Abstract: An inkjet printer and a method for controlling an inkjet printer are disclosed. The inkjet printer is provided with an endless transport belt for transporting a medium to be printed; at least one roller for driving the transport belt and at least one additional roller for driving and/or suspending the transport belt; a detection system configured to detect a deformation of the transport belt including at least an in-plane bending deformation of at least a stretch of the transport belt and to generate at least one deformation signal indicating the detected deformation; an actuator assembly configured to change a position and/or orientation of at least one of the rollers of the inkjet printer; and a controller configured to control the actuator assembly based on the at least one deformation signal.

Abstract: A method of forming a three-dimensional object 38 with a shape determined by model data defining a model 10 of the object, characterized by the steps of: a) splitting the model 10 into a high elevation/low resolution base part 18 and a low elevation/high resolution cover part 20?; b) forming a base body 30 with a shape as determined by the base part 18 of the model; c) employing a 3D printing technique for printing a sheet-like cover body 34 with a shape as determined by the cover part 20? of the model; and d) matching the cover body 34 to the base body 30 by vacuum forming.

Abstract: A controller for a multi-roll printer, a printing system with such a printer and such a controller and a method for controlling such a printer are provided. A user may assign print jobs directly to one of the rolls by assigning graphical representations the print jobs to regions corresponding to those rolls in a GUI. The user may also assign print jobs to a region in the GUI that is not associated with any particular roll, as a result of which each image of said print job is individually assigned automatically to at least one of the rolls.

Abstract: A printing module includes a first imaging device and a slot for accommodating an optional second imaging device. An ink supply module includes a slot for accommodating an optional drying/fixation apparatus, and a second ink supply device. Also, the ink supply module and the printing module include ink inlet/outlet ports such that the optional second imaging device in the printing module, if present, can be supplied ink from the second ink supply in the ink supply module when the printing module and the ink supply module are combined to form a printer.

Abstract: In a method for adjusting a setup for an encoder for printing to a recording medium of unknown thickness with a multi-row inkjet print head in a printing system, a continuous test line is printed onto the recording medium, transversal to a feed direction of said recording medium, a varied width of the test line is measured, and the adjustment of the setup is modified to minimize the width of the test line.

Abstract: A method for detecting an operating state of an ejection unit during the printing of an object of a print job the method comprising determining whether the ejection unit is in an operative state or in a malfunctioning state by analyzing a residual pressure wave generated in the liquid in a duct of the ejection unit by an actuation pulse. Further, the method comprises scanning the location of a recording medium onto which liquid has been ejected in order to perform an additional determination of whether the ejection unit is in an operative state or in a malfunctioning state. The method uses both determinations to build feedback information in the form of labeled data that is used in subsequent executions to improve the result of the determinations performed by analyzing a residual pressure wave generated in the liquid.

Abstract: A device for supplying a print bar (10) with ink has a distributor tank (16) that is connected with all print heads (12). Degassed and tempered ink is supplied to the distributor tank (16). In the distributor tank (16), a ring line (36) extends through which flows ink at the nominal temperature, and the ink (19) in the distributor tank (16) is thereby tempered. In addition to this, the distributor tank (16) has a supply line (38) via which fresh ink may be fed into the distributor tank (16). A changeover switch (42) switches between the two lines depending on the negative pressure in the distributor tank (16).

Abstract: In a method for preventing or reducing air vortex formation between a print plate and a recording medium upon printing to the recording medium with a coating substance (e.g. primer), the recording medium is provided at a feed velocity of at least 20 meters per minute, and a plurality of print nozzles of a print head are alternately activated to print the coating substance on recording medium to cover a surface of the recording medium with the coating substance. The activation can include only activating a portion of the plurality of print nozzles simultaneously. Further, a predetermined applied quantity of the coating substance per area is constantly printed onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A closed supply container that is filled with air and ink is associated with a print head in a one-to-one association. During a printing process, ink is drawn from the supply container into the print head via a connecting line, such that a negative pressure in the supply container is increased. A sensor in the supply container measures the negative pressure and transmits a measurement value to a controller that switches a valve associated with the supply container so that ink is conveyed from an ink storage container into the supply container of the measurement value falls below a predetermined first lower limit value of the pressure such that the fluid pressure in the supply container increases.

Abstract: A test image having a plurality of line rows is printed. The individual lines of the line rows are printed by different nozzles of a print head. The lines are thereby associated with the different line rows such that the lines of two directly adjacent line rows are not printed by all respective nozzles from two nozzle rows of the print head that are connected with one another via a common ink supply channel. Crosstalk between the nozzle rows, and print image artifacts of the test image that are linked therewith, may thus be advantageously avoided.

Abstract: In preparation for the stop of a printer, a forward and backward movement of the recording medium in the form of a web is implemented so that the segment of the recording medium that is in contact with a roller of the printer given a stop of the printer is moved at least partially before or after the roller. In preparation for the stop, climatic properties of the recording medium may thus be adapted to the climatic properties of the local environment of the roller, where deformations of the recording medium may be advantageously reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: A printing system having: a print head arranged with a predetermined nip for printing to a recording medium; a sensor positioned upstream of the print head, and configured to detect possible joints of the recording medium; a spacer arranged in a region of the print head, the spacer being configured to be displaceable to deflect the recording medium and increasing a distance between the print head and recording medium; an actuator to displace the spacer element; and a controller configured to activate the actuator to displace the spacer upon detection of a joint by the sensor.

Abstract: Method for holding substrates on a flatbed printing system. After positioning the substrates on the substrate support surface, a leak air area not covered by the substrates is covered by positioning a flexible cover device at least over the leak air area, and preferably over the substrates as well. Thereby, air flow through the through-holes is prevented. An under-pressure is then applied to the through-holes, sucking the substrates against the substrate support surface. The flexible cover device is then withdrawn to expose the substrate for printing while the under-pressure is maintained. It was found that despite the additional amount of air passing through the through-holes uncovered by the withdrawal of the flexible cover device, the under-pressure surprisingly remained sufficient to properly hold the substrates for printing. An additional advantage is that the cover device may be applied easily and rapidly over the leak air area and substrates at once.

Abstract: A printing system for printing to a recording medium can include a guide, a printer, and a cleaner. The guide can guide the recording medium and be arranged in a first vertically traveling region. The printer having a print bar with a print head can print to the recording medium. The printer can be arranged in a printing position located in the first vertically traveling region, and be displaced, to facilitate the cleaning of the print head, into a service position located in a second vertically traveling region. The cleaner can be adapted to clean the print head. The cleaner can be arranged in a printing position located in the first vertically traveling region, and be displaced into the service position located in the second vertically traveling region to clean the print head. The cleaning can be automatically or manually performed.

Abstract: A device for automatic adjustment of print heads in a printing machine is presented. The device can include at least one motor and a controller. The motor can drive at least one drive element for at least one retaining element, and drive at least one drive element for at least one adjustment element. The controller can control the at least one motor to: drive the at least one drive element to loosen the at least one retaining element, drive the at least one drive element to position the at least one adjustment element at a predetermined nominal value to position the adjustment element, and drive the at least one drive element to tighten the at least retaining element.

Abstract: A device for arranging a print head in a certain position includes a main unit including a main frame providing a primary abutting part and a support part; a sub-unit including a sub-frame providing a secondary abutting part, a connecting member movable relative to the sub-frame between a first position and a second position, and an urging member for urging the connecting member from the second position towards the first position, and a print head connectable to the connecting member to form a sub-assembly with the sub-unit. The main unit is configured to accommodate a sub-assembly formed by the sub-unit and the print head in a preliminary position in which, with the connecting member in the first position, the print head contacts the support part, and the secondary abutting part is spaced apart from the primary abutting part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for printing a Quality Assurance print chart, QA chart, comprising the steps of: determining the maximum print width for at least one media sheet to be printed subsequently to the printing of the QA chart, selecting from a plurality of media types designated as being suitable for QA charts, a media type that has substantially the same or a greater media width as the determined print width for the at least one media sheet to be printed subsequently, setting a print width for the QA chart substantially to the determined print width, and printing the QA chart with the set print width on the selected media type.

Abstract: In a method of nozzle failure detection in an ink jet printer having a plurality of ejection units including a nozzle and an associated liquid chamber with an electromechanical transducer, nozzle failure detection is performed, for each ejection unit, with a given minimum detection frequency. Each nozzle failure detection includes energizing the transducer with a waveform that does not lead to the ejection of a droplet but creates a pressure fluctuation that is sensitive to whether or not the ejection unit is in a malfunction state; measuring the pressure fluctuation in order to detect the malfunction state; defining a mask pattern that is independent of image contents to be printed; and when an image is being printed, performing the nozzle failure detection steps for each ejection unit at timings at which the respective nozzles are in pixel positions that belong to the mask pattern.

Abstract: A duplex printing method includes, determining an amount of shrinkage of a media sheet onto which a front side image has been printed; scaling an image to be printed on a back side of the sheet with a scaling function that depends upon the determined shrinkage; and printing the scaled image on the back side of the sheet. The step of determining includes predicting a shrinkage of a media sheet on the basis of process parameters, and on the basis of a model that is defined by a set of model parameters and that describes a dependence of the shrinkage on the process parameters, the process parameters including at least an amount of marking material to be applied to the front side of the sheet; measuring an actual shrinkage of the sheet; and adjusting the model parameters based on a comparison between the predicted shrinkage and the measured shrinkage to improve a prediction of a shrinkage for a subsequent sheet.

Abstract: A printing method wherein a scanning-type printer, or a printer comprising a page-wide array of multiple printheads, is used for printing an image on a substrate in a plurality of adjacent swaths, the method comprising a step of determining positions of boundaries between the adjacent swaths on the basis of image contents to be printed, preferentially in such a way that artefacts are least likely to be visible.