Abstract: A print media moving apparatus includes a web guide positioned immediately upstream relative to a roller. The web guide has an arcuate surface including three sections with the second section located between the first and third sections. The arcuate surface includes a peak in the second section. The roller, having a diameter and rotational axis, includes three sections with the second section located between the first and third section as viewed along the rotational axis. The diameter of the roller in the first and third sections is greater than in the second section. The three sections of the web guide correspond to the three sections of the roller such that the contour of the arcuate surface causes the print media, after leaving the web guide, to contact the first and third sections of the roller prior to contacting the second section of the roller.

Abstract: A method for heating a substrate in a printing device, the method comprises positioning at least one radiant heater along a printing path of a printing device, the at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; measuring a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters; determining an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; and adjusting the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A printing device includes a radiant heater having at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; a controller that receives a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters and calculates an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; wherein the controller adjusts the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method for heating a substrate in a printing device, the method comprises positioning at least one radiant heater along a printing path of a printing device, the at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; measuring a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters; determining an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; and adjusting the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A printing device includes a radiant heater having at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; a controller that receives a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters and calculates an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; wherein the controller adjusts the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A print media moving apparatus includes a web guide positioned immediately upstream relative to a roller. The web guide has an arcuate surface including three sections with the second section located between the first and third sections. The arcuate surface includes a peak in the second section. The roller, having a diameter and rotational axis, includes three sections with the second section located between the first and third section as viewed along the rotational axis. The diameter of the roller in the first and third sections is greater than in the second section. The three sections of the web guide correspond to the three sections of the roller such that the contour of the arcuate surface causes the print media, after leaving the web guide, to contact the first and third sections of the roller prior to contacting the second section of the roller.

Abstract: A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second rollers is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. A center roller having a contoured media guide surface is positioned between the first and second rollers for guiding the recording media along the media path between the first and second print lines, wherein the diameter of the center roller is smaller for portions of its length corresponding to the inkjet nozzle arrays of the first print line than it is for at least some portion of its length corresponding to the non-printing regions of the first print line.

Abstract: A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second media guide surfaces is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. At least one of the media guide surfaces is contoured such that it is closer to the staggered inkjet printhead along portions of the associated print line that correspond to the associated inkjet nozzle arrays than it is for at least some portion of the associated print line that corresponds to the non-printing regions.

Abstract: A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second rollers is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. A center roller having a contoured media guide surface is positioned between the first and second rollers for guiding the recording media along the media path between the first and second print lines, wherein the diameter of the center roller is smaller for portions of its length corresponding to the inkjet nozzle arrays of the first print line than it is for at least some portion of its length corresponding to the non-printing regions of the first print line.

Abstract: A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second media guide surfaces is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. At least one of the media guide surfaces is contoured such that it is closer to the staggered inkjet printhead along portions of the associated print line that correspond to the associated inkjet nozzle arrays than it is for at least some portion of the associated print line that corresponds to the non-printing regions.

Abstract: A printing system comprising an inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along a print line, and a media guide having a contoured media guide surface for guiding receiver media along a media path past the inkjet printhead. The inkjet nozzle arrays are separated from each other along the print line by one or more intervening non-printing regions. The media guide surface is contoured such that it is closer to the inkjet printhead for portions of the print line corresponding to the inkjet nozzle arrays than it is for at least some portion of the print line corresponding to the non-printing regions between the inkjet nozzle arrays.

Abstract: Methods for operating a printing system are provided. In one method, an inkjet printhead that is positioned by a support structure is caused to emit droplets of an ink including vaporizable carrier fluid toward a target area to emit droplets according to image data and a shield is used to separate the support structure from the target area to form a first region between the support structure and the shield and a second region between the shield and the target area with the shield providing an opening between the first region and the second region to allow the inkjet printhead to jet droplets to the target area. The shield is heated to a temperature that is at least equal to a condensation temperature of the vaporized carrier fluid in the second region.

Abstract: A solid inkjet web printer for reducing wrinkles on a web including a solid ink jet engine for jetting a patterned layer of solid jettable ink and a system having a processor, and a spreader, the spreader having a pressure roller and a spreader roller forming a nip and means for adjusting the force applied at the nip. The processor controls the adjustment of the force applied by the pressure and spreader rollers to the printed portion on the web causing the spreader to reduce the force when the non-image portion is in the nip. A sensor for providing a signal to the processor indicates the location of the image and non-image portions of the web.

Abstract: A solid inkjet web printer for reducing wrinkles on a web including a solid ink jet engine for jetting a patterned layer of solid jettable ink and a system having a processor, and a spreader, the spreader having a pressure roller and a spreader roller forming a nip and means for adjusting the force applied at the nip. The processor controls the adjustment of the force applied by the pressure and spreader rollers to the printed portion on the web causing the spreader to reduce the force when the non-image portion is in the nip. A sensor for providing a signal to the processor indicates the location of the image and non-image portions of the web.

Abstract: Inkjet printing systems are provided. One inkjet printing system has a plurality of inkjet printheads, each having nozzles for jetting ink droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid, a support structure to which the plurality of inkjet printheads are mounted, such that a face of each of the printheads of the plurality of printheads is positioned to jet the ink droplets toward a target area through which a receiver transport system moves a receiver during printing; and a shield between the support structure and the target area creating a first region between the shield and the target area with the shield having at least one opening through the shield through which the nozzles of the printhead can jet the ink droplets to the target area. An energy source supplies energy to cause the temperature of the shield to rise above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region.

Abstract: Inkjet printing systems are provided. One inkjet printing system has a plurality of inkjet printheads, each having nozzles for jetting ink droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid, a support structure to which the plurality of inkjet printheads are mounted, such that a face of each of the printheads of the plurality of printheads is positioned to jet the ink droplets toward a target area through which a receiver transport system moves a receiver during printing; and a shield between the support structure and the target area creating a first region between the shield and the target area with the shield having at least one opening through the shield through which the nozzles of the printhead can jet the ink droplets to the target area. An energy source supplies energy to cause the temperature of the shield to rise above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region.

Abstract: Methods for operating a printing system are provided. In one method, an inkjet printhead that is positioned by a support structure is caused to emit droplets of an ink including vaporizable carrier fluid toward a target area to emit droplets according to image data and a shield is used to separate the support structure from the target area to form a first region between the support structure and the shield and a second region between the shield and the target area with the shield providing an opening between the first region and the second region to allow the inkjet printhead to jet droplets to the target area. The shield is heated to a temperature that is at least equal to a condensation temperature of the vaporized carrier fluid in the second region.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a continuous web of print media includes a roller having an axis of rotation. The roller includes a pattern of recesses and ridges positioned along the axis of rotation of the roller. A second section of the roller is located between a first section of the roller and a third section of the roller as viewed along the axis of rotation. The roller includes a profile as viewed along the axis of rotation in which the diameter of the ridges located in the first section of the roller and the diameter of ridges located in the third section of the roller are greater than the diameter of the ridges located in the second section of the roller.