Abstract: A system and process for placing printed color images on a series of objects including: generating digital data representing a plurality of different color images; providing a print medium composed of a substrate carrying a releasable coating which is formulated to retain printing inks; supplying the generated digital data to a digitally controlled color printer having a plurality of print heads; feeding the print medium through the printer while operating the print heads under control of the generated data; and placing a portion of the printed coating in contact with an objects and transferring the image to the object. The printed medium may be incorporated into a mold. Alternatively, this may be accomplished by: providing a digitally controlled color printer having a plurality of print heads; feeding the objects to be printed upon past the printer; and operating the print heads under control of the generated digital data to print the color images on the objects.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing graphic samples of mass customized graphic designs on objects, in either real or virtual form that includes software allowing a user to capture and record keystrokes. The invention operates by incorporating a communications link that includes a public communications network, such as the Internet, along with an electronically coupled user computer and a central computer for proactively merging, manipulating and compiling images to produce output data in the form of virtual items associated with distributed items.

Abstract: A system and process for placing printed color images on a series of objects including: generating digital data representing a plurality of different color images; providing a print medium composed of a substrate carrying a releasable coating which is formulated to retain printing inks; supplying the generated digital data to a digitally controlled color printer having a plurality of print heads; feeding the print medium through the printer while operating the print heads under control of the generated data; and placing a portion of the printed coating in contact with an objects and transferring the image to the object. The printed medium may be incorporated into a mold.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for placing printed color images on a series of objects, by: generating digital data representing a plurality of different color images; providing a print medium composed of a substrate carrying a coating which is releasable from the substrate and is formulated to retain printing inks; providing a digitally controlled color printer having a plurality of print heads; supplying the generated digital data to the printer; feeding the print medium through the printer and past the print heads while operating the print heads under control of the generated data to print the color images on the coating; and placing a portion of the coating on which an image has been printed in contact with one of the objects and transferring the image to the object.

Abstract: A method of halftoning over a region of output pixels by defining large halftone cells corresponding to regions of contiguous pixels and partitioning the larger halftone cells into smaller halftone cells is disclosed. The number of levels of gray determined by the number of pixels within the larger halftone cell while resolution is defined by the size of the smaller halftone cells within the larger halftone cells. A predetermined level of gray determines the number of pixels to darken within the larger halftone cell and the pixels are darkened within the smaller halftone cell according to a spot function. The larger halftone cells are partitioned into smaller halftone cells such that the larger halftone cell has exactly one center smaller halftone cell.

Abstract: A rotational register system comprising a mandrel and a roll transfer design mechanism, with a female keyway disposed on one end of the mandrel and configured to engage a male keyway on the inner surface of a pen cap to rotationally register said pen cap relative to the starting and ending point of the transfer mechanism is disclosed. There is further provided a clip attaching mechanism with a second mandrel also having a female keyway such that the seam of a design on the pen cap will be directly covered by the clip.