Abstract: A device for manufacturing a tubular printing blanket comprising a sleeve translation device for moving a sleeve, the sleeve providing a support layer for the printing blanket; and at least one ribbon casting device applying a flowable material, the flowable material forming a layer disposed over the sleeve. Also disclosed is a method for forming a tubular printing blanket comprising the steps of translating a sleeve in a first direction and ribbon casting at least one of a compressible layer, reinforcing layer and a print layer about the sleeve as the sleeve translates. A related blanket is also provided.

Abstract: To reduce the period of time required after a remote printer is instructed to start a print job and before it starts printing and hence reduce the period of time for which the remote printer is occupied, thereby enhancing working efficiency, it is determined whether originals are located on an original table or on a sheet feeder, and if the originals are located on the original table, it is determined whether the job is in an original table accumulation mode in which a local apparatus completes reading images from a plurality of originals before transmitting the images. If the job is not in the original table accumulation mode, the remote apparatus is instructed to start the job before images are read from the originals. On the other hand, if the job is in the original table accumulation mode, the remote apparatus is instructed to start the job after the images have been read from all the originals.

Abstract: A method of operating a sheet-fed rotary printing machine includes mounting at least one rotating cylinder to be coupled to a drive or fixed relative to a framework, and moving an actuator to both uncouple the cylinder from the drive and fix the cylinder relative to the framework. A sheet-fed rotary printing machine includes a framework, a drive, at least one cylinder rotatably mounted to the framework, the cylinder is to be coupled to the drive or fixed relative to the framework, and a fixing and coupling configuration connected to the cylinder to both uncouple the cylinder from the drive and fix the cylinder relative to the framework.

Abstract: An inking unit in a printing machine, formed as a film inking unit, includes an ink duct with an ink duct film inserted between an ink metering system, which is subdivided into ink zones, and an ink duct roller. The ink duct film within each of the ink zones in a region of a settable metering gap is held out of contact with the ink duct roller during printing. The invention also includes a printing machine, such as a sheet-fed printing machine, particularly, provided with the inking unit.

Abstract: A sheet transport cylinder in a machine that processes sheets of printing material includes air nozzles for sheet formats of the printing-material sheets. The printing-material sheets are dimensioned from a minimum format up to a maximum format. The sheet transport cylinder is distinguished by the fact that the air nozzles are throttled air nozzles disposed to be matched to the minimum format.

Abstract: A guiding device in a machine for processing sheets of printing material includes unthrottled air nozzles for contact-free guidance of the sheets, and throttled air nozzles arranged at locations which are prone to contact by the sheets; and a machine for processing sheets of printing material and a sheet-fed rotary printing machine, respectively, having the guiding device.

Abstract: A laser beam printer includes a front face. The front face defines an opening for allowing attaching/detaching a paper feed cassette, an opening for allowing attaching/detaching a process unit, and an opening allowing manual paper feed. Accordingly, the laser beam printer has excellent operability since it allows the user to perform any operation from its front side. At the same time, valuable space at the lateral and upper sides of the laser beam printer is available for effective use.

Abstract: A high-efficiency printing apparatus, a printing system, a print control method, and a storage medium require an extremely small-capacity receiving buffer memory of a printing apparatus and put an extremely small burden on a host apparatus. A PC has an IEEE 1394 interface section for communicating with a printer, a memory that can be accessed by a printer and that stores text data, and a CPU that provides the printer with an information block that includes address information of text data. The printer has an IEEE 1394 interface section for communicating with the PC, a printing section for printing on a recording medium, and a CPU that reads text data stored in the memory of the PC on the basis of an address of the information block that includes the address information of the text data provided by the PC, and causes the printing section to perform printing.

Abstract: A self-diagnosis device includes a diagnosing unit for diagnosing the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets and a displaying unit for displaying a diagnosis result based on the condition of the printer.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus prints cream solder through a pattern hole of a mask plate, to which a substrate is brought into contact, by sliding a squeegee head. The mask plate, to which the substrate is positioned, is three-dimensionally measured from its above, thereby detecting a positioned status. Based on the detection result, the positioned status is corrected by driving a substrate-positioning-section. As a result, the substrate is always exactly positioned to the mask plate, and quality print is thus maintainable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and materials for producing digitally imaged short-run gravure printing plates and cylinders comprising the steps of providing an image-ready printing blank having a substrate, a UV curing layer, and an IR absorbing, UV-opaque layer. Alternatively, the blank plate can be provided in a two-part construction comprising the metallic substrate and an IR-sensitive film for either processless ablation or ablation transfer imaging Digital imaging of the blank plate is performed using an IR laser which causes selective ablation of areas of the upper IR absorbing layer, thus forming an image structure having exposed and unexposed areas on the underlying UV curing layer. The plate is then flood-cured with UV radiation and washed to better expose the hardened image structure areas of the UV curing layer which have formed and which provide the cells for holding printing ink for use in the gravure printing process.

Abstract: A keyboard and method for inputting graphical indicium representations of language characters formed from one or a combination of character units. The keyboard includes a plurality of keys, each key having at least one unit associated therewith but with selected keys, at least, having two or more units associated therewith. Included also is a key mapping for each key whereby selection of a key generates a mapped value of a unit associated with the selected key, the mapped value having a relational correlation with one or more relevant characters. The keys are so arranged on the keyboard that visually similar units are associated with the same or adjacent keys, and units which usually form left, right, top or bottom character parts are associated with keys generally located in physically similarly related positions on the left, right, top and bottom, respectively, of the keyboard.

Abstract: A print-medium transport unit including discharge rollers, a paper guide, and a lock member. The discharge rollers transport post-printed paper toward an outlet and can hold the leading end of the paper. The paper guide is placed upstream from the discharge rollers, and guides the leading end of the paper into the discharge rollers. The paper guide is rotatably supported so that the upstream side thereof opens a transport path of the paper, whereby when the leading end of the paper is held by the discharge rollers, the transport path allows the paper to be curved like a loop. The lock member locks the rotation of the paper guide when the leading end of the paper is guided into the paper guide. When the leading end of the paper reaches a predetermined position, the locking of the lock member is released.

Abstract: Provided is a lithographic printing plate comprising a support substrate having disposed thereon an ablative-absorbing layer and, optionally, a durable, ink-accepting surface layer that is not ablative-absorbing. The ablative-absorbing layer may contain a high weight percent of an organic sulfonic acid component. The printing plate may further comprise a hydrophilic polymeric layer interposed between the ablative-absorbing layer and the substrate. The printing plate also comprises a primer layer underlying the ablative-absorbing layer with an adhesion-promoting agent, such as a zirconium compound, present in the primer layer. Also provided are methods of preparing such lithographic printing plates, and methods of preparing imaged lithographic printing plates from such lithographic printing plates by imagewise exposure to a laser and a subsequent cleaning step with water or with a cleaning solution.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive stencil including a thermoplastic resin film on which a porous resin layer, a water soluble resin layer and a fibrous porous layer are formed in succession. A thin resin layer may be disposed between the thermoplastic resin film and the porous resin layer.

Abstract: A device is provided for imprinting a solid or dashed straight line on the surface of a golf ball. The device consists of a semi-rigid stencil that may be snapped securely around the surface of a golf ball. While the golf ball is allowed to rotated freely within the stencil so as to allow a user to rotate the ball to the correct position, a pair of finger grips are provided which, when compressed, clamp the ball in position so as to prevent the ball from rotating while the ball is being marked. The stencil also includes a linear groove adapted to receive a pen, indelible marker or other writing implement for marking the ball with a linear indicia. This indicia can be used for identification purposes, as a putting trainer, and an alignment aid during play. Beveled edges or bumpers may also be included along the inner surface of the groove to assist the user in imprinting the ball and prevent smudging or pooling of the ink or paint used to mark the ball.

Abstract: When a stencil sheet (M) is wound around an outer peripheral surface of a rotary cylindrical drum (24) in accordance with a rotation thereof, a leading end of the stencil sheet (M) is retained by a clamp plate (51) provided on the rotary cylindrical drum (24), and the stencil sheet (M) is conveyed while being guided by upper and lower guide plates (45, 46) and nipped between the lower guide plate (46) and a supporting member (48) attached to an underside of a swinging member (47). At this stage, predetermined tension is applied to the stencil sheet (M) by an urging force of the swinging member (47) to thereby prevent occurrence of wrinkles on the stencil sheet (M).

Abstract: Device to produce electronic circuits of the type comprising at least a base support (12) on which electrically conductive material is deposited able to embody the conductor tracks, said device comprising at least a printing station (13) able to deposit said electrically conductive material on said base support (12), a drying oven (14) and first feed means (35, 60) to feed each base support (12) from said printing station (13) to said drying oven (14), stacking means (52) being provided to stack the base supports (12) one on top of the other so that said base supports (12) can be introduced in vertical piles into said drying oven (14), spacer means (18, 20) being provided to keep said base supports (12) separate from each other when stacked.

Abstract: A method of producing a printing plate comprises: (a) providing a printing plate precursor comprising a topmost etchable first layer and a second layer located below the first layer, wherein the first and second layers have different affinities for at least one printing liquid; (b) imagewise providing atomized fluid particles in an interaction zone located above the surface of the first layer; and (c) imagewise directing laser energy into the interaction zone, wherein the laser energy has a wavelength which is substantially absorbed by the atomized fluid particles in the interaction zone, and the absorption of the laser energy causes the atomized fluid particles to imagewise impart kinetic energy to and etch the first layer. Lithographic and flexographic printing plates may be prepared according to this method, including waterless plates, negative-and positive-working plates, and processless plates.

Abstract: A plate-making method comprising: forming an image directly on a plate material by an electrostatic ink jet method comprising ejecting an oil ink using electrostatic field based on signals of image data; and fixing said image to manufacture a printing plate, wherein said method uses: (1) an ink circulation line having the following members a, b and c: a. an ink jet ejection head, b. an ink transportation line comprising an ink feed line for feeding said oil ink to said ink jet ejection head and an ink recovery line for recovering said oil ink from said ink jet ejection head, and c.