Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling application of a substance to a substrate involve the use of one or more gating agents that block the substance from or attracts the substance to the substrate. The apparatus and methods may utilize ink jet technology to apply the gating agent directly to the substrate or to an intermediate surface. The substance may be an ink, an electrically conductive material, a magnetic material, a carrier for a therapeutic, diagnostic, or marking substance other than an ink, a carrier or any other substance.

Abstract: A printing system includes a print unit and a cleaning unit. The print unit comprises a carrier for a plurality of inkjet cartridges. The cleaning unit includes a wiping unit, a cleaning bay, and a wiper washer unit. The wiping unit includes wiper blades and the wiper washer unit includes a plurality of spray nozzles that spray a fluid. A controller is adapted to transport the carrier into the cleaning bay, transport the wiping units such that the wiper blades clean the inkjet cartridges, and actuate the spray nozzles to wash the wiper blades. The carrier may be positioned in the cleaning bay when the inkjet cartridges are not used for printing and the controller controls at least one of humidity and temperature in the cleaning bay when the carrier plate is positioned therein.

Abstract: A system and method for applying fluid to a receiver surface are disclosed. A carrier has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a slot, wherein the bottom surface of the carrier faces the receiver surface. A mount is positioned in the slot, an inkjet cartridge is disposed in the mount, and fluid is ejected from the inkjet cartridge toward the receiver surface. The inkjet cartridge is disposed such that at least a portion of the inkjet cartridge extends inwardly from the bottom surface of the carrier.

Abstract: Signatures of a book are identified with a binary coded indicia on the backbone. A signature verifier having a row of indicia sensors associated with the stack of signatures in the stream feeder of a gathering machine senses the coded indicia. In the event of an error, the verifier gives an alarm or stops the stream feeder. A book of plural signatures has a plurality of indicia on the backbone. A verifier has corresponding plural rows of sensors which detect the indicia and are sampled sequentially.