Abstract: A printer includes a media storage device, a print engine and a media supply system for supplying print media from the media storage device to the print engine. The printer is arranged to print media-related information onto media that are left over in the media storage device after a print process. The media storage device includes a tray arranged for accommodating cut media sheets and having an auxiliary printer for printing the media-related information onto a sheet in the tray.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for applying marking material to a substrate, thereby reproducing an image. At least two arrays and at least two piezo-electric print elements in each array are used. An actuation signal for a print element is applied with a predetermined delay with respect to a reference actuation signal. The predetermined delay values are based on a measurement of a drop velocity in dependence on a further, simultaneous actuation of a neighboring print element. They form a repetitive series of delay values for reducing an amount of mechanical crosstalk between the print elements in an array. Two print elements that produce a drop of marking material for landing in each others vicinity on the substrate are associated with a different delay value of the repetitive series.

Abstract: A controller to control an apparatus (e.g. a printer) can include multiple secondary sub-controllers and a main sub-controller. Each of the secondary sub-controllers can have an operator process and one or more executable control processes. Each of the control processes can be configured to exchange data with one or more other of the control processes. The main sub-controller can be communicatively coupled to the secondary sub-controllers via a data network. Each of the main and secondary sub-controllers can include at least one processor and an operating system. The respective operator processes can be configured to communicate via the data network, and the control processes of each of the secondary sub-controllers can be configured such that the control processes communicate exclusively with the operator process of their respective secondary sub-controller to communicate via the data network.

Abstract: A method to increase the print quality of a printer can include determining sensor data corresponding to a print image printed by a print head of the at least one print head of the printer onto the recording medium; determining, based on the sensor data, undulation information corresponding to unevenness of the recording medium, a distance between the one or more nozzles of the print head of the printer and the recording medium varying due to the unevenness; and printing, based on the undulation information, a subsequent print image with the print head of the printer. The printer can include at least one print head including one or more nozzles that are configured to fire ink droplets onto a recording medium to generate a print image on the recording medium.

Abstract: An ejection device includes a tile made of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The tile carries a chip that forms a plurality of ejection units and is in thermal contact with the tile. The chip is mainly made of a material having a second CTE different from the first CTE, wherein each ejection unit is capable of ejecting droplets of a liquid and comprises a pressure chamber and a flexible wall delimiting the pressure chamber. The flexible wall has a deformation compliancy that depends upon at least one mechanical design parameter of the chip. In operation at a temperature different from room temperature, the ejection units have uniform ejection properties, while the compliancies of the flexible walls of at least two of the ejection units are different from one another at room temperature.

Abstract: The invention relates to a printing system 1 adapted to carry out print jobs on the basis of print job data supplied to a controller 37 of the printing system 1 and to discharge resulting printed job pages at a first job output 52. The printing system 1 comprises a sheet scheduler 373 configured to schedule test pages during the printing of the print jobs. The sheet scheduler 373 is configured to adapt a time schedule for printing the test pages to a content type 401 of each page of each print job.

Abstract: In a drying system for a printing system, a plurality of dryers can be arranged along a drying route to dry a recording medium. The plurality of dryers can including multiple resistive heating elements configured to dry the recording medium. The dryers can be supplied via two or more supply lines with an alternating current having a sequence of alternating positive and negative half-waves. A controller of the drying system can be coupled to the dryers and can couple the dryers uniformly on average with the at least two supply lines given positive and negative half-waves based on a nominal temperature curve along the drying route. The controller can jointly couple the resistive heating elements of a corresponding dryer with a multiphase supply grid or jointly decouple the resistive heating elements of the dryer with the multiphase supply grid during a half-wave.

Abstract: In a printing system and a corresponding method, different nozzles of a print head can be activated to eject a nominal ink quantity with different ejection pulses to at least partially compensate for non-uniformities between the different nozzles due to crosstalk. The compensation can reduce system-dependent streaking of the print image.

Abstract: In a method for an inkjet printing system, substantially parallel lines are printed in the transport direction with nozzles at different longitudinal positions along the transport direction of the recording medium. Based on the variations of the transversal distance of corresponding image points of the substantially parallel lines, the transversal movement of the recording medium may be detected and a dimension of the transversal movement may be determined.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printer control system for controlling the printing of an object on a support in a number of passes on top of each other. The object has a surface of varying height. The printer control system comprises a user interface which has a display device and is arranged to visualize in a window on the display device a pixel-precise preview image before printing of the object. The preview image comprises a representation of the surface of the object.

Abstract: A printing system comprises a first bearing support for a first media roll of a first print medium and a second bearing support for a second media roll of a second print medium. Said first and second bearing supports are spaced apart from one another. A first print transport path extends from the first bearing support from the first media roll to a main transport path of the printing system. A second print transport path extends from the second bearing support to the main transport path of the printing system. An attachment transport path extends between the first and the second bearing support. The attachment transport path allows both print media to be brought together and attached to one another. Thereby, a relatively stiffer medium may be attached as a leader section to a relatively weaker medium.

Abstract: An ink bottle closure for an ink re-fill bottle includes a first closure member configured to be fixed to an ink bottle, the first closure member including a seal, arranged to be located over an outlet opening of the bottle, and a second closure member attached to the first closure member and movable relative to the first closure member between a closed position, in which the second closure member covers the seal, and an open position in which the seal is exposed to be pierced or ruptured for dispensing ink from the bottle through the outlet opening. An ink bottle having an ink bottle closure and a dispensing device for opening an ink bottle closure are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for two-sided printing of digital images on a roll of media by means of a roll-to-roll system is provided. The roll-to-roll system includes a digital image queue including entries for digital images to be printed on the roll. For each digital image to be printed on a first side of the roll, a first entry is registered in the digital image queue, which entry includes at least one digital item identifying the digital image and digital items of print properties of the digital image. For each digital image to be printed on a second side of the roll, a second entry is registered in the digital image queue, which entry includes at least one digital item identifying the digital image and digital items of print properties of the digital image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a printing system for printing a plurality of images on a web. The printing system comprises a print engine, a feeder for feeding the web to the print engine in a feed direction relative to said print engine, a receiver for receiving the printed web, a user interface configured to set a printing arrangement of the plurality of images on the web and to input the print engine, the feeder and the receiver for performing printing according to the printing arrangement by ejecting or adhering marking material on the web and a scheduling module for scheduling the plurality of images on the web. The printing system comprises in storage a media list of media types. Each media type in the list is provided with at least one predetermined distance.

Abstract: A method is provided for actuating an liquid discharge element in an array of discharge elements of a print head. The liquid is provided to the elements of the array through a channel in the print head. A discharge element is provided with a driving signal from a set of signals comprising a discharging signal, a non-discharging signal, and a null signal. Only the first signal generates a drop of liquid, the second and third do not. An amount of discharging signals supplied to the print head is determined in accordance with a required number of droplets. A ratio of non-discharging signals versus null signals for the elements that do not discharge a drop of liquid increases with increasing amount of discharging signals. The elements receiving an non-discharge signal are selected randomly from the elements not discharging a drop of liquid. This extends the time that the print head may be operated without maintenance.

Abstract: The invention relates to a printing system for printing a print job on a receiving material with receiving material characteristics according to a print job ticket. The printing system comprises a print engine for providing marking material with marking material characteristics to the receiving material in order to form at least one image defined by the print job and a controller configured to control the print engine and to provide a first estimation of an amount of receiving material needed for a print job based on the print job ticket. A digital outcome storage is configured to store first waste amounts of receiving material during printing errors of print jobs.

Abstract: A vacuum table for a wide format printing system, wherein a medium support surface with vacuum holes therein is spaced apart from a bottom plate by a spacer array. The spacer array is formed by an integrally formed spacer structure with a first and a second longitudinal plate positioned between the bottom plate and the medium support surface. These plates comprise a plurality of air flow through-holes as well as a top support edge and a bottom support edge extending equidistantly to one another. A connection element connects the first longitudinal plates and is positioned between the bottom support plane and the top support plane. The use of longitudinal plates allows the spacer to be cheaply and easily produced by punching. The plates further offer the advantage of a low air flow resistance while maintaining a high rigidity of the spacer array.

Abstract: A web printing apparatus comprising a support platen facing the processing station for supporting the web, when being processed by the processing station and a first guard for guarding a side edge of a web, the first guard being connectable to the support platen for guiding the web along a transport path, when the web is processed by the processing station. A detector is provided for detecting the first guard when connected to the support platen as well as a control unit configured for controlling the processing station to process the web, wherein the control unit is configured to identify the guard based on a detection signal provided by the detector to the control unit. Thereby, the first guard is identified by the control unit which may then control the movement of the print carriage to avoid the first guard, preventing collisions.

Abstract: A system for detecting friction between an object, that is being printed in a printer, and a print head moving relative to the object, comprising: an acoustic sensor system arranged to detect an acoustic noise signal generated by the printer; a recording system arranged to record the noise signal while the print head moves relative to the object; and an electronic processing system arranged to detect, in the recorded noise signal, correlated with the reciprocating movement of the printhead over the printed object, a signature that is characteristic of an event of friction between the print head and the object.

Abstract: A method for printing digital images on at least one input roll of media in order to form at least one output roll by means of a roll-to-roll printing system is disclosed. The roll-to-roll printing system includes a digital image queue including an entry for each digital image to be printed. The method includes registering in an entry of the digital image queue a first digital item identifying the digital image and digital items of print properties of the digital image, printing the digital image according to the order of the entry in the digital image queue, and registering in the entry a second digital item identifying an input roll on which the digital image is going to be printed and a third digital item identifying an output roll on which the printed digital image is going to be wound. A roll-to-roll printing system is configured to apply the method.