A particle set for producing a printed matter includes: a chromatic color toner containing toner particles A; and pressure-responsive particles containing base particles B, in which the base particles B contain a styrene resin containing, as polymerization components, styrene and a vinyl monomer other than styrene, and a (meth)acrylate resin containing, as a polymerization component, a (meth)acrylate, a mass ratio of the styrene resin to the (meth)acrylate resin (styrene resin:(meth)acrylate resin) is 80:20 to 20:80, a difference between the lowest glass transition temperature and the highest glass transition temperature of the pressure-responsive particles is 30° C. or more, and when the toner particles A have a volume average particle diameter D50A and the base particles B have a volume average particle diameter D50B, the D50A and the D50B satisfy formula 1-1: 1.5 μm<(D50B−D50A).

A printing apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting a continuous sheet, a printing unit for printing by discharging ink to the continuous sheet, and a drying unit for drying the ink deposited on the continuous sheet. The drying unit includes a first heater unit for heating a printed surface of the continuous sheet and a second heater unit for heating the opposite surface of the continuous sheet to the printed surface. The first heater unit includes a plurality of first heaters that are disposed at the same position in a transport direction and that are arranged in width directions. The second heater unit includes a plurality of second heaters that are disposed at a position superposed on the first heater unit in the transport direction and that are disposed at positions between adjacent ones of first heating elements of the first heaters in the width directions.

Provided is an electrostatic latent image developing toner that, while ensuring low temperature fixability, can ensure image quality stability even during high-speed continuous printing. The toner is an electrostatic latent image developing core-shell type toner containing at least a binder resin. The binder resin includes a crystalline polyester resin, an amorphous polyester resin, and a hybrid amorphous vinyl resin in which a vinyl polymerization segment is chemically bonded to a polymerization segment other than the vinyl polymerization segment, in which a core portion of the toner contains the crystalline polyester resin and the amorphous polyester resin, whereas a shell portion of the toner contains the hybrid amorphous vinyl resin, and the hybrid amorphous vinyl resin has a vinyl polymerization segment content of from 51 to 99% by mass.

A fixing apparatus includes a fixing device, a temperature sensor, a storage device, and a control device. The control device selects, before start of power supply to a heater of the fixing device, a temperature characteristic of an initial temperature the same as or approximate to a temperature of a nip region detected by the temperature sensor, out of respective temperature characteristics of a plurality of initial temperatures stored in the storage device, calculates a predicted temperature that may be reached a prescribed time after the start of power supply to the heater, on a basis of the selected temperature characteristic, and increases the power to the heater by a predetermined first value, when a temperature, detected by the temperature sensor the prescribed time after the start of power supply to the heater, is lower than the predicted temperature.

Provided are methods of electrophotographically printing an image on a substrate, methods of transferring an image to a substrate, electrophotographic toner cartridge kits, and electrophotographic printing devices. A plurality of layers of toner particles may be electrophotographically printed, using toner cartridges, providing an imaged area that includes one or more colorant layers that include a colorant and a colorant-layer thermoplastic adhesive, and an adhesive layer that includes an adhesive-layer thermoplastic adhesive. The fusing temperature may be selected to heat the colorant-layer thermoplastic adhesive to a temperature greater than an activation temperature of the colorant-layer thermoplastic adhesive and/or an activation temperature of the adhesive-layer thermoplastic adhesive. The melting temperature, the fusing temperature, or melt flow rate of the colorant-layer thermoplastic adhesive corresponding to at least one of the one or more colorant layers may exceed the melting temperature, the fusing temperature, or the melt flow rate of the adhesive-layer thermoplastic adhesive.

An image forming apparatus includes a unit configured to perform image forming operation, a unit board in the unit, a wiring configured to be connected to the unit board, and a control board configured to be connected to the unit board with the wiring and control the unit. The unit board includes a connector to which the wiring is to be connected. A length of the connector in a longitudinal direction of the connector is longer than a length of the unit board in a widthwise direction of the unit board, and the longitudinal direction of the connector intersects the widthwise direction of the unit board.

An image forming apparatus includes a unit configured to perform image forming operation, a unit board in the unit, a wiring configured to be connected to the unit board, and a control board configured to be connected to the unit board with the wiring and control the unit. The unit board includes a connector to which the wiring is to be connected. A length of the connector in a longitudinal direction of the connector is longer than a length of the unit board in a widthwise direction of the unit board, and the longitudinal direction of the connector intersects the widthwise direction of the unit board.

A liquid electrophotographic ink composition is described. The liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprises a ceramic pigment, a polymer resin, a glass frit, and a liquid carrier. Also described is a heat transferable printed image, a process for printing a heat transferable image and a process for heat transfer printing using the liquid electrophotographic ink composition.

A method is disclosed. The method may comprise applying a coating of electrically charged fluid print agent to a developer surface, the fluid print agent comprising particles of thermoplastic resin in a carrier fluid. The method may further comprise controlling migration of fluid print agent from the developer surface to form an image from fluid print agent on a first surface. The method may further comprise irradiating the print agent on the first surface with ultraviolet radiation to heat the print agent to a temperature of at least 70° C. to melt the thermoplastic resin. A print system and a heating unit are also disclosed.

Various variable gloss reduction techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a textured roller and a wiper impregnated with fuser oil to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss of an image printed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a combination of heat and pressure to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss in specific regions of an image printed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a differential gloss pattern to generate a security mark on a printed image to prevent against copying or fraudulent misrepresentation of the image.