Abstract: A solid ink jet nugget is contained in a first sleeve having opposite open ends and a flap at one open end movable into the sleeve towards the other open end. A second sleeve is placed about the first sleeve with its opposite ends directed generally at right angles to the direction of the open ends of the first sleeve. The second sleeve is then heat-shrunk on the first sleeve to close the open ends of the first sleeve. Prior to loading into an ink jet apparatus, the second sleeve is removed and the flap is pushed into the first sleeve against the nugget to discharge the nugget from the open end and into the ink jet apparatus.

Abstract: A plotter for recording data from a modulated laser beam onto a recording medium mounted covering the aperture of an aperture card wherein the aperture is located toward one end of the aperture card with a blank margin on either side of the aperture, the plotter including an aperture card supply module for supplying the aperture card from a plurality of aperture cards, a carriage module having a recording station and a platen member for stepping the aperture card past the recording station, a laser scanning module for scanning a row of data from the modulated laser beam laterally across the recording medium through the recording station as the recording medium is stepped past the recording station by the platen member, a dry developer module for developing the data recorded on the recording medium by the laser scanning module, a feed path from the aperture card supply module through the carriage module and the dry developer module, and transport apparatus for transporting the aperture card along the feed path