Abstract: A method and a device for placing a flexible printing plate in its register position, by placing the printing plate on a carrier, detecting the position of at least two reference marks, the relative position of which is known, by means of a camera while the printing plate is placed on the carrier, and transporting the printing plate to the register position. Prior to detecting the position of the reference marks, at least one of the reference marks is defined by moving the camera until a point within the part of the image whose relative position is known falls within the part of the image detected by the camera, and the position of the reference mark is stored together with properties of the reference mark detected by the camera.

Abstract: According to embodiments, provided is an image processing apparatus that includes an erasing unit, an operation panel, and a control unit. The erasing unit erases an image formed on a conveyed recording medium. The operation panel receives the setting of the number of the recording mediums from which the image is removed. The control unit continues the image erasing process until a value obtained by counting the number of the recording mediums conveyed to the erasing unit by including the number of the recording mediums causing a conveyance error reaches the setting number when resuming the image erasing process after stopping the image erasing process in the event of the conveyance error of the recording medium.

Abstract: A decurling device includes a shaft; a decurling roller that has a diameter larger than that of the shaft, that becomes concave along an outer periphery of the shaft by being pressed against the shaft, and that removes curl from a transported object by nipping the transported object between the decurling roller and the shaft; and a restriction unit that restricts a direction in which the shaft is bent due to a load that the shaft receives from the decurling roller so that a middle portion of the shaft in an axial direction is convexly curved downstream in a transport direction of the transported object.

Abstract: When images of a plurality of document sheets are to be read and formed on a plurality of recording materials, an image forming apparatus performs control to convey a document sheet and a recording material at one of a recording material conveyance speed and a document conveyance speed, whichever is lower.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for providing an improved inker unit surface cleaning and conditioning system, including in a single anilox chamber blade system, for improving image quality, including eliminating ghosting, in a proposed variable data digital lithographic image forming architecture. Techniques are provided to remove acquired oil from an inking member. A particularly-configured containment encloses a cleaner (disturber) roller to emulsify the acquired oil on the inking roller. The cleaner roller is preferably configured with a pliable surface including a silicon roller surface over a porous base. The silicon roller (1) absorbs dampening solution oil; and (2) agitates ink that may be still held in certain cells/cavities of the inking member or roller. In embodiments, a vacuum pressure is applied to the inside of the hollow cleaner roller to better remove the residual ink and dampening solution from the inking roller.

Abstract: If the elapsed time since a sheet was stored in a sheet storage unit is less than or equal to a threshold value, control is performed such that the sheet is heated by a fixing unit before an image is transferred to the sheet, and if the elapsed time since the sheet was stored in the sheet storage unit exceeds the threshold value, control is performed such that processing for heating the sheet with the fixing unit before the image is transferred to the sheet is not performed.

Abstract: System, method, article for determining registration and/or skew errors in a print medium with respect to a printing element includes a print medium including a two-dimensional pattern including a grid within a geometric shape. The grid has a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point; the collection of data points defining a data set. The geometric shape is in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric rings; an innermost one enclosing at least one of the X-Y positional data points in the data set. The printing element provides a marker onto the print medium. The positional location of the marker with respect to the one of the at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point defines a directional displacement vector for correcting registration and/or skew error between the print medium and the printing element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substance(s) deposition control device for an offset printing system, characterized in that it comprises:—at least one offset plate intended to receive a wetting liquid and a colored substance in succession,—at least one controlled-deposition means for each offset plate, the deposition means comprising at least one deposition head spraying at least one wetting solution and at least one deposition head spraying a defined colored substance,—at least one means for cleaning the offset plate, and in that the covering of the offset plate or plates comprises a mesh structure defined by a plurality of hydrophilic and lipophilic individual surfaces capable of receiving a controlled deposition of wetting liquid and/or colored substance, each of these hydrophilic and lipophilic surfaces being separated from its direct neighbors by at least one hydrophobic and lipophobic peripheral surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a transferring unit; a fixing unit; a conveying unit; and a sheet shape detecting unit as defined herein, and a discharge position where the sheet is discharged from the conveying path, a feed position where the sheet is fed to the sheet conveying path and a detection position where the shape of the sheet is detected by the sheet shape detecting unit are arranged in this sequence along a sheet conveying direction to be close to one another, immediately downstream in the sheet conveying direction from a fixing position where the toner image is fixed to the sheet.

Abstract: A media cartridge is disclosed for insertion into a cartridge receptacle of a printer. The media cartridge includes a cartridge, housing having one or more shifting ribs on the cartridge housing. At a position of initial insertion of the media cartridge into the cartridge receptacle, the shifting ribs are configured to center a length of media and an ink ribbon of the media cartridge between a print head and a platen roller in the cartridge receptacle. As the insertion of the media cartridge into the cartridge receptacle continues, the shifting ribs shift the length of media and the ink ribbon toward one of the print head and the platen roller.

Abstract: At least one of processing units is capable of being pulled out of a main body of an apparatus during the occurrence of a sheet conveyance jam. A first cutter and a second cutter are arranged in the vicinity of the processing unit. The first cutter is configured to cut the sheet on an upstream of the processing unit. The second cutter is configured to cut the sheet on a downstream thereof. When the processing unit is pulled, the sheet is cut on the upstream and downstream of the processing unit.

Abstract: Single perforating unit is enabled to perforate for file binders and to cut milling grooves, while with a simple structure file-binder storage and booklet-binding can be carried out reliably. Configurations include: a convey-in path for sequentially transferring sheets; a stacker for collating into bundles sheets from the convey-in path; and an adhesive-layer applicator for adding an adhesive layer to the spine-closure edge of sheet bundles from the stacker. A perforating unit is provided in along the convey-in path, and a control unit for controlling position and/or number of perforations made by the perforating unit is provided with (1) a first operation mode in which it effects the punching of a predetermined number of holes in the edge of sheets, and (2) a second operation mode in which it effects the formation of a predetermined number of crenulated grooves in the edge of sheets.

Abstract: The printing machine (50) comprises a central impression drum (35) supporting a web substrate (S), several printing groups (51-55) arranged around an entry side (35a) and several printing groups (56-60) arranged around an exit side (35b) of the central impression drum for applying water-based inks or solvent-based inks on the web substrate (S), and at least one drying unit (61-69) arranged between each pair of adjacent printing groups. The first drying unit located in a larger space between the first printing group (51) and the subsequent printing group (53) and/or the last drying unit located in a larger space between the last printing group (60) and the preceding printing group (58) is an extensive drying unit (61, 69) providing an exposure time to a drying agent longer than the remaining drying units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising a conveyance path of recording material comprises a door, when opened, the inside of the apparatus is exposed, and an interlock circuit which detects opening/closing state of the door. The detection unit of the door is arranged on the conveyance path. At the arranged position, the image forming apparatus comprises a registration sensor for detecting presence and absence of the recording material and delivery sensor. The CPU controls pressure to the recording material S passing the fixing nip portion formed by a pair of rollers arranged on the conveyance path. Also, the CPU decides whether the recording material exists at the fixing nip portion based on the respective detection result from the registration sensor and the delivery sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a precision overprinting method of printed electronics rotary printing where a location can be adjusted in real time. More particularly, minute precise printing electronic patterns of a micrometer level which are multilayered by a plurality of gravure offset printing units are accurately overprinted, and a fine deviation in a rotation direction and an axial direction of a plate cylinder is quickly solved. The present invention also relates to a precision overprinting method of printed electronics rotary printing where a location can be adjusted in real time, capable of verifying a printing quality by displaying register marks printed in printing units and alignment state on a display device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an automatic document feeding unit so as to successively read documents is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a printing medium, an image reading unit pivotally coupled to an upper portion of the image forming unit to expose and shield a top of the image forming unit, an automatic document feeding unit pivotally coupled to an upper portion of the image reading unit to expose and shield a top of the image reading unit, and a locking device to selectively expose any one of the top of the image forming unit and the top of the image reading unit. Since the locking device prevents the top of the image forming unit and the top of the image reading unit from being simultaneously exposed, the automatic document feeding unit can be prevented from being damaged due to the simultaneous exposure of the top of the image forming unit and the top of the image reading unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet holding and conveying roller pair having two rollers to convey a sheet while holding the sheet between the two rollers at a nip where the two rollers contact each other, and a gate member disposed movable with rotation of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair to correct skew of the sheet in a sheet conveying direction when a leading end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction abuts against the gate member. The gate member has a contact surface against which the sheet abuts. The contact surface of the gate member is disposed upstream from the nip of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair in the sheet conveying direction. A setting position of the contact surface is adjusted according to thickness of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet discharge device includes a sheet discharge path, a discharge portion for discharging the sheet, and a pressing member. The pressing member is shiftable between a hanging posture, in which the pressing member hangs from an axis of pivotal movement thereof above the discharge path in such a manner as to block the discharge path, and a retracted posture, in which the pressing member is pivotally moved about the axis of pivotal movement in the sheet discharge direction for opening the discharge path. The pressing member has a side portion protruding into the discharge path in the hanging posture thereof, and a bottom portion continuing to a lower end of the side portion and extending toward downstream in the sheet discharge direction. The bottom portion includes an inclined surface inclined upwardly toward a middle part of the sheet in the sheet width direction in the hanging posture.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus and method that can effect favorable transfer of a toner image onto a medium under a nip pressure between a transfer roller and a backup roller and a potential difference between the transfer and backup rollers even if the medium has a high insulating property, such as due to its being thick.

Abstract: A copy machine 1 is provided with: a main body device includes a main body ejection portion that ejects a target material on which an image is formed; and a post-processing device that performs predetermined post-processing on the target material that is fed to a post-processing unit inlet. The post-processing device is provided with a transformation unit that transforms a voltage of power supplied from a main power supply unit inside the main body device to a voltage required for driving of the post-processing device.