Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a droplet discharging head that includes nozzle rows; a light emitting unit that irradiates a droplet with laser light emitted in a direction intersecting a discharging direction of the droplet; a light-receiving unit that receives scattered light scattered when the droplet is irradiated by the laser light and outputs a signal corresponding to an amount of the scattered light; and a droplet discharge detecting unit that detects a droplet discharging status of the nozzles based on the signal. The laser light is emitted with an optical axis shifted from middle between two adjacent nozzle rows; and the droplet discharge detecting unit selects two nozzles adjacent in a direction intersecting the nozzle rows as detection target nozzles, and detects the droplet discharging status of the detection target nozzles based on the scattered light scattered when droplets are simultaneously discharged from the detection target nozzles.

Abstract: To minimize any decrease in image quality, even in an instance in which there is a displacement in a landing position of a fluid in a region in which nozzle rows overlap, (A) a fluid-ejecting device including: a first nozzle column; (B) a second nozzle column, the second nozzle column being arranged so as to form an overlapping region; and (C) a control part for causing the fluid to be ejected so that in each of a plurality of raster lines arranged in a row in the predetermined direction in the overlapping region, dots to be formed are apportioned between the first nozzles and the second nozzles; the control part causing the fluid to be ejected so that there are produced.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus in which in a case of tone-expressing one pixel corresponding to a plurality of areas (printing resolution) in a multi-pass print, it is possible to output a uniform image without graininess or density unevenness over all-tone regions from a low-density region to a high-density region. To this end, by referring to dot patterns in which a print or a non-print of dots onto each pixel (area) corresponding to a printing resolution are in advance defined, quantization data is converted into binary data having the higher printing resolution. At this time, the dot patterns are prepared to be different from each other for M times of scans in a multi-pass print of M passes. In consequence, it is possible to restrict a variation of a coverage ratio due to a printing position displacement in each printing scan.

Abstract: A method of operating a printer produces duplex images in print jobs including ink images to be printed to tabbed, hole-punched, and differently sized media sheets with improved throughput. The method synchronizes a media transport to insert a differently sized media sheet with reference to the type of media sheet, enabling the media sheet to contact a portion of the roller bearing substantially less release agent than the rest of the roller, minimizing release agent transfer to a second side of the media sheet.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including: a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid to a target; a supporting unit configured to support the target; a light-detecting unit arranged so that a transporting route is located between the supporting unit and the light-detecting unit in a prescribed direction in which the supporting unit and the target supported by the supporting unit are arranged when the supporting unit supports the target, and including a light-emitting portion configured to emit light and a light-receiving portion configured to receive the light from the light-emitting portion; and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not at least part of a supported portion of the target supported by the supporting unit is separated from the supporting unit on the basis of the light-receiving quantity at the light-receiving portion.

Abstract: An inkjet printer maintenance system that includes a processing unit adapted for running a print application corresponding to an image to be printed in response to a print input. The processing unit is further adapted to run a print driver that is capable of receiving a pixel data and information based on the print input. The inkjet printer maintenance system further includes a controller unit communicably coupled to the processing unit for receiving a print data from the print driver. Furthermore, the inkjet printer maintenance system includes a plurality of printhead enclosures communicably coupled to the controller unit. One or more printhead enclosures are adapted to receive the print data and information corresponding to a printing configuration for a printing operation. The information includes information about one of activating and deactivating multiple firing. Further disclosed is a method for maintenance of an inkjet printer.

Abstract: Ink ejection problems of black ink nozzles are compensated for by forming dots by mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks without reducing print quality. When a nozzle that discharges black ink becomes unable to properly eject ink, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are ejected from respective nozzles to the discharge area on the recording medium to which the defective nozzle should eject ink. The volume of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink that is ejected is set based on the amount of black ink that should be ejected by the defective nozzle.

Abstract: A printer includes a vacuum belt assembly for moving print media in a media feed direction along a media path. The vacuum belt assembly includes a plurality of moving belt modules, each moving belt module including: a body having an internal chamber defining at least part of a vacuum chamber; a first pulley positioned at a first end of the body; a second pulley positioned at a second end of the body; and a set of spaced apart endless belts tensioned between the first and second pulleys. The belts are non-apertured and the vacuum chamber communicates with an interstitial gap defined between each adjacent pair of belts in the set so as to draw print media onto an upper surface of the moving belt module.

Abstract: Whether a continuous sheet usable for printing on the basis of first print data and a continuous sheet usable for printing on the basis of second print data are the same or not is determined. If it is determined that they are the same, an image based on the first print data and an image based on the second print data are printed continuously on a continuous sheet. When an image based on the second print data is arranged at an end of a continuous sheet, the second print data is assigned to the beginning of print data to be printed on another continuous sheet.

Abstract: An optical writing device includes: a photosensitive element whose surface relatively moves with respect to a light source by rotation; a pixel information acquiring unit that acquires pixel information of an image to be formed on the photosensitive element as an electrostatic latent image; a line pixel information storing unit that stores the pixel information for every main scanning line; a light emission control unit that causes a light source to emit light based on the pixel information; a rotation position recognizing unit that recognizes a rotation position of the photosensitive element; and a light quantity control unit that controls a light quantity of the light source based on the pixel information of every one main scanning line in accordance with the rotation position, with reference to correction value information in which the rotation position and information related to a correction of the light quantity are associated.

Abstract: A printer includes a vacuum belt assembly for moving print media in a media feed direction along a media path. The vacuum belt assembly includes: a plurality of spaced apart endless belts tensioned between first and second pulleys; a vacuum chamber for drawing print media onto an upper surface of the belts; and a plurality of vacuum antechambers communicating with the vacuum chamber, each vacuum antechamber having a perimeter opening for suction engagement with print media, a length dimension of each perimeter opening extending longitudinally in the media feed direction. A first perimeter opening of a first vacuum antechamber positioned towards an upstream side of the vacuum belt assembly is shorter than a second perimeter opening of a second vacuum antechamber positioned towards a downstream side of the vacuum belt assembly. The upstream and downstream sides are defined with respect to the media feed direction.

Abstract: A method for producing small lots of printed plastic film is described, wherein in terms of the resolution and colors the print corresponds to the print generated by means of the intaglio printing method. The film (1) is printed by way of an array of print heads (2a, 2b) with an ink using the ink jet printing method, said ink containing the same dyes and/or pigments, and the property of the ink is adapted to the ink jet printing method.

Abstract: A CPU serving as a counting unit counts the cumulative number of times a driving pulse is applied to a piezoelectric vibrator. A driving signal generation unit is able to generate an aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter to the extent that ink is not ejected from a nozzle and performs an aging process of driving the piezoelectric vibrator using the aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter in accordance with a cumulative number of applications in a region outside an ejection region on a recording medium.

Abstract: A method performed by a printing system is described herein. A request is provided to a user to enter data related to print quality of a mark or marks printed on a portion of a background region. The background region includes an area or areas treated with a fixer fluid applied by a printhead. A user input is received associated to the request. A misalignment of the printhead is estimated in accordance with the user input. A printing system and a tangible machine readable storage medium are also described herein.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a head for discharging colored radiation curable ink and colorless radiation curable ink that are cured upon irradiation with electromagnetic waves onto a medium, and a controller for causing dots of the colored radiation curable ink and dots of the colorless radiation curable ink to be densely arranged.

Abstract: A laser scanning assembly generates a laser beam and scans the laser beam through a plurality of scan lines to form desired dots. Each scan line is positioned to overlap an adjacent scan line and each dot includes a plurality of segments. The scanning assembly scans the laser beam through multiple scan lines to fully discharge each segment of each dot. The laser scanner assembly would typically be part of a laser printer.

Abstract: An encoder sensor is mounted on a printhead and optically reads an encoder film. And a number of pulses of a pulse signal proportional to a moving amount of a printhead is counted and stored as a count value in a memory within multiple ICs. The count value stored in the memories is reset while the pulse signal outputted from the encoder sensor is blocked by a gate or while a region other than near a boundary between a penetration region and a non-penetration region of the encoder film is being read.

Abstract: Desired designated sections are selectively extracted from a color image to be printed, the extracted designated sections are converted into a solid black image having a high thermal energy absorbency, and the solid black image is printed on the foaming layer surface of a supplied thermal expansion sheet. Next, thermal energy is applied by a halogen lamp in a thermal expansion processing unit, causing the solid black image section to expand and rise. Furthermore, in an ink jet printer unit, a prescribed color that is a background color is printed on the entire foaming layer surface of the thermal expansion sheet including the raised sections. Furthermore, the color image to be printed is printed thereon by an ink jet recording method to obtain color image three-dimensional printed material.

Abstract: A medium loading device includes: a support unit having a shaft member that is attached to each of both end sections of roll paper and a flange member; a loading portion in which the roll paper with the support units attached thereto is loaded; a temporary placement portion on which the roll paper with the support units attached thereto is placed temporarily before being loaded into the loading portion; and a transfer path for transferring the roll paper with the support units attached thereto from the temporary placement portion to the loading portion. The flange member has in a region facing the transfer path a flat surface that is in contact with the transfer path.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a MEMS inkjet type print head and the resulting device is disclosed. The method includes providing a driver component and separately providing an actuatable membrane component, the actuatable membrane component being formed in the absence of an acid etch removing a sacrificial layer. The separately provided actuatable membrane component is bonded to the driver component and a nozzle plate is attached to the actuatable membrane component subsequent to the bonding. Separately fabricating the components removes the need for hydrofluoric acid etch removal of a sacrifical layer previously required for forming the actuatable membrane with respect to the driver component.