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 reprographic controller for providing reprographic commands to a reprographic engine has a reprographic setting. The reprographic controller includes a communication device for communicating with a computing device running a device driver; and user interface screen generator connected to the communication device. The user interface screen generator is arranged to generate and return a user interface screen including a user interface widget for setting the reprographic setting upon receiving a user interface screen request through the communication device from the device driver. The reprographic controller is further arranged to: receive from the device driver through the communication device: a value for the reprographic setting; and a reprographic job. The reprographic controller further includes a job processing device for processing the reprographic job taking into account the received value for the reprographic setting.

Abstract: A duplex sheet printer comprising a first and second sheet quality detection device for determining a suitability of a sheet for printing. The first sheet quality detection device applies a first sheet rejection threshold to which sensed sheets are compared, while the second sheet quality detection device applies a second sheet rejection threshold different from the first. The controller designates sheets in the printing system to be sensed by one of the sheet quality detection devices in accordance with the sheet's media type or the sheet being on a simplex or duplex pass. Different rejection criteria are thus applied to the sheets without adjustment of a sheet quality detection device, resulting in high speed printing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of printing a print job by an image reproduction system. The print job specifies a printing step on an image receiving medium and a finishing step in or on the image receiving medium. The method comprises the steps of receiving the print job by the image reproduction system and receiving a trigger by a controller of the image reproduction system that the finishing step is not to be performed. In such a case for a digital image comprised in print job data of the print job, at least one digital finishing visualization image of a predetermined visual appearance of a result of the finishing step in or on the image receiving medium is obtained as well as a position of the digital image for merging the obtained at least one digital finishing visualization image with the digital image. The digital image is updated by merging the obtained at least one digital finishing visualization image with the digital image at the obtained position.

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 method is provided for cancelling an electric crosstalk contribution in a monitoring signal from a monitored electro-mechanical transducer in a device including at least three electro-mechanical transducers. The crosstalk contribution results from an actuation of other transducers than the monitored transducer. The method includes selecting a second transducer, associated with the first, monitored transducer, wherein the electric crosstalk caused by an actuation of a third transducer is equal in the first and second transducer; actuating the first transducer and not acutating the second transducer; simultaneously measuring a monitoring signal from the first transducer and the second transducer; and subtracting the two monitoring signals to obtain a clean monitoring signal from the first transducer.

Abstract: A printer controller arranged to control a print engine comprising: a print job storage for storing print jobs to be printed; wherein a print job may comprise a deadline, the deadline specifying an ultimate time by which the print job is to be completed; a scheduler module for determining a print execution time for each print job in a sequence of one or more print jobs, the scheduler taking into account a setup time for a print job for setting up the print engine to print the print job given a previous print job; a planning module for determining a print order for to-be-printed print jobs in the print storage, arranged to submit a plurality of sequences of to-be-printed print jobs in the print job storage to the scheduler and in response receive from the scheduler for each sequence of to-be-printed print jobs the print execution times of the print jobs; wherein the planning module elects a sequence of to-be-printed print jobs for which each deadline in a print job in the sequence is met according to the print

Abstract: The invention relates to an ink composition, the ink composition including a pinning agent. The pinning agent provides the ink composition with thermogelling behavior. The invention further relates to a pinning agent suitable for an ink composition. The invention further relates to a method for applying an image to a receiving medium using an ink composition including a pinning agent.

Abstract: In a printer having first and second clamps, the deformation of a recording medium due to the web tensile force produced in the printer can be determined using the first and the second clamps. The deformation can be determined in advance of a printing process and/or during the printing operation. A print image can be adapted based on the determined deformation to compensate for the deformation of the recording medium.

Abstract: In a method for controlling printing elements of an ink print head, an idle time between the ejection of two dots from the same nozzle is determined. In the event that the idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold (?tS), a determined number of vibration cycles is performed (e.g. in immediate succession). The number of vibration cycles is determined based on the idle time, such that more vibration cycles are performed the longer that the idle time lasts between the ejections of two dots from the same nozzle.

Abstract: An ink supply system for supplying ink to a drop-forming unit of a print-head in a printing apparatus includes a reservoir for holding or storing a volume of liquid ink to be supplied to a drop-forming unit in a print-head, and a heating device arranged upstream of the reservoir for heating the ink to an desired operating temperature. The heating device includes a heating body for transferring heat to the ink, wherein the heating body includes a plurality of channels which extend from an top side of the heating body to an bottom side of the heating body for conveying the ink to the reservoir, whereby the ink is heated via contact with walls of the channels. The heating body typically includes a substantially monolithic body of a highly thermally conductive material and the plurality of channels are substantially parallel channels which extend through the heating body. A print-head of a printing apparatus incorporating the ink supply system, and a heating device are also disclosed.

Abstract: A roll-fed printing apparatus and a method for controlling a roll-fed printing apparatus for printing images on at least one recording medium from an image queue. A part of the image queue is saved. The part comprises the ripped images at established arbitrary positions on the roll of medium and events according to a plurality of event image objects placed in the image queue into a roll file which is stored in a history roll queue storage of the controller. At least part of the ripped images saved in the roll file are reprinted on a new roll of medium having a same roll width as the arbitrary roll width according to a sequence order and the arbitrary positions saved in the roll file. During reprinting, the corresponding events saved in the roll file are executed.

Abstract: The negative pressure in the ink chamber of a nozzle of a print head is reduced in a printing interruption phase, in particular upon transport of the print head from a cleaning position into a printing position, relative to the negative pressure in a printing phase. The leaking of ink during the printing interruption phase may thus be reliably avoided, and the print quality may be increased.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a number of print heads, each of which has a first port and a second port; an ink supply; a drain line; a first manifold connecting the ink supply to the first port of each print head; and a second manifold connected to the second port of each print head and connectable to the drain line. A valve system is arranged to disconnect the second manifold from the drain line and to connect the second manifold to the ink supply.

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: A sheet transfer device for transferring a sheet between two sheet processing devices comprising a switch for directing sheets from a first transport path coming from the first sheet processing device onto a two-way transport path or for directing sheets from the two-way transport path onto a second transport path for feeding sheets to the second sheet processing device. A transport pinch is provided along the two way transport path for reversing a sheet on the two-way transport path. When in use, the two-way transport path extends downward in a vertically extending free-hanging chamber wherein the sheet engaged by the transport pinch is allowed to hang freely under the influence of gravity. Thereby, a compact device is formed which is able to adjust the sheet to a suitable orientation for the second processing device. The device further prevents forces from the first processing device to disrupt the sheet's orientation in the second processing device.

Abstract: For assessing the functioning of an ejection unit of an inkjet print head, a comparison of a residual pressure wave with a residual pressure wave reference is employed. To enable assessment during printing, multiple residual pressure wave references are provided, each relating to a condition relevant to the residual pressure wave. Such a condition may relate to an actuation status of an adjacent ejection unit which may cause crosstalk, for example. When performing the assessment, the condition during assessment is taken into account, for example for selecting a suitable residual pressure wave reference, such that an appropriate and correct assessment can be performed independent from the conditions during assessment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a guide device for guiding print medium onto a take-up roll in a printing system. The guide device comprises a first guide member presenting a substantially planar surface for limiting or preventing lateral deviation of a printed medium output from the printing system as the medium moves along a transport path towards a take-up roll for winding or taking up a length of the medium. The first guide member is stationary in use. A position of the first guide member is adjustable in a direction transverse to the transport path for setting the position to limit or prevent lateral deviation of the medium along the transport path. The guide device further comprises a second guide member presenting a support surface configured and arranged to support the medium thereon as the medium travels along the transport path towards the take-up roll. The first guide member and the second guide member are preferably integrally formed as a guide unit.

Abstract: A roll-fed printing apparatus and a method for controlling the roll-fed printing apparatus for printing print jobs on a recording medium by means of a print mechanism.

Abstract: A method of operating a drop-on demand (DOD) jetting device having a nozzle, a pressure chamber filled with a liquid and connected to the nozzle and an actuator energized by a drive signal, wherein a periodic DOD signal determines whether or not a droplet is jetted out from the nozzle in a given DOD period, and the drive signal has a waveform configured to cause the actuator to excite a pressure wave in the liquid, the method further comprising the steps of a) energizing the actuator with a waveform that has a fixed pattern and extends over a time interval that is longer than the given DOD period; and b) ignoring the DOD signal in at least the first DOD period that follows after said period for which the step a) has been performed.