Abstract: A screen printing apparatus includes: a mask guide; a mask moving mechanism; and a squeegeeing mechanism. The mask guide is provided with a mask standby position, a printing-job performing position, and a mask shelter position in this order from a first end to a second end of the mask guide. The mask moving mechanism moves the used mask positioned at the printing-job performing position to the mask shelter position such that it is possible to pick up the used mask from the second end of the mask guide.

Abstract: There is described a sheet-fed stamping press (10*) comprising a foil application unit (2*) designed to allow transfer or lamination of foil material onto successive sheets (S), which foil material is fed to the foil application unit (2*) in the form of a foil carrier (FC) supplied by means of a foil feeding system (3). The foil application unit (2*) comprises a stamping cylinder (21) with at least one circumferential stamping section (210) provided on a circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and comprising successive stamping segments (211*; 211**) distributed one after the other about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21), the stamping cylinder (21) also acting as sheet-transporting cylinder and comprising multiple sheet holding units (21a) distributed about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to hold successive sheets (S) against the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21).

Abstract: A garment printing machine is provided with a transportable platen that can be utilized to significantly decrease the delay in printing expended in loading and unloading a garment for printing in either a digitized garment printing machine or a screen garment printing machine. The platen is provided with structure that holds a print receiving area of a garment firmly in position atop a print panel support plate that forms a part of the platen. Furthermore, the invention includes a platen support structure that cooperates with the conventional couplings on existing conventional garment printing machines. A plurality of transportable platens constructed according to the invention are utilized interchangeably so that while one garment loaded on one of the platens is being printed upon in the printing machine, the prior garment just printed upon is unloaded and the next garment to be printed is loaded onto another identical platen.

Abstract: A device for handling foil for use in a printing process during which portions of a layer of the foil are transferred to a substrate comprises a foil input unit for inputting at least one foil web to the device, a number of rotatable shafts and bars for directing the at least one foil web to the printing press and retrieving at least one used foil web from the printing press, an arrangement for controlling operation of the device, and a web tension feedback unit for detecting at least one characteristic related to an actual web tension during operation of the device so as to realize web tension control by adjusting motion and/or positioning of at least one of the rotatable shafts and bars in case the characteristic appears to deviate from a reference related to a set web tension.

Abstract: A screen printing device and a screen printing method are provided. The screen printing device includes a screen plate and an electrifying device, the screen plate includes a conductive mesh; and the electrifying device is electrically connected with the conductive mesh and configured to apply voltage to the conductive mesh. The screen printing method includes: adopting a printing head to rub against a screen plate to print ink onto a substrate for silk screen printing, wherein the screen plate includes a conductive mesh; and applying voltage with positive or negative polarity to the conductive mesh in the screen printing process.

Abstract: A decorator assembly is provided. The decorator assembly includes a number of independent ink stations. Each independent ink station is disposed adjacent to the path of travel of the mandrels.

Abstract: A thermal transfer light pen and a thermal transfer apparatus favorably perform thermal transfer even using light as a heat source to a thermal transfer sheet and performing thermal transfer to a transfer object with an uneven surface. A thermal transfer light pen includes a hollow pen body including a front end portion, a pressing body in the front end portion of the pen body and including a curved surface projecting toward a front end, a light guide including a first end and a second end, at least a portion of the light guide inside the pen body, and a light source connected to the first end of the light guide. The second end of the light guide is disposed in the front end portion of the pen body and faces the pressing body in the pen body. The pressing body is made of a material transparent to light emitted from the light source.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus includes an inspection region setter and an operation stop controller. The inspection region setter sets an inspection region in an inspection plane that intersects with a moving path of a mask until the mask positioned at a printing-job performing position moves to a mask shelter position by the moving mechanism. In addition, the inspection region setter excludes a passing region of the mask from the inspection region while the mask to be positioned at the mask shelter position passes over the inspection plane from the printing-job performing position.

Abstract: A method is provided for printing on hollow bodies in which the hollow bodies are printed on in a decorator having a rotating segment wheel. Printing ink provided by multiple different plate cylinders and inking units are each collected on printing blankets arranged one after another on the circumference of the segment wheel. The plate cylinders and inking units involved in the printing are arranged and set in such a way that, when printing on the hollow body, an iris print is, or at least can be implemented.

Abstract: A stopper for assuredly preventing shifting of a cylindrical printing plate mounted on a plate cylinder is provided. A plate cylinder 1 has a plate-mounting surface 12 on which a cylindrical printing plate 3 is fitted from the front end side and mounted. A front stopper 4 is provided on the end portion of the front end side. The front stopper 4 is configured so as to be able to switch between a protruding orientation in which at least a portion of the stopper is positioned so as to protrude to the outside of the plate-mounting surface 12 in the radial direction and a retracted orientation in which the entire stopper is positioned to the inside of the plate-mounting surface 12 in the radial direction.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a stamp may comprise at least one stamping component and one stamping insert. The stamp component may be formed of a top a bottom part with a cushion-receiving element. The stamping insert may be connected so as to move synchronously via a reversing mechanism having a slide track in the bottom part via an shaft or trunnion to the top part. In the resting position a text plate mounted on the stamping insert may abut against an ink pad in the cushion receiving element, and that in a stamping process the stamping insert with the text plate can be shifted by the reversing mechanism into a stamping position. At least the text plate carrier and/or the mounted band unit or date unit, may be positioned to be replaceable with the shaft or the trunnions or stub shafts, respectively. The system may include a stamping insert.

Abstract: A medium support unit which supports a medium while printing is performed on the medium by a printing apparatus, the medium support unit including: a support member having a support surface that supports the medium; a frame which is detachably attached to the support member; and a friction member which has a static friction coefficient to the medium higher than that of the support surface, the friction member being attached to the frame so as to cover the support surface when the frame is attached to the support member.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a stamp with metallic elements, may comprise at least one stamping component and one stamping insert. The stamping component may be formed of a top part with a handle element and a bottom part with a cushion-receiving element. The stamping insert may be connected so as to move synchronously via a reversing mechanism having a slide track in the bottom part via a shaft or trunnion to the top part. In the resting position a text plate mounted on the stamping insert may abut against an ink pad soaked with ink in the cushion-receiving element. The metallic elements can be attached from the outside onto the top and bottom parts formed from plastic material and these are fixed via a fastening system of the upper and lower parts. The metal part of the bottom part is fixed on a surface of the plastic part.

Abstract: A garment printing machine is provided with a transportable platen that can be utilized to significantly decrease the delay in printing expended in loading and unloading a garment for printing in either a digitized garment printing machine or a screen garment printing machine. The platen is provided with structure that holds a print receiving area of a garment firmly in position atop a print panel support plate that forms a part of the platen. Furthermore, the invention includes a platen support structure that cooperates with the conventional couplings' on existing conventional garment printing machines. A plurality of transportable platens constructed according to the invention are utilized interchangeably so that while one garment loaded on one of the platens is being printed upon in the printing machine, the prior garment just printed upon is unloaded and the next garment to be printed is loaded onto another identical platen.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a screen printing system and a cleaning method thereof. The screen printing system has a scraper cleaning region and a working region, and the screen printing system includes a scraper and a scraper cleaning unit. The scraper operates within the working region, and the scraper cleaning unit is configured to clean the scraper. The scraper and the scraper cleaning unit are configured as follows: the scraper stays in the working region, and the scraper cleaning unit moves to a position where the scraper stays to clean the scraper; or the scraper cleaning unit is positioned in the scraper cleaning region, and the scraper moves to the scraper cleaning region, so that the scraper cleaning unit cleans the scraper.

Abstract: A pad printing machine is arranged for enabling the transfer and application of multiple layers of ink from an ink source both into and onto an ink receiving member. The pad printing machine comprises a depth enhanced ink well (about 0.0015 to about 0.0035 inches deep) for peripherally enclosing an absorbable pattern of ink, a vertically and horizontally displaceable temperature controlled ink transfer print pad, and a temperature controlled printable item support print fixture for supporting an ink receiving printable item member, to enable multiple layers of ink to be simultaneously transferred after pickup by the print pad as one layer, and inversely and simultaneously applied as multiple layers into and onto the ink receiving printable item member on the support print fixture.

Abstract: A printing method includes providing metadata, image information, and coding data. The method also includes, based at least in part on the metadata, selecting a local region at which the coding data is to be arranged in the image when the image is printed, generating coded printed-image information, and directly printing a printed image on the container based on the coded printed-image information. Generating the coded printed-image information includes modifying the printed-image information based on the coding data. A location of the printed-image information is selectively modified based at least in part on the selected local region. Metadata includes information representative of the container's geometry. The printed-image information includes data representing a printed image to be applied to the container. The coding data includes information to be applied to the container in steganographically-coded form.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating packages by applying furnishing features to the packages includes pressure segments, each of which is configured as a fully functional assembly unit having at least one ink-jet print head. The furnishing features are polychrome printed images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and transfer and control units. The transfer unit and image bearing member form a nip portion where a recording material receives a toner image. The control unit controls image formation based on a timing when a recording material leading edge is detected. To perform sheet conveyance, the control unit changes a first recording material conveyance speed to a second speed before a fed first recording material leading edge is detected. Before the first recording material leading edge reaches the nip portion, the control unit changes the first recording material conveyance speed to a first speed, slower than the second speed, based on when the fed first recording material leading edge is detected. The control unit obtains a timing for the image formation to the image bearing member based on when the conveyance speed is changed from the faster to slower speed.

Abstract: The flat foil printing press comprises an evacuable back-pressure plate (9), with suction regions (15k) which run in the sheet running direction (X) and which are next to embossing regions (16k), in which foil webs (6k) run. The suction regions are subdivided into several suction segments (10i) which are successive in the sheet running direction, and are each connected to a vacuum source (14) by way of a vacuum feed line (12i) via a vacuum switching element (13i). With the running-out of an embossed sheet (5), firstly all suction segments (10i) covered by the sheet are evacuated, and subsequently the suction segments which are no longer covered by the sheet are successively disconnected from the vacuum source. This results in an error-free separation of foil webs and sheets, for a greater picture quality and machine output.