Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a customized content, comprising identifying a customizable content from which to produce the customized content, identifying a base content in the customizable content, and receiving at least one customizing criterion as input. The method further comprises determining a plurality of content modifiers for harmonizing the base content and the customizing criterion, extracting the plurality of content modifiers from a modification library, and integrating the plurality of content modifiers with the base content to produce the customized content. In one embodiment, the method is embodied as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. A system for producing customized content comprises a content host hosting a customizable content including a base content, a modification library, and a content customizing application.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to control apparatus and methods of a printing system, for example, comprising an intermediate transfer member (ITM) and to user-related features of a printing system. Some embodiments relate to regulation of a velocity and/or tension and/or length of the ITM. Some embodiments relate to regulation of deposition of ink on the moving ITM. Some embodiments regulate to apparatus configured to alert a user of one or more events related to operation of the ITM. Some embodiments relate to a time-line GUI for visualizing and/or manipulating queued print jobs which may be employed. Some embodiments relate to a reversed augmented reality GUI for visualization and/or control of the printing system. In some embodiments, a display screen is mounted to a printer housing and/or able to control access to moving parts of a printing system.

Abstract: A method for generating a user-customized computer-generated animation includes receiving digital content and determining a modifiable portion of the digital content. The digital content includes a computer-generated animation. A design template is received, where the design template includes a representation of the modifiable portion of the digital content. Template image data is generated by performing image analysis on the representation of the modifiable portion of the digital content. A revised portion of the digital content is generated based on the template image data, where the revised portion is a revised version of the modifiable portion of the digital content. Updated digital content that includes a version of the computer-generated animation with the revised portion of the digital content is generated and displayed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transfer drum including a transfer section and a non-transfer section which are moved cyclically, a print unit forming an ink image by discharging ink to the transfer section, a transfer unit transferring the ink image to a print medium, liquid absorbing member absorbing a liquid component from the ink image on the transfer section, a driving unit moving the liquid absorbing member, and a control unit. When a position at which the liquid absorbing member absorbs the liquid component from the ink image on the transfer section is defined as a liquid absorbing position, the control unit controls the driving unit such that a predetermined portion in which liquid absorbing performance of the liquid absorbing member degrades passes through the liquid absorbing position while the non-transfer section passes through the liquid absorbing position.

Abstract: The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with a region including a nozzle face of the liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid from nozzles formed in the nozzle face such that the cleaning member is capable of cleaning the liquid ejecting head, the cleaning member having a pile section in which a plurality of pile elements are raised in a portion of the cleaning member in contact with the region of the liquid ejecting head.

Abstract: Methods for forming an enclosed liquid metal (LM) drop inside a sealed cavity by formation of LM components as solid LM component layers and reaction of the solid LM component layers to form the LM drop. In some embodiments, the cavity has boundaries defined by layers or features of a microelectronics (e.g. VLSI-CMOS) or MEMS technology. In such embodiments, the methods comprise implementing an initial microelectronics or MEMS process to form the layers or features and the cavity, sequential or side by side formation of solid LM component layers in the cavity, sealing of the cavity to provide a closed space and reaction of the solid LM components to form a LM alloy in the general shape of a drop. In some embodiments, nanometric reaction barriers may be inserted between the solid LM component layers to lower the LM eutectic formation temperature.

Abstract: A method of printing with an inkjet printer including a printhead, a star wheel located downstream from the printhead, and an adjustable biaser coupled to the star wheel. The method comprises analyzing print data to identify an area of printing to be printed on a sheet of print media that aligns with the star wheel; calculating the density of the printing in the identified area of printing; printing the identified area of printing; determining whether the calculated density exceeds a density criteria, and if so then using the adjustable biaser to lift the star wheel off of the sheet before the printed area of printing reaches the star wheel; advancing the printed area of printing past the star wheel; and using the adjustable biaser lowering the star wheel onto the sheet after the printed area of printing has advanced past the star wheel.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a print on a recording medium includes a printhead providing drops of hydrophilic liquid. A hydrophobic drop-retention layer of an intermediate member receives the drops in cells including ion donors, forming a liquid pattern corresponding to image data. The ion donor in liquid-containing cells dissolves into ions. A transport member brings the recording medium into contact with the liquid pattern on the intermediate member. A voltage source applies a bias across the recording medium in contact with the liquid pattern to move ions to form a charge pattern corresponding to the liquid pattern on the recording medium. A development station applies charged dry ink to the recording medium bearing the charge pattern, so that a dry ink image corresponding to the image data is formed on the recording medium.

Abstract: According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods and systems that incorporate a model predictive controller (MPC) in an image reproduction machine with known disturbance information. The MPC uses the control action at a current time in order to minimize the impact of an impending disturbance as well as to maximize current control performance. The impending disturbance is used by the MPC to determine an incremental change that combines steady state and transient state impact on the image reproduction machine. Disturbance such as print media type, image content type, physical dimension of the print media, weight of the print media, and print job data can be employed. Further, control of the image reproduction machine is generated in real time over a receding horizon, for the purpose of minimizing a cost function indicative of image variation, energy consumption, or the like.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport part which includes a transport belt to transport a printing medium, an image forming part which transfers a toner to form a color image, and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a test image for color registration of the image forming part on the transport belt while an image is formed for a plurality of printing media. Thus, both a test image and a plurality of printed media are formed during a single printing process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing on at least one page of a print media is disclosed. The apparatus includes a removable media handling device that directs the printed media to a first location or a second location, the second location functions as a finishing stage to perform a finishing step on the print media. The removable media handling device includes a media diverter to direct the media to either the first or second location. The image forming apparatus also includes a housing, a print engine to fix an image representing data to the page of print media, a formatter to supply data to the print engine, the formatter being configured to supply a first set of data representing the side of the page to be printed and a second set of data to provide instructions on the output of the printed page, and print media supplier to supply pages of print media to the print engine from a stack of print media pages having leading edges.

Abstract: A structure for a transport path for a recording material within a transfer portion varies between a margin-less print mode and a normal print mode. A necessity of cleaning of a transfer member also varies between both modes. Thus, provided is an image forming apparatus in which the structure of the transfer portion is switched between the normal print and the margin-less print, and the margin-less print cannot be carried out with a structure of the transfer portion for the normal print. This is because, when the so-called margin-less print is carried out with the structure of the transfer portion for the normal print, there is a possibility that an image defect of a print image to be outputted is caused, or a stain of toner on a rear surface of the recording material is caused.

Abstract: In a beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of pairs of transfer rollers are placed side by side at intervals along a conveying direction of sheets. A control section independently conveys sheets in sequence through nip sections of respective pairs of transfer rollers driven by a driving section while sequentially transferring images formed by an imaging section onto the sheets. Conveying speeds of the respective pairs of transfer rollers controlled by the driving section are gradually decreased for every pair of transfer rollers from an upstream side toward a downstream side along a conveying direction of the sheets, and consequently, a driving period for driving the respective pairs of transfer rollers to convey each sheet is gradually increased for every pair of transfer rollers from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport part which includes a transport belt to transport a printing medium, an image forming part which transfers a toner to form a color image, and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a test image for color registration of the image forming part on the transport belt while an image is formed for a plurality of printing media. Thus, both a test image and a plurality of printed media are formed during a single printing process.

Abstract: A printing apparatus in which it is possible to set proper correction data by eliminating an erroneous operation of an operator is constructed. A code indicating the type of used printing paper P is formed on a test chart TC. When the correction data is generated, a printing paper type specifying section 25B of correction data generating means 25 judges whether the printing paper is proper or not based on the code, by setting the test chart TC on a flatbed scanner 5 and performing pre-scan on it. If it is the test chart TC using proper printing paper, then the density data in a plurality of pixel lines constituting the chart is acquired and the correction data is generated by performing the main scan, and the correction data is stored in a correction table 35 in association with the type of the printing paper.

Abstract: A control part comprises a division location setting part for setting a division location based on an image data; a scan start position setting part for setting scan start positions of recording heads based on the division location; an image data division part for dividing an image data by the division location; and a head movement control part for controlling movement of the recording heads. The division location setting part sets a division location in a blank area having no pixel to be recorded in the primary scanning direction, in the case of publication printing, in a center margin area between page data. Since the recording heads perform scanning concurrently their respective areas that are divided by the division location, no deterioration in image continuity occurs between the recording heads. This permits an image recorder, though having plural recording heads, capable of performing concurrent recordings without loss of continuity.

Abstract: A decomposed original video sequence includes one or more original camera-motion layers and zero or more original fixed-frame layers decomposed from an original video sequence. The decomposed original video sequence is edited by editing at least one of the original camera-motion layers to obtain modified camera-motion layers such that each frame of a composite modified video sequence composed from the modified camera-motion layers and the original fixed-frame layers is obtained without editing each frame of said original video sequence. The editing comprises performing an edge operation to one of said original camera-motion layers.

Abstract: A device for driving an endless belt of the present invention includes a drive roller and a roller pair adjoining the drive roller at a side where a photoconductive element is positioned and contacting the belt. The eccentricity of the drive roller and that of the roller pair are reduced to reduce the variation of belt speed when the drive roller is controlled at a preselected angular velocity. Even when the drum is eccentric, the device stably operates integrally with the belt without any slip or oscillation.

Abstract: A tandem type color image forming device having a plurality of process cartridges each being detachable from a frame. An intermediate image transfer belt extends vertically, and the process cartridges are arrayed in the vertical direction and supported by the frame. Each process cartridge installs therein a developing unit and a photosensitive drum, and each photosensitive drum is in confrontation with the belt. A front cover is provided in front of the process cartridges. If viewing from the front, when the front cover is opened, the process cartridges are accessible without any interference with ambient components, and the belt is positioned behind the process cartridges.

Abstract: A printing method using at least one transfer roller, whose roller surface is charged with a coating material, for example a toner. The coating material is directly or indirectly transferred from the transfer roller to a support surface of a transfer element, before being transferred at least partially from the transfer element to a workpiece to be coated. According to this invention, the transfer element has a stretching element which forms the support surface and the support surface is stretched in the direction of the surface by a stretching device. This ensures that this method can also be used to easily coat 3-dimensional surfaces which are curved in space.

Abstract: A recording intermediate belt 15 which is made endless so as to travels around a continuous path has image formation areas and non-image formation areas alternately provided on an outer surface thereof. Images of different colors are sequentially formed in the image formation areas by recording heads 21b through 23b respectively provided in first through third image formation sections 21 through 23. The recording heads 21b through 23b of the first through third image formation sections 21 through 23 are separated from each other by a distance which is greater than a length of an image formation area in a traveling direction of the recording intermediate belt 15. The recording heads 21b through 23b are each pressed onto the recording intermediate belt 15 in a non-image formation area immediately preceding an image formation area and starts an image formation operation.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a drying apparatus within a sheet-fed printing machine, in particular, a sheet-fed offset printing machine, with a device for acting upon the moving sheets with air and/or heat. The present invention is based on the objective of expanding a drying apparatus of this type in such a way that the drying effect is improved. According to the invention, this is achieved due to the fact that the apparatus contains an electrode (E) and a corresponding counter-electrode, wherein the electrode is connected to a high-voltage source (HV) and a high voltage is applied to the electrode by the high-voltage source in dependence on the operation of the sheet-fed printing machine and/or the length of the sheets (B).

Abstract: An image transfer system comprising an endless belt serving as an image carrier and passing through a first processing station where it is maintained at a low temperature and through a second processing station where it is maintained at a higher temperature, and a heat exchanger formed by two portions of said belt moving in opposite directions and held in sliding contact with each other by a pressing member, the pressing member being a deflecting roller that co-rotates with the belt portion that is directly in contact therewith.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus which draws a recording material from a roll to an image recording station along a longitudinal direction of the recording material. A recording head is gradually moved (sub-scanning) along a widthwise direction of the recording material while reciprocating (main scanning) along the longitudinal direction of the recording material. Recording liquid drops are discharged from nozzles of the recording head and adhere to the recording material, thereby concurrently recording a plurality of images along the longitudinal direction of the recording material. A portion of the recording material where the plurality of images are recorded is cut and separated by a first cutter, and this portion is conveyed along the longitudinal direction. Solvent included in the adhered recording liquid drops is removed, and a transparent film is formed. The recording material is then cut by a second cutter into individual images.

Abstract: A heat developing method conveying, to make a heating processing on a heater surface, a heat developable image recording material is disclosed in which an image forming layer and a protection layer are formed using a polymer latex as a binder on one side of a support made prepared by subjecting a polyester biaxially drawn and crystallized with orientation to a thermal relaxation processing at a temperature equal to or higher than 130° C. and equal to or lower than 200° C.

Abstract: A temperature differential over a length of a fuser can result from a thermal load applied to the fuser by media having a dimension, corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the fuser, less then the length of the fuser. The temperature on regions of the surface of the fuser contacting the media is lower than on regions of the surface not contacting the media. With feedback used to control the fuser surface temperature near its center, the fuser surface temperature in regions not contacting the media can become hot enough to damage the fuser. With a heat pipe included in the fuser, heat flows from the higher temperature regions on the surface of the fuser to the lower temperature regions on the surface of the fuser, thereby reducing the peak magnitude of the fuser surface temperature and the magnitude of the temperature differential over the length of the fuser.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus comprises a heat-developing section for heat-developing a latent image formed on a photo/heat-sensitive material sheet in which antistatic agent is added, and conveying rollers made of resin for conveying the photo/heat-sensitive material sheet along a sheet feeding path including at least the heat-developing section.

Abstract: A laser printer which includes a photosensitive belt of a loop type having a seam at a portion where the ends overlap. The photosensitive belt circulates around a driving roller, a steering roller and a transfer backing roller, as well as passes between the transfer backing roller and a transfer roller. The laser printer also includes a distance controller which moves the transfer backing roller toward and away from the transfer roller.

Abstract: A printer to print images on a continuous web. The printer has a print station at which the images are printed on the web. A web transport transports the web in a lengthwise direction through the print station. The web transport including a slack loop station having a web feeder and a web receiver. These are spaced apart from one another to transport a web in the lengthwise direction while establishing a web slack loop therebetween which extends in a first direction. The web transport also includes a web proximity sensor which is directed along the first direction to measure a distance between the sensor and the slack loop. A method of printing images on a continuous web is also provided.

Abstract: For cleaning the print heads of an electrographic printer, a cleaning strip (900) or a lapping strip (1000) is applied to a medium (10) which moves through the printer. The strip (900 or 1000) is first positioned between fiducial marks printed on the medium (10). Then a solvent or other "conditioning agent" is optionally applied to the strip. Then the strip is moved backward into the printer and positioned over at least one electrographic print head (40). The medium (10) is optionally moved back and forth and/or the print head (40) is optionally moved back and forth. This action accomplishes cleaning or lapping of the electrographic print head. After use, the strip, still affixed to the medium (10) is moved away from the printing area and printing resumes. The process is equally applicable in single-pass and multi-pass printers.

Abstract: A color electrophotographic printer having a printing process which records a toner image of one color or two colors in a pixel by one exposure. The color electrophotographic printer includes a memory which stores exposure data corresponding to respective pixels of input data of an image, a photosensitive body and at least one charger which charges the photosensitive body. At least one exposing machine exposes respective pixels on the photosensitive body based on the exposure data and a developing machine develops toner of one color or two colors in the exposed respective pixels and forms a toner image. A transfer machine transfers the toner image onto a printing medium and a fixing machine having a belt which fixes the transferred toner image on the printing medium. The belt is controlled so that a relative speed difference occurs between the printing medium and the belt at a position along the belt at least when the developed toner of two colors in one pixel of an image of the printing medium is fixed.

Abstract: A color copy machine is equipped with four image forming sections for forming images of different color components based on image data items relating to separated color components. A conveyance belt is provided below each image forming section. To avoid forming of a displaced image on a recording paper sheet P conveyed by the conveyance belt, pattern data for prevention of a displaced image is synthesized with image data. Each image forming section forms color patterns on predetermined portions of the conveyance belt on the basis of the synthesized data. The main-scanning directional displacement of each color pattern can be detected by comparing the numbers of those sensed line segments of the patterns which are sensed by a sensor. Then, the image forming positions are adjusted so that the numbers of the sensed line segments will be equal to each other.

Abstract: A digital positioning system has a carrier in the form of a belt with a work surface and arrays of first and second conductors extending under that surface generally parallel to one another, each second conductor being spaced close to a first conductor to define a narrow gap between them. A voltage source applies a potential difference between the conductors to produce electrostatic fields which can attract and hold a substrate to said carrier work surface. Monitoring means are provided to enabling the longitudinal and lateral positions of the belt to be monitored to produce control signals to shift work elements operating on selected locations of the substrate at successive work stations to compensate for unwanted movements of the belt.

Abstract: A device for use in the technique of direct electrostatic printing (DEP) on an intermediate or final substrate is described, comprising:a receiving member support 5a printhead structure 6 having control electrodes 6a on its back side, in combination with apertures 7 and at least one common shield electrode 6b on the front side ;a toner delivery means 1 presenting a cloud 4 of toner particles in the vicinity of the apertures 7.The printhead structure 6 is made of a plastic isolating substrate, and has at least two rows of apertures. Preferentially each row has one common shield electrode (6b, 6c) at the front side of the printhead structure. The individual control electrodes on the back side are galvanically isolated per aperture from each other and from each shield electrode. The control electrodes are arranged around the apertures. The size or diameter of the apertures of one row is substantially different from the size of the apertures of a second row.

Abstract: An accent color printer for printing on a continuous web of material has spaced apart drums, and a flexible continuous belt positioned around the drums. The belt defines a transport path having an arcuate portion at one of the drums. A platen cooperates with the belt to define a curvilinear print region for said transport path. An input module positions a continuous web onto the moving belt. Print heads positioned adjacent the belt print accent colors onto the web at the print region. An outfeed module removes the web from the belt at arcuate portion of the transport path and tensions the removed web whereby the web forms a capstan wrap with the belt at the arcuate portion of the transport path. The capstan wrap results in the tension in the web at the printer region being increased from the tension in the web removed from the belt.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having an endless transferring and conveying device for conveying a recording medium and electrostatically transferring a toner image from an image carrier to the medium, the mechanical operation of an image forming section is interrupted throughout the duration of preselected image processing executed by image processing means. As a result, the amount of toner to reach a cleaning section assigned to the endless transferring and conveying means is reduced. This frees the recording medium from contamination ascribable to defective cleaning and thereby insures attractive images.

Abstract: A media sensing system monitors the movement of media along the media pathway (76) as a sheet of printing medium (56) is transported through the printer 50. The media sensing system permits a hand fed sheet of printing medium (56) to be detected by a sensor (302) and signal to be sent to inactivate a print media pick roller (122) that automatically feeds print media. The sensing system senses the transport of print media (56) by print media transport rollers (140, 142) detecting media sheet size, activates the transfer process of an image from the liquid intermediate transfer surface on the transfer drum (54) to a sheet of print medium (56) after pausing the sheet of print medium to synchronize its movement along the media pathway with the imaging process, and activating the preheater (60) to heat the print medium (56) prior to image transfer and fusing. The sensing system senses the exit of the print medium (56) from the media exit rollers (212, 220) for delivery to an output tray (68).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transferring a toner image from an endless belt to a receiving material positioned on a flat plate. The toner image is formed by image-forming drums on a part of the belt movable continuously along the drums and is transferred to the receiving material, starting at the leading edge of the toner image and ending at the trailing edge of the toner image. For allowing the latter, an increasable loop is formed in the belt before the image-transfer station and a reducible loop is formed in the belt after the image-transfer station. The loops in the belt are held taut by moving tension rollers in planes forming an acute angle .alpha. with the flat plate, whereby at the image-transfer station the belt forms a constant angle .beta. with the flat plate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a means for forming colorant holding regions on the image carrier, the colorant holding regions having better ink or developing agent holding properties than the image carrier, a means for supplying a colorant to the colorant holding regions, and a means for transferring the colorant, held in the colorant holding regions, onto a printing medium.

Abstract: A linear printhead writer assembly includes a linear source of radiation such as an LED printhead, and an elongated linear focusing device such as a linear lens array, and a support housing for supporting both the source of radiation and focusing device in a fixed relation with respect to each other and to an exposure locus. A positioning bar is supported by the support housing and engages a web image member to position the image member with respect to the exposure locus. The writer is preferably used with an image member having a radiation-sensitive layer on a side opposite the writer and is particularly adapted for exposing a charged image member already containing a toner image as part of a process to create a two-color image on the image member. The focusing device is held in the writer assembly by a coupling with a pair of end supports, each coupling allowing thermal expansion of the lens support and also isolating the lens support from vibration transmitted through the support housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying an image recording sheet comprises a conveyor belt for conveying an image recording sheet, which can be attracted by magnetic attraction and is placed on a front surface of the conveyor belt. A magnet device is located on the side of a back surface of the conveyor belt and causes the image recording sheet to be held on a front surface of a conveyor belt by magnetic attraction such that the image recording sheet may be in close contact with the front surface of the conveyor belt. The magnet device comprises a belt support member and magnet bodies. The a belt support member is provided with support surface portions, which are in contact with the back surface of the conveyor belt and which support the conveyor belt at a predetermined height position, and re-entrant portions, which sink to positions lower than the support surface portions. The support surface portions and the re-entrant portions are located alternately.

Abstract: A latent electrostatic image is formed on a rotatable latent image carrying body in a matrix form by an electrostatic recording head. An encoder outputs a pulse signal having a period which reflects a rotational speed of the latent image carrying body. A timing signal to be used for driving the recording head is generated based on the pulse signal and control information which has been produced based on the pulse signal and indicates a proper drive period of the timing signal. In another method, the period of the pulse signal is corrected so as to become consistent with a pitch, in the rotational direction of the latent image carrying body, of matrix elements of the recording head. The timing signal is generated based on the corrected pulse signal.