Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632). The printing station is located either in line and preferably upstream of the quilting station, with a conveyor (520) extending through each of the stations to convey a web of quilting material through the machine, or is off of the quilting line such that the material with a pre-applied pattern thereon is transferred, preferably in web form, to the line of the second station for the application of a pattern in registration with the first applied pattern. At the quilting station, registration longitudinal and transverse registration is measured and skewing or rotation of the material is determined. Opposite transverse sides of the material are differently adjusted to orient and register the material.

Abstract: Printing apparatus for printing an image on a selected surface, includes a print head for printing the image, respective supports for the print head that allow the print head to translate left and right along an x-axis and to translate up and down along a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis to move the print head over the selected surface, and respective supports for the print head that allow the print head to translate forward and rearward along a z-axis perpendicular to the x-and y-axes and to swing in a plurality of curves from the z-axis in order to adjust the print head for surface variations on the selected surface.

Abstract: A serial printer includes a carriage reciprocating in a main scanning direction, a reading sensor mounted in carriage, a timing fence arranged in the main scanning direction, a mechanism preventing movement of carriage in the main scanning direction, and a controlling portion detecting a set condition for image formation in accordance with read data of timing fence from reading sensor for controlling image formation. Controlling portion detects the set condition for image formation only in accordance with the read data of timing fence, so that detection of the set condition for image formation is enabled without increasing the size of an apparatus and cost, or without decreasing a processing efficiency in image formation.