Abstract: In a printer, when a storage print job is a print job for execution of carbon-copy printing, a controller performs: creating a plurality of bit map data by rasterizing page-description-language data contained in the storage print job a plurality of times; storing the created bit map data; and controlling an image former to print images based on the stored bit map data when a print instruction for the storage print job is received. When the storage print job is a print job not for execution of the carbon-copy printing, the controller performs: storing the page-description-language data contained in the storage print job; when the print instruction for the storage print job is received, rasterizing the stored page-description-language data to create bit map data; and controlling the image former to print an image based on the created bit map data.

Abstract: Provided are: a transfer medium supply unit that supplies a transfer medium for image formation; a storage unit that records supply unit setting information regarding the transfer medium supply unit and transfer medium information regarding the transfer medium; and a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus, wherein the control unit allows setting, in the supply unit setting information, the transfer medium information of the transfer medium to be used in the transfer medium supply unit, records the supply unit setting information including the set transfer medium information in the storage unit, and when the set transfer medium information is changed in the supply unit setting information, sets history information of the transfer medium information in the supply unit setting information including the changed transfer medium information and records the history information in the storage unit.

Abstract: An ink ribbon includes a core and a mounting section. The core is configured to be wound with an ink ribbon tape. The mounting section is mounted with an identification information recording part in which identification information of the ink ribbon tape is recorded to be inputtable and outputtable. The mounting section includes at least one hole section which supports at least one end portion of the core to be rotatable. The mounting section covers at least a part of the core via the ink ribbon tape wound around the core in a state where the core is rotatable.

Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus in which when paper information is set for a paper holding unit, it can be determined whether to set paper information already stored in a paper brand database or generate new paper information and set the newly generated paper information for the paper holding unit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a printer includes an image forming unit, a coloring conversion unit, and a deterring unit. The image forming unit forms an image from a temperature-sensitive ink whose color is changed depending on a temperature on a medium. The coloring conversion unit converts a coloring state of the image of the temperature-sensitive ink by heating or cooling the image of the temperature-sensitive ink. The deterring unit provided between the coloring conversion unit and the image forming unit deters an air heated or cooled by the coloring conversion unit from flowing toward the image forming unit.

Abstract: A printer includes a recording unit that executes on a recording medium, a recording operation under a sublimation transfer scheme; a conveying unit that using a protrusion roller having protrusions protruding toward an outer periphery and abutting a first surface of the recording medium, conveys the recording medium to a recording position for the recording operation; a pseudo recorded image data producing unit that produces pseudo recorded image data that includes pseudo pixels obtained by correcting a density of each predetermined pixel that is determined corresponding to an arrangement pattern of the protrusions on the protrusion roller and is determined from among pixels to be recorded in a second area that excludes a first area that is in contact with the protrusions, on the first surface of the conveyed recording medium; and a recording control unit that controls the recording unit based on the pseudo recorded image data.

Abstract: The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can also measure the conditions of the environment surrounding the system.

Abstract: A printer includes a thermal head including a line head in which heating elements are arranged in a straight line, a feed device being configured to feed a printing medium in a vertical scanning direction, and a control device being configured to control the feed device and the thermal head, the printer performing printing by forming a print dot by heating on the printing medium. Each iteration of the pulse application cycle is a time period from a main heating starting time to a next main heating starting time. The control device, in a case where the main heating is not performed on a second heating element adjacent in a main scanning direction to a first heating element, is configured to perform printing by using a first mode, in which applying of a first sub-pulse to the second heating element is performed starting from the main heating starting time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring an image of predetermined length onto a substrate by selective energization of a row of printing elements in a printhead of a printing apparatus. Operational characteristics of the printing apparatus are determined, and the image is rendered such that the number of rows of the pixels in the rendered image is no greater than the maximum number of rows of pixels which can be printed in the length of the image given the operational characteristics of the printing apparatus. Additional rows of pixels may be printed between pairs of rows of printed which correspond to consecutive rows in the rendered image. The pixel content of each additional row is a function of the pixel content of the adjacent pairs of rows.

Abstract: A printing image data generating device generates printing image data for a thermal transfer printer that heats a thermal head generating friction force depending on grayscale values to thermally transfer ink. The printing image data generating device includes: an image data acquirer configured to acquire image data as a printing subject; a density deviation line specifying section configured to specify density deviation lines at which density after printing is estimated to deviate from desired density attributed to sudden change in the friction force; a correction-subject pixel specifying section configured to specify, as a correction-subject pixel, a pixel whose variation degree of the grayscale value is lower than a predetermined value; a correcting section configured to correct the grayscale value of the specified correction-subject pixel in such a direction as to eliminate density deviation; and a generating section configured to generate the printing image data based on image data after correction.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit forming an image on a medium by using an image forming portion; a mode setting unit setting an image forming mode of plural image forming modes, the plural image forming modes setting, at a time of forming the image, different image forming conditions for the image forming portion included in the image forming unit; an adjusting unit performing adjustment of an image forming condition in the image forming mode; and a measuring unit individually measuring, for each of the image forming modes, a progress state after the adjustment of the image forming condition is performed by the adjusting unit in the image forming mode. The adjusting unit performs the adjustment of the image forming condition when the progress state in the image forming mode exceeds a certain value in the image forming mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring an image of predetermined length onto a substrate by selective energization of a row of printing elements in a printhead of a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus may be arranged with a print ribbon located between the printhead and the substrate such that ink is selectively transferred from the ribbon to the substrate as a result of energizations of the printing elements. The image to be printed is rendered in memory as a series of rows of pixels and the apparatus is set up to download the rendered rows of pixels to the printhead successively. The relative positioning of successively printed rows of pixels on the substrate is determined by relative displacement between the printhead and the substrate. The apparatus is set up to control the positioning of the rows of pixels by controlling the delay between successive energizations of the printing elements.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a transporting section configured to transport a thermal transfer sheet; a carrying section configured to carry a thermal transfer receiving sheet; a thermal head configured to sequentially thermally transfer the color material layer and the protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the thermal transfer receiving sheet by applying thermal energy; and a controlling section configured to control the thermal energy, wherein the controlling section is configured to print an image under printing conditions where variation ?H in a thickness of the thermal transfer receiving sheet in an increase direction before and after the thermal transfer of the color material layer satisfies 0<?H, and variation ?L in the thickness of the thermal transfer receiving sheet in the increase direction before and after the thermal transfer of the protective layer satisfies ?L<0.

Abstract: Detecting a print density for the thermal paper based on the outputs of the first and second mark sensors, and adjusting print densities of the first and second thermal heads according to the detection results.

Abstract: A method of differentiating a type of heat sensitive paper is provided. The method comprises the steps of a) printing a test pattern on a surface of the heat sensitive paper using a thermal printhead, b) detecting the test pattern using an optical sensor, c) determining whether a value of an optical output of the detected test pattern is within a range previously defined in a lookup table, and d) if the value of the optical output is within the range, printing a printing data on the heat sensitive paper.

Abstract: In a thermal head control system for controlling heating energy to a thermal head perforating stencil material unrolled from a stencil material roll, the heating energy to a thermal head is controlled according to the surface condition of the stencil material. The residue of stencil material M in a stencil material roll (21b) is calculated by a residue calculating means (65) and the elapsed time of the stencil material roll from production thereof is obtained on the basis of date data on the date of production of the stencil material roll stored in a storage portion (70) of the stencil material roll (21b). Further, kind data on the kind of the stencil material stored in the storage portion (70) is obtained and the heating energy is obtained on the basis of the residue, the elapsed time and the kind data. On the basis of this heating energy, the heating action of the thermal head (22) is controlled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring an image of predetermined length onto a substrate by selective energisation of a row of printing elements in a printhead of a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus may be arranged with a print ribbon located between the printhead and the substrate such that ink is selectively transferred from the ribbon to the substrate as a result of energisations of the printing elements. The image to be printed is rendered in memory as a series of rows of pixels and the apparatus is set up to download the rendered rows of pixels to the printhead successively. The relative positioning of successively printed rows of pixels on the substrate is determined by relative displacement between the printhead and the substrate. The apparatus is set up to control the positioning of the rows of pixels by controlling the delay between successive energisations of the printing elements.

Abstract: A method for automatically adjusting the setting of a thermal printer when a new roll of media is inserted in the printer. A maximum and a minimum energy needed to print are determined. This information is used to determine a coarse energy setting. The printer next performs a series of adjustments to find the optimal setting. The optimal setting is used to set the printer automatically.

Abstract: A disc copying or recording device and a disc label printer are mounted in a common assembly, and include a printhead moveable along a guide shaft on a frame. A disc transport carriage is mounted on the same guide shaft as the printhead, can be moved along this guide shaft for picking up discs in a storage area, moving a disc to a tray or support used for recording and then to a disc tray or support for printing, and moving a finished disc to a finished disc storage region. The carriage has an arm with a disc picker that can be moved to hold and release discs in a desired location. The carriage is latched to the printhead and the printhead drive is used for moving the carriage along the guide shaft in the preferred showing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing thermal printhead thermal history temperature management by preprocessing target images are described. In one example, a thermal compensation process is applied to a target image to provide offset values in order to create a compensated image that is later printed without local printhead thermal compensation.

Abstract: A thermal head printer with image-invariant printing speeds for printing a substantially light-insensitive thermographic material having a print density-driving power level characteristic, the thermal head printer comprising a transport means, one or more thermal heads each having an array of heating elements, a thermal print head drive system capable of supplying power to each of the printing elements, and a calibration means based on the print density-driving power level characteristic of the thermographic material; a process for calibrating a thermal head printer with image-invariant printing speeds, the thermal head printer comprising one or more thermal heads each having an array of heating elements connected to a power supply capable of supplying a given number of heating element driving power levels from 0 to a maximum driving power level number, corresponding to Pmax, to each heating element for printing a substantially light-insensitive thermographic material by image-wise heating the thermographic m

Abstract: The invention relates to a donor for thermal imaging including a base and dye layer, wherein said dye layer includes yellow dye and binder in a ratio of about 0.63, and said base has a thickness of between 4 to 4.75 micrometers.

Abstract: In a color thermal printer, a thermal head has an array of heating elements, arranged in a main scan direction, for thermal recording to respectively pixels on thermosensitive recording material. The recording material is moved relative to the thermal head in a sub scan direction crosswise to the main scan direction, to record an image to the recording material according to image data. The recording material includes two lateral edges, opposed to each other, for extending in the sub scan direction. In the thermal printer, the image is recorded in a region extending to the two lateral edges on the recording material according to the image data. Density of two edge portions of the image disposed along the two lateral edges are lowered by processing the image data, to prevent occurrence of scorch on the two lateral edges.

Abstract: A master making device of the present invention includes a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged in an array in the main scanning direction. A platen roller forms a nip between it and the thermal head for pressing a stencil. The platen roller is rotatable for moving the stencil in the subscanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The position of the array of heating elements in the subscanning direction is deviated, within the nip, from the center of the platen roller to the downstream side in the subscanning direction to thereby reduce the length of the perforated portion of the stencil to be moved in the nip. The device is capable of providing a master with an accurate length without regard to the kind of the stencil and insuring stable conveyance of the stencil.

Abstract: A printing system, a thermal printer, a printer driver, a printing control method, and a data storage medium control the printing process according to the type of thermal paper that is loaded into the printer when the paper is replaced. By appropriately controlling address selector 1103, a print head controller 811 stores black print pixel data and red print pixel data in first data buffer 1104a for storing low energy level print pixel data or second data buffer 1104b for storing high energy level print pixel data according to the type of thermal paper in use. A logic circuit unit 1105 outputs the current pattern data to the print head 152 based on the low level print pixel data and high level print pixel data.

Abstract: A printer system, a printer apparatus, a printing method, an ink ribbon and a printing medium that certainly and effectively prevent a quality of printed image from being degraded without causing trouble to a user. More concretely, the printing medium is provided with memory mechanisms and the memory mechanisms stores predetermined control data, the printer apparatus reads out the control data stored in the memory mechanisms by contactless communication and controls the photographic printing operation on the basis of the control data which is read out.

Abstract: In a card-making method and system, an authentication card is made from a raw card having a readable and writable information-storing portion formed therein, by forming the image on the front surface and/or back surface of the raw card and writing individual authentication information in the information-storing portion. Processing information of the raw card is written in the information-storing portion. The image is formed based on the processing information read from the information-storing portion. Individual authentication information of the authentication card is written in the information-storing portion after forming the image. In a heat treatment mechanism for cards, heat treatment is applied to a card having an information-storing portion arranged in part of a surface of a card body of a card, by using a light source as a heating source, to thereby fix an image to the card.

Abstract: A printing system, a thermal printer, a printer driver, a printing control method, and a data storage medium control the printing process according to the type of thermal paper that is loaded into the printer when the paper is replaced. By appropriately controlling address selector 1103, a print head controller 811 stores black print pixel data and red print pixel data in first data buffer 1104a for storing low energy level print pixel data or second data buffer 1104b for storing high energy level print pixel data according to the type of thermal paper in use. A logic circuit unit 1105 outputs the current pattern data to the print head 152 based on the low level print pixel data and high level print pixel data.

Abstract: A printer for printing onto substrates includes a housing that mounts a movable carrier for the substrates such as a compact disc or digital versatile disc. The carrier for the substrate is driven relative to the printhead while printing takes place, and a platen is provided to urge the substrate toward the printhead for printing and to a position to space the substrate from the printhead when raised surface areas of the substrate underlie the printhead. The force applied by the platen can be varied as a function of the position of the substrate as well, in addition the carrier can be driven at a variable speed selected as a function of the length of the line being printed.

Abstract: An image-forming system has an image-forming sheet, and a printer for forming an image on the sheet. The sheet has a sheet of paper, and a layer of microcapsule, coated over the paper sheet, that contains a plurality of microcapsules filled with a dye. A shell wall of each microcapsule is composed of a resin exhibiting a pressure/temperature characteristic such that, when each microcapsule is squashed under a predetermined pressure at a predetermined temperature, the dye seeps from the squashed microcapsule. The microcapsules are covered with an infrared absorbent coating that absorbs infrared rays having a specific wavelength. The printer has a transparent glass plate, and a roller platen elastically pressed against the plate at the predetermined pressure, with the sheet being interposed between the plate and the platen.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a thermal head including plural heating elements. The heating elements are arranged in an array in a main scan direction, are driven according to image data, for recording an image to thermosensitive recording paper moved in a sub scan direction. The recording paper has a size smaller in the main scan direction than the thermal head. The thermal printer includes two arrays of photo receptor elements for detecting two lateral edges of the recording paper, to determine effective heating elements in contact with the recording paper among the heating elements. A data correcting unit effects a correcting process to part of the image data for heating elements of a first group included in the effective heating elements. The first group contacts each of the two lateral edges and a near portion near to the lateral edge with reference to the main scan direction in the recording paper.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the amount of energy from a printer head in a thermo-printer. The appropriate amount of energy for obtaining the best possible print quality with a certain printing material is controlled through calculating the amount of energy required as a function of the printing speed of the printer, over the full range of printer speed, and of the characteristic printing material data. The printing speed is continuously variable within the complete printing speed range of the printer. Characteristic data for the printing material are classified for magnitude and may be given as an offset relative to a reference material, or as absolute values.

Abstract: A process for printing and decorating an article by the use of sublimable inks, includes providing preformed images on a substrate, these preformed images are obtained using the sublimable inks; applying the substrate on surfaces of the article; applying a pressure to the preformed images for pressing the preformed images against the surfaces, providing a heat thermoretractable material and heating the heat thermoretractable material at a temperature suitable for causing a thermoretraction of the heat thermoretractable material for generating the pressure; heating the preformed images until the sublimable inks are transferred by sublimation onto the surfaces. The thermoretractable material can be polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). An apparatus for printing and decorating an article by the use of sublimable inks has compression parts for applying a pressure to images provided on a substrate applied on surfaces of the articles.

Abstract: A thermosensitive recording sheet includes a support and three thermosensitive coloring layers overlaid on the support. A print is produced by image recording to the recording sheet. A colorless gloss indicia is recorded by thermal recording, and discernible according to a glossiness difference. In a preferred embodiment, an image reading device comprises an image reader for reading an image from an original. A glossmeter unit measures glossiness of respectively unit areas in the original. An arithmetic operation unit obtains an average glossiness of the glossiness of respectively the unit areas. An indicia discriminator checks existence of a gloss indicia according to a glossiness difference between the glossiness of respectively the unit areas and the average glossiness. A controller allows the image reader to operate if the gloss indicia lacks, and generates an alarm signal if the gloss indicia exists.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording method and a thermal transfer printer, which can provide a high quality recorded image by controlling the number of underlying ink printing operations in accordance with the properties of a print sheet, and forming boundaries of adjacent underlying ink layers so that they are out of line with respect to boundaries of adjacent record layers. The thermal transfer printer comprises a setting section for setting the number of underlying ink printing operations; and a controlling section for carrying out a controlling operation such that the number of underlying ink printing operations set by the setting section is carried out. Such a thermal transfer printer can be used to print a sharp image on various types of print sheet.

Abstract: In an image forming method in that an image-receiving layer of an image-receiving element is in contact with an ink sheet comprising a thermally transferable dye, and the dye is transferred to the image-receiving layer in accordance with imagewise-heating by a thermal head, the image-receiving layer having dye image formed by dye transfer is subjected to re-heating through a thin film material by thermal head.

Abstract: The printer is adapted to print an image onto a substrate using a web carrying a color material. The printer includes a web supply configured to supply the web and a web take-up configured to receive the web. A print head is configured to material from the web to the substrate. A controller provides a control signal to the web take-up or web supply as a function of heat energy applied to the web.

Abstract: A thermal printer applies heat to print a multicolor image on a heat-sensitive paper having a stack of color development layers which have different development characteristics. The printer includes a paper feed motor for feeding the heat-sensitive paper, and a thermal line head for heating the heat-sensitive paper fed by the paper feed motor. Particularly, the printer further includes a CPU for performing a print control process of driving the thermal line head such that each part of the heat-sensitive paper develops a specific color depending on the number of times thermal energy has been applied to the part. The thermal energy is not higher than the lowest of different thermal energies which are required for developing the color development layers.

Abstract: A printer and control method for printing to various types of recording media store printing modes appropriate to those various types of recording media in a mode/media memory section. When a particular printing mode is selected while a particular type of recording media is selected, the correlation between that printing mode an recording media is stored. Whenever that type of recording media is subsequently selected for printing, the corresponding printing mode is automatically selected from memory to control the printing operation. It is therefore possible to select what printing mode is used with what recording media, and thereafter automatically select, by simply selecting the type of recording media, the printing mode that is most appropriate to the type of recording media, the thickness of the media, and other particular media specifications. Printing appropriate to the type of recording media is then possible by simply selecting the type of recording media used.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maximizing print quality in a thermal printer uses a ribbon condition monitor to detect the condition of a multipass thermal ribbon. Data related to the condition of the thermal ribbon at each individual pixel is used to determine a custom energization signal for each thermal print element. In one embodiment, the system utilizes a history memory to track the prior heating history of each thermal print element and an ink memory to track the prior use of each location on the thermal print ribbon corresponding to the thermal print elements. The data from the history memory and the ink memory are combined to form an index to a table memory containing data corresponding to a plurality of energization signal levels for a particular print medium. The data in the table memory provides the custom energization signal for each of the thermal print elements. In an alternative embodiment, a light source and detector are used to determine the thickness of ink remaining on the thermal ribbon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maximizing print quality in a thermal printer uses a ribbon condition monitor to detect the condition of a multipass thermal ribbon. Data related to the condition of the thermal ribbon at each individual pixel is used to determine a custom energization signal for each thermal print element. In one embodiment, the system utilizes a history memory to track the prior heating history of each thermal print element and an ink memory to track the prior use of each location on the thermal print ribbon corresponding to the thermal print elements. The data from the history memory and the ink memory are combined to form an index to a table memory containing data corresponding to a plurality of energization signal levels for a particular print medium. The data in the table memory provides the custom energization signal for each of the thermal print elements. In an alternative embodiment, a light source and detector are used to determine the thickness of ink remaining on the thermal ribbon.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal transfer printer which can stably perform recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-fusible ink and recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-sublimated ink without needing any complicated mechanism. The thermal transfer printer has cassette type detecting means for detecting the type of a ribbon cassette, and control means for controlling rotational speeds of a carriage motor and a ribbon reel-up motor in accordance with a detection result of the cassette type detecting means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for operating a direct electrostatic printer whereby no printer adjustments are required by the operator. The direct thermal printer includes a print head and a variable speed motor for reproducing images on an imaging element.

Abstract: A control device for a thermosensitive stencil printer capable of perforating a stencil in an optimal configuration matching a desired resolution in the subscanning direction and thereby producing desirable images. The device allows perforations to be formed in a stencil in an adequate size in the subscanning direction. Heating portions included in a thermal head are each sized, in the subscanning direction, smaller than a feed pitch corresponding to the highest resolution available with a resolution setting device.

Abstract: A tape cassette used in a tape printer, the tape cassette including a thermal stencil paper thermally perforatable by a thermal print head of the tape printer; and a stencil sheet case housing the thermal stencil paper and having a portion shaped the same as a mountable portion of a print tape case housing a print tape. The cassette also includes an indicator for indicating when thermal stencil paper is housed in the cassette.

Abstract: A thermal transfer film cassette (1) used after having been removably loaded in a thermal transfer printer (2) is disclosed, which enables an appropriate printing without being used erroneously by the thermal transfer printer and without being forged or counterfeited. The thermal transfer film cassette (1) comprises: a thermal transfer film (11) for transferring thermo-recorded data onto a receiver sheet (4); a cassette casing (10) for housing the thermal transfer film (11) therein; and a light diffractive structure (20) formed on the cassette casing, for forming a diffractive image when irradiated with reproducing light. The diffractive image has printing data related to adaptability between the thermal transfer film cassette (1) and the thermal transfer printer (2). Further, it is preferable to form the light diffractive structure as being fragile to disable the fragile light diffractive structure (40) from being used again for forgery, after having been removed.

Abstract: A thermal printer is provided which can be easily calibrated by an operator for any selected type of print media. The thermal printer includes a thermal print head and a rotatable platen adapted to draw a print media therebetween. The thermal print head is adapted to selectively activate portions of the print media. To calibrate the printer in order to optimize printer performance for print quality, an operator first identifies a type of print media which is selected for use on the printer. The printer will then print a series of test labels onto the selected type of print media using a parameter of the printer having a unique value for each individual one of the test labels of the series. Identifying information of the unique parameter value is also printed onto each respective test label. By inspecting the series of test labels, the operator can select one of the test labels having a desired level of image quality.

Abstract: In a thermosensitive stencil printer, a sensor responsive to the temperature of a thermal head and at least either of a sensor responsive to the temperature of ink and keys for entering a desired image density are provided. Cutting energy to be applied to the head is controlled on the basis of ink temperature and head temperature, thereby maintaining image density constant without regard to changes in ink temperature. The density of a printing is easily variable to desired density.

Abstract: A control device for a thermosensitive stencil printer which is capable of perforating a stencil in an optimal configuration matching a desired resolution in the subscanning direction and thereby producing desirable images. The device allows perforations to be formed in a stencil in an adequate size in the subscanning direction. Heating portions included in a thermal head are each sized, in the subscanning direction, smaller than a feed pitch corresponding to the highest resolution available with a resolution setting device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for thermally transferring an ink pattern to a recording medium, comprising the steps of preparing an ink sheet provided with a hot-melt and/or hot-sublimable ink layer and a transparent material sheet provided with a transparent hot-melt material layer, thermally producing an ink pattern on the transparent material layer of the transparent material sheet by heating the ink sheet with thermal head, and thermally transferring the ink pattern to the recording medium together with the transparent hot-melt material layer.