied etchant that exposes the metallized surface devoid of the etchant-resistant mask.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead assembly for a pressure controlled ink jet printhead. The assembly includes an ink reservoir made of a first material having a first melting point and having an open top cavity defined by sidewalls, a bottom wall and a peripheral edge. A pressure control structure made of a polymeric material having a second melting point lower than the first melting point is included. The pressure control structure has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a side surface, and an aperture therein. A sealing structure for forming a liquid tight seal is provided between the sidewalls of the ink reservoir and the side surface of the pressure control structure. A pressure regulating film is attached over the aperture to the first surface of the pressure control structure. A cover is attached to the ink reservoir.

Abstract: A multiple ink jet printing system comprising a plurality of rows of dark dye nozzles and light dye nozzles. Each row of dark dye nozzles is coupled to a supply of dark dye ink, and each row of light dye nozzles is coupled to a supply of light dye ink. Each of the rows of dark dye nozzles and light dye nozzles are arranged substantially parallel to each other, and at least one row of dark dye nozzles is separated from the next row of dark dye nozzles by at least one row of light dye nozzles.

Abstract: A method of detecting a fault within a micro electro-mechanical device in the form of an ink ejection nozzle having an actuating arm that moves an ink displacing paddle when heat inducing electric current is passed through the actuating arm and having a movement sensor associated with the actuating arm. The method comprises the steps of passing a series of pulses having varying duration through the actuating arm and detecting for contact of a moving contact element on the actuating arm with a fixed contact element. Normal operation of the device is indicated by no contact between the fixed and moving contact elements below a predetermined pulse duration and contact between the fixed and moving contact elements above the predetermined pulse duration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of inkjet printing of tone and/or color images at a high efficiency production of hygienic articles. The method provides a reliable system of combining inkjet-printing operations with converting operations on a converting line producing hygienic articles having tone and/or color print images. The method utilizes at least two-inkjet print heads capable of switching between the print heads during malfunctions or maintenance procedures of one of the print heads to provide production continuity at a minimum production loss of hygienic articles.

Abstract: A cartridge removably installed on a working device and having (a) a passage which is formed so as to extend in a direction of movement of the cartridge for installation thereof on the working device and which has an open end open at one end of the cartridge, and (b) a non-reversibly changing member disposed in the passage, at a suitable distance from the open end, and changeable from a first state for a first relationship with the projecting member, to a second state for a second relationship with the projecting member, the non-reversibly changing member being unable to change from the second state back to the first state.

Abstract: An ink-jet image recording method is disclosed. In the method and image is formed by jetting ink on an ink-jet recording medium having an ink absorption layer and optionally a layer provided the ink absorption layer on resin coated paper, in which the outermost layer comprises an aqueous emulsion of thermoplastic resin particles synthesized in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol as a protective colloid for emulsion polymerization, and the recording medium is treated by heat.

Abstract: A hard copy device having a carriage arranged to support a printhead and to reciprocate across a scan axis, the device being arranged to determine the position of at least a part of the printhead along the scan axis, compensating for carriage rotation about the an axis orthogonal to the scan axis, by interpolating or extrapolating from carriage position information derived from first and second codestrips traversing the scan axis and spaced apart in a direction orthogonal to the scan axis.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling an operating speed of a motor provided to move an object body such as a carriage carrying a printing head in a printer, wherein a control-signal generating portion generates a control signal for controlling the speed of the motor such that a moving speed of the object body represented by a speed signal generated by a speed-signal generating portion coincides with a target value, and the control signal is generated on the basis of proportional and integral control values obtained on the basis of an output of a filter operable to remove from the speed signal a component having a frequency not lower than a predetermined threshold or at least a component corresponding to a cogging frequency of the motor, and a differential control value obtained on the basis of the output of the filter or the speed signal.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for ink management utilizing a master controller, which receives configuration information from one or more ink pens, reservoirs, printheads, or ink level measurement devices. The controller receives master controller commands; reads data from system sensors; reads and writes data to and from smart chips associated with elements in the system and a non-volatile memory associated with an ink management controller; and independently takes action in response to data from a smart chip or sensor.

Abstract: A printer apparatus comprising one or more printing elements arranged to print on print media in a print zone and a transport path arranged to transport printed sheets from the print zone to an output position, the apparatus further comprising a scanner arranged to scan a printed sheet, and diverting means arranged to selectively divert a printed sheet to the scanner, the scanner being located such that the apparatus may continue to print and transport sheets to the output position during the scanning process.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus applied to exposure by a charged beam, having a pattern information acquiring section acquiring information on a character projection pattern formed in a character projection aperture mask, a first information storing section storing information on a reference pattern, and an identifying section identifying a shape of the character projection pattern by comparing the information on the character projection pattern with the information on the reference pattern.

Abstract: Droplet deposition apparatus includes a base and a printhead adjustably mounted on the base and positionable relative to a datum on the base such that a swath or print produced by the printhead is in a predetermined position relative to the datum, the base being locatable on a printer using the datum. This can enable the printer to be easily replaced without any loss of alignment of the produced print swath relative to the carriage or body of the printer.

Abstract: A set of ink-jet printable proofing sheets are disclosed that each comprise a first printable face having a periphery including first, second, third, and fourth edges. The first and third edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face, and the second and fourth edges are disposed opposite each other on the first printable face. The first face has properties resulting from a deposited ink drop print-enhancing treatment. Each sheet also includes a second face sharing the periphery and the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the first printable face, and a first machine-readable mark located on one of the first and second faces and including a plurality of data areas of different densities, with the combination of densities in the data areas being unique to each sheet.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is provided with a damper that attenuates vibrations from a driving source and a driving power transmission mechanism when the vibrations are transmitted to a carriage. The damper is structured to make the attenuation effect larger in the direction other than the traveling direction of the carriage so as to attenuate the vibrations from the driving source and the driving power transmission mechanism mainly in the direction other than the traveling direction of the carriage.

Abstract: A configuration protects a printing module in a mail processing appliance. The mail processing appliance has a supporting frame for the printing mechanism in a non-secure area and has a transverse movement device for transverse movement of a printing module. The printing module is disposed in the supporting frame such that it can move transversely with respect to a direction of mail item transport and is mechanically protected against unauthorized access. A protection cap is attached to the printing carriage and is constructed to surround an area of the variable position printing module that is to be protected. The movement area of the printing module is bounded by the walls of a box within the supporting frame. Impeding devices are provided to impede the transverse movement of the transverse movement device of the printing module once a cover has been opened or removed. The cover covers an opening in the housing, with the opening being provided for replacement of at least one ink cartridge.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes the steps of inputting a set of driving pulses to a heater element so that the heater element is repeatedly activated by the driving pulses, repeatedly generating a bubble in ink in an ink path in accordance with repeated activation of the heater element, and separately jetting ink droplets from an ink jetting orifice due to the bubble repeatedly generated in the ink, a number of the ink droplets being equal to a number of the driving pulses input as a set to the heater element, the ink droplets jetted from the ink jetting orifice forming a single dot on a recording medium, wherein a time interval at which the driving pulses are input to the heater element is equal to or greater than 4T, T being a time period from a time at which the inputting of the pulses to the heater element starts to a time at which the bubble reaches a maximum size, and each ink droplet is a slender pillar so that a length of each ink droplet is at least three times as great as a diameter thereof.

Abstract: An inkjet printer for recording dot patterns corresponding to image contents is disclosed. The printer comprises an inkjet head (51) for performing recording by moving in a main scanning direction of a recording medium and injecting ink particles, drive waveform generating sections (24, 25) for generating drive waveforms for injecting said ink particles, and a head drive section (50) for selecting said drive waveforms and driving said inkjet head (51) in accordance with print data. The drive waveform generating sections (24, 25) generate drive waveforms for injecting said ink particles having different ink speeds within a unit cycle, in cycles each corresponding to one of the parts obtained by dividing the unit cycle by an integer. Thereby, by varying the speed of the ink particles injected in one cycle of the drive waveforms, the landing position of each dot in the cycle is controlled and hence the dot pattern in one cycle is varied.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes: actuators each including a scanning electrode, a piezoelectric element and a recording electrode and arranged in a matrix pattern of n rows by m columns (where n and m are natural numbers equal to or greater than two) in terms of electrical circuit; and a driving circuit for supplying a scanning signal to the scanning electrodes for each column, while supplying a recording signal to each row of the recording electrodes in synchronization with the scanning signal. The actuators are geometrically arranged in n rows by m columns. A relay terminal, extending in a vertical direction, is provided in at least one inter-column space between vertical columns of the actuators for relaying signals from the driving circuit to the recording electrodes and the scanning electrodes. The recording electrodes and the scanning electrodes are connected to the relay terminal via lead wires extending in a horizontal direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the print quality of a print job having black content. The black content is configured to be applied on a predetermined location on a print medium. In the method, the black content is fortified by applying a black dye based ink on the predetermined location and the black content is printed by applying a black pigment based ink on the predetermined location. The apparatus includes a first printhead configured to fire black dye based ink droplets on the print medium, a second printhead configured to fire black pigment based ink droplets on the print medium and a processing system configured to fortify the black content by controlling the first printhead to fire droplets on the predetermined location. The processing system is further configured to print the black content by controlling the second printhead to fire droplets on the predetermined location.