Abstract: A method for applying an image onto a substrate using a digital thermal transfer printing process. The process is particularly suitable for applying a ceramic ink to a substrate which is then fired to completion. The process includes transferring and/or storing the image digitally; transferring the stored image to a digital thermal transfer printer and then applying the image to the desired substrate such that the ink fuses to the substrate. An intermediate step may also be included of applying the image to a transfer member from which the image is transferred to the substrate. Such transfer members include image receiving pads or belts or decals. The digital thermal transfer printer may be configured to replace existing printing devices.

Abstract: A method of metering dampening solution when printing with a printing form for offset printing, including, with a control device, setting an amount of dampening solution on the surface of the printing form to a predetermined value before starting to print, further includes, following one interruption in the printing, determining the number of interruptions which have occurred previously in a predefined time interval, and varying in accordance with the number of interruptions the amount of dampening solution supplied to the surface of the printing form during the one interruption.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for cleaning a fluid substance from an application device with substance supply channels, and, if required, for cleaning a screen that surrounds the application device. The substance to be removed from the application device and, if required, from the screen, or a mixture of the substance and a cleaning fluid are forced away through the supply channels for the substance.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus, if a main sheet feed roller is displaced during rotation thereof, a carrier contacted with an outer peripheral surface of the main sheet feed roller via a pressure plate is rotated around a guide shaft upwardly or downwardly. As a result, a position of a nozzle of a recording head held by the carrier is changed. Further, a platen is rotated around support shafts upwardly or downwardly in response to rotation of the carrier around the guide shaft. As a result, a position of a recording surface of the platen is changed. In this way, even if the main sheet feed roller is displaced during rotation thereof, a distance between the nozzle surface of the recording head and a recording medium on the recording surface of the platen is always kept constant.

Abstract: A golf ball accessory is provided which affixes a personalized visual indicia to the outer surface of a golf ball for the purposes of identification. The accessory can be conveniently stored in a golf bag compartment normally used for storing golf balls. The accessory includes a generally golf-ball shaped casing having an ink stamp and a printing surface housed therewithin. The generally spherical accessory is comprised of two separable hemispherical halves. The halves snap together in mating engagement. When the halves are separated, a stamp portion presents a concave outer surface with a radial curvature substantially equal to that of a golf ball. A complementary convex ink pad housed within the opposing half of the accessory provides ink for the stamp. A golf ball is placed against the stamp portion and an ink image of indicia embossed thereon is transferred to the surface of the golf ball.

Abstract: There are provided a printing method of printing an image of characters, figures or the like on a plate-making surface of a plate-making sheet, and an apparatus therefor. The apparatus feeds a plate-making sheet by a predetermined amount assigned to a forward end of the plate-making sheet when the forward end is detected by a sensor. When a mark for detection provided on the plate-making sheet is detected during the feeding of the plate-making sheet by the predetermined amount assigned to the forward end, the apparatus further feeds the plate-making sheet by a predetermined amount from a position of the plate-making sheet where the mark for detection is detected, to thereby locate the start of an image-forming area of the plate-making sheet. On the other hand, when the mark for detection is not detected, the apparatus continues feeding of the plate-making sheet.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes an apparatus body and an open/close cover mounted on the apparatus body so that the open/close cover can pivot between an open position and a close position on a pivot. A roll of recording paper is rotatably supported by the open/close cover, recording paper therefrom being conveyed through a conveying path. A recording device records information on recording paper from the roll of recording paper. The open/close cover is provided with braking force applying structure for applying braking force to the roll of recording paper. The roll of recording paper is pivoted in unison with the open/close cover by an effect of the braking force applying structure when the open/close cover is pivoted toward the close position, whereby the roll of recording paper is moved in a direction for rewinding the recording paper which is pulled from the roll of recording paper.

Abstract: A peeling device according to one aspect of the invention peels off part of a peel-off paper from a peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape which is a laminate of a substrate tape having a surface coated with an adhesive and a peel-off paper affixed to the substrate tape via the adhesive. A rotational member is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a drive source. On an end face of the rotational member there are arranged a peeling projection rotated to be brought into contact with a substrate tape-side surface of an end of the peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape to carry out a bending releasing action on said end portion of the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape is guided toward the peeling projection when it is inserted and part of the end portion other than a free end brought to the peeling projection is held.

Abstract: A printing unit is disclosed which incorporates an applicator roller (66) such as anilox roller with bearer surfaces (206) at the ends thereof for positively positioning the applicator roller relative a cylinder, such as a plate cylinder (32) or a blanket cylinder (34). The bearer surfaces (206) on the applicator roller are engaged with the bearer surfaces (202, 204) of the plate or impression cylinder to precisely and consistently position the applicator roller (66) relative the cylinder.

Abstract: A sheet end detector comprising a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element for detecting changes in the amount of light associated with movement of a piece of a recording medium is provided. A standard value calculator detects the difference between the sheet end detector platen voltage Vp corresponding to light reflected only from said platen and said sheet end detector paper saturation voltage Vm corresponding to light reflected only from the recording medium. The amount necessary to feed the paper for platen voltage Vp to reach paper saturation voltage Vm is a constant value, irrespective of recording medium characteristics, which is when all of the light is reflected by the recording medium and the entire end portion of a piece of a recording medium has reached a predetermined position relative to the position of the sheet end detector.

Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.

Abstract: A circuit board comprises: a plurality of solder lands, a wiring pattern having a plurality of wiring lines connected to the solder lands, respectively, an output terminal formed at one end of each of the wiring lines of the wiring pattern, an integrated control circuit connected to the solder lands, and a grounding pattern to be held at a ground potential. The grounding pattern has grounding lines formed between the adjacent wiring lines of the wiring pattern, respectively, so as to be coupled to the wiring lines by capacitive coupling.

Abstract: A screen off contact arrangement in which a rectangular screen holding frame [11] is adapted to secure the screen [13] on its two side rails [17,18]. Four off contact devices at the corners of the frame [11] allow adjustment of the off contact distance between the screen and the pallet. A scaled knob [33] enables incremental movement of the shaft [29] to move it relative to the fixed front and rear rails [15,16]. Each shaft [29] is secured to the ends of the side rails [17,18] so that incremental movement of the knob [33] results in movement of the screen [13]. The advantage is a simple repeatable manual adjustment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new printing apparatus and process for inkjet printers which incorporates spectral modeling of ink mixing and the technology of halftoning in device-independent color space. In addition no colormap building or color mapping processing is necessary, because color correction is conducted in device-independent space and is built into the halftoning process. also disclosed is an automatic self-calibration by the printer without user intervention or user preferences by using an optical sensing unit on the printer. The procedure corrects for print cartridge to print cartridge variance, and variance of print cartridges over time and also provides for faster processing of color images.

Abstract: There is provided an adjustable, curved keyboard having arcuately arranged keys to complement naturally to a user's wrists, hands and fingers. The keyboard is supported by a bracket, which extends from underneath the desktop of a desk, for pivotal, elevational and horizontal adjustment of the keyboard's position relative to the user. The keyboard comprises an elongated base and alphanumeric keys positioned at an upper surface of the base. The base has a longitudinal axis disposed below the upper surface of the elongated base, and the upper surface is curved about the longitudinal axis. Also, the alphanumeric keys are arranged about the longitudinal axis of the base to form an arcuate typing surface that provides a comfortable typing surface for the user and reduces the risks of repetitive stress injury.

Abstract: A transmission device for a printing machine having an endless transmission element, and rotating bodies around which the transmission element is wrapped, includes a tensioning device for tautening the transmission element, and an actuating device for displacing a first one of the rotating bodies parallel to the axis of rotation thereof, the tensioning device being formed by the actuating device, the actuating device having a tensioning shaft operatively connected to the first rotating body, the tensioning shaft, when rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof, causing a lateral displacement of a center-of-mass line thereof.

Abstract: A code image quality check apparatus adapted to check the quality of a code image printed and recorded on a printing medium as an optically readable image of error correcting code data containing information data adapted to be optically read by manual scanning. The error correcting code data is provided with the ability of correcting errors in response to code image read errors. The code image quality check apparatus extracts code image read errors from the error correcting code data restored from the read code image without executing any error correcting operation and reduces the extracted read errors into numerical values, using a predetermined unit, which numerical values are then notified to the user in a predetermined display mode at the output section of the apparatus.

Abstract: A printer which can perform color printing by using a plurality of color ink, and if some color ink is exhausted, prevents wasteful consumption of other color ink, and a facsimile apparatus, using the printer, which enables to confirm whether or not printing based on received facsimile image data using ink has been normally performed. In a case where printing is performed based on print data from an external computer, printhead 5 is moved to a position opposite to photosensor 8, and test ink discharge is performed with regard to all the plurality of color ink prior to print operation. If it is judged that even one of the plurality of color ink is exhausted, print operation is not performed. In case of printing based on facsimile reception image data, test ink discharge is performed after the print operation. If it is judged that ink is exhausted, received image data is stored into an image memory.

Abstract: When different tape cartridges accommodating printing tapes having different hardness, thicknesses or widths are exchangeably mounted in the same printing apparatus, excellent printing can be obtained using the present embodiment. In a platen 12 provided in a tape cartridge 10, the harder, thicker or wider the tape T accommodated in the tape cartridge 10, the softer a platen rubber provided on a surface of the platen. The platen rubber 14 having a hardness corresponding to the properties of the tape T is used so as to obtain an ideal contact state between a printing head and the tape T regardless of the properties of the tape T when the tape cartridge 10 is mounted in a tape writer 1. Accordingly, the tape T can be properly conveyed by the platen 12 and a tape guide pin 26 regardless of its properties, and can be brought into contact with a printing head through an ink ribbon R in an ideal and consistent contact state.

Abstract: In a method for a digitally printing postage meter machine and for generating and checking a security imprint, critical franking information together with a signature are printed on a mail piece in the machine-readable area of the franking format. A print head having a standard printing width can be utilized for the imprint, which is human-readable and also reliably machine-readable, because the machine-readable information set to be printed is reduced by a modified public key method, with the private write key and the algorithm for encryption being stored at the postage meter machine site in a security device. The public read key and its certificate can be taken from a data base at the postal site, allocated to the postage meter machine identifier. The public key method modified for postage meter machines makes use of a simple key generation and encryption of the message at the postage meter machine site and a simple decrypting of the message at the postal site.