Abstract: A method for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layer includes the steps of: providing a substrate (102) with a plurality of walls (106), the walls cooperatively defining a plurality of spaces (108); depositing ink (110) into the plurality of spaces; controlling a temperature of the substrate so as to increase the viscosity of the ink deposited in the plurality of spaces; and solidifying the ink to form the patterned thin-film layer on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a droplet ejecting apparatus including an ejector that ejects a liquid, and a humidity regulator that includes a humidity regulating material and regulates humidity around the ejector. The invention also provides a cap for maintaining a droplet ejecting port in an airtight condition, the droplet ejecting port being for ejecting a droplet by an ink jet system, the cap including, at least in an inner wall, a humidity regulating material containing an inorganic porous material.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a linear encoder which includes a linear scale and a support section which supports one end of the linear scale, the support section including: a support member which has a holding portion that holds said one end of the linear scale and which is movable such that the holding portion moves along a predetermined path; and an elastic member which biases the support member in a direction in which tension is given to the linear scale.

Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.

Abstract: A method for forming an image is provided which forms an image, on a recording medium having no ink-receiving layer such as industrial printing paper sheets, at high image density with uniform image density without feathering of the image. A processing liquid S is discharged from a processing liquid applicator onto a recording medium P before ink droplets I are ejected from printing heads 21-24 onto the recording medium P. The amount of the processing liquid S is controlled so as to allow the processing liquid S to infiltrate entirely before the ink droplet I impacts against the recording medium P. By controlling the amount of the processing liquid S as above, the processing liquid S has infiltrated entirely into the recording medium P when the ink droplet I impacts against the recording medium P. As the result, an image is formed by ideal shape of dots D with high-quality.

Abstract: Method of printing from a printer, where the printer includes one or more maintenance firings from a printhead nozzle. Formatting a print job to be printed in determining which nozzles on a printhead require maintenance during printing of the print job. Modifying the formatted print job to include one or more maintenance firings for the nozzles requiring maintenance.

Abstract: There is described a method and a system for cleaning an ink chamber (1) of a printing unit. The system includes a storage tank (10) which via a high-pressure pump (9) is connected with a hydrophore (2). In the hydrophore a high pressure is built up, and the hydrophore is connected with cleaning nozzles (40) via a valve (5). Thus it becomes possible to inject a shot of cleaning liquid into the chamber by switching the valves (5). The cleaning nozzles are preferably designed as a mushroom-shaped plug (40) with a stem (41) which is mounted in the chamber wall and which has a circular domed top (43) of elastic, resilient material. When injecting cleaning liquid, the elastic plug will spray cleaning liquid out into the chamber, and after shutting off the pressure, there will be a self-closing effect.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head including a nozzle portion having a length in a main scanning direction that is at least equal to a width of a printing medium, a conveying unit to convey the printing medium, a driving motor to drive the conveying unit, and a cap member to cap and uncap the nozzle portion, and the conveying unit and the cap member are driven by the driving motor.

Abstract: A maintenance unit for a droplet ejecting device, includes a base frame, a sealing unit, a guiding mechanism, and a supporting part. The sealing unit is capable of sealing nozzles. The guiding mechanism is capable of moving the sealing unit, in association with a reciprocating motion of a carriage between a first position in which the sealing unit seals the nozzles and a second position in which the sealing unit separates from the nozzles. The guiding mechanism includes a first engaging part and a second engaging part that are coupled to the sealing unit. The second engaging part is provided at a side closer to a droplet ejecting region than the first engaging part. The supporting part supports the sealing unit and is in a position either just, below the first engaging part or at a side farther from the droplet ejecting region than the first engaging part when the sealing unit is in the second position.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head including a nozzle portion having a length in a main scanning direction that is at least equal to a width of a sheet of paper, a platen to move between a printing position where the platen faces the nozzle portion and supports a rear surface of the paper, and a maintenance position spaced-apart from the printing position in a sub-scanning direction, a wiping unit including a wiper to clean the nozzle portion, and a link arm having a first end portion that is rotatably connected to the wiping unit, and a second end portion that is rotatably connected to the platen. A first angle formed by a first line that connects the wiper to the first end portion and a second line that connects the first end portion and the second end portion when the platen is located at the printing position is smaller than a second angle between the first line and the second line when the platen is located at the maintenance position.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a belt transporting apparatus, a nip roller nipping a recording medium in cooperation with an outer peripheral face of a transport belt at a predetermined position, a nip-roller moving mechanism, an inkjet head, an applying unit which applies cleaning fluid to the outer peripheral face, a blade which is in contact with the outer peripheral face on a downstream side of a position where the cleaning fluid is applied to the outer peripheral face to scrape off the cleaning fluid and ink that adhere to the outer peripheral face, a travel controlling unit which controls the transport belt driving unit to cause the transport belt to travel, and a nip-roller movement controlling unit which causes the nip roller to be contacted with the outer peripheral face after an initial contact place passes the predetermined position.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus including an inkjet head including a nozzle portion having a length in a main scanning direction that is at least the same as a width of a paper to be fed therein, a platen to move between a printing position facing the nozzle portion and to support a rear surface of paper and a maintenance position that is apart from the printing position in a sub-scanning direction, and including a receiving portion to receive waste ink, a waste ink container, and a pumping unit to operate by linking with a moving operation of the platen to pump the waste ink from the receiving portion to the waste ink container.

Abstract: A carriage includes a carriage body and a carriage cover. The carriage body has a joint portion to which ink tubes are connected while being arranged in a lateral direction, and a flat plane formed from the joint portion in an extending direction of the ink tubes and carrying the ink tubes slidably in the lateral direction. The carriage cover has a pressing member attached on an upper side of the carriage body and maintaining the ink tubes in an arrangement state in the lateral direction. The ink tubes are pinched between the carriage cover and the flat plane slidably in the lateral direction.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus comprises a carriage carrying a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium transported in a predetermined direction, first and second support members, disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, in a transport direction of the recording medium, for supporting said carriage slidably by support surfaces thereof facing said recording head and an endless belt for moving said carriage reciprocally in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction wherein said carriage comprises a first contact section that comes into contact with the support surface of said first support member, and a second contact section that comes into contact with the support surface of said second support member, and a height position of a joint section of said endless belt and said carriage is at substantially the same height as a position of center of gravity of said carriage.

Abstract: There is provided a carriage driving apparatus having a first guide member and a second guide member that extend in parallel and are adjacent to each other, and a carriage disposed between the first guide member and the second guide member that queue side by side, the carriage being capable of reciprocative movement in a extending direction of the guide members by being guided by the guide members. The carriage driving apparatus including a detection strip arranged along the extending direction for detecting the position of the carriage in the extending direction, and first extending portion and second extending portion mounted respectively at one end and another end of the first guide member and extending respectively from each end so as to be perpendicular to the extending direction and a queuing direction of the guide members, the extending portions supporting the detection strip.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a carriage which carries a recording head and moves reciprocally in a main scanning direction; and a first support member and a second support member arranged on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, in a sub-scanning direction, the first support member and the second support member having a first slide surface and a second slide surface, respectively, for supporting the carriage slidably, the second support member having a third slide surface orthogonal to the second slide surface and positioned between the first slide surface and the second slide surface, and the carriage having one pair of first slidable projection sections slidable in contact with the third slide surface and one pair of second slidable projection sections facing the first sidable projection sections with the third slide surface between them, and a resilient member for resiliently energizing the second slidable projection sections.

Abstract: A carriage driving unit comprises a carriage, an timing belt, an timing belt, which is jointed to the carriage, looped around between a driving pulley attached to a driving shaft of a motor and a driven pulley attached to a driven shaft, a frame for rotatably supporting said driving shaft in a cantilever manner and a regulating projection for regulating the timing belt from displacing in a direction closer to said frame with respect to said driving pulley.

Abstract: A carriage driving apparatus has a first and a second guide members that extend, being adjacent to each other, and a carriage mounted movably to and between the, parallel queuing, guide members. The carriage is movable reciprocally along a extending direction of the first guide member and has one side thereof in parallel to the extending direction and perpendicular to a queuing direction of the guide members. The apparatus includes an extending member provided at the first guide member, extending in the queuing direction and a regulating part provided on the one side of the carriage to extend in the queuing direction such that, when the carriage receives a stress in one direction perpendicular to both the extending direction and the queuing direction, the regulating part comes into contact with the extending member to regulate displacement of the carriage along the one direction.

Abstract: A head cleaning device that includes: an ink jet recording head including a nozzle plane formed with nozzles for ejecting ink; a positioning member capable of being brought into contact with an area outside the nozzle plane; and a cleaning roller capable of defining a minute gap between its roller plane and the nozzle plane and capable of rotating while facing the roller plane toward the nozzle plane.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus, includes a stage comprising a seat area to which a substrate is seated, a nozzle head comprising a plurality of nozzles, a driving part relatively moving the nozzle head and the stage to each other along a first path traversing between a first area and a second area in a first direction, and a second path traversing between the first area and the second are in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a nozzle maintaining part interposed between the nozzle head and the stage while the nozzle head and the stage relatively move along one of the first path and the second path. Thus, the present invention provides an ink jet apparatus and an ink jetting method allowing a plurality of nozzle heads to have an optimal function.

Abstract: A method is provided for making a thin film transistor comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; applying a gate electrode ink by inkjet printing; applying a dielectric ink over by inkjet printing; applying a semiconductor ink by inkjet printing; and applying a source and drain electrode ink by inkjet printing. In some embodiments the semiconductor ink comprises a solvent and a semiconducting material comprising: 1-99.9% by weight of a polymer; and 0.1-99% by weight of a functionalized pentacene compound as described herein.

Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate that defines an ink inlet channel. A nozzle includes a static structure that extends from the substrate and surrounds the ink inlet channel. A dynamic structure surrounds the static structure and is movably mounted with respect to the static structure to define a variable-volume nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet channel. The dynamic structure further defines an ink ejection port through which ink can be ejected when the dynamic structure is moved relative to the static structure. The static structure defines an internal surface configured to facilitate ink ejection when the dynamic structure moves relative to the static structure decreasing a volume of the nozzle chamber.

Abstract: In an ink jet head using a thermal energy for ejecting ink, this invention aims to reliably and uniformly remove kogations deposited on a heat application portion in contact with the ink. To realize this objective, the upper protective layer is arranged in an area including the heat application portion so that it can be electrically connected to serve as an electrode which causes an electrochemical reaction with the ink. The upper protective layer is formed of a material containing a metal which is dissolved by the electrochemical reaction and which does not form, on heating, an oxide film which hinders the dissolution. With this arrangement, a reliable electrochemical reaction can be produced to dissolve a surface layer of the upper protective layer, thereby removing kogations on the heat application portion reliably and uniformly.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a multi-layer substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet passages and incorporates drive circuitry. Side walls extend from the substrate. A nozzle plate is positioned on the side walls and, together with the side walls, defines a plurality of nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink inlet passages and nozzles in fluid communication with respective nozzle chambers. At least one heater element is suspended in each nozzle chamber and is connected to the drive circuitry to be heated on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry to form a gas bubble in ink in the nozzle chamber so that a drop of ink is ejected from the nozzle chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink composition having at least (A) a polymerization initiator, (B) an ester or amide of (meth)acrylic acid having a 1,3-dioxolane ring skeleton or a 1,3-dioxane ring skeleton or (B?) an ester or amide of (meth)acrylic acid having a 1,3-diketone structure, and (C) a colorant. The invention further provides an inkjet recording method and a method for producing a planographic printing plate, each of which includes at least (I) ejecting the ink composition onto a hydrophilic support and (II) curing the ink composition by irradiating the ejected ink composition with active radiation so as to form a hydrophobic image region on the hydrophilic support. The invention furthermore provides a planographic printing plate formed by the method for producing a planographic printing plate.

Abstract: An ink composition includes (A) a polymerization initiator; (B) an ester or amide of a mono-functional (meth)acrylic acid having an alkylene oxide repeating unit in a molecule; and (C) a colorant, and preferably further includes (E) a sensitizing dye.

Abstract: A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a wafer assembly defining a plurality of spaced apart groups of ink supply channels and a plurality of groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements in fluid communication with respective ink supply channel groups. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber structure mounted to the wafer assembly. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement also defines a nozzle chamber for receiving ink from an ink supply channel and an ink ejection port through which ink in the nozzle chamber can be ejected. An anchor extends from the wafer assembly in a location external to the nozzle chamber. An elongate thermal actuator mechanism extends from the anchor and into the nozzle chamber. A pit is defined adjacent each nozzle chamber structure for catching ink and thereby impeding spilt ink from spreading across the printhead.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: a liquid chamber into which ink is filled; an ejection port through which the ink is ejected from the liquid chamber; a mist generation device which generates a mist from a surface of the ink inside the ejection port by applying vibration energy to the ink in the liquid chamber; an electric field generation device which generates an electric field causing the mist ejected from the ejection port to move to a recording medium; and a setting device which sets at least one of drive conditions of the mist generation device and a recording resolution in such a manner that a relationship Pt?d2 is satisfied, where d2 is an overlap-permissible diameter which is a minimum distance between centers of two mist dots formed by the mist on the recording medium that allows shapes of the two mist dots to be fixed as a prescribed shape when the two mist dots are deposited on the recording medium substantially simultaneously under substantially same ejection conditions so as to overlap part

Abstract: The liquid ejection head ejects a solution, in which charged particles are dispersed, toward a counter electrode. The head has a head substrate, a solution guide member formed on a surface of the head substrate so as to protrude and include a sharp-pointed portion having a sharply pointed tip end, with the sharp-pointed portion being which is formed by inclined surfaces and having a cross section that is reduced as a distance to the tip end is decreased, and a solution supply path having a solution outflow opening through which the solution flows out to the neighborhood of the sharp-pointed portion so as to form a solution flow around the inclined surfaces. The solution flow is formed around the tip end of the sharp-pointed portion in a direction going across the inclined surface and a part of the solution flow is guided to the tip end and is ejected as a droplet by means of an electrostatic force.

Abstract: A fluid ejection assembly includes drop ejecting elements arranged in zones, with each zone having at least one drop ejecting element, wherein the drop ejecting elements of each zone are configured to conduct electrical current between a corresponding supply voltage and a corresponding reference voltage. Up to all drop ejecting elements of a group of the drop ejecting elements are enabled to conduct at a given time, with each conducting drop ejecting element of the enabled group having a corresponding drop ejecting voltage. A zone controller is configured to provide a corresponding desired supply voltage for each zone based on at least one corresponding zone parameter of each zone. An energy controller is configured to couple across each conducting drop ejecting element of the enabled group and regulate the supply voltage for each zone based on selected corresponding drop ejecting voltages and on each zone's corresponding desired supply voltage.

Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection heads and methods for extending the life of micro-fluid ejection heads. One such micro-fluid ejection head includes a substrate having a plurality of thermal ejection actuators. Each of the thermal ejection actuators has a resistive layer and a protective layer thereon. A flow feature member is adjacent the substrate and defines a fluid feed channel, a fluid chamber associated with at least one of the actuators and in flow communication with the fluid feed channel, and a nozzle. The nozzle is offset to a side of the chamber opposite the feed channel. A polymeric layer having a degradation temperature of less than about 400° C. overlaps a portion of the at least one actuator associated with the fluid chamber and positioned less than about five microns from at least an edge of the at least one actuator opposite the fluid feed channel.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head is arranged in a manner that in the cross section of a discharge port in a liquid discharge direction, the discharge port includes: at least one projection that is convex inside the discharge port; a first area, for holding a liquid surface connecting a pillar-shaped liquid that is elongated outside the discharge port; and second areas where a fluid resistance is lower than that in the first area so as to pull the liquid in the discharge port in a direction opposite to the liquid discharge direction; and the first area is formed in the direction in which the projection is convex, and the second areas are formed on both sides of the projection.

Abstract: A droplet discharging head comprises a pressure chamber in which fluid is filled through a channel, and a nozzle that is connected to the pressure chamber and which discharges the fluid as a droplet. After the droplet discharging head is assembled, at least the wall surfaces contacting the fluid are coated with a carbonized silicon film.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave driven fluid injection device. A substrate is provided. A channel is disposed in the substrate along a first direction containing a fluid which has an exposed surface. A first slanted fingers inter-digital transducer is disposed on one side of the channel of the substrate, wherein the first slanted fingers inter-digital transducer comprises a plurality of slanted inter-digital electrodes, and wherein the width and interval of the slanted inter-digital electrodes at one end are greater than the width and interval of the slanted inter-digital electrodes at the other end, thereby providing continuous surface acoustic wave with multiple frequencies.

Abstract: The liquid ejection head includes: a piezoelectric body which generates pressure for ejecting liquid; a pressure chamber which is connected to a nozzle; a common liquid chamber which is arranged across the piezoelectric body from the pressure chamber and has at least five molded walls that are integrally molded from a resin material; groove-shaped wires which include a first wire and a second wire and are formed on at least two of the molded walls of the common liquid chamber; a liquid supply flow channel which is provided in one of the molded walls that is adjacent to the pressure chamber in such a manner that the liquid supply flow channel is connected with the pressure chamber; and an electronic circuit which is arranged on one of the molded walls of the common liquid chamber, wherein the first wire is connected to the piezoelectric body and the second wire is connected to the electronic circuit.

Abstract: A droplet generator comprising a first unit having an elongate liquid chamber one end thereof is open and at least one raw of orifices disposed in a line oppositely to the open end in the longitudinal direction of the first unit, a second unit having an elongate diaphragm provided on the bottom of the second unit and a plurality of vibrators provided within the diaphragm area, a vibrating apparatus provided on the top of the vibrators, and a stationary section to fix the vibrating apparatus; wherein the diaphragm of the second unit is provided closely and oppositely to the open end of the liquid chamber of the first unit.

Abstract: System, jetting assembly and method for jetting viscous medium onto a substrate. The system comprises a plurality of ejector devices for jetting individual droplets of viscous medium onto the substrate, a plurality of viscous medium containers for holding and providing the viscous medium to be jetted, at least one holder for holding containers and ejector devices in a jetting machine, and a jetting machine.

Abstract: An ink-feeding device for ink-jet printing apparatus comprises an ink-containing tank (2) and at least one print head (7) connected to the tank (2). The device further comprises a metering device (3) interposed between the tank (2) and the print head (7) and provided with an inner space (10) having a planar major extension to keep the pressure of the ink feeding the print head (7) substantially constant and to improve the print quality.

Abstract: A container includes: a container main body that has a delivery path for delivering liquid stored in the inside to the outside; a sensor accommodating portion that is provided in the container main body to be located in the vicinity of an end of the delivery path; a liquid detection sensor unit that is mounted on the sensor accommodating portion, and has a sensor cavity that receives the liquid as a detection object, a bottom surface of the sensor cavity being opened to receive the liquid, and a sensor chip that has a vibrating plate for closing a top surface of the sensor cavity and a piezoelectric element disposed on a top surface of the vibrating plate; a sensor receiving wall that defines a part of the sensor accommodating portion, and having a first communicating port that allows the liquid stored in the inside to flow into the sensor cavity, and a second communicating port that allows the liquid stored in the sensor cavity to flow to the outside; and an elastic seal member that seals between the sensor

Abstract: An image recording apparatus that includes: a conductive cable and an ink supply tube each of which is fixed to a carriage at one end thereof and to an apparatus body at the other end thereof and is routed to form a curved portion; and a turn supporting member including an arm, a carrying portion provided on the arm, and a holding portion provided on the arm. The holding portion slidably holds a predetermined part of the ink tube. The flat cable is slidably supported on the carrying portion. The arm is supported on a turn supporting point on the apparatus body located at an inner part of the curved portion of each of the flat cable and the ink tube and is led from the turn supporting point in a substantially horizontal direction.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ink jet cartridge comprising, forming a porous core in the shape of a flow passage; placing the porous core in an ink jet cartridge mold; and injecting a molten material around the porous core. An ink jet cartridge for an ink jet printer having a porous core in the shape of a flow passage; an ink jet cartridge body formed by injecting a molten material around the porous core, wherein the ink jet cartridge body comprises a chamber configured to contain ink, and further wherein the porous core is in fluid communication with the ink in the chamber; and a printhead provided on the ink jet cartridge body and including ink ejection nozzles and ink ejectors, wherein the ink ejection nozzles are in fluid communication with the porous core.

Abstract: A package suitable for containing marking material used in a printing machine. The package includes a package surface adapted to engage one or more surfaces of the printing machine and a material identifier mechanism for verifying the marking material. The package may also include a material pouch, which is adapted to contain the marking material, joined with or formed in the package surface. Alternatively, the package may include a carrier adapted to engage one or more surfaces of the printing machine and a material pouch joined with the carrier. Other aspects include a method of remanufacturing a package suitable for containing marking material used in a printing machine.

Abstract: An ink recharge system capable of repeatedly charging a proper amount of ink in an ink cartridge using magnetostrictive displacement transducers and a method of recharging ink in the ink cartridge are provided. The ink cartridge recharge system for an inkjet printer includes a compressor and a positive pressure tank providing compression force for supplying the ink stored in magnetostrictive displacement transducers to an ink cartridge, magnetostrictive displacement transducers for charging a proper amount of ink, a vacuum pump and a negative pressure tank for making the inside of the ink cartridge vacuous, and a pneumatic tube divided from a positive pressure tank and a vacuum tube divided from a negative pressure tank connected to pneumatic regulators of the magnetostrictive displacement transducers through the pneumatic solenoid valve.

Abstract: An inkjet printer cradle that has a body configured to correctly position a removable inkjet cartridge within an inkjet printer, the removable inkjet cartridge having a printhead and an air inlet. The cradle has an air compressor for supplying compressed air to the air inlet of the removable inkjet cartridge such that an outlet from the air compressor couples with the air inlet upon engagement with the removable inkjet cartridge into the body. The cradle also provides a print media transport assembly for transporting print media past the printhead when the removable inkjet cartridge is positioned by the body.

Abstract: An apparatus is used with an ink jet print head in an ink jet printer. The apparatus includes a print head protector that surrounds a print head. A substantially continuous slot is provided along a perimeter of the bracket and a filter is located in the substantially continuous slot. An inlet in fluid communication with the substantially continuous slot enables a positive pressure air supply to be coupled to the inlet. The air entering the inlet flows through the filter in the slot and the filtered air flows outwardly away from the print head.

Abstract: An ink path structure and an inkjet printhead including an ink chamber to be filled with ink to be ejected, a nozzle through which the ink in the ink chamber is ejected, an ink feed hole to supply the ink to the ink chamber, and a restrictor connecting the ink chamber and the ink feed hole, the restrictor including a flow resistance control portion in which an ink path toward the ink feed hole is formed to be longer than an ink path toward the ink chamber such that a flow resistance toward the ink feed hole greater than a flow resistance toward the ink chamber.

Abstract: A machine, such as a phase change or solid ink printing apparatus, has at least one multiple supply unit in the form of an ink stick disposed therein. The ink stick has an electronically-readable memory device associated therewith, and the memory device has stored therein electronic data related to the ink stick and readable by the machine. The memory device may be attached to the ink stick and removed before the ink stick is used for printing in the machine. In another aspect, the memory device is attached to a container for the ink stick. The container may be a cartridge for use in the machine, or a container for packaging the ink stick. The machine may include a coupler configured to read electronic data from the memory device while the memory device is positioned external to the printing apparatus, thus allowing the machine to verify the suitability of the ink stick before it is installed in the machine.

Abstract: Problem to be Solved: To provide an ink composition having high reliability in terms of clogging or the like and compatibly having all of light fastness, gas fastness and moisture resistance. Means to Solve the Problem: An ink composition comprising at least water, at least one member selected from a compound represented by formula (1) shown below and a salt thereof, and at least one member selected from an aromatic compound having a carboxyl group and a salt thereof: Formula (1): In formula (1), A represents a residue of a 5-membered heterocyclic diazo component A-NH2; B1 and B2 each represents —CR1? or —CR2?, or either one of B1 and B2 represents a nitrogen atom and the other represents —CR1? or —CR2?; R5 and R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group or the like; and G, R1 and R2 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink comprising at least a pigment, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a lithium ion and one or more of cation other than the lithium ion, which can be applied particularly favorably for an inkjet method; an ink set at least comprises the ink and/or a processing solution containing at least an aggregating agent; a recording method and a recording device using the ink set in which the ink and the processing solution are applied so as to contact with each other to form an image onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a holding face, an inkjet head including plural nozzles arranged along a predetermined direction correspondingly with a predetermined resolution, a first moving mechanism which performs a first movement of moving at least one of the inkjet head and the holding member in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, a second moving mechanism which performs a second movement of moving the holding member in the predetermined direction, and a first movement controlling unit which controls the first moving mechanism to perform the first movement first and second times. In the second time, the inkjet head and the holding member are moved in directions that are opposite to directions in the first time. A second movement controlling unit controls the second moving mechanism to, after the first movement for the first time, perform the second movement by one half of a distance corresponding to the predetermined resolution.