A method in a printer comprising a first printhead to dispense a first printing fluid and a second printhead to dispense a second printing fluid, the first and second printheads being arranged on a common scan axis that is substantially perpendicular to a media advance direction. The method comprises controlling movement of the first and second printheads relative to a media being printed, between a first index position and a second index position, the second index position being downstream of the first index position, and wherein the movement occurs during a time period between a forward scan and a reverse scan of the first and second printheads across a media being printed.

A liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting materials on a recording medium in accordance with a position of the apparatus and an image to be formed. The apparatus, movable on the recording medium by an external force, includes a position calculating unit configured to calculate the position; an electric power supplying unit configured to supply electric power to a part that the position calculating unit uses to calculate the position when a state of the apparatus changes to a second operating mode whose electric power consumption is less than that of a first operating mode of ejecting the materials; and a return factor detecting unit configured to detect a return factor for returning to the first operating mode from the second operating mode. When returning to the first operating mode, the apparatus restarts to eject the materials from the position that has been calculated in the second operating mode.

A liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting materials on a recording medium in accordance with a position of the apparatus and an image to be formed. The apparatus, movable on the recording medium by an external force, includes a position calculating unit configured to calculate the position; an electric power supplying unit configured to supply electric power to a part that the position calculating unit uses to calculate the position when a state of the apparatus changes to a second operating mode whose electric power consumption is less than that of a first operating mode of ejecting the materials; and a return factor detecting unit configured to detect a return factor for returning to the first operating mode from the second operating mode. When returning to the first operating mode, the apparatus restarts to eject the materials from the position that has been calculated in the second operating mode.

A judgment device includes a residual capacity acquisition section adapted to obtain a remaining battery power of a battery as a power source of a printer, an arithmetic section adapted to calculate a predicted consuming capacity of the battery consumed by execution of a print job, and a judgment section adapted to judge whether or not the battery has the remaining battery power, with which the printer can complete the print job, based on the remaining battery power and the predicted consuming capacity.

A judgment device includes a residual capacity acquisition section adapted to obtain a remaining battery power of a battery as a power source of a printer, an arithmetic section adapted to calculate a predicted consuming capacity of the battery consumed by execution of a print job, and a judgment section adapted to judge whether or not the battery has the remaining battery power, with which the printer can complete the print job, based on the remaining battery power and the predicted consuming capacity.

An ink jet printer that performs printing on the three-dimensional object using an ink jet scheme is provided, the printer includes an ink jet head, and a print object retaining section, the print object retaining section includes a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, and a rotation driving section, a distance between the first shaft and the second shaft is larger than a distance between the first shaft and the third shaft, and in a case of performing printing on a three-dimensional object having a cylindrically shaped portion, the print object retaining section retains the three-dimensional object by mounting the cylindrically shaped portion on the first shaft and the second shaft, or on the first shaft and the third shaft, and the rotation driving section causes the three-dimensional object to rotate by causing at least the first shaft to rotate.

An ink jet printer that performs printing on the three-dimensional object using an ink jet scheme is provided, the printer includes an ink jet head, and a print object retaining section, the print object retaining section includes a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, and a rotation driving section, a distance between the first shaft and the second shaft is larger than a distance between the first shaft and the third shaft, and in a case of performing printing on a three-dimensional object having a cylindrically shaped portion, the print object retaining section retains the three-dimensional object by mounting the cylindrically shaped portion on the first shaft and the second shaft, or on the first shaft and the third shaft, and the rotation driving section causes the three-dimensional object to rotate by causing at least the first shaft to rotate.

A recording device and control method execute a printhead retraction operation at an appropriate speed when a paper jam occurs, make removing jammed paper easy, and prevent problems from pieces of paper left inside the recording device. The printer 1 retracts the head carriage 59 to the home position HP or away position AP when a paper jam occurs. The retraction distance is calculated, and a retraction speed determined based on a speed control table 100. If the retraction speed is low, there is little chance of pulling on the jammed paper P and making removal of the jammed paper P difficult. If the retraction distance is long, changing retraction speed to a high speed during the retraction operation shortens time of the retraction operation. Therefore, there is little chance of the user tearing the jammed paper P, and little chance of problems caused by pieces of paper left inside.

An apparatus for printing an image onto a curved surface of a three dimensional article. The apparatus principally includes a support fixture, an ink jet print head having a plurality of nozzles, and an articulatable robotic arm. One of the support fixture and the print head are mounted to and carried by the robotic arm. The robotic arm is moveable so as to cause relative movement of the print head along a series of scanning paths that follow the surface contour of the curved surface of the article. A controller is coupled to the robotic arm and is configured to cause articulation of the robotic arm. The controller causes the robotic arm to continuously locate the print head relative to the curved surface and to cause the plurality of nozzles to eject printing medium at predetermined locations along the scanning paths so as to form the image.

When an abutting member is in contact with a driving force transmission member that engages with a driving member, a biasing member biases the driving force transmission member in a direction where the driving force transmission member is disengaged from the driving member.