Abstract: Provided are: a transfer medium supply unit that supplies a transfer medium for image formation; a storage unit that records supply unit setting information regarding the transfer medium supply unit and transfer medium information regarding the transfer medium; and a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus, wherein the control unit allows setting, in the supply unit setting information, the transfer medium information of the transfer medium to be used in the transfer medium supply unit, records the supply unit setting information including the set transfer medium information in the storage unit, and when the set transfer medium information is changed in the supply unit setting information, sets history information of the transfer medium information in the supply unit setting information including the changed transfer medium information and records the history information in the storage unit.

Abstract: A portable crafting tool, which may be readily transported from one location to another and placed on a tabletop or another suitable surface for use, and which includes rollers for applying pressure to a craft assembly, is disclosed. The craft assembly may include a platform with a tool, such as a cutting die, an embossing tool and/or a letterpress tool, a sheet of a medium (e.g., paper, vellum, acetate, foil, etc.) that is to be modified (as pressure is applied to the craft assembly) and a mat or a cover for positioning over the sheet of medium and the tool. The portable crafting tool may include a gap spacer, which adjusts a distance that the rollers are spaced apart from one another. The portable crafting tool may be configured for selective operation with a manually operated handle or with a motor that may be used in place of the handle. The portable crafting tool may be configured to engage a surface when it is deployed on the surface.

Abstract: A motor control apparatus that performs a drive control of a motor includes a current detector configured to detect a driving current flowing in a winding of the motor, a calculator configured to calculate an estimated value indicating a rotational position of a rotor of the motor by an estimation computation based on a value of the driving current detected by the current detector, and a corrector configured to correct the estimated value of the rotational position based on a rotation amount of the rotor in a predetermined period from a start of the estimation computation by the calculator until completion of the estimation computation. In addition, a controller controls the driving current flowing in the winding of the motor so that a deviation between the estimated value corrected by the corrector and an instructed value indicating a target position of the rotor is reduced.

Abstract: An image defect predictive diagnostic apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires first characteristic values and second characteristic values from an image forming apparatus that forms an image by using an electrophotographic process. The first characteristic values include at least one of (i) toner concentrations and (ii) developing potentials. The first characteristic values have an influence on developability. The second characteristic values are different from the first characteristic values. The notification unit predicts occurrence of a dot image which has no relationship with the image by using the first characteristic values and the second characteristic values which are acquired by the acquisition unit, and that makes notification.

Abstract: A multiple degrees of freedom control apparatus for a roll-to-roll printing system.

Abstract: A printer main body is mounted on a sheet feeding option, and the sheet feeding option is electrically connected to the mounted printer main body. The sheet feeding option has a connecting member configured to turn on a turn axis. The connecting member is disposed at a position closer to one end than the other end of the printer main body in a direction intersecting a direction of the turn axis, and turns from a connected position electrically connected to the printer main body only toward the one end.

Abstract: A method for producing a letterpressed printed card includes letterpressing a design into card stock, to create a card shell. The card shell has a positive image of the letterpressed design debossed into a front face of the card. After letterpressing the design, an image is printed onto the card shell, to produce the letterpressed printed card.

Abstract: The present invention provides a post process control apparatus including a post processing unit configured to perform post processing on a printed sheet printed in accordance with a job, and a method for controlling the same, where the post process control apparatus and the method of controlling the same obtain a number of sheets in one copy of printed sheets instructed by the job, control the post processing unit to, if the obtained number of sheets in one copy is singular, execute the post processing in one batch on printed sheets corresponding to a plurality of copies, and to control the post processing unit to, if the obtained number of sheets in one copy is plural, execute the post processing individually by printed sheets corresponding to one copy.

Abstract: A calculable 3D color printing method is used for generating, on a 3D object surface, a user-specified color texture pattern, including: performing modeling and simulated calculation with respect to a motion and a deformation of a PVA film in a traditional water transfer printing process to obtain a mapping function between each of pixels on the PVA film and points on an object surface; and calculating, by using the mapping function, a texture pattern to print on the PVA film. This disclosure further includes a set of mechanical devices and a 3D vision system for realizing precise and controllable water transfer printing which precisely prints a user-specified texture pattern onto an object surface. This disclosure further includes a multiple water transfer printing method, including: partitioning a complex object surface into a plurality of regions, and separately coloring each region, until eventually completing coloring of the entire object surface.

Abstract: The document conveying apparatus includes a document tray, a butted part with which leading edges of a plurality of documents stacked on the document tray are butted, a roller for conveying a document stacked at a lowermost position, a pressurizing module for pressurizing, from above, the documents stacked on the document tray, a separator, a first detector, provided between the butted part and the separator in a document conveying direction, for detecting a conveyed document, and a control module for causing the pressurizing module to pressurize the documents stacked on the document tray and causing the roller to rotate with a first speed until the first detector detects a document. In a case where the first detector detects a document, the control module reduces a force with which the pressurizing module pressurizes the documents and causes the roller to rotate with a second speed slower than the first speed.

Abstract: A device one of adjusts and changes a dampening medium profile, which extends in the direction of a printing width, in a printing unit comprising at least one printing unit cylinder, at least one inking unit which inks the printing unit cylinder, and at least one dampening unit which interacts with one of the printing unit cylinder and the printing unit. A drying device, which extends over the printing width, is provided with a number I(I?, 0>1) of drying elements, the influence of which, on a printing unit surface to be treated, allows moisture to be removed from a number of n(n?, n>1) axial portions aj(j=1, . . . , n) that are offset relative to one another in the direction of the printing width. One of an extent of the influence of the drying device with respect to the axial direction (aj) and the operating state of the drying device can be varied independently of one another.

Abstract: A sheet discriminator, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector including a light emitter to emit light to a surface of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader and a light receiver to receive the light emitted by the light emitter and detecting information of the recording medium, a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector, and a detector body encasing at least the information detector therein and having an opening formed on an opposing face facing the sheet loader. The opposing face has an opening formed thereon. The opening has at least one arc-shaped side.

Abstract: A post-processing device includes a processing stacking portion that allows media to be stacked thereon; a binding member that performs a binding process on the media; a medium ejection portion on which the media ejected from the processing stacking portion are stacked and which moves upward and downward; and a pressing member that presses an upper surface of the media on the medium ejection portion. When media that have not been subjected to the binding process are stacked on the medium ejection portion, the pressing member and the media are brought into contact with each other. When media that have been subjected to the binding process are stacked on the medium ejection portion, the pressing member and the media are disposed further away from each other than when media that have not been subjected to the binding process are stacked on the medium ejection portion.

Abstract: A sheet cutting apparatus includes a cutting position where a sheet is cut; a guillotine type cutter configured to move between the cutting position and a home position above the cutting position; a motor; a drive mechanism configured to transfer a drive force from the motor to the cutter to move the cutter between the home position and the cutting position; a drive control section configured to enable the cutter to fall from the home position to the cutting position when cutting a sheet by the cutter and then return the cutter to the home position; a determination section configured to determine whether or not a given period of time elapses from the last return completion of the cutter to the home position; and a return control section configured to return the cutter to the home position if the determination section determines that a given period of time elapses from the last return completion of the cutter to the home position.

Abstract: A printer for label printing includes a cutter to cut a continuous label after printing at a position inside of the surface with respect to the outer case of the printer. A separation sensor is disposed between the cutter and the thermal head. A sheet detection sensor is disposed downstream of the cutter in the feeding direction. The sensors are mounted in two stages on a common circuit board. The circuit board is disposed vertically along the feeding direction of the continuous label within the region where a cover-open button to open an opening and closing cover of the printer is disposed.

Abstract: Upon occurrence of a paper jam on a main conveying route, a controller performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a section of the main conveying route upstream of a position of the paper jam in a conveying direction and discharging sheets at a section of the main conveying route downstream of the position of the paper jam in the conveying direction, and performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a circulation conveying route. Upon occurrence of a paper jam on the circulation conveying route, a controller performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a section of the circulation conveying route upstream of a position of the paper jam, and performs control of discharging sheets at a section of the circulation conveying route downstream of the position of the paper jam and at the main conveying route.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit; an image forming unit; a conveying unit; sheet detectors disposed on a conveyance path to detect a sheet; a sheet ejection unit which, if a jam occurs on the conveyance path, ejects a remaining sheet on the conveyance path after a sheet that has caused the jam is removed; and a control unit which stores, in a storage unit, information representing a confirmed section of the conveyance path, the confirmed section being a section confirmed to have no remaining sheet as a result of ejection of the remaining sheet, and which, if one of the sheet detectors detects a first sheet that has reached the confirmed section after recovery from the jam, allows the sheet feeding unit to feed second and subsequent sheets.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a decorative material rolling mill having an adjustable roll gap, which includes: a left frame and a right frame connected to each other; and an upper roll and a lower roll, two ends thereof being axially disposed on the left frame and the right frame; and a driving mechanism for driving the upper roll and the lower roll to rotate; and further includes: a rolling gap adjustment mechanism for driving the upper roll or the lower roll to move vertically along the left frame and the right frame, thereby adjusting a rolling gap between the upper roll and the lower roll according to the thickness of a shearing die. The present invention uses a rolling gap adjustment mechanism to adjust a rolling gap between an upper roll and a lower roll, thereby accommodating thickness differences among die sheets, upper rolling plates, and lower rolling plates from different manufacturers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a registration roller pair, a first guiding portion, a second guiding portion, a resistor, and a grounding conductive mechanism. The housing is made of metal and has a grounded inner wall. The registration roller pair is located between the paper sheet feeder and the transfer member in the sheet conveyance path, includes a metallic registration roller and a facing roller that is constituted of an elastic material, and rotates in abutting contact with the registration roller, so as to convey the sheet toward the transfer nip portion. The first guiding portion is made of metal. The second guiding portion is made of a conductive resin material. The grounding conductive mechanism electrically conducts the registration roller, the first guiding portion, and the second guiding portion to the inner wall via a resistor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of a printing press and a flexographic printing press for implementing said method, wherein the method comprises performing the following steps: a) capturing information from at least one image printed by said printing press; and b) comparing said information captured from said printed image with at least some digital-format information predetermined in prepress, or digital prepress information, including at least one part of the image to be printed. The method comprises adjusting the pressure and/or register setting of one or more printing units of the printing press, using at least the result of the comparison in said step b). The press is designed in order to implement the method.