Abstract: Apparatus for selectively providing a surface finish to a receiver having an image side, comprising three rotatable members forming two nips. A finishing belt is entrained around, and movable with, one of the rotatable members, and passes through one of the nips. The receiver engages one of the nips according to what surface finish is desired. One of the rotatable members is selectively rotated to draw the receiver through the engaged nip, and a heater heats the rotatable member of the engaged nip facing the image side to impart the desired surface finish.

Abstract: A printing apparatus has a sheet path and is adapted to produce print job sheets and dividing sheets. The apparatus includes a printing unit for printing the print job sheets. A first device in the sheet path downstream of the printing unit generates dividing sheets. The device includes a deforming unit with a stamp for punching and deforming a partial area of a dividing sheet so that a hook-shaped deformation is imparted in the dividing sheet. An output tray is arranged in the sheet path downstream of the first device and includes an inclined support for receiving the print job sheets and the dividing sheets.

Abstract: A finisher for a receiver moving in a feed direction includes a cutting device having a cutting blade and a scoring blade on opposite sides of the receiver and oriented perpendicular to the feed direction, and a scoring notch on the opposite side of the receiver from, and parallel to, the scoring blade. An actuator selectively causes the scoring blade to engage the scoring notch as the receiver moves between the scoring blade and scoring notch, so that the receiver is scored, or causes the cutting blade to engage the scoring blade, so that the receiver is cut. A controller receives a job specification including one or more cut or score location(s) on the receiver and causes the receiver to be cut at the cut location(s) or scored at the score location(s).

Abstract: Background development in a multi-color electrophotographic printer is reduced. A print job including a plurality of separations is received. Each separation has an image area and a non-image area. A printer is provided, including a development member for supplying toner to a photoreceptor for each separation. A developing and a non-developing zone are determined for each separation, corresponding to the image area and non-image area, respectively. Developer is automatically supplied to the development members, and automatically removed developer from the respective non-developing zone of each development member.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting a moving receiver includes a plurality of cutting devices and a transport mechanism for selectively moving the cutting devices perpendicular to the feed direction of the receiver. Each cutting device includes two parallel cutting wheels and a pressure wheel arranged so that the cutting wheels are pressed laterally against the pressure wheel to form two cutting areas and a chad area arranged laterally between the cutting areas. A drive mechanism rotates the cutting wheels or pressure wheel of two or more of the cutting devices so that the rotating cutting wheels engage the moving receiver to cut the moving receiver parallel to its feed direction. A controller receives a job specification including two or more specified cut locations and causes the transport mechanism to laterally position two or more of the cutting devices to cut the moving receiver in the specified cut locations.

Abstract: Toner is removed, after a selected time interval, from a skive mount in a dry electrophotographic printer. An end block is disposed at one end of the rotatable development member, and a skive mount disposed adjacent to the development member connects a skive to the end block. A timing device measures a time interval of printer operation. At the selected time interval, a controller causes a backup bar to lift away from the photoreceptor, then, after a selected time delay, causes the backup bar to make physical contact with at least one point on the end block, so that the backup bar applies a selected force to the end block to cause toner on the skive mount to be removed.

Abstract: A method of forming a variable finish on a receiver by fusing toner to a receiver in an electrophotographic printer includes providing a rotatable member, a fusing system disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a fusing nip, and a glossing system having a glossing belt and disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a glossing nip. The fusing system and glossing system are adapted to fuse toner to a receiver to produce respective ranges of finish of the fused toner. A finish within one of the respective ranges, and is selected, as is one of the nips, so the finish range of the system corresponding to the selected nip includes the selected finish. The rotatable member is rotated to feed the receiver through the selected nip to fuse the toner to the receiver and form the selected finish on the receiver.

Abstract: Toner is removed from a skive mount in a dry electrophotographic printer. An end block is disposed at one end of the rotatable development member, and a skive mount disposed adjacent to the development member connects a skive to the end block. A timing device measures time intervals of printer operation. A process-control time interval and a cleaning time interval that is a non-negative multiple of the process-control time interval are selected. Prints are made until the process-control time interval elapses. A process-control patch is produced in a process-control frame. Once the cleaning interval has elapsed, in the process-control frame, a backup bar is lifted lift away from the photoreceptor, then, after a selected time delay, brought into physical contact with at least one point on the end block, so that toner is removed from the skive mount.

Abstract: A receiver having an image side and a non-image side bent in a bend area including a bend axis. Toner is deposited on the image side of the receiver in the bend area using an electrophotographic print engine. The deposited toner is fused to the receiver. During or after fusing, the fused toner is heated to a selected fusing temperature greater than or equal to the Tg of the toner. A heat-shrinkable film is affixed to the heated toner after heating the toner, wherein the Tg of the film is greater than the Tg of the toner. The toner is cooled below its Tg after affixing the film. The bend area of the receiver is reheated after cooling the toner, so that the temperature of the heat-shrinkable film rises above its Tg, the heat-shrinkable film contracts, and the receiver bends at the bend axis.

Abstract: A method of rendering the appearance of microprint contained within a printed input digital image comprised of an array of pixels and wherein each pixel is assigned a digital value representing marking information, the method comprising identifying one or two pixel lines or both and reassigning their digital value.

Abstract: A method of increasing productivity in a reproduction apparatus wherein a first print engine and a second print engine are coupled by an inverter and synchronized. Each sheet of a plurality of receiver sheets is selectively printed in an invert mode or a non-invert mode. A difference of a travel time of a first receiver sheet in an invert path through the inverter in the invert mode as compared to a travel time of a second receiver sheet in a non-invert path through the inverter in the non-invert mode is adjusted so that the difference is an integral multiple of a period between the receiver sheets. Frames on a dielectric support member in the appropriate print engine are skipped when switching between invert mode and non-invert mode.

Abstract: Cross-track banding artifacts and wear in an electrophotographic (EP) print engine are reduced. A development member and a supply member are disposed so that charge is transferred between them in a charge-transfer region. The members are retained in a first position with respect to each other for a first dwell time, and neither member is rotated during the first dwell time, so that charge is transferred between members in the charge-transfer region. One of the members is rotated so that at least one point on one of the members is moved out of the charge-transfer region. The members are retained in a second position with respect to each other for a second dwell time that is greater than the time for one revolution of the development member, wherein neither member is rotated during the second dwell time.

Abstract: A printer includes a development member for providing toner to a photoreceptor. A developer remover is located between a developer supply and the photoreceptor in the direction of rotation of the development member, and selectively contacts the development member to remove developer therefrom. A controller receives a print job, determines a non-developing zone of the development member corresponding to the non-image area of the job, and determines a developing zone of the development member corresponding to the image area of the job. The developer remover removes developer when it is in the non-developing zone, but not when it is in the developing zone.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding a planar medium from a host tray with a media cavity, including a feed edge adjacent to which the medium is extracted, a sidewall perpendicular to the feed edge, and a spring plate for lifting the medium towards a feeder; a media carrier nested in the cavity, including an edge guide to prevent the medium from moving toward the sidewall, the edge guide having an alignment face for orienting the medium with respect to the feed edge; and an alignment guide in the cavity and having a media guide and a baseplate wider than the medium and disposed over the spring plate, so that the baseplate is lifted when the spring plate lifts. The alignment face and alignment guide together prevent the medium from skewing with respect to the feed edge while the medium is extracted by the feeder.

Abstract: A method for dividing print jobs in an output tray of a printing machine includes outputting print job sheets of a print job onto an inclined support of the output tray, so that the print job sheets slide against an abutment to form a stack. A dividing sheet is produced, and a hook-shaped deformation is imparted in the dividing sheet. The dividing sheet is outputted onto the stack formed by the print job sheets on the output tray so that the dividing sheet slides in the direction of the abutment and the deformation becomes propped up against the stack.