Abstract: A method of printing on a surface of a three-dimensional object with a printer having a print surface and a print head, wherein a jig is used for positioning the object on the print surface in a position in which the surface to be printed on faces the print head, comprising by the steps of: providing a three-dimensional digital model of the jig; using the printer for printing the jig on the print surface; and placing the object against the jig.

Abstract: A printer that is adapted for printing on a mixed sequence of media sheets with a print head that is adjustable in height relative to a print surface that supports the media during printing, the printer having a user interface (34) and a controller, wherein the controller stores a set of different height adjustment strategies for handling media that differ in specifications that define an admissible range for the height of the print head, and the user interface is adapted to permit the user to select among the stored height adjustment strategies.

Abstract: A jetting device includes an ejection unit arranged to eject a droplet of a liquid. The ejection unit includes a nozzle, a liquid duct connected to the nozzle, and an electro-mechanical transducer arranged to create an acoustic pressure wave in the liquid in the duct. The jetting device further includes a filter arranged to filter the liquid being supplied into the duct and a filter status detection system arranged to detect an obstruction status of the filter by measuring a property of the liquid in the duct. The filter status detection system includes a circuit configured for measuring the electric response of the transducer, for recording changes in the electric response that represent pressure fluctuations induced by the acoustic wave in the form of a time-dependent function, and for judging the obstruction status of the filter on the basis of that function.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for printing on a media object supported by a flat bed of a printer, the printer comprising a print head and a camera above the flat bed, the method comprising the steps of detecting a media object on the flat bed surface of the printer by means of a digital camera image captured by the camera, deriving camera coordinates of the media object in the digital camera image, applying a direct transformation from the camera coordinates into print head coordinates of the media object without using coordinates of the flat bed surface, and printing a digital target image on the media object by ejecting recording material on the media object from the print head, the print head controlled according to the print head coordinates appropriate for the media object.

Abstract: A method of controlling an image reproduction system, wherein a process duration is estimated on the basis of a measured time (D) for the processing of a number (n) of pages that have been processed already, the method comprising storing a digital table which contains a number of pre-defined job types as well as a respective correction factor (A4) for each job type; when a job is received (S1), assigning (S2) a job type to the received job; calculating (S3) a first estimate (D1) for a time needed for processing at least a specified collection of pages from the job; calculating (S4) a second estimate (D2) by multiplying the first estimate (D1) with the correction factor (A4); when said specified collection of pages has been processed, calculating a deviation of the first estimate (D1), and updating (S9) the correction factor (A4); and storing the updated correction factor.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an inkjet print head arranged to be moveable in a direction of movement along a guiding assembly. The guiding assembly includes a support structure; a strip mounted on the support structure, the strip being rigidly straight in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement and mounted in such way that a straightness in the direction of movement is provided; and an air bearing system operatively coupled to the strip. The strip extends in a vertical plane, the vertical plane being substantially parallel to the direction of movement and being substantially parallel to the first direction. The air bearing system is configured to control a position of the inkjet print head in a horizontal plane relative to the strip during movement of the print head in the direction of movement, the horizontal plane being substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane.

Abstract: A method for scheduling a depletion of a supply material in a printing system including a print engine capable of printing at a settable print velocity while using the supply material, a control unit for controlling a print job queue comprising at least one print job scheduled to be printed by means of a scheduling scheme while using the supply material, a supply material output holder for holding the supply material, and a user interface for interacting with a user of the printing system. The method includes determining a plurality of moments in time that the supply material output holder is full, and simultaneously scheduling for each determined moment in time of the plurality of moments in time a depletion event of emptying the supply material output holder in the scheduling scheme.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor is provided for transporting a sheet. The sheet conveyor includes a supplying conveyor, a receiving conveyor and a sheet guidance unit. The receiving conveyor includes a support surface arranged for supporting the sheet on a contact side of the sheet and an attraction unit arranged for attracting the sheet to the support surface. The supplying conveyor includes a transport belt being arranged for advancing the sheet in a transport direction along a transport path towards the support surface of the receiving conveyor; the sheet having two side edge portions relative to the transport path. The sheet guidance unit is arranged at a downstream end of the transport path for guiding the sheet towards the receiving conveyor, wherein said sheet guidance unit includes a lifting element arranged for lifting both side edge portions of the sheet away from the support surface while a middle portion of the sheet in between both side edge portions is guided towards the support surface.

Abstract: A method for attributing an amount of resource consumption to an individual printed image that is printed in a printer comprising a print job controller and a print engine, wherein the print job controller is configured to compile a print job that comprises at least two images to be printed, the print job controller comprising an estimation section arranged to estimate a respective amount of resource consumption for each of the at least two images on the basis of print data that define the images, the method comprising the steps of: a) compiling a print job with at least two images; b) printing at least a part of each of the at least two images while monitoring a total amount of resource consumption; c) estimating the amount of resource consumption for the printed part of each of the at least two images on the basis of the print data; and d) proportioning the monitored total amount in proportion to the estimated amounts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a printing system for printing a plurality of print jobs, the printing system having a receiving unit for receiving the print jobs, a controller for controlling a scheduling process and a printing process of the print jobs, a print unit for printing the print jobs, a plurality of supply holders for holding supply material for printing, and a user interface for communicating to the operator scheduled supply operator actions. Each of the scheduled supply operator actions is linked to one of the plurality of supply holders. The controller has an establishing unit for establishing a time period of unattended printing of the printing system, and a determination unit for determining scheduled supply operator actions per holder needed to be done before the time period of unattended printing starts. The user interface displays the established time period of unattended printing and the determined supply operator actions per holder.

Abstract: A substrate plate is provided for at least one MEMS device to be mounted thereon. The MEMS device has a certain footprint on the substrate plate, and the substrate plate has a pattern of electrically conductive leads to be connected to electric components of the MEMS device. The pattern forms contact pads within the footprint of the MEMS device and includes at least one lead structure that extends on the substrate plate outside of the footprint of the MEMS device and connects a number of the contact pads to an extra contact pad. The lead structure is a shunt bar that interconnects a plurality of contact pads of the MEMS device and is arranged to be removed by means of a dicing cut separating the substrate plate into a plurality of chip-sized units. At least a major part of the extra contact pad is formed within the footprint of one of the MEMS devices.

Abstract: A method of editing a print job to be printed on a flatbed printer including a flatbed surface for placing a piece of media to be printed upon, the flatbed surface having a vacuum zone connected to a vacuum source for attracting the piece of media to the flatbed surface, is performed on a job editor including a processor and a display. The processor performs the steps of: reading vacuum zone data specifying at least a size of the vacuum zone; constructing and displaying an image of the vacuum zone on the basis of the vacuum zone data; and superposing, on the display, an image to be printed and the image of the vacuum zone.

Abstract: A method for generating output print data for printing multiple copies having at least one variable element onto a print sheet can include: providing a presentation of the print sheet in a workspace of a graphical user interface; determining a basic area in which at least one object is arranged for generation of the variable element; replicating and arranging the basic area having the at least one object, corresponding to a predetermined grid of the copies; and filling of the replicated objects to generate the variable elements with variable print data.

Abstract: A method of estimating a volume of a remaining fluidum in a non-translucent recipient having an opening which area is wider than or equal to the area of a bottom of the recipient. The method includes taking a picture of the opening at the top side of the recipient by with camera, deriving from the picture characteristics of a first and second number of pixels representing a visible part of the recipient and a visible part of the fluidum in the recipient, respectively, requesting from a user an identification of the recipient, matching the identification with a stored identification in order to retrieve reference data about an empty recipient, and estimating a volume of the remaining fluidum in the recipient by means of the retrieved reference data and a ratio of the characteristics of the first number of pixels and the characteristics of the second number of pixels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conveyor mechanism for conveying sheets. The conveyor mechanism comprises a movable conveyor body, a drive mechanism, and an adjustment system configured to detect and correct skewing of the conveyor body, comprising one or more markers provided on or in the conveyor body, a sensor arrangement for detecting each marker at two or more discrete positions, and a processor to determine the skewing of the conveyor body. The conveyor body and the drive mechanism of the conveyor mechanism are mounted on a movable conveyor frame, and the adjustment system includes a frame shifting device comprising one or one or more actuator for shifting or moving the conveyor frame relative to a fixed framework. The invention also provides a related method of correcting skewing in a conveyor mechanism for conveying sheets along a transport path.

Abstract: A liquid jetting device comprising a plurality of ejection units each of which is arranged to eject a droplet of a liquid and comprises a nozzle, a liquid duct connected to the nozzle and an electro-mechanical transducer arranged to create an acoustic pressure wave in the liquid in the duct, the device further comprising an electronic control system arranged to receive a pressure signal from at least one of the transducers and to generate a transducer control signal on the basis of the received pressure signal and to control the transducers of said plurality of ejection units to operate in a mode of operation selected from a variety of different modes of operation, wherein the control system is arranged to detect an acoustic property of the liquid of the basis of the received pressure signal and to select the mode of operation in accordance with the detected property, the control system being arranged to deliver transducer control signals to the transducers, which control signals are derived from a common bas

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet diverting unit for selectively diverting a sheet towards a first receiving path or a second receiving path, comprising an inlet path for advancing a sheet in a sheet supply direction towards a diverter; the diverter comprising a shaft, a deflector being connected to said shaft and extending between said shaft and a tip, and an actuator arranged for rotating the shaft thereby selectively pivoting the deflector between a first deflector position for directing the sheet into the first receiving path and a second deflector position for directing the sheet into the second receiving path; said deflector comprising a guiding edge and a second edge, said second edge arranged facing a second trajectory to the second receiving path in the second deflector position for directing the sheet into the second receiving path and said guiding edge arranged facing a straight first trajectory to the first receiving path thereby said guiding edge facing a guiding element in the first deflect

Abstract: A method for printing an object that is specified to have a pattern image visible at the surface of the object includes generating a plurality of layers of voxels to be printed on top of each other on a support by depositing voxel drops of marking material in order to create the object consisting of columns of said voxel drops. Each voxel drop in a column of voxel drops is deposited in a different layer. For each column of voxel drops intended to be printed marking material is deposited for each layer in the column. For each column of voxel drops intended to be printed, it is determined if the location of a top layer of the column is intended to be part of the pattern intended to be established at the surface of the object. If so, a voxel drop deposition is paused for a predetermined number of layers within the column before the top layer of the column is printed. The remaining originally intended layers of the column are deposited after the pause of the voxel drop deposition within the column.

Abstract: A printing system for printing on a substantially planar surface of a 3D-object includes a printer for printing on the planar surface of the 3D-object and a controller configured to control printing of the printer. The printing system further includes a mask generation module configured to generate a mask having the shape of the planar surface from a 3D-model of the 3D-object and to provide the controller with the mask to prevent printing outside the planar surface according to the mask.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator array includes a substrate plate with a number of signal leads and at least one common lead, and a number of piezoelectric bodies arranged in a row on one surface of the substrate plate and formed by dividing a common piezoelectric block. The piezoelectric bodies include a number of active bodies each of which has, on a first side of the row, a signal electrode in contact with one of the signal leads and, on an opposite second side of the row, a common electrode in contact with the common lead. The substrate plate has at least one connector lead disposed on the first side of the row and electrically connected to the common lead on the second side of the row. At least one piezoelectric body has a conductive outer surface layer that establishes an electrically conductive path from the connector lead to the common lead.