Abstract: A print apparatus that is configured to cause a print head provided with nozzles and a printing substrate to move relatively, eject an ink from the nozzles, and record dots onto the printing substrate includes a print control unit. The print control unit is configured to perform a control for ejecting the ink from the nozzles, and the print control unit modifies a proportion at which dots are formed adjacent to one another depending on an ejected amount of ink.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first printing head that performs a first printing operation by discharging ink onto the printing medium, a second printing head positioned downstream from the first printing head in a transport direction and performing a second printing operation by discharging ink onto the printing medium, and a preliminary discharge controller that causes the second printing head to perform a preliminary discharging operation that does not contribute to the second printing operation, wherein the preliminary discharge controller causes an ink discharge amount of the preliminary discharging operation of the second printing head to be smaller when an ink discharge amount of the first printing operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined value than when the ink discharge amount of the first printing operation is less than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head having an ink discharge surface, a wiper blade that cleans the ink discharge surface of the recording head, and a controller. The controller causes the wiper blade to wipe ink off the ink discharge surface by causing the wiper blade to be pushed against the ink discharge surface and move. The wiper blade includes an ink carrying surface and a protrusion having an ink retaining surface. The ink retaining surface inclines at a predetermined angle relative to the ink carrying surface and is connected to the ink carrying surface. The ink retaining surface curves such that a distance from the ink retaining surface toward a tip end of the wiper blade increases from a central part toward opposite ends of the wiper blade in a width direction of the wiper blade.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus, a moisture content of a print sheet is estimated without decreasing productivity of the printing apparatus and appropriate conditions of printing operation in the subsequent printing process are specified. More specifically, by measuring a change in thickness of the print sheet after printing, a state of moisture content is estimated. Estimating a state of moisture content allows determination of appropriate conditions of the printing operation such as a minimum drying time required for printing a high-quality image on various types of print sheets such as print coated paper or coated paper.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an assembly of a print head and a maintenance unit. The present invention further relates to a method for the use of an assembly of a print head and a maintenance unit.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a signal modulation section that causes an original drive signal to be pulse-modulated to generate a modulation signal, a signal amplification section that amplifies the modulation signal to generate an amplification modulation signal, a coil that smooths the amplification modulation signal to generate a drive signal, a piezoelectric element that deforms when the drive signal is applied thereto, a cavity that expands or contracts due to a deformation of the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle that communicates with the cavity and ejects a liquid in accordance with an increase/decrease of a pressure inside the cavity. A core material of the coil is made of a Mn—Zn-based ferrite.

Abstract: The present invention relates to [1] a pigment-containing water-based ink for ink-jet printing which is free of turbidity and excellent in capability of suppressing occurrence of image unevenness (MOTTLING) when printed on a low-water absorbing recording medium, said ink including at least one acetylene glycol (A) selected from the group consisting of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and the like, and a nonionic surfactant (B), a content of the component (A) in the water-based ink being not less than 1.0% by mass and not more than 3.0% by mass, and a mass ratio of the component (B) to the component (A) [(B)/(A)] being not less than 1 and not more than 3; and [2] an ink-jet printing method for printing images or characters on a low-water absorbing recording medium using said water-based ink for ink-jet printing.

Abstract: A transport mechanism is provided for transporting sheets of a print medium in a printing system. The transport mechanism include a first conveyor device having a first conveyor body which is configured to support a plurality of sheets of print medium, the first conveyor body being movable to convey the sheets along the transport path in the printing system; and a transfer system including a second conveyor device having a movable second conveyor body for supporting the sheets of print medium and conveying the sheets further along the transport path, the transfer system being configured to transfer the sheets of print medium from the first conveyor body to the second conveyor body in a transfer region. The second conveyor body is arranged adjacent or proximate to the first conveyor body in the transfer region, and the transfer system includes spacer means which is configured to maintain a predefined spacing between the first conveyor body and the second conveyor body in the transfer region.

Abstract: The controller is configured to: drive a color ink ejection head and a functional ink ejection head to print test images on a sheet in a plurality of types of test patterns between which a positional relationship of a dot of a color ink and a dot of a functional ink to be formed on the sheet is varied; determine an overlapping degree of the dot of the color ink and the dot of the functional ink in the respective printed test images on a basis of a color attribute of the respective printed test images; and control the functional ink ejection head in printing on a basis of a control content corresponding to at least one test pattern selected of the plurality of types of the test patterns on a basis of the determined overlapping degrees.

Abstract: A printing method and system include a printhead configured to eject a fixer fluid. A controller is operatively connected to the printhead and configured to control the printhead so as to apply the fixer fluid to a print area in a pattern to form cells having a predetermined area without the fixer fluid.

Abstract: In printing image data for printing a color chart with a printing machine, instead of using a TAC value which is a total of CMYK values given to one pixel as a limit of ink amount supplied to a printing medium as done conventionally, creation of a color chart having a large color gamut is realized by considering and adjusting the amount of inks per unit area actually consumed at the time of printing and drying performance of each ink.

Abstract: A POS control system 1 has a POS terminal 8 that transmits print control data; a printer 12 including a print unit 41, a print control unit 29 that controls the print unit 41 based on the print control data, and a print data communication unit 26 that transmits the print control data by a first WebSocket connection CT1; and a print data process unit 51 that executes a process based on the received print control data.

Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head including a surface formed with nozzles arranged in a first direction, a head moving unit reciprocating the liquid ejection head along a line parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the first direction, a conveyor portion conveying the recording medium in the first direction, and a corrugate mechanism disposed upstream or downstream of the liquid ejection head in the first direction and forming the recording medium in a predetermined corrugated shape. A controller determines an ejection timing for ejecting liquid from ones of the nozzles appropriate to a corrugated shape formed in the recording medium while the liquid ejection head is moved, a memory that stores ejection timing information, and a gap sensor that moves with the liquid ejection head to determine a gap between the recording medium and the liquid ejection surface in the second direction.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus is provided with a cavity which is configured to be filled with an ink, an ink supply path configured to supply the ink to the cavity, a nozzle linked with the cavity and configured to discharge the ink which is filled into the cavity, and a detecting section configured to detect the state of the ink supply path which is supplied based on the amount of the ink which is filled into a plurality of the nozzles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a driving unit that feeds a treatment object; a pretreatment unit that performs pretreatment on a surface of the treatment object fed by the driving unit; a retaining unit that retains the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed in the pretreatment unit; an image forming unit that performs image formation on the treatment object after being retained in the retaining unit; and a drive control unit that controls the driving unit so as to return the treatment object from the retaining unit at least to the pretreatment unit if the treatment object has been retained in the retaining unit for a time longer than a predetermined time after being subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment unit, and to feed the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed again in the pretreatment unit to the retaining unit.

Abstract: A carriage 11 carrying a printhead 7 moves on a transverse axis X by a carriage moving mechanism 15, and is detected by a first sensor 18 at a standby position 11B at one end of the range of movement. When the carriage 11 is at the opposing position 11A, the printhead 7 and head frame 12 are moved vertically by the head moving mechanism 17, and are detected at the up position 12A by the second sensor 19. When the position of the printhead 7 and carriage 11 are unknown, the control unit 1a of the printer 1 executes a recovery process that moves the carriage 11 to the opposing position 11A side, detects when the carriage 11 becomes locked at the opposing position 11A, and determines the position of the carriage 11.

Abstract: A wiper device of a printer has four wiper units arranged in a line to wipe the nozzle faces of an inkjet head. Each wiper unit has a first intermittent gear and a second intermittent gear which sequentially mesh with first and second drive gears and sequentially transverse axis X a wiping operation and a cleaning operation. The wipers move vertically to the nozzle faces. A wiper cleaner lever rocks between a closed position covering the wiper and an open position not touching the wiper, moves through a path not interfering with the wiper in an opening operation, and through a path wiping the wiper and removing ink and other accretions from the wiper in a closing operation.

Abstract: There is provided a transport belt to transport a medium by adhering to an adhesive layer which is on a surface of the transport belt, a liquid discharge section configured to discharge a liquid toward a surface of the transport belt, a sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of floating being generated in the medium on the transport belt, a flattening section configured to carry out an action of flattening with regard to the medium on the transport belt, and a control section configured to control an operation of the flattening section based on detecting information from the sensor.

Abstract: In an image recording method of an image recording apparatus provided with an inspection unit which inspects the presence/absence of abnormality in each recording element of a print head at regular intervals, the recording element determined to have abnormality by inspection in the inspection unit is disabled during a determination period set in advance. If the disabled recording element is determined to have no abnormality by inspection immediately after the recording element is disabled, recovers the recording element to be enabled. If the disabled recording element is determined to have abnormality again by inspection within a prescribed frequency N from inspection immediately after the recording element is disabled, the recording element is continuously disabled during the determination period. In cases where the recording element is disabled, the use of the disabled recording element is prohibited, image defect due to the use-prohibited recording element is complemented, and an image is recorded.

Abstract: A movable carriage unit on which a head for discharging ink is mountable includes a fixing member movable between a fixing position for fixing the head to a mounting position and a releasing position for releasing the fixation of the head, and a moving unit including an operation portion. The moving unit is configured to move the fixing member from the fixing position to the releasing position. A guide configured to guide the head to the mounting position when the fixing member is moved to the releasing position by an operation of the operation portion is formed on the operation portion.