Abstract: In printing onto a creased paper with a fold portion, a printing method of the invention performs a warning step (S203) that gives a warning about the need of smoothening out of the fold portion; and a printing step that starts printing after the warning is given in the warning step. The printing method further performs a reception step (S204, S206) that receives a confirmation instruction with respect to the warning given in the warning step, and the printing step does not start printing until the confirmation instruction is received in the reception step.

Abstract: A method for reducing banding during printing with an imaging apparatus includes establishing a current original move length; determining a current original absolute position; calculating a current adjusted absolute position based on the current original absolute position; determining a current difference between the current original absolute position and the current adjusted absolute position; determining a current move-to-move adjustment amount by subtracting the current difference from a previous difference between a previous original absolute position and a previous adjusted absolute position; and generating an adjusted move length for a next move by adding the current move-to-move adjustment amount to the current original move length.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a housing that includes a front face, a rear wall, a pair of side walls, a bottom surface, and a top surface with a discharge surface formed therein. A cover, having a planar upper surface, is mounted on protrusions extending along each side of the top surface. The discharge surface is formed between the protrusions and has a depth proximate the rear wall that is greater than a depth proximate the front face. A cutout is formed between the cover and the front face, the cutout being in either the cover or the front face which allows discharge of the printed material. The printed material when discharged onto the discharge surface extends beyond the front face.

Abstract: A print editing device is provided wherein a first line of the print data is aligned to a first end in a predetermined print area and, if there are plural lines; a last line of the print data is aligned to a second end and a remaining line is aligned between the first and second end when the print data is determined to include more than three lines.

Abstract: A plurality of scanner bars is arranged in precisely located holes in the frame of a media handling device to detect the passage of the lead and trail edge of media. The multiplicity of scanner bars, arranged linearly at a right angle to the direction of motion of the media, is sampled at some frequency. The scanner bars give not only arrival and departure time of the media from each scanner bar location, but also making some assumptions about the shape of the media, information about the orientation of the media relative to the direction of motion. This information can be used to diagnose improper media handling mechanisms upstream of the sensor or provide information to downstream corrective mechanisms. Preprinted test media, such as, ladder charts, etc., can be used to extract velocity profiles and other paper path dynamic characteristics.

Abstract: A combined passive and active object sensing system (30; 50; 70) employing electric field sensing is described. An electric field sensing transmission electrode (2) generates a first electric field (11, 12, 13) that induces a current in an electric field sensing reception electrode (4). A passive object (10) is sensed from variation in this current. An active object (31; 51; 71) comprises a further electric field sensing transmission electrode (33; 53; 73) and generates a second electric field (35, 36, 37; 55, 56, 57; 75, 76, 77). This may be generated by the active object (31) coupling with and applying a phase shift to the first electric field (11, 12, 13). Alternatively the second electric field (55, 56, 57) may be generated at a different frequency to the first electric field (11, 12, 13). Alternatively the second electric field (75, 76, 77) may be generated by the active object (71) coupling with an alternating magnetic field generated by a coil (172).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for watermarking a file which is in a PDL such as PostScript. The present invention can be used to either watermark a PDL file and then generate a watermarked PDL file or the present invention can be part of the Interpreter in a printer which takes a file in a PDL and which then generates watermarked raster images which are printed. The present invention includes an “interpreter” which generates raster images from the PDL file. The raster images are then watermarked using conventional watermarking techniques. Next the raster images are either printed (if the interpreter is part of a printer) or the raster images are combined into a new PDL file.

Abstract: A character size is set according to the number of characters of a character string to be printed, and the number of printing operation times of a printer section and each operational condition of a rotation angle of a rotatable plate, which supports a recoding medium, which correspond to one printing operation, are set. According to the set operational condition, a part of the character string arranged in an arc shape is printed by one printing operation of the printer section in a state that the rotational plate is stopped, and the rotational plate is driven to rotate the recording medium by the set angle before a next printing operation is started. The printing operation and the rotating operation are repeated, thereby printing a series of character string on the circumference around a circular hole of the recording medium.

Abstract: A method for measuring a capacitance of a device under test is provided that includes selectively charging and discharging a first conductor with a first set of p and n element-pairs in response to a voltage potential applied to the first set of p and n element-pairs. The method further includes selectively charging and discharging a second conductor with a second set of p and n element-pairs in response to a voltage potential applied to the second set of p and n element-pairs. Currents are measured at drains associated with the first set of p element-pairs as the first and second conductors charge and discharge such that a capacitance associated with the first conductor may be determined that is based on the drain currents.

Abstract: A modular printer having a media take-up assembly module, a support block assembly module, a printhead assembly module, a stepper motor assembly module and a display assembly module is provided. A support body having a plurality of recesses formed on an internal wall of the modular printer is also provided. Each of the recesses is configured to receive and align one of the modular printer assemblies with the other modular printer assemblies. Each of the assemblies is configured as a module which can be easily accessed and quickly secured to or detached from the support body. The support body is adapted to receive assembly modules for both thermal ink printers and ribbon ink printers such that the modular printer can be easily converted from one to the other.

Abstract: A method for characterizing exposure levels in a platesetter comprises exposing regions of a plate at different exposure levels by modulating the power of an exposure beam and then analyzing the plate after development to determine a desired exposure level for plates on the platesetter by reference to the regions receiving the different exposure levels. The plates are preferably exposed in an area outside of a printing area. In this way, the exposure test can be performed as part of the normal plate printing process. The plate is not consumed. Moreover, the plate exposure setting can be constantly monitored throughout production in one implementation.

Abstract: A zoned UV curing system for drying UV inks and coatings in printing presses. A plurality of linear UV lamps are spaced apart laterally across the travel path of substrates in a press. The axis of each lamp is aligned generally with the travel path, but may be slanted slightly so that every point on the travel path passes directly under at least one lamp. Power supply and control means allow selection of which lamps are powered, so that unneeded lamps may be turned off to save power. The power level of each lamp is variable. One transverse UV lamp may be placed upstream to initiate curing before substrates pass the zoned system. An IR heater may be placed upstream to preheat UV ink and coatings to enhance curing and to smooth coatings.

Abstract: A print job is partitioned into sub-jobs or “batches” to shorten the turnaround time for completing the processing of the print job. The sizes of the batches are chosen so as to minimize the turnaround time. The batch sizes are optimized based on factors affecting the turnaround time. The batches may be processed concurrently in a pipelined fashion to minimize the turnaround time.

Abstract: A method and device for suppressing vibrations in a printing press includes placing, on at least one element of the press, a mass that vibrates freely with one degree of freedom, determining the rotational speed of the press and feeding the speed to a control device, and, in the control device, utilizing the rotational speed, determining an actuating variable and feeding the actuating variable to at least one actuator, at least one vibration parameter of the mass being changed in accordance with the rotational speed by the actuator.

Abstract: A migration measuring method based on an alternating current impedance method, including steps: direct current with fine alternating current superposed is applied across electrodes (1), (2) to measure the impedance there between; and a surface static capacity (c) is calculated from the measured value of impedance in order to measure migration in accordance with the variation of the calculated surface static capacity.

Abstract: An economical liquid metering device which dispenses liquid in digital steps. Further advantages are: the ease of liquid change because components which are in contact with the liquid are economically exchangeable or disposable, and each computer pulse dispenses a predictable quantity of the liquid. To provide a continuous flow, the volume and operation rate between pump pulses may be controlled, so that the dispensing rate becomes substantially continuous.

Abstract: If a density adjustment command is applied to a control apparatus in a printing system having a plurality of printers, each of the printers outputs sheets of density adjustment paper on which has been recorded identification information (a color) indicating which printer produced the output, and a color for performing a density adjustment. Any one of the sheets of density adjustment paper is set in a densitometer. The identification information and the density-adjustment color on the set density adjustment paper are read by the densitometer and applied to the control apparatus. Density adjustment data obtained from the density-adjustment color is transmitted to a printer specified by the identification information of the density adjustment paper. The printer that has received the density-adjustment data performs a density adjustment based upon the density adjustment data. Density can be adjusted appropriately even though the system includes a plurality of printers.

Abstract: The root mean square of a power frequency voltage is measured across a large dynamic range, for example in order to measure electrical output, by converting the voltage to be measured into two or more partial voltage proportional thereto and measuring each partial voltage using an individual diode rectifier. The output voltages of said diode rectifiers are then converted into a digital value and each of these digital values is weighted with weighting factors, the ratio of said weighting factors being derived from the control factor of at least one of the diode rectifiers. These weighted digital values are then scaled to a common quantification unit and added to achieved the actual digital measurement value.

Abstract: A device for registering the position of a rotor part in a transport system also having a static part in addition to the rotor part includes a dimensional standard forming part of the rotor part, and a plurality of transmitters provided on the static part; and a printing unit and a printing machine including the position registering device.

Abstract: A print apparatus having a spell checking feature has a processor and a memory for storing a spell checking program. A computer coupled to the print apparatus may be used to instruct the print apparatus to spell check a document file before printing the document file. The print apparatus incorporates the results of the spell check into the printed document by highlighting, bolding or underlining the misspelled words. Alternatively, the print apparatus operates like a network server to provide spell checking services to the computer and/or to a plurality of computers coupled to the print apparatus via a computer network.