Abstract: The present disclosure is drawn to an electrostatic ink composition comprising a resin and an elongate conductive species. Also disclosed herein is a substrate on which is electrostatically printed a conductive trace, wherein the trace comprises a resin and an elongate conductive species. Further disclosed herein is a method of electrophotographic printing an electrostatic ink composition comprising a resin and an elongate conductive species.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus which may comprise a transfer member and a photoconductor. The apparatus may be operable to apply a potential difference between the transfer member and the photoconductor and the photoconductor may be operable to transfer a layer of electrostatic printing material from the photoconductor to the transfer member at a transfer region under the action of the applied potential difference. According to the present disclosure, the apparatus may further comprise a humidity raising device which may be operable to raise the relative humidity of the transfer region above an ambient level. A printer and a method of facilitating transfer of electrostatic printing material are also disclosed.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided a visual security feature. The visual security feature comprises a security feature printed on a media. The security feature includes a security code printed on the media, and a holographic image is embossed on the printed security feature.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided a method of generating a security feature that encodes data. The method comprises obtaining an n-bit code of data to encode, generating an arrangement of dots, designating a first portion of the dots as reference dots and a second portion of the dots as encoding dots, and moving a group of the designated encoding dots by a predetermined direction in a predetermined amount to encode the n-bit code of data.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a two-dimensional array of light sources (40) and a scanning device (26) arranged to scan light (14) emitted from the light sources (40) onto a medium (10) to generate a plurality of scan lines (52) on the medium (10), the light sources (24 and scanning device (26) being arranged such that a plurality of light sources (24) can be used to generate each scan line (52) of the plurality of scan lines (52).

Abstract: A method for monitoring development parameters of a liquid toner electrophotographic (LEP) printer, the method comprising defining an operational window for a current utilized by the printer and monitoring the current to determine a deviation of the current outside the operational window.

Abstract: A detecting apparatus is to at least assist in determining the concentration of colorants within a carrier liquid. The colorants at least absorb light and/or diverge light. The detecting apparatus includes one or more light sources to emit light, and one or more light detectors to detect light. The light sources and the light detectors are positionally configured in relation to one another such that both light directly emitted by the light sources and that has not been absorbed or diverged by the colorants, as well as light diverged by the colorants within the carrier liquid, are detected and/or determined. The concentration of colorants is determined based on the light directly emitted by the light sources that has not been absorbed or diverged by the colorants and/or on the light diverged by the colorants within the carrier liquid.

Abstract: A cleaning station includes a fluid input which introduces a passive flow of fluid into a trough and a slit which provides an outlet through which the fluid exits the trough. A wetting roller rotates in a cylindrical cavity to form a viscous fluid pump which draws the fluid through the slit to form a fluid film on an outer surface of the wetting roller.

Abstract: An embossing apparatus includes an embossing die that includes a printed relief pattern made up of multiple layers of a deposited material. A resilient surface presses media against the embossing die such that embossed features corresponding to the embossing die are formed in the media. A method for embossing media includes forming an embossing die by depositing multiple layers of ink on a impression layer to form a relief pattern and pressing media against the embossing die to transfer the relief image to the media.

Abstract: An image processing method (300) for converting an original image (601) into a final, pixelated image (610) suitable for printing on a printer arranged to print two-tone images and capable of printing partial area exposed pixels, comprises antialiasing (301) the original image (601) into an intermediate pixelated image (605) comprising greyscale pixels having assigned greyscale values. The method comprises the further-step, of translating (302) the intermediate image (605) into the final, pixelated image (610) by translating the assigned greyscale values into partial exposure values indicative of the amount of desired pixel area for a corresponding pixel or pixels in the final image.

Abstract: Electrophotographic printing apparatus and method of printing using electrophotographic printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising an image-forming member having a surface on which a latent electrostatic image can be formed and developed for transfer of the developed image to a substrate via an intermediate transfer member. The apparatus comprises a voltage supply for generating electric potential between the surface of the intermediate transfer member and the image-forming member such that the developed image formed on the surface of the image-forming member is transferred to the intermediate transfer member. A controller of the apparatus controls the voltage supply to adjust the electrical potential to affect the transfer of ink to the intermediate transfer member from the image-forming member. In this way, the apparatus can adjust for changes in the electrical properties of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: A set of screens is provided for use in printing respective color separations in a halftone color printing process. This set of screens comprises at least two clustered-dot screens and the frequency and angle parameter values of the screens is such that the lowest frequency moiré produced by any combination of at least two frequency components, taken from the group comprising the first and second screen harmonics, for which the sum of the harmonic orders of the frequency components in the combination is less than a predetermined value, is of a sufficiently high frequency as to be substantially unperceivable to the human visual system; other moirés are also substantially unperceivable to the human visual system. The lowest frequency moiré serves to reduce the visibility of color changes caused by color plane registration variations. A printing system and method employing the screen set are also provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for decoupling the control of dot gain and optical density in electrophotographic based printing by varying the exposure level for each dot in an image.

Abstract: An optical beam is selectively output towards a scanner in accordance with image data for a scan line of an image. The optical beam has a beam irradiance distribution that is elliptical in shape. The optical beam passes through an aperture stop, ordinarily creating side lobes within a focus irradiance distribution of the optical beam. The scanner scans the optical beam to form the scan line on a photosensitive surface by selectively exposing positions along the scan line in accordance with image data. The optical beam is modified before it reaches the photosensitive surface to substantially remove the side lobes that have been created within the focus irradiance distribution and/or to substantially prevent the side lobes from being created within the focus irradiance distribution of the optical beam.

Abstract: A set of screens is provided for use in printing respective color separations in a halftone color printing process. This set of screens comprises at least two clustered-dot screens and the frequency and angle parameter values of the screens is such that the lowest frequency moiré produced by any combination of at least two frequency components, taken from the group comprising the first and second screen harmonics, for which the sum of the harmonic orders of the frequency components in the combination is less than a predetermined value, is of a sufficiently high frequency as to be substantially unperceivable to the human visual system; other moirés are also substantially unperceivable to the human visual system. The lowest frequency moiré serves to reduce the visibility of color changes caused by color plane registration variations. A printing system and method employing the screen set are also provided.

Abstract: Electrophotographic printing apparatus and method of printing using electrophotographic printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising an image-forming member having a surface on which a latent electrostatic image can be formed and developed for transfer of the developed image to a substrate via an intermediate transfer member. The apparatus comprises a voltage supply for generating electric potential between the surface of the intermediate transfer member and the image-forming member such that the developed image formed on the surface of the image-forming member is transferred to the intermediate transfer member. A controller of the apparatus controls the voltage supply to adjust the electrical potential to affect the transfer of ink to the intermediate transfer member from the image-forming member. In this way, the apparatus can adjust for changes in the electrical properties of the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, reducing the visibility of banding artifacts on a printed medium comprising producing synthetic artifacts on the printed medium, overlapping scan lines at swath boundaries and controlling exposure along a scan line to reduce the visibility of the banding artifacts.

Abstract: Embodiments of an electrophotography device are disclosed.

Abstract: A detecting apparatus is to at least assist in determining the concentration of colorants within a carrier liquid. The colorants at least absorb light and/or diverge light. The detecting apparatus includes one or more light sources to emit light, and one or more light detectors to detect light. The light sources and the light detectors are positionally configured in relation to one another such that both light directly emitted by the light sources and that has not been absorbed or diverged by the colorants, as well as light diverged by the colorants within the carrier liquid, are detected and/or determined. The concentration of colorants is determined based on the light directly emitted by the light sources that has not been absorbed or diverged by the colorants and/or on the light diverged by the colorants within the carrier liquid.

Abstract: A method for monitoring development parameters of a liquid toner electrophotographic (LEP) printer, the method comprising defining an operational window for a current utilized by the printer and monitoring the current to determine a deviation of the current outside the operational window.