A liquid jetting apparatus includes a recording head unit including nozzles; a moving mechanism configured to alternately perform a scanning operation of moving the recording head unit in a scanning direction while causing the recording head unit to discharge a liquid and a sub-scanning movement operation of moving the recording head unit or the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction without causing the recording head unit to discharge the liquid; a gradation setting unit configured to set gradation on portions of image data corresponding to setting regions at ends of the recording head unit; an irregular pattern setting unit configured to set an irregular pattern on the image data to randomize a dot ratio indicating the number of dots per unit area; and a head discharge drive unit configured to cause the nozzles to discharge the liquid based on the image data.

A recording apparatus includes a head unit including a recording head and configured to move between a recording position where recording is performed on a medium and a retraction position away from a medium transportation path; a movement mechanism that moves the head unit; and a positioning portion configured to position the head unit at the recording position. A moment for rotating the head unit is produced by a force applied by the movement mechanism to the head unit and by a reaction force received by the head unit from the positioning portion. A unit pusher configured to apply, to the head unit, a force acting in a direction of canceling rotation of the head unit when the head unit is located at the recording position pushes the head unit in a direction intersecting with a moving direction of the head unit.

A drop placement analyzer for an inkjet printer is described herein. The drop placement analyzer comprises a film support that has an opaque, optically non-interfering vacuum surface for immobilizing a film against the optically non-interfering vacuum surface and photographing drops disposed on the film from the same side of the film on which the drops are disposed.

A drop placement analyzer for an inkjet printer is described herein. The drop placement analyzer comprises a film support that has an opaque, optically non-interfering vacuum surface for immobilizing a film against the optically non-interfering vacuum surface and photographing drops disposed on the film from the same side of the film on which the drops are disposed.

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a printing system for printing substrate, in which the printing system can be housed in a gas enclosure, where the environment within the enclosure can be maintained as a controlled printing environment. A controlled environment of the present teachings can include control of the type of gas environment within the gas enclosure, the size and level particulate matter within the enclosure, control of the temperature within the enclosure and control of lighting. Various embodiments of a printing system of the present teachings can include a Y-axis motion system and a Z-axis moving plate that are configured to substantially decrease excess thermal load within the enclosure by, for example, eliminating or substantially minimizing the use of conventional electric motors.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid in a discharge direction onto a liquid application target; a stage configured to hold and move the liquid application target in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the discharge direction, a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted; a guide holding the carriage movable in a main scanning direction orthogonal to each of the discharge direction and the conveyance direction; a pair of holders respectively holding sides of the guide in the main scanning direction; and multiple eccentric cams contacting the pair of holders, the multiple eccentric cams rotatable to move at least one of the pair of holders in at least one of the conveyance direction or the discharge direction to adjust a position of the carriage or the guide.

A method of operating a printer extends the print zone of the printer by separating at least two printhead modules in the print zone by a distance that is greater than a width of a printhead module. The printhead modules are operated to print multiple color separations of an ink image and operates an optical sensors generates image data of the printed multiple color separations. The image data of the printed color separations are used to adjust distances between printhead modules in the print zone.

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of liquid ejection head units that eject liquid onto a conveyed object at different positions along a conveying path; a first support member and a second support member that are respectively provided at an upstream side and a downstream side of a landing position of liquid ejected by a corresponding liquid ejection head unit; a first detection unit that is installed between the first support member and the second support member and is configured to detect a position of the conveyed object in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the conveyed object; a second detection unit that is installed upstream of the first detection unit; and a movement control unit that moves each liquid ejection head unit based on a plurality of detection results output by the first detection unit and/or the second detection unit.

The present invention relates to an ink-jet print heads protecting system in a digital printing machine, wherein the module comprises a chassis (1), rollers (2), and a plurality of digital printing units (10), each with a bridge (11) with guides (12) and a sliding carriage (13) with ink-jet print heads (14), one part of each guide overlapping the band and another part projecting beyond the band path, the carriage being movable between the printing and maintenance positions; and in that each bridge is attached to the chassis by of a position adjustment device (20) and an articulation (25) that are spaced apart or by two position adjustment devices (20) that are spaced apart.

An image forming apparatus includes a liquid discharge head, an irradiation unit, a carriage, and a moving unit. The liquid discharge head discharges a liquid including a metallic ink and a color ink onto a recording medium. The irradiation unit irradiates the liquid on the recording medium with light. The liquid discharge head and the irradiation unit are mounted on the carriage. The moving unit perform a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement. The liquid discharge head discharges the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in the main scanning movement and discharges the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in the same main scanning movement in which the metallic ink is discharged. The irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the metallic ink and the color ink have been discharged, with the light in the same main scanning movement.