Abstract: In a method for detecting a disturbance in an ejection unit of an inkjet print head, the ejection unit of the inkjet print head includes a pressure chamber for holding an amount of liquid and is in fluid communication with a nozzle orifice; and an actuator operatively coupled to the pressure chamber for generating a pressure wave in the liquid in the pressure chamber for ejecting a droplet of the liquid through the nozzle orifice upon application of a droplet ejection pulse.

Abstract: A method of producing a print product, the product including a print substrate bearing a printed image; and a fastener applied to said print substrate, includes using a jetting-type printer for printing both the printed image and the fastener onto the print substrate.

Abstract: A roll-fed printing assembly, a software medium, and a method of controlling a roll-fed printing assembly are disclosed. The method includes: controlling the printing to execute a first print job containing a batch of nested individual jobs; detecting a pause state during the executing of the first print job; stopping the executing of the first print job in response to the detecting of the pause state; determining, for each individual job of the first print job, whether that individual job belongs to either: a first group of individual jobs that have already been printed successfully, or to a second group of individual jobs that have not yet been printed successfully; creating a second print job by automatic re-nesting of the jobs of the second group based on a nesting criterion; and controlling the printing assembly to execute the second print job.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation curable ink composition comprising a gellant. The present invention further relates to an ink set comprising such ink composition. The present invention further relates to a method for making such ink composition and a printing method using such ink composition.

Abstract: A method of ink jet printing, wherein liquid ink is supplied to a plurality of nozzles via a common ink supply passage, and actuators associated with the nozzles are controlled to cause ink droplets to be expelled from the nozzles in accordance with image information to be printed, characterized by the steps of: detecting a situation where a number of the nozzles which are connected to the common ink supply passage and are presently active but stop printing within a given time interval is larger than a given maximum number; if that situation is detected, activating at least one actuator associated with one of the nozzles that stop printing with sub-threshold agitation pulses which cause an agitation of a meniscus in the nozzle without a droplet being expelled.

Abstract: A flatbed cutter assembly includes a medium support table for supporting a recording medium, the table extending in a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction, a gantry arranged to be moveable over the medium support table in the first direction, a carriage support movably arranged on the gantry to move over the medium support table in the second direction, a cutter configured to be coupled to the carriage support and a controller for controlling the movements of the gantry, the carriage support and the cutter while moving over the medium support table.

Abstract: In a method for applying an image onto a recording medium, a print can be created that has a gloss similar to the gloss of the recording medium. The method includes selecting a recording medium; determining the gloss level of the selected medium; selecting curing settings based on the determined gloss level; applying an image onto the recording medium by ejecting a predetermined pattern of droplets of ink onto the recording medium; and curing the ink according to the selected curing settings, thereby obtaining a cured image having the determined gloss level. A printer is configured for applying an image onto a recording medium according to the method.

Abstract: A printing method for printing a digital image on a substantially flat substrate includes providing the digital image including a raster of a plurality of pixels; providing a height channel to the digital image defining a height for each pixel; discriminating in the digital image for each pixel a relief part, a white part and a skin part; providing an inking mask including a binary image of areas of the substrate to be finished and areas of the substrate not to be finished; image processing of the digital image by applying the inking mask to the image, wherein the height of a pixel within an area of the substrate to be finished is reduced by substantially reducing a height of the relief part of said pixel; and printing the processed image obtained in the image processing step on the substrate.

Abstract: When a sheet ejector ejects an unsuitable sheet from a transport path in a printing system, additional sheets downstream of said unsuitable sheet are generally discharged to preserve the image order as prescribed by the print instructions. This results in large amounts of waste material (sheets and ink). The amount of waste may be reduced by providing a controller which, when receiving print instructions concerning a first and a second set of images, schedules the images of the first and second sets into an alternating image sequence defining the print order. Sheets printed with images from the first set are designated to a first output holder while sheets printed with images from the second set are transported to the second output holder. When a sheet for the second image set is rejected, the first image set need not be discharged, resulting in a reduced amount of waste material.

Abstract: A toner bottle closure includes a first closure member configured to be fixed to a toner bottle. The first closure member has an outlet opening for dispensing toner. A second closure member is movable relative to the first closure member along an axis between a closed position, in which the second closure member cooperates with the first closure member to close or seal the outlet opening, and an open position for dispensing the toner. The second closure member includes an impact damper, which projects at least partially in a direction parallel to the axis of movement. The impact damper is configured to deform plastically for damping a mechanical impact on the toner bottle closure. A rotation preventer is configured to prevent rotation of the second closure member around the axis of movement relative to the first closure member. A toner bottle including such a toner bottle cap is also disclosed.

Abstract: A color printer includes a media transport system arranged to feed print media along a media transport path; a print engine disposed at the media transport path; a controller arranged to calculate an amount of coverage for each pixel and for each process color of an image to be printed on the media, and to control the print engine on the basis of the calculated amount of coverage; a temperature sensor; and a color correction module arranged to determine a correction of the amount of coverage on the basis of a temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is arranged at the media transport path upstream of the print engine for detecting the temperature of the media as they reach the print engine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing system for cut sheets. The printing system comprises a control unit for controlling the printing of image data on a plurality of sheets which comprise at least one speciality sheet intended to be one-sided printed and at least one duplex sheet intended to be two-sided printed. The control unit schedules the plurality of sheets in a printing order. A paper path of the printing system comprises a duplex printing loop, a first turn station arranged in the duplex printing loop for turning a sheet of the plurality if both sides of the sheet are scheduled to be printed in two passes along a print engine arranged in the duplex printing loop and configured to dispose marking material on the sheets according to the image data, in two passes, one side per pass, and a second turn station arranged in an output section for turning the sheet before laying the sheet off in an output holder of the output section.

Abstract: In a method to clean a printer of a printing system (e.g. an inkjet printing system), at least one displaceable cleaning nozzle is arranged in a self-cleaning position, a pressure-charged cleaning agent is supplied to self-clean the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle is displaced into a spraying position for spraying the printer, and the printer is sprayed with cleaning agent. A cleaner for automatic cleaning of a printer of a printing system, as well as a corresponding printing system can perform the clean method.

Abstract: Method for calibrating a vacuum level for a web-based printer, comprising the steps of: transporting a medium over a medium support surface comprising vacuum holes for applying a suction force to the image receiving member; applying a suction force to the medium; sensing the advancement of the medium for generating advancement data; comparing the advancement data to a reference; and adjusting the suction force based on the comparison between the advancement data and the reference. The present invention further provides an image forming apparatus.

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 printing system for cut sheets includes a controller configured to control the printing of image data on a plurality of sheets and scheduling the plurality of sheets in a printing order, a paper path comprising a duplex printing loop and a rotational functional component arranged in the duplex printing loop for guiding and processing a printed sheet for two passes along or on a surface of the rotational functional component, a print engine arranged in the duplex printing loop and configured to dispose marking material on the sheets according to the image data, in two passes, one side per pass.

Abstract: A method of nesting three-dimensional print objects on a print surface of a printer, wherein the locations for the print objects on the print surface are determined in view of the shape and size of the footprints of the objects so as to minimize the surface area required for accommodating the objects, and the locations for the print objects are determined also in view of intended heights of the objects, and objects with equal or similar height are grouped together, the method comprising a step of grouping the objects into classes of objects with similar heights, and a step of nesting the objects class by class, wherein the method is performed on a printer having a print head movable relative to the print surface in a main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction normal to the main scanning direction, and wherein the objects of each class are nested in a separate shelf that extends in the main scanning direction on the print surface and has a constant width in the sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: Fluid jetting device comprising: a nozzle plate, a fluid chamber terminating in an orifice in the nozzle plate, an actuator for generating a pressure wave in a fluid in the fluid chamber to jet fluid through the orifice from the chamber, a jetting waveform generating device connected to the actuator for generating an excitation waveform comprising two separated pulses, called a jetting pulse and a quenching pulse, for respectively generating a pressure wave in the fluid in the fluid chamber leading to a fluid droplet and for substantially cancelling a pressure wave in the fluid in the fluid chamber, wherein the jetting waveform generating device is adapted to make, when jetting two consecutive fluid droplets, a first and a second droplet, the jetting pulse of the second droplet at least partially overlap the quenching pulse directly following the jetting pulse of the first droplet.

Abstract: A scanning inkjet printing method comprises arranging a recording medium on a print surface; moving a carriage supporting at least one inkjet print head over the recording medium on the print surface in a scanning direction, while image-wise applying droplets of a liquid to the recording medium to form a first swath of printed dots on the recording medium; moving the recording medium and the carriage relative to each other in a transport direction, wherein the transport direction is transverse to the scanning direction; moving the carriage over the recording medium on the print surface in the scanning direction, while image-wise applying droplets of the liquid to the recording medium to form a second swath of printed dots on the recording medium; detecting a position of the first swath; determining a sub-carriage movement relative to the carriage in response to the detected position of the first swath to position the second swath relative to the first swath, wherein the sub-carriage is supported by the carria

Abstract: A method for printing waveforms, such as overlong waveforms, can be used to enable the printing of large ink droplets. The method can include determining whether the first waveform is longer than the duration and inducing the continued activation of a nozzle arrangement with the first waveform at a second activation point in time based on the determination that the first waveform is longer than the duration. The method can include the suppression of a new activation of the nozzle arrangement to ensure the execution of the first waveform (e.g., an overlong waveform).