Abstract: Devices and methods to enable a sheet conveyance system within a printing device. According to an apparatus herein, a sheet supply device feeds substrates to a printing system. The apparatus includes an impression cylinder. A first gripper is positioned in a first location on a circumferential wall of the impression cylinder. A second gripper is positioned in a second location on the circumferential wall of the impression cylinder. The second location is angularly spaced apart from the first location around the circumferential wall. A cover selectively covers the second gripper. Responsive to the first gripper gripping an edge of a substrate of a first length supplied from the sheet supply device, the first length being greater than the length of the circumferential arc between the first gripper and the second gripper, the cover provides a smooth curved surface over the second gripper.

Abstract: This is a sheet binder or comb configured for use in lay-flat binding technology. This comb allows two- or three-ring binding of finished comb-bound booklets by the addition of a like number of round holes stamped into the comb. Obviously, any number of round holes can be used to accommodate two or more ring binders.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for printing a spot ink. The spot ink may be prepared before the time of printing. The spot ink may be adjusted by half-toning or supplemental CMYK colors at the time of printing.

Abstract: Test image data is introduced into the image processing path of a marking device, at various points prior to the marking engine. Comparison of output of the marking engine from various sources of image data is made to diagnose imaging path component failure. Imaging data at various points in the image processing path is captured for analysis as part of component failure diagnosis. Various memory devices are used to both introduce test data at various points in the image processing path and capture data at various points of the image processing path.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs for reducing edge effects, the systems, methods, and programs include inputting an image mask, the image mask defining the location of a boundary to receive a coating , modifying an edge of the image mask to reduced the thickness of the coating at the modified edge; creating a printing plate base on the modified image mask; and using the printing plate to print the coating on a substrate.

Abstract: Test image data is introduced into the image processing path of a marking device, at various points prior to the marking engine. Comparison of output of the marking engine from various sources of image data is made to diagnose imaging path component failure. Imaging data at various points in the image processing path is captured for analysis as part of component failure diagnosis. Various memory devices are used to both introduce test data at various points in the image processing path and capture data at various points of the image processing path.

Abstract: A printing system includes a marking engine which applies colorants to a print medium to render an image. The marking engine has a single pass color gamut which the marking engine is capable of rendering in a single pass of the print medium through the marking engine. The marking engine is capable of rendering an extended color gamut in a plurality of passes of the print medium through the marking engine. A control system is associated with the marking engine. The control system identifies an image which falls outside the single pass color gamut of the marking engine and schedules a plurality of passes for rendering the image.

Abstract: Methods for automated uniformity assessment and modification of image non-uniformities using an image measurement device capable of determining image reflectance and/or transmitter as a function of position, such as a spectrophotometer, a calorimeter, and/or a densitometer. One or more of these devices scan an image on a substrate, such as a sheet, thereby generating data representing image characteristics, such as, for example, image non-uniformity. The sheet may contain a reference/test pattern including one column, strip or patch intended to have a uniform density. This data generated by the device after the scan of the substrate is analyzed with signal processing algorithms for image characteristics assessment, including image spatial uniformity and compared to reference image characteristics including image spatial uniformity. An image modification profile may be generated to be applied to a marking system to thereby alter subsequent image data and improve image spatial uniformity of the marking system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to maintain constant tone reproduction on a printed output over time. This is accomplished by performing template matching on a halftoned binary image prior to sending the binary image to a Raster Output Scanner (ROS). The template matching operation selectively replaces bit patterns in the binary image with template bit patterns, based on a detected xerographic density.

Abstract: A process for repairing common defects in the electronic page images of a print job being processed by an electronic reprographic system that includes a printer for producing prints from the digitized page images in response to job program instructions and a user interface (UI) with display screen for inputting job program instructions for each print job. The process uses document defect repair templates, either existing or created by the operator and stored in a system library, to electronically mask document defects in the page images. Additionally, the process is applicable before or after hardcopy original documents have been scanned by the reprographic system.