Abstract: An apparatus for and method of handling substrate media in a marking device using toner. The apparatus including first and second rolls for handling the substrate media. The first roll applying pressure to the toner. After the application of pressure by the first roll, the toner remains partially unfused to the substrate media. The second roll subsequently engaging the pressed toner as the substrate media passes the second roll. The first roll and the second roll being disposed remotely from one another in a process handling direction of the substrate media. The method including the application of pressure to the unfused toner on the substrate media by a first roll. The method subsequently engages the pressed toner with a second roll for handling the substrate media.

Abstract: An image recording medium that can be repeatedly used by removing the toner image has a three-layered structure formed of a heat-resistant resin sheet and a pair of releasing and light absorptive layers coated on both sides of the heat-resistant resin sheet. The releasing and light absorptive layer generates heat by absorbing laser so as to fuse and fix the toner image formed on the special sheet surface at the time of image forming, and assures pertinent releasing performance at the time of image removal so as to facilitate removal of the re-fused toner image. Each releasing and light absorptive layer may be split into a light absorptive layer and a releasing layer. The heat-resistant resin sheet may be produced by adding an infrared absorbent to a heat-resistant resin sheet to serve as a heat-resistant sheet and a light absorptive layer.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that includes a paper feeding unit configured to feed recording paper, a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image to the recording paper fed by the paper feeding unit, a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image transferred to the recording paper by the transfer unit on the recording paper, a thermal head having a plurality of heating units arrayed in a width direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording paper, and configured to add gloss by heating an arbitrary area of the recording paper on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing unit for each line, a setting unit configured to set a gloss addition area in the recording paper to which the gloss is added by the thermal head, a correction unit configured to correct the gloss addition area set by the setting unit so that numbers of heating units driven when the recording paper is heated by the thermal head are approximately equal in each line, and a control unit configured to cont

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a gloss mark with colored toner without using clear toner. This is accomplished by fixing an image composed of only part of the color toner required for forming an image, the rest of the required color toner being denoted as residual toner. Specifically, at an area of at which a decreased gloss is desired, an image is formed using a part of colored toner required for forming the image and fixed on a sheet, and then, applied to the sheet is the residual quantity of toner so as to be superimposed on the fixed colored toner.

Abstract: A powder spray system for printing 10 is an apparatus for spraying an offset-preventing powder 3 on the surface of a piece of printed paper 1 while the paper was moving. The powder spray system for printing 10 includes a printed-paper charger 11 for positively or negatively charging the paper 1, a powder charger 12 for electrically charging the powder 3 with an opposite polarity to that of the charged paper 1, a powder spraying device 13 for spraying the charged powder 3 on the paper 1 at a downstream of the printed paper charger 11 in the moving direction of the paper 1, a humidity measuring device 14 for measuring humidity in a space around the moving paper 1, and a controller 15 for controlling at least one of a voltage for charging the paper 1 in the printed paper charger 11 and a voltage for charging the powder 3 in the powder charger 12 depending on the measured humidity.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes: a stacker vessel in which a medium having a fixed visible image is ejected and stacked; and an eddy flow generating device that is arranged in an upper portion of the stacker vessel, and generates an eddy flow which flows along a surface of the medium transported into the stacker vessel to make an eddy and cools the medium.

Abstract: A surface processing apparatus includes a heating unit and a detachably mountable film cartridge. The film cartridge is provided with a first opening portion into which the heating unit proceeds, and an operational portion disposed in a casing, for acting on a shutter of the heating unit to move the shutter between a closing position (first position) and an opening position (second position). The heating unit proceeds into the casing through the first opening portion with the shutter being in the closing position, and the operational portion acts on the shutter in the casing to move the shutter to the opening position.

Abstract: When a gloss application sheet is conveyed through a nip formed between a first nip formation member and a second nip formation member pressing against each other, the gloss application sheet is sandwiched between the first nip formation member and a recording medium simultaneously conveyed through the nip. The gloss application sheet includes a first contact surface contacting the first nip formation member and a second contact surface disposed opposite the first contact surface for contacting the recording medium. The first contact surface has a reduced adhesive force compared to the second contact surface.

Abstract: An image forming system including: an image forming apparatus to perform fixing processing on a sheet based on setting information on a job, and outputs the sheet on which the fixing processing is performed; a humidification device to moisten the sheet outputted from the image forming apparatus, wherein the humidification device including: a pair of humidification rollers to contact with each other so as to form a nip part, and to moisten the sheet which passes through the nip part; a water-supply roller to contact with the humidification rollers so as to supply moisture to the humidification rollers; and a control section to perform dry control of the humidification rollers at a timing when the sheet does not pass through the nip part after the water-supply roller supplies the moisture to the humidification rollers.

Abstract: A print or logo data generating system and method in which a width dimension of a printable medium is identified and original source data obtained. The processing further involves automatically resizing the source data to a predefined maximum width not greater than the width dimension of the printable medium prior to executing any user-requested changes, and displaying a first image representation of the original source data. Upon receipt of a user-requested change in the size of the original source data and a user-requested change in the number of colors of the original source data, the size change request is executed first.

Abstract: An image gloss control apparatus that includes a first control component and a second control component is provided. The first control component controls an image forming/fixing component, which forms an image on a recording medium using a colored image formation material and fixes the image, so that a first image is formed in a high gloss area having a high gloss level on the recording medium or an area including the high gloss area on the recording medium and is fixed. The second control component that controls the image forming/fixing component, so that a second image having a density lower than a density of the first image is formed in a low gloss area having a gloss level lower than the gloss level of the high gloss area on the recording medium where the first image is formed or the low gloss area on the first image and is fixed.

Abstract: Often times the glossing process results in an image artifact consisting of locally lighter image a fixed distance from the lead edge as a print is glossed. This artifact is most visible in areas of medium but consistent image. The present invention provides methods for reducing this artifact.

Abstract: A method of forming a variable finish on a receiver by fusing toner to a receiver in an electrophotographic printer includes providing a rotatable member, a fusing system disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a fusing nip, and a glossing system having a glossing belt and disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a glossing nip. The fusing system and glossing system are adapted to fuse toner to a receiver to produce respective ranges of finish of the fused toner. A finish within one of the respective ranges, and is selected, as is one of the nips, so the finish range of the system corresponding to the selected nip includes the selected finish. The rotatable member is rotated to feed the receiver through the selected nip to fuse the toner to the receiver and form the selected finish on the receiver.

Abstract: A gloss applier includes a heating roller disposed inside a loop formed by an endless belt to heat the endless belt; a pressing rotary body pressed against the heating roller via the endless belt; a cooler disposed inside the loop formed by the endless belt and downstream from the heating roller in a direction of rotation of the endless belt, the cooler to cool the endless belt as a recording medium in contact with the endless belt is conveyed by the endless belt; a separation roller disposed inside the loop formed by the endless belt and downstream from the cooler in the direction of rotation of the endless belt, the separation roller to separate the recording medium from the endless belt; and a cooler shifter contacting the cooler to move the cooler bidirectionally to cause the cooler to contact and separate from the endless belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form and heat-fix a toner image on a recording material; a re-conveying path configured to re-convey the recording material having the toner image on a front side, to the image forming portion to form and heat-fix a toner image on a back side of the recording material; a glossing portion configured to increase glossiness of the toner image; and an executing device configured to execute a high-gloss mode for glossing the toner image on the back side into a high-gloss toner image, and a partial-gloss mode for forming a partial-gloss toner image having glossiness lower than glossiness of the toner image in the high-gloss mode without glossing the toner image on the back side, wherein the glossing portion is provided in the re-conveying path.

Abstract: A surface treatment apparatus include film; a heating device for heating an object through the film; a film driving device for driving the film such that the film is unwound out of the supply shaft and wound up on the winding-up shaft and such that the film is unwound out of the winding-up shaft and is wound up on the supply shaft; a moving device for moving the film widthwisely before the object is contacted to the film; and a controller for controlling, when objects having width smaller than 1/2 of width of film are heated continuously, the film driving device and the moving device to effect the winding up of film on the supply shaft and to effect movement of film widthwisely by the moving device so that the objects are contacted to lengthwisely the same and widthwisely different areas of the film, while heating the objects.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a printing media recycling apparatus includes a printing-medium feeding section, a scanner section configured to read an image of printing medium and generate image data, the decoloring section configured to decolor an image formed of a decolorable recording material on the printing medium, a decoloring-processing-execution determining section configured to determine whether the execution of decoloring processing is appropriate for the printing medium or the execution of the decoloring processing is unnecessary based on the image data generated in the scanner section, a decoloring determining section configured to determine a decolored state of the printing medium after the execution of the decoloring processing by the decoloring section, and a diverting-section-switching control section configured to switch a diverting section to lead the printing medium to a predetermined discharge tray.

Abstract: A control apparatus configured to control an image forming system, in forming a transparent image so as to cover color images fixed on a sheet, applies a transparent toner on an area on which an image can be formed and which is other than an area that a user desires to increase the glossiness thereof.

Abstract: Provided are an image forming method by which an image in which arbitrary glossiness is adjusted to any section is formed, and an image forming apparatus thereof. It is a feature that an image forming method possesses the steps of forming a gloss adjusting layer possessing a gloss adjusting toner-fixed image formed with a gloss adjusting toner, on an image support, and forming a toner-fixed image obtained from a toner, on the gloss adjusting layer, wherein the gloss adjusting layer possesses an aggregate of gloss adjusting units; the gloss adjusting units each possess a section where the gloss adjusting toner is attached and another section where the gloss adjusting toner is unattached; and a borderline between the section and the another section is a straight line.

Abstract: A method of forming an image comprising the steps of forming an image on an image support to obtain an original image, and forming a gloss adjusting layer comprising a clear toner-fixed image comprising a clear toner on the original image, wherein the gloss adjusting layer comprises an aggregate of gloss adjusting units, wherein the gloss adjusting units each comprise a section where the clear toner is attached and a section where the clear toner is unattached, wherein a borderline between the section where the clear toner is attached and the section where the clear toner is unattached comprises a straight line.

Abstract: Disclosed is a glossy surface forming apparatus containing a heating member to heat an image support on which a toner has been supplied, a belt member with which the image support is brought into close contact via the toner having been melted via heating by the heating member to convey the image support in a state of being in close contact, a cooling member to cool the toner on the image support which is being conveyed in a state of being in close contact with the belt member, and a separating member to separate the image support on which the toner has been solidified via cooling by the cooling member from the belt member, and the belt member contains at least a polyimide resin having a fluorine atom in the molecular structure and the center line average roughness Ra of the surface making contact with a toner layer is at most 0.3 ?m. A glossy surface forming method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An image formation system includes an image forming apparatus for forming different color toner images on a recording material having a toner reception layer, a first heater for heating and pressing the toner image on the recording material, and a heater for heating and pressing the toner image on the recording material having been heated and pressed by the first heater. The first heater is operable so as to provide a granularity R of the toner image satisfying 0.5?R?4.0 and a glossiness G of the toner image satisfying 5?G?40, the second heater being operable so as to provide a granularity R of the toner image that is not more than 4.0 and a glossiness G of the toner image that is not less than 60.

Abstract: A method of printing an image on a substrate comprises determining a pile height differential for the image. A clear marking material is added to the image printed on the substrate in response to the determined pile height differential. Adding the clear marking material substantially reduces the pile height differential between two areas of the printed image. The clear marking material may be a clear ink or a clear toner material. The substrate on which the image is printed may comprise a plurality of sheets, a roll or other length of print media. The step of adding clear marking material to the image may include substantially leveling the printed image using the clear marking material. In at least one alternative embodiment, the step of adding clear marking material to the image includes adding at least one patch of clear marking material to the printed image.

Abstract: A fixed image gloss control system outputs a warm pressure-fixed image having a low gloss level. The image is alterable to change the low gloss level to a high gloss level or an intermediate gloss level. The fixing system includes a pressure roll and a fixing roll that together form a fixing nip. The pressure roll has a polyurethane contact surface. A polishing mechanism may polish the fused image to achieve a desired gloss level.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an image forming unit capable of image formation using color toner and transparent toner includes, a determining unit to determine whether each pixel of image data belongs to an image region or a text region; a control unit to control the image forming unit by switching between transfer of a toner image to the image region and transfer of a toner image to the text region; a fixing unit to fix the toner image formed on recording material; and a transport unit to discharge the recording material on which the toner image is fixed or re-feed the recording material to the image forming unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming a toner image on a recording material; a fixing portion for fixing the toner image; a glossiness treatment unit, operable when a glossiness treatment mode is selected, for glossiness treatment of the toner image fixed on the recording material by heating the toner image, the glossiness treatment unit including a film movable in a feeding direction of the recording material, a heating member contacted to the film, a pressing member cooperating with the heating member to form a nip, with the film therebetween, for nipping and feeding the recording material; wherein in the glossiness treatment mode, the image forming unit forms, as a topmost layer, a toner image having a tone gradation provided by a dot growth type screening.

Abstract: A glossiness processing apparatus for glossiness treatment includes a first glossiness treatment unit; a second glossiness treatment unit provided downstream of the first glossiness treatment unit with respect to a feeding direction of a sheet; wherein each of the units including a film movable having a surface in contact with an image surface of the sheet while moving; a heating member contacted to another surface of the film, the heating member including a plurality of heat generating elements arranged along a direction substantially perpendicular to a moving direction of the film; a pressing member cooperating with the heating member to form a nip, with the film therebetween, for nipping and feeding the sheet; wherein positions of the heat generating elements are offset relative to positions of the heat generating elements of the first glossiness treatment unit.

Abstract: Provide is a clear toner having a wide fixing temperature latitude so as to improve the degree of glossiness in a wide range of image density areas, from a white portion to a high image density portion, while ensuring sufficient fixing performance and color mixing in color portions. The clear toner has a storage elastic modulus G? (130) of 1.0×104 Pa or more at 130° C. and a melt viscosity ? (130) of 1.0×104 Pa·s or less at 130° C.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming portion for forming a transparent image on a sheet by using transparent toner; an obtaining portion for obtaining a size of the sheet on which an image is to be formed; a storing portion for storing image data, for forming the transparent image on an entire image formable area of the sheet with the transparent toner, for each of a plurality of predetermined sheets different in size from each other; and a control portion for controlling the image forming portion so that the transparent image is formed on the sheet on the basis of the image data corresponding to the size of the sheet obtained by the obtaining portion.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a printed mater having high glossiness (for example, glossiness 80 or more by measuring angle of 20°) via high glossiness providing apparatus. A method for forming a high glossy printed matter comprising at least steps of (a) heating and melting a clear toner supplied on an image support material, (b) bringing the image support material at a side in which the a clear toner is supplied into contact with a belt, and cooling the transparent toner while contacting with the belt, and (c) releasing the image support material from the belt, wherein the clear toner comprises at least a resin and a wax, a glass transition point (Tg) of the resin is not less than 30° C. and not more than 70° C., and a crystallization temperature (Tc) of the wax is not less than 60° C. and not more than 99° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes: an image erasing section including a first member which has an elastic layer and heats a recording medium having a thermally decolorizable toner image on the toner image side and a second member which erases the toner image by allowing the recording medium in cooperation with the first member; an image forming section which transfers a thermally decolorizable toner image onto the recording medium on which the toner image is erased to form an unfixed toner image; and an image fixing section including a third member which does not have an elastic layer and heats the recording medium on the unfixed toner image side and a fourth member which fixes the unfixed toner image by allowing the recording medium in cooperation with the third member.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a fixing device, and a control section. The image forming section forms images on a sheet with a recolorable decolorable colorant and an undecolorable colorant. The fixing device heats the sheet to fix the recolorable decolorable colorant and the undecolorable colorant on the sheet. The control section performs temperature control for the fixing device and fixes the recolorable decolorable colorant and the undecolorable colorant on the sheet at temperature higher than decoloring start temperature of the recolorable decolorable colorant to thereby fix the recolorable decolorable colorant on the sheet in a decolored state and fix the undecolorable colorant on the sheet in a colored state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form and heat-fix a toner image on a recording material; a re-conveying path configured to re-convey the recording material having the toner image on a front side, to the image forming portion to form and heat-fix a toner image on a back side of the recording material; a glossing portion configured to increase glossiness of the toner image; and an executing device configured to execute a high-gloss mode for glossing the toner image on the back side into a high-gloss toner image, and a partial-gloss mode for forming a partial-gloss toner image having glossiness lower than glossiness of the toner image in the high-gloss mode without glossing the toner image on the back side, wherein the glossing portion is provided in the re-conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: an obtaining unit that obtains image information including a grey-level value of a pixel; a modifying unit that modifies the grey-level value of the pixel included in the image information obtained by the obtaining unit; a color image forming unit that forms on a recording medium a color image in accordance with information showing the color image including the grey-level value of the pixel modified by the modifying unit; and a transparent image forming unit that forms on the recording medium a transparent image overlapping the color image.

Abstract: A transparent toner image forming device forms a transparent toner image on a sheet on which a color toner image is fixed. Image information that is designated by a user for forming the transparent toner image on part of the sheet is obtained. Application of the transparent toner is controlled such that, when the color toner is fixed in an amount not less than a predetermined first amount per unit area in a first region designated so as not to form the transparent toner image on the basis of image information, the transparent toner image is formed in a predetermined second amount per unit area in the first region. The transparent toner image is formed in an amount not less than the predetermined second amount per unit area in a second region designated so as to form the transparent toner image on the basis of the image information.

Abstract: The image forming method including steps of forming a clear toner layer on a photoreceptor, transferring the clear toner layer onto a transfer member, transferring the clear toner layer on the transfer member onto an image support, heating the image support having the clear toner layer, bringing the clear toner layer into close contact with a belt to cool the image support, and separating the image support from the belt are provided, in this order; and the clear toner layer is formed with a plurality of independent linear protrusion portions and the independent linear protrusion portions are formed parallel or diagonally to the conveyance direction of an image support.

Abstract: An overprint varnish composition that is applied to a substrate that may have fuser oil on its surface. The varnish includes a wetting additive that has a strong affinity for the varnish and the fuser oil on the substrate. The overprint varnish is also included in a method and an apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a switch member that selectively switches a blowing direction of an air drawn by a fan and passing through a duct to a direction toward a conveying roller pair or a direction toward a sheet conveying path between the conveying roller pair and a fixing device; and a control portion that switches the switch member, based on a setting by an operation portion to that a gloss mode for an image to be formed on the sheet is set, so that when a mode for forming a high gloss image is set, the blowing direction of the air is switched to the direction toward the pair of rollers, and when a mode for forming a low gloss image is set, the blowing direction of the air is switched to the direction toward the sheet conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and a re-heating unit. The fixing unit fixes a toner image on a recording medium by applying heat to the toner image with a first glossiness level. The re-heating unit re-heats the toner image, fixed on the recording medium by the fixing unit, to set a second glossiness level lower than the first glossiness level.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium; a transparent UV ink droplet ejection device which ejects and deposits droplets of transparent UV ink onto the recording medium; a UV light irradiation device which irradiates UV light onto the transparent UV ink having been deposited on the recording medium; a gloss condition setting device which sets a gloss condition of the image; and a UV light irradiation control device which controls an irradiation timing of the UV light irradiated from the UV light irradiation device in accordance with the gloss condition.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of preventing a ripple or curling of the sheet and stabilizing feedability or loadability of the sheet. The image forming apparatus includes an aqueous solution applying portion that applies the aqueous solution containing the deliquescent material for hindering evaporation of moisture to the sheet where the toner image has been thermally fixed by the fixing portion, and a controller that controls so that a concentration of the deliquescent material of the aqueous solution applied to the sheet using the aqueous solution applying portion is changed depending on the basis weight of the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming system including an image forming device forming on a recording sheet a first chromatic toner image, and a second chromatic toner image having an outermost layer of transparent toner, wherein the transparent toner has lower glass transition temperature than the chromatic toners; a fixing device having a fixing member contacting the recording sheet to heat the toner images to temperature not lower than the glass transition temperature of the chromatic toners so that the toner images are fixed; and a glossing device having a glossing member contacting the recording sheet to heat the toner images to temperature not lower than the glass transition temperature of the transparent toner and lower than the glass transition temperatures of the chromatic toners so that only the transparent toner achieves a rubber state and to cool the heated first and second toner images so that the transparent toner is solidified.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which forms an image on a sheet of paper, and a paper coloring apparatus which is connected to the electro-photographic image forming apparatus. The paper coloring apparatus includes a coating apparatus having two coating rollers which coat colored water on both faces of the paper sheet on which the image has been formed by the electro-photographic image forming apparatus. A supply section selectively supplies one of the colored water and a colorless water onto the two coating rollers of the coating apparatus. And a controller is provided for switching between a coloring process to color the paper sheet by supplying the colored water onto the two coating rollers, and a humidifying process to humidify the paper sheet by supplying the colorless water onto the two coating rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, an adhesion processing device, an adhesion device, and a fixing device. The image forming device forms an image on a light-transmitting medium with image formation toner. The adhesion processing device sets whether or not to make the light-transmitting medium contact a light-reflecting medium for each of multiple areas of the image. The adhesion device adheres adhesive toner to an area of the light-transmitting medium. The fixing device aligns the light-reflecting medium with the light-transmitting medium such that the light-reflecting medium contacts a surface of the light-transmitting medium to which the adhesive toner adheres and fixes the light-reflecting medium to the light-transmitting medium.

Abstract: An image forming system which is capable of causing a clear coating apparatus to discharge processed sheets in proper page order, and improving usability and operability of the system by users. An image forming apparatus is set to perform single-sided image formation or double-sided image formation. A clear coating apparatus is set to perform single-sided clearing coating or double-sided clear coating. Whether to perform inverted discharge of sheets is controlled according to the settings of the image forming apparatus and the clear coating apparatus.

Abstract: A cooling device includes: a cooling roller that cools down a sheet-like member by coming into contact with the sheet-like member; a belt member that is rotatably extended by a plurality of extending members, presses the sheet-like member against the cooling roller, and holds and carries the sheet-like member; and a driving roller that serves as one of the plurality of extending members and drives to rotate the belt member, wherein the driving roller is axially divided into a plurality of rollers and each of the plurality of rollers has a crown-like shape whose outer diameter continuously becomes larger from both end parts to a center part in an axial direction.

Abstract: Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of are provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a glossy image is disclosed, comprising the steps of (a) forming a clear toner particle layer with clear toner particles on an image support, (b) heating and pressing the clear toner particle layer formed on the image support, while bringing the surface of the clear toner particle layer into contact with a belt, and (c) cooling the clear toner particle layer to form a clear toner layer, wherein the clear toner particles contain a binder resin and a releasing agent and exhibit a heat quantity of fusion of not less than 3.0 J/g and not more than 9.5 J/g, and the clear toner particles meeting the following requirement: 0.5?S1/S2?1.0.

Abstract: A toner including a petroleum wax, wherein the petroleum wax comprises a paraffin wax having a polarity.

Abstract: The invention describes a method and a device for generating a prespecified gloss pattern on a toner image in order to develop a detection property of said toner image. In the method, toner that is first heated to above its glass transition temperature is brought into contact with a glosser belt, said glosser belt having—corresponding to the gloss pattern to be generated—at least one first area displaying a first surface roughness and at least a second area displaying a second surface roughness and/or displaying a different elevation whereas a plurality of second areas is provided within the first area displaying a specific pattern, which repetition on other glosser belts is not allowed so that an identification of specific glosser belts and thus an identification of a glosser device is easier. Subsequently, while the toner is in contact with the glosser belt, said toner is cooled to below its glass transition temperature.