Abstract: Provided is an inkjet printing apparatus, satisfying elements (1) through (4) below, (1) the inkjet printing apparatus including an ink discharging unit configured to discharge an ink, (2) the ink discharging unit including an inkjet head having a nozzle diameter of 17 ?m or greater but 19 ?m or less, (3) the inkjet head including a nozzle plate and an ink repellent layer disposed on a surface of the nozzle plate, and (4) the inkjet printing apparatus using, as the ink, an aqueous dye ink including a water-soluble dye and having a viscosity of 5 mPa·s or greater but 12 mPa·s or less at 25° C.

Abstract: A high-gloss, precise and vivid image is printed appropriately. The printing method performs a printing using a color ink on a medium, and includes: a color ink layer forming step of ejecting the color ink to a medium to form a layer of the color ink, that is, a colored ink layer on the medium; and a glossing step of performing a process for increasing a gloss of the colored ink layer. The color ink includes a colorant and a solvent and generates heat by radiation of an energy ray. In the color ink layer forming step, the energy ray is emitted to the color ink adhering to the medium to remove by evaporation at least a part of the solvent included in the color ink. In the glossing step, the gloss of the colored ink layer is increased after a part of the solvent is removed by evaporation.

Abstract: There are provided a conductive base; a plurality of head main bodies which are held by the base and each have a switching element and a pressure generating element for discharging a liquid in a pressure generating chamber; a plurality of covers which are separated from the base, at least one of the pressure generating element and the switching element being sandwiched between the base and each of the covers; and a plurality of conduction portions which each conduct the base and the cover to each other at a plurality of locations.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a control unit that, when continuously printing on a plurality of cut sheets of a same size, controls a print unit to cause a transfer member to continue movement, controls the print unit and a supply unit so as to stop supply of a cut sheet by the supply unit based on information concerning a time taken to process image data representing an image of a print target by an image processing unit, and controls the print unit not to form an ink image in a partial area on the transfer member that passes through a transfer area at a timing when the supply of the cut sheet to the transfer area is stopped, and to form the ink image in a remaining area.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substantially water-free pre-treatment composition having at least one of an acid or an acid anhydride in an organic matrix. Also disclosed is a kit of parts having the pre-treatment composition and an ink composition that has an intrinsic inferior water fastness when printed, where the ink contains a compound that is soluble in alkaline environment (ink as such) and insoluble in a neutral and/or acidic environment. Also disclosed is a printing method for improving the water fastness of a print made with an ink that has intrinsically low water fastness, by using a pre-treatment composition as disclosed.

Abstract: A printer includes a first ink head including first nozzles arranged in a sub-scanning direction and a first nozzle surface on which the first nozzles are disposed, a second ink head disposed at a side of the first ink head in a main scanning direction and including second nozzles arranged in the sub-scanning direction and disposed partially at a position identical to a position of a portion of the first nozzles in the sub-scanning direction and a second nozzle surface on which the second nozzles are disposed, a first wiper that wipes the first nozzle surface at a first wiping position, and a second wiper that wipes the second nozzle surface at a second wiping position.

Abstract: In one example, a structure to hold a printhead includes a surface defining an opening through which the printhead orifices may be exposed for printing and a replaceable shield shielding an area of the surface around the opening.

Abstract: A plurality of light sources, a light deflector, and a single scan lens. The light deflector deflects a plurality of light beams emitted from the light sources by a same face for scanning a plurality of to-be-scanned portions simultaneously. The single scan lens receives the light beams from the light deflector and focuses the light beams onto each of the plurality of to-be-scanned portions to scan the to-be-scanned portions simultaneously. The single scan lens is used in common for the light beams, and has one incidence plane and a plurality of exit planes in a sub-scanning direction separately prepared in the sub-scanning direction for each of the to-be-scanned portions. The incidence plane has a refractive power of the lens in the sub-scanning direction decreasing toward peripheral portions in the main scanning direction. The exit planes have positive refractive power in the main and sub-scanning directions.

Abstract: An image recording device comprises a housing, a sheet cassette, a recording unit, and a convey path defining member. The housing has an opening. The sheet cassette is configured to hold therein sheets and configured to be inserted into and removed from the housing through the opening. The recording unit is configured to record an image on a sheet conveyed from the sheet cassette along a convey path. The convey path defining member is configured to pivot, about a pivot shaft supported by the housing, between a guiding position for forming a guide surface that defines a part of the convey path, and an exposing position for exposing the part of the convey path to the opening. The convey path defining member is configured to pivot in response to insertion and removal of the sheet cassette.

Abstract: A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controlling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.

Abstract: A movable member encoder is used to detect the position of a movable member, and a correction value calculator calculates a correction value corresponding to the amount of displacement of the movable member from a reference position and the integration of the amount of displacement. The correction value calculated by the correction value calculator is then used in correcting a voltage instruction value output from a feed motor controller to a feed motor.

Abstract: A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controlling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.

Abstract: In a light source device, a light-emitting element and a coupling lens configured to condense a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting element are held by a holding member. The holding member has an adherend that is opposite to a surface of the coupling lens facing to the light-emitting element in a direction of an optical axis of the coupling lens. Part of the surface of the coupling lens facing to the light-emitting element is bonded to the adherend of the holding member. In the optical scanner which includes this light source device, a beam of light emitted from the light source device is deflected by a deflector so that a target surface is scanned with the beam of light, and the deflected beam of light is caused by an image forming optical system to focus on the target surface, to form an image thereon.

Abstract: A holding unit turns, while holding a latent image writing unit, centered on a turning axis that is arranged on a main body of an image forming apparatus between an opening position and a closing position with respect to the main body. A positioning unit arranged on the main body positions the latent image writing unit with respect to the image carrier, when the holding unit is at the closing position. A biasing unit biases the latent image writing unit to make a contact with the positioning unit. A shock absorbing unit absorbs a shock received by the holding unit and the latent image writing unit when the holding unit is moved from the opening position to the closing position.

Abstract: A printer device that prints an image to a printing paper using a thermal head formed with a plurality of heating resistors. The printer device includes: edge position detection means for performing edge position detection, at four corners, to an incoming printing paper using the thermal head based on a change of temperature increase observed in, as a result of energization, any of the heating resistors opposing the printing paper and the remaining heating resistors not opposing the printing paper; and control means for exercising control over an image printing operation using the thermal head based on a detection output derived by the edge position detection means.

Abstract: A solid ink stick facilitates verification of the position and orientation of a solid ink stick prior to an ink stick identification operation. The solid ink stick includes a solid ink stick body configured for insertion in a solid ink stick printer in a predetermined orientation, and a verification interlock in at least one surface of the solid ink stick body, the verification interlock and the at least one surface being located in the solid ink stick body to engage at least two displaceable members arranged in an insertion area of the solid ink printer to push one displaceable member away from the solid ink stick body and to enable the other displaceable member to move towards the solid ink stick body when the solid ink stick body is in the predetermined orientation in the insertion area.

Abstract: A system of printing borderless images on printable media includes at least one sheet of printable media including an imaging surface and a non-imaging surface. The system further includes a removable extension strip having a front surface with an adhesive zone and a non-adhesive zone, a non-adhesive back surface, and a straight line of demarkation between the adhesive and non-adhesive zones. The adhesive zone is configured to removably adhere to the non-imaging surface, and the straight line of demarkation is configured as a placement guide for adhering the adhesive zone of the extension strip to the media. An associated method includes adhering an adhesive portion of removable extension strip to a non-imaging surface proximate a trailing edge of the media, and ink-jet printing an image on an imaging surface of the media using an ink-jet printer. The strip is used by rollers in the printer to advance the media.

Abstract: A hand-held printer comprises an elongate body defining an ink ejection slot through which ink is ejected; an ink cartridge received in the body and defining a plurality of ink reservoirs storing respective types of ink; a movement sensor for sensing movement of the printhead module along print media; a printhead module in fluid communication with respective ink reservoirs, the printhead module including a printhead for ejecting ink through the ink ejection slot in accordance with the movement sensed by the movement sensor; and a capping device movable to expose or cover the printhead, the capping device including an elastomeric pad at an end thereof positioned to be in contact with nozzles of the printhead when the capping device covers the printhead.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer body; a liquid adhesion device which provides a first liquid having a viscosity not less than 15 mPa·s and not greater than 300 mPa·s at 25° C, on the intermediate transfer body; a droplet ejection device which ejects a second liquid containing a coloring material onto a region of the intermediate transfer body where the first liquid is provided by the liquid adhesion device, in a state where the first liquid on the intermediate transfer body has a thickness not less than 1.6 ?m; a viscosity raising device which raises a viscosity of the second liquid on the intermediate transfer body; and a transfer device which transfers an image including dots of the second liquid formed on the intermediate transfer body, onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An inkjet head comprises a plurality of individual electrodes each of which includes a first part and a second part connected to an end portion B of the first part. The end portion B is one of the end portions of a first part in a longitudinal direction of a pressure chamber. The second part of each of the individual electrodes corresponding to a first pressure chamber line is positioned between two first parts corresponding to two respective pressure chambers neighboring each other in a second pressure chamber line, so that an end portion C of the second part crosses over a line connecting each end portion D of the two first parts.