Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an image carrying part, a developing part and an image transferring part. The image carrying part has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The developing part develops the electrostatic image into a toner image by selectively applying toner to the surface of the image carrying part. The image transferring part transfers the toner image onto a recording sheet or an intermediate image transferring part. Fine particles are uniformly formed on the surface of the image carrying part, and a portion of the fine particles is transferred from the image carrying part with the toner image. The fine particles are smaller in diameter than the toner particles.

Abstract: A dummy image is formed on a periphery of a retransfer image region on a transfer medium where a primary transfer image is not retransferred on the transfer medium when the primary transfer image is formed on the intermediate transfer film. As the result, peeling tension exerted on the intermediate transfer film is approximately even in a width direction, the primary transfer image is retransferred onto the transfer medium without changing of a transfer condition, and an optimal retransfer condition can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous ink, particularly an aqueous ink suitable for ink jet recording. The ink is an aqueous ink comprising a modified pigment having organic groups chemically attached to the surface of a particle of the pigment and an aqueous medium which is as a dispersant of the pigment, wherein the above-described organic group includes a reaction product of a functional group chemically attached to the surface of the pigment directly or via another atomic group with a copolymer of an ionic monomer and a hydrophobic monomer.

Abstract: An ink set for ink-jet recording that comprises a plurality of inks containing coloring materials insoluble in water to form a high quality ink-jet recording image is provided. The water-based ink set for ink-jet recording comprises a black ink and a color ink, wherein the black ink contains a carbon black as a coloring material having a volume average particle diameter determined by dynamic light scattering of not less than 50 nm, the color ink contains a pigment as a coloring material having a volume average particle diameter determined by dynamic light scattering of not more than 60 nm, and an accumulative 90% particle diameter of volume particle size distribution of not more than 100 nm, the volume average particle diameter of the carbon black of the black ink is larger than the volume average particle diameter of the pigment of the color ink, and the black ink has a surface tension higher than that of the color ink.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink set, a process for forming a colored portion and an ink-jet recording apparatus which are used for obtaining higher-quality ink-jet recorded articles. The ink set comprises an aqueous ink containing at least an ultrafinely particulate pigment as a coloring material and an aqueous liquid composition containing fine particles, dispersed therein and electrically charged at the surface in a polarity opposite to the ink.

Abstract: A dummy image is formed on a periphery of a retransfer image region on a transfer medium where a primary transfer image is not retransferred on the transfer medium when the primary transfer image is formed on the intermediate transfer film. As the result, peeling tension exerted on the intermediate transfer film is approximately even in a width direction, the primary transfer image is retransferred onto the transfer medium without changing of a transfer condition, and an optimal retransfer condition can be obtained.

Abstract: When a primary image recorded on an intermediate transfer body is retransferred onto a recording medium such as CD to record an image, the recording medium can be easily taken out of a mounting tray; in order to record a satisfactory image on the recording medium, on a downstream side of a recording head in a conveying path of the intermediate transfer body, there is arranged a mounting tray for mounting the recording medium so as to oppose to a heat roller through the intermediate transfer body; of a surface of the mounting tray, a surface of a mounting portion for mounting the recording medium is made into a non-sticking surface which when the heat roller is press-contacted to the recording medium through the intermediate transfer body, prevents the recording medium from strongly sticking to the mounting portion; in a surrounding portion of the mounting portion, there is formed a holding member for holding an outer peripheral surface of the recording medium; and a surface of a holding member is made flush w

Abstract: The invention provides an ink including a water-soluble coloring material and bis(hydroxyethyl)sulfone in an aqueous medium and having a pH of from 9.5 to 12. The ink permits stable formation of high-quality images on a wide variety of recording media, and has excellent ejection stability, ejection durability and storage stability.

Abstract: The purpose is to provide such ink hardly as to affect an exothermic heater on a change in ink jet performance when used for a long-time ink jet recording according to the way to eject an ink by using an exothermic heater. The ink contains at least one substance selected from dicarboxylic acids, dicarboxylates, tricarboxylic acids and tricarboxylates, bis-hydroxyethyl sulfone, and a water-soluble coloring material in an aqueous medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feeding mechanism making it possible to reliably prevent deflection of the paper feeding roller and perform a stable paper feeding free from feeding deviation even when the paper feeding roller is formed as an elongated member. There is arranged a paper feeding roller and a plurality of press contact rollers held in press contact with the paper feeding roller, and there is arranged on the opposite side of the press contact rollers with respect to the paper feeding roller a support block which is held in contact with the peripheral surface of the paper feeding roller to support the paper feeding roller.

Abstract: An image forming method to apply an ink to a printing medium includes applying a liquid composition having a polarity different from a polarity of the ink to an image forming region formed by the ink and the vicinity of the image forming region on the printing medium prior to the application of the ink, wherein a surface tension of the liquid composition is higher than that of the ink.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink-jet recording process for forming an image by applying an ink to a recording medium in accordance with an ink-jet recording system, comprising the steps of:(A) applying an ink containing a coloring material to the recording medium in accordance with the ink-jet recording system; and(B) applying a liquid composition different from the ink to an ink-applying region of the recording medium in accordance with the ink-jet recording system, wherein the liquid composition is applied in an amount less than 50% by volume of the amount of the ink to be applied to the ink-applying area.

Abstract: To maintain a high precision of a line feeding amount of a paper sheet regardless of the processing precision of a paper feed roller. Relationships between paper line feeding amounts of a paper feed roller at division positions divided into a plurality of parts with reference to an origin of a rotation angle of the paper feed roller and step counts of a paper feed motor are measured to calculate a correction value for correcting the step counts of the paper feed motor, the step counts of the paper feed motor in a line feeding operation are controlled on the basis of the correction value. When a paper feeding operation of a paper sheet whose type is except for the type of the paper sheet used in measurement is performed, a central step count of a base step count at a desired division position is calculated, and the central step count is compared with the measured central step counts of the base steps at the division positions.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method and apparatus for performing recording by discharging ink onto a recording medium in accordance with recording data using a recording head having ink discharge ports for discharging the ink. The apparatus includes a scanning unit for scanning the recording head relative to the recording medium for discharging ink to record pixels on the recording medium, and a determining unit for determining whether the recording data includes non-discharge data for a predetermined number of successive pixels to be recorded by the recording head, and for generating a corresponding determination output signal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid discharging method, comprising using a liquid-discharge head equipped with a discharge opening from which a liquid is discharged, a first region to which a first liquid is supplied, a bubble-generating region containing a second liquid and generating bubbles in the second liquid, and a movable member which is displaceable between a first position opposite to the bubble-generating region and a second position within the first region and apart from the bubble-generating region and has a support part more upstream than its free end, in which the movable member is displaced from the first position toward the second position with the generation of a bubble in the bubble-generating region, and the bubble is guided to the discharge opening by the movable member, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid have no compatibility with each other.

Abstract: A complex of a protein with a saponin or bile acid, an emulsifier comprising the complex, an emulsified composition comprising the complex, a process for preparing an emulsified composition which comprises mixing the complex, a dough improver comprising the complex, a dough comprising the complex, bread prepared by baking up the dough, and a process for preparing bread, which comprises baking up the dough.

Abstract: Provided is an ink-jet recording process for forming a color image on a recording medium using a liquid formulation and a color ink in combination, wherein the liquid formulation contains a cationic polymer having a weight-average molecular weight in the range of from 400 to 1,400, and the liquid formulation and the ink are each ejected from a recording head having an ink ejection volume per dot of from 2 to 25 picolitters.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording head for electrostatic recording having a plurality of lower electrodes and a plurality of upper electrodes constituting a matrix with an insulating layer interposed therebetween and a space for ion generation where corona discharge is caused by applying a voltage between the lower and upper electrodes characterized in that a plurality of short partial recording heads are formed by integrally firing the lower electrodes, insulating layer and upper electrodes and are joined to provide a recording head of a desired length.

Abstract: The fusing device using a heat accumulated heating medium and the fusing process using the same is disclosed. The fusing device comprises a heating member having relatively low heat capacity, a heat accumulating system for temporarily accumulating heat energy at the heating member, a nip arrangement for nipping the toner image between the heating member and the copy sheet with an appropriate pressure contact so that the nip arrangement primarily transfers the heat energy from the heating member to the toner image and subsequently cools the toner image, a cooling system for cooling the toner image between the heating member and the copy sheet and a detaching system for detaching the copy sheet from the heating member. The thermal efficiency of the fusing device and process speed for the fusing operation is improved. The fusing condition for both of black color toner image and full color toner image is finely adjustable in this fusing device.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal transfer printer which can stably perform recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-fusible ink and recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-sublimated ink without needing any complicated mechanism. The thermal transfer printer has cassette type detecting means for detecting the type of a ribbon cassette, and control means for controlling rotational speeds of a carriage motor and a ribbon reel-up motor in accordance with a detection result of the cassette type detecting means.