Abstract: A printing material cartridge comprises: a memory device; a plurality of first terminals through which a power source voltage and signals for operating the memory device are supplied from a printing apparatus; and a plurality of second terminals to be used for detecting attachment conditions of the printing material cartridge in a cartridge attachment unit. The plurality of first terminals have a plurality of first contact portions that get in contact with corresponding apparatus-side terminals when the printing material container is properly attached to the cartridge attachment unit. The plurality of second terminals have a plurality of second contact portions that get in contact with corresponding apparatus-side terminals when the printing material container is properly attached to the cartridge attachment unit. The plurality of first and second contact portions are arranged so as to form a first row and a second row.

Abstract: Upon supply of inks to second tanks of a plurality of printing units with the second tanks in communication with each other via a negative-pressure common air chamber in an air-tight state and with a negative-pressure force applied to the second tanks and the negative-pressure common air chamber, a controller is configured to drive ink supply units of the plurality of printing units to supply the inks such that times in which the inks flow into the second tanks in the plurality of printing units do not coincide with each other.

Abstract: An inkjet recording method includes recording an image on a heated nonpermeable substrate with an aqueous ink by an inkjet method; and drying the aqueous ink, wherein the method satisfies the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) the aqueous ink comprises water, a hydrosoluble organic solvent, a pigment and a particulate resin, wherein the hydrosoluble organic solvent comprises a solvent having a boiling point not higher than 200° C. in an amount not less than 50% by weight; (2) the hydrosoluble organic solvent having a boiling point not higher than 200° C. comprises 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol; and (3) a difference of heating temperatures between the recording and the drying is from 25 to 80° C.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance device includes a maintenance housing including a set of maintenance nozzles, an air controlling member, and a waste collector. The maintenance housing moves to selectively position the set of maintenance nozzles opposite a printhead including a nozzle surface having a plurality of nozzles to eject fluid. The set of maintenance nozzles provide fluid onto the nozzle surface of the printhead to remove residue therefrom. The air controlling member forms air flow paths to at least one of direct the fluid provided by the maintenance nozzles at an angle to the nozzle surface and direct the residue maintenance nozzles to the waste collector.

Abstract: A nail printing device recognizes, as a first nail contour, a nail contour from a first nail image obtained by photographing a nail of a specific finger/toe, displays the first nail contour on the basis of data of the first nail contour stored in a storage section, and performs an adjustment of the first nail contour on the basis of an adjustment portion specified to the first nail contour and obtains an adjusted nail contour. After that the device recognizes, as a second nail contour, a nail contour from a second nail image obtained by photographing the nail of the specific finger/toe, reflects the adjustment performed to the first nail contour, in the second nail contour, obtains an adjusted recognized nail contour, and controls a print head to perform printing in a region of the adjusted recognized nail contour.

Abstract: A recording head having a substrate and a channel forming member configured to form a flow channel, a supply port formed at the substrate so as to penetrate through the substrate, the flow channel communicates with the supply port, and a member formed of an organic material and configured to connect two surfaces forming the supply port and opposing each other with the supply port interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: an elimination unit that includes a contact portion in contact with a medium containing a plasticizer and that eliminates at least a part of the plasticizer; and a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto the medium from which at least a part of the plasticizer is eliminated by the elimination unit. Here, the contact portion is adapted to contact the entire medium in the intersection direction intersecting the transportation direction of the medium and is formed such that the contact distance with respect to the medium in the transportation direction of the medium is different in the intersection direction and an SP value as a soluble parameter is 8.0 or more and 10.0 or less.

Abstract: An apparatus detects inoperative inkjets during printing of three-dimensional objects. The apparatus includes an optical sensor that generates measurements of a height, a diameter, and a position for test dots formed on a substrate with material ejected from a printhead. These measurements are analyzed to detect inoperative inkjets to enable printhead maintenance at appropriate times to maintain the operational status of the inkjets in the printhead.

Abstract: An image recording method includes applying a reaction liquid onto an intermediate transfer member, applying an ink onto the reaction liquid on the intermediate transfer member, forming an intermediate image by applying a liquid composition containing a water-soluble polymer onto the reaction liquid and the ink on the intermediate transfer member, and transferring the intermediate image by bringing the intermediate image on the intermediate transfer member into contact with a recording medium and separating the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer member with the contact with the recording medium maintained. The intermediate image to be brought into contact with the recording medium has a temperature Tc higher than or equal to the glass transition temperature of the water-soluble polymer, and the intermediate image to be separated from the intermediate transfer member has a temperature Tr lower than the glass transition temperature of the water-soluble polymer.

Abstract: A liquid storing container includes a case, a flexible member, a pressure receiving member, a first urging member, and a second urging member. The case constitutes a part of an inner wall of a liquid containing section configured to store liquid. The flexible member constitutes at least a part of a remaining inner wall of the liquid containing section. The pressure receiving member is arranged between the case and the flexible member. The first urging member is provided between the pressure receiving member and the case, and one end is connected to the pressure receiving member to urge the pressure receiving member from the case to the flexible member. The second urging member is provided between the pressure receiving member and the case, and one end is connected to the pressure receiving member to urge the pressure receiving member from the case to the flexible member.

Abstract: A flow path structure includes: a substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface; a supply port formed on the first surface; a plurality of discharge ports formed on the second surface; grooves that are formed on the first surface so as to extend in an X direction and communicate with the supply ports and with the plurality of discharge ports via through-holes formed on the substrate; and a sealing portion that is disposed on the first surface and seals each groove.

Abstract: For a liquid container provided with a handle portion, some contrivance is necessary with respect to the distribution form from the standpoint of protecting the liquid container against breakage. In a packaging tray for an ink container, the ink container having a flexible ink bag, a supply portion provided in the ink bag, and a handle portion provided in the ink bag and protruding outward therefrom, the packaging tray includes a restricting portion that restricts the handle portion at such a position that a clearance is maintained between the supply portion of the ink container and the packaging tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a liquid discharge head including plural nozzles to discharge droplets; a plurality of individual liquid chambers; a pressure generator, and a head drive controller. A meniscus oscillation generated in the individual liquid chamber applied with the pressure by the pressure generator has a phase reverse to a phase of a meniscus oscillation generated in the adjacent individual liquid chamber not applied with the pressure by the pressure generator, the common drive waveform generated by the head drive controller includes a common discharge pulse used for forming droplets having at least two sizes and an noncommon discharge pulse used for forming one of the droplets having two sizes, and a pulse interval between the common discharge pulse and the noncommon discharge pulse located right before the common discharge pulse is a time area having a phase reverse to resonance.

Abstract: A sublimating dye ink for ink jets of the present invention contains water, a sublimating dye, a humectant and an anionic polymer dispersant. The anionic polymer dispersant is a styrene-(meth)acrylic acid-based copolymer having an acid value of 160 to 250 mgKOH/g and a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 to 20,000. The ink contains further as a penetrant an acetylene glycol-based compound expressed by a chemical formula (I) below. A sublimation transfer dyeing method of the present invention includes: inkjet printing the ink on a sheet recording medium; and superposing a printed surface of the recording medium on an object to be dyed, then heating to sublimate-transfer the sublimating dye to the object to be dyed.

Abstract: A drying device includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates, with laser light, a printing medium onto which ink droplets have been ejected from a droplets ejecting unit; and a control unit that controls the irradiation unit so that a temperature of ink on the printing medium becomes an ink target temperature that is determined using a thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium as a reference in case the thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium is lower than or equal to an ink drying temperature, and becomes an ink target temperature that is determined using the ink drying temperature as a reference in case the thermal deformation temperature of the printing medium is higher than the ink drying temperature.

Abstract: A cap 13, 15, for the print face 9 of a drop-on-demand ink jet printer moves between a closed position, in which it covers the print nozzles on the print face 9, and an open position in which the print nozzles are uncovered, without requiring movement of the print face 9. In the open position, the cap is recessed relative to the front surface 21 of the printhead. For at least part of the movement of the cap, it is further forward than the print face 9, so that it does not slide across and damage the print nozzles. The drop-on-demand ink jet printer may be used to print onto objects 3 conveyed past it, for example on a packing line. The cap 13, 15, does not obstruct the path of the objects 3 even if they pass very close (e.g. 0.5 mm) to the print face 9 because its uncapped position is further back than the front surface 21 of the printhead.

Abstract: A printing control apparatus configured to use a recording head where a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a row formation to discharge ink droplets from each of the nozzles by individually supplying predetermined driving power with regard to actuators, and configured to discharge the ink droplets with different discharge speeds so that subsequent ink droplets catch up with and combine together with prior ink droplets that are continuously discharged before the prior ink droplets land on a printing medium. The printing control apparatus includes a control section configured to drive the actuators in the recording head so that dots that are in a region where a nozzle usage rate is higher than a predetermined threshold are printed due to ink droplets, where ink droplets that are continuously discharged combine together in air, attaching to the printing medium.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which includes at least a first tray and a second tray as a tray which accommodates a printing sheet, and can be mounted with a sheet supply unit which supplies the printing sheet by being switched to any one of the first tray and the second tray.

Abstract: A digital printer is configured to form with marking material a solid background and a negative image of features to be formed with a liquid ink. The liquid ink is applied to the solid background and negative image of the features to be formed with the liquid ink with an applicator that contacts the surface on which the solid background and features are located. An absorbent member is moved into contact with the solid background and the features formed with the liquid ink to remove the liquid ink from the solid background, while leaving the liquid ink in the features.

Abstract: A common air chamber is connected to an air layer of a pressurizing tank and to an air layer of a negative-pressure tank. A pressurizing-side communication valve opens/closes an air channel in an air conduit between the pressurizing tank and the common air chamber. A negative-pressure side communication valve opens/closes an air channel in an air conduit between the negative-pressure tank and the common air chamber. A negative-pressure tank atmospheric air opening valve switches the negative-pressure tank between a state shut off from the atmospheric air and a state open thereto. The pressurizing-side communication valve and the negative-pressure tank atmospheric air opening valve are of a normally-open type closed when electrified and open when not. The negative-pressure side communication valve is of a normally-closed type open when electrified and closed when not. While not electrified, a nozzle pressure of an inkjet head becomes a meniscus breakage pressure or less.