Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a printing system. In one example, the printing system comprises a print substrate supply mechanism and a conveyor belt. The print substrate supply mechanism is to supply print substrate to the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt is to advance the supplied print substrate. During a substrate loading operation of the printing system, the print substrate supply mechanism prevents motion of the substrate such that when the conveyor belt is activated the supplied substrate slides over the conveyor belt.

Abstract: Provided is a photo printer including: a base for accommodating paper therein; a pick-up roller protruding from a bottom surface of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base in a forward direction; a platen roller for discharging in the forward direction the paper; a head provided above the platen roller to apply heat to the paper; a swing bracket having a front side to which the head is coupled and a rear side rotatably coupled to the base; pressurizing means for pressurizing the swing bracket down to allow the swing bracket to come into close contact with the paper; and head supporting members provided on side walls of the base to support the front side of the swing bracket under the swing bracket and each having an eccentric portion adapted to lift the head up through rotation.

Abstract: In an example, a system includes a controller to monitor a usage state of a consumable installed in the system and a drive mechanism to lock the consumable in the system under an instruction from the controller. The drive mechanism includes a shaft to drive the consumable and a key integrated in the shaft to lock the consumable to the drive mechanism.

Abstract: In a communication device, a processor identifies first and second group printing devices in accordance with device information on each printing device, and outputs device information corresponding to the first and second group printing devices in a distinguishable manner. A printing device having a tank accommodating printing agent greater than or equal to a first reference is identified as the first and second group printing devices. A printing device having a tank accommodating printing agent less than the first reference is identified as the second group printing device. A printing device without tank and in which a cartridge accommodating printing agent less than a second reference and greater than or equal to a third reference is identified as the first group printing device. A printing device without tank and in which the cartridge accommodating printing agent less than the third reference is identified as the second group printing device.

Abstract: A printing device (100) with speakers is disclosed. The printing device (100) comprises a wireless speaker (102) positioned between a load tray (104) and an output tray (106), a first user interface (108) positioned on a first edge of the wireless speaker (102) to receive inputs for the printing device (100), and a second user interface (110) positioned on a second edge of the wireless speaker (102) to receive inputs for the wireless speaker.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a nozzle plate with nozzles and actuators and a drive controller. First and second nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a first direction. First and third nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a second direction. The drive controller is configured to apply a drive signal to first, second, and third actuators corresponding to the first, second, and third nozzles, respectively, during a drive cycle. A difference between a first timing at which the drive signal is applied to the first actuator and a second timing at which the drive signal is applied to the second actuator and a difference between the first timing and a third timing at which the drive signal is applied to the third actuator is an odd number multiple of a half of an inherent vibration cycle of the liquid discharge apparatus.

Abstract: A liquid supply device includes a connection body which includes a liquid introduction portion which is capable of connecting to a liquid outlet portion of a liquid container which includes the liquid outlet portion which contains the liquid which is supplied to the liquid ejecting unit which ejects the liquid and is capable of guiding out the liquid, a liquid container support portion which is capable of supporting the liquid container in a state in which the liquid introduction portion is capable of being connected to the liquid outlet portion to be capable of being freely attached and detached, and a connection body holding portion which holds the connection body in a state in which a connection of the liquid introduction portion with the liquid outlet portion is released.

Abstract: A liquid discharge device includes a storage tank, a discharge head, a liquid feeder, a supply tank, a liquid path, a branch path, and a flow regulator. The liquid feeder is configured to feed liquid from the storage tank to the discharge head in a liquid feed direction. The supply tank is disposed upstream of the discharge head in the liquid feed direction, to store the liquid fed by the liquid feeder while being in a state open to atmosphere. The liquid path is configured to flow the liquid from the liquid feeder to the supply tank. The branch path is connected to the liquid path and configured to cause part of the liquid to branch from the liquid path. The flow regulator is disposed downstream of the discharge head in the liquid feed direction and configured to control a flow rate of the liquid flowing into the discharge head.

Abstract: In an information processing apparatus, a processor acquires first and second information on residual quantities of printing agent stored in first and second cartridges respectively. The first cartridge is mounted on a portion including a tank. The processor generates display screen data including first and second objects. The first object has a first position corresponding to a minimum residual quantity of the printing agent in a first state where the printing agent remains in the first cartridge. The second object has a second position corresponding to a maximum residual quantity of the printing agent, and a third position corresponding to a minimum residual quantity of the printing agent in a second state where the printing agent does not remain in the first cartridge but remains in the tank. The first position and one of the second and third positions are aligned at a reference position.

Abstract: A single nip de-skew, lateral registration, and process direction registration device removes skew, laterally registers, and registers in the process direction substrates moving along a media transport path. The single nip de-skew, lateral registration, and process direction registration device includes a fixed roller that is longer than a rotating wheel that forms a nip with the fixed roller. The wheel has a coefficient of friction that is higher than a coefficient of friction of the roller so an actuator translating the wheel along the fixed roller laterally registers and de-skews substrates.

Abstract: Certain examples described herein relate to color calibration. In certain cases, a plurality of test patches are printed with a printing system, the test patches corresponding to a set of initial color sample points and a set of test colors. Color properties of the printed test patches are measured. In certain examples, a gamut descriptor is identified from a plurality of gamut descriptors using the color properties of the test colors. Each gamut descriptor defines a set of up-sampling parameters for a particular color gamut. Measured color properties for the initial color sample points are up-sampled using the set of up-sampling parameters for the identified gamut descriptor to generate up-sampled data. In certain cases, the up-sampled data is used to generate a color mapping to be applied to print job data received by the printing system.

Abstract: A bottle for ink supply is shipped with a two-dimensional code attached to the bottle, individual information being embedded in the two-dimensional code. A user reads the two-dimensional code with a portable information terminal and thereby transmits the individual information to a management server. If there is no fraud or problem, the management server transmits a passcode to the portable information terminal. When the bottle is placed in a bottle storing unit, the two-dimensional code is read by a two-dimensional code reader, and a passcode is created based on the individual information embedded in the two-dimensional code. Only when the passcode matches the passcode registered by the user, ink in the bottle becomes ready to use.

Abstract: A circuit unit includes a circuit board, a cover being configured to house the circuit board inside, a first airflow inlet formed in a first surface of the cover, and a first duct formed in the first surface wherein the first duct is in communication with the first airflow inlet, and a sliding mechanism that supports the circuit unit such that the circuit unit is movable, the sliding mechanism includes a fixed frame, a second airflow inlet formed in the fixed frame, and a second duct that is formed in the fixed frame and in communication with the second airflow inlet, and, when the circuit unit is located at the first position, the first duct and the second duct are engaged with each other such that a third duct is formed to cause the first airflow inlet and the second airflow inlet communicate each other.

Abstract: A jetting device configured to jet one or more droplets of a viscous medium through the outlet of a nozzle includes an energy output device. The energy output device is configured to direct a quantum of energy into at least a portion of the volume of the viscous medium jetted through the outlet to control a breaking of the droplet from the nozzle. The energy output device may include an acoustic transducer or a piezoelectric material or a laser emitter or a heater.

Abstract: A recording unit which is provided in a recording system includes a heat roller pair which contacts paper and performs drying of the paper after recording by a line head using heating and a control unit which controls operation of the heat roller pair, in which a heating region of the heat roller pair is divided into a plurality of subdivisions in a width direction which intersects the medium transport direction and the heat roller pair is configured to be capable of modifying a heating state for each subdivision region, and in which the control unit controls the heating state of each of the subdivision regions in the heat roller pair according to conditions when performing drying of the paper using the heat roller pair.

Abstract: In an example, an apparatus is described that includes a first print section, a second print section, a dryer, and a printing path. The first print section includes a first fluid ejection array, while the second print section includes a second fluid ejection array. The dryer is positioned adjacent to the first print section and the second print section. The printing path that travels in a first direction through the dryer after exiting the first print section and travels in a second direction through the dryer after exiting the second print section.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes a pressure chamber, an actuator, and an application unit. The chamber accommodates liquid. The actuator changes a volume of the chamber with a drive signal to be applied. The unit apply s the signal to the actuator. The signal includes a discharge pulse and a vibration pulse. The discharge pulse causes liquid to be discharged from a nozzle. A second discharge pulse is applied after a first discharge pulse. The vibration pulse is applied before the discharge pulse, has a potential having a polarity opposite to that of the discharge pulse. A period of the discharge pulse is 1.5 times to 2.5 times a half-period of a main acoustic resonance frequency of liquid in the chamber. A pulse width of the first pulse is closer to the half-period of the main acoustic resonance frequency than a pulse width of the second pulse.

Abstract: There is disclosed a housing including a plurality of compartments for housing a plurality of LEDs or photo detectors. Each compartment has a number of control pads projecting inwardly and a number of protrusions. The control pads are configured to provide a contact surface for the LEDs or photo detectors to control the alignment and position of each of the plurality of LEDs or photodiodes within each of the plurality of compartments. Each of the protrusions urges each of the plurality of LEDs or photodiodes against the respective control pads to control the alignment of the LEDs or photodiodes in the housing. A detector array including a casing, an LED housing and a photodiode housing is also disclosed.

Abstract: With the purpose of providing an improved cleaning mechanism that accomplishes better results and that may be used in thermal and piezoelectric printing, it is dis-closed a method for cleaning a printhead comprising: moving a wiper along a plurality of nozzles of the printhead; and pressurizing the nozzles within the printhead, the pressurization of each nozzle causing ink to be expelled in an expelling direction; wherein a controller is to detect the position of the wiper and to selectively pressurize at least some of the nozzles for which the position of the wiper corresponds to its expelling direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a printable medium for the use in a printer is described. The apparatus comprises a drag device, a feed device and a lock device. The drag device conveys the printable medium to a printing area. The feed device feeds the printable medium to the drag device. The lock device is disposed between the feed device and the drag device. The lock device temporarily fixes a first portion of the printable medium so as to cause a second portion of the printable medium being in contact with the drag device to slip along the drag device.