A calculating portion 300 acquires resistance of a carrier liquid in a carrier tank. A resistance calculating portion 302 acquires the resistance of the carrier liquid on the basis of a liquid amount of a carrier liquid for each of numbers of times of passing of the carrier liquid through a separation and extraction device and resistance of the carrier liquid for each of the numbers of times of passing of the carrier liquid through the separation and extraction device. The liquid amount of a carrier liquid for each of numbers of time of passing is calculated by a deterioration degree distribution calculating portion 301 and is stored in a memory 201. As regards the resistance of the carrier liquid for each of the numbers of times of passing, the resistance of the carrier liquid after passing through the separation and extraction device is stored in the memory 201 in advance for each of the numbers of times of passing. A carrier supply discriminating portion 202 discriminates whether or not a carrier liquid for supply should be supplied, on the basis of the acquired resistance of the carrier liquid. A controller 200 controls a pump 51 for supply on the basis of this discrimination.

Herein is described a method of producing a printed label. The method may comprise: a. providing a label substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first and second surfaces form opposing surfaces of the label substrate; b. applying a primer comprising a cross-linkable primer resin onto the first surface of a label substrate to form a primer layer; c. electrophotographically printing onto the primer layer an electrostatic ink composition comprising a cross-linkable thermoplastic resin to form a printed layer; d. applying a cross-linking composition comprising a cross-linking agent to the printed layer, wherein the cross-linking agent penetrates into the electrostatic ink composition and the primer layer; and e. activating the cross-linking agent wherein an adhesive is present on the second surface of the label substrate in step a or applied to the second surface of the label substrate at any point in the method after step a. Printed labels are also described herein.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member 1 which bears an image; a developing device 4 which includes a developing roller 41 bearing a liquid developer containing a toner and a carrier liquid and develops a latent image formed on the image bearing member; an intermediate transfer belt 91 to which a toner image formed on the image bearing member is transferred; a cleaning roller 11a which is applied a cleaning bias and configured to abut on the intermediate transfer belt and is made of a metal to collect a toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt; a blade 11b which is provided to be able to abut on and be separated from the cleaning roller and is made of a metal to remove the liquid developer collected by the cleaning roller; a separation mechanism which makes the blade abut on and be separated from the cleaning roller; and a controller 200 which controls the separation mechanism to make the blade abut on the intermediate transfer belt after the carrier liquid from the developing roller is supplied to the image bearing member, according to a start of an image formation.

There is provided a process for heat transfer printing, comprising electrostatically printing a transparent electrostatic ink composition (3) onto a transfer material (2), wherein the transparent electrostatic ink composition comprises a thermoplastic resin; printing an image (4) on the transparent electrostatic ink composition; contacting the image with a target substrate (1) under conditions such that the thermoplastic resin of the transparent electrostatic ink composition is softened or molten, and separating the target substrate and the transfer material, to leave the target substrate having thereon the image and an overlying layer of transparent electrostatic ink composition. Also disclosed is a fabric having thereon an image, the image having an overlying layer of transparent electrostatic ink composition.

This disclosure relates to a liquid electrophotographic composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer resin, a charge adjuvant, microspheres, and a liquid carrier. Each microsphere comprises a shell of material encapsulating a gas. The microspheres are present in an amount of 5 to 90 weight % of the total weight of solids in the composition.

The present disclosure relates to a process for printing a substrate. The process comprises applying an analogue primer over a print substrate. A transparent electrophotographic composition comprising a coupling agent is electrophotographically printed on the primer as a coupling layer. An electrophotographic ink composition is then printed on the coupling layer to form an image layer. The coupling layer is disposed between the primer and image layer and in contact with each of the primer and image layer.

The present disclosure relates to a process for selectively printing an image onto a substrate. The process comprises electrophotographically printing a first ink composition onto selected areas of a substrate. The process also comprises applying a primer over at least the unprinted areas of the substrate. A second ink composition is printed onto the primer and the first ink composition is removed from the selected areas of the substrate. The first ink composition is a transparent electrophotographic ink composition.

A water content measuring device measures water content of an object to be measured. The water content measuring device includes two plate members that are disposed facing each other, a current generating unit, a measuring unit, and an arithmetic processing unit. The current generating unit generates current supplied between the two plate members. The measuring unit measures electrostatic capacitance generated by the current supplied between the two plate members. The arithmetic processing unit is configured to convert the electrostatic capacitance measured by the measuring unit to water content. Two plate members each have a shape or are disposed such that at least two points on a leading edge of the object enter between the two plate members at different timings in a direction perpendicular to a passing direction in which the object passes through the two plate members.

A water content measuring device measures water content of an object to be measured. The water content measuring device includes two plate members that are disposed facing each other, a current generating unit, a measuring unit, and an arithmetic processing unit. The current generating unit generates current supplied between the two plate members. The measuring unit measures electrostatic capacitance generated by the current supplied between the two plate members. The arithmetic processing unit is configured to convert the electrostatic capacitance measured by the measuring unit to water content. Two plate members each have a shape or are disposed such that at least two points on a leading edge of the object enter between the two plate members at different timings in a direction perpendicular to a passing direction in which the object passes through the two plate members.

The present disclosure relates to a liquid electrophotographic ink developer unit. The unit comprises a developer roller, and a secondary roller that co-operates with the developer roller. The developer roller is formed of a material having a specific resistivity of less than 110.sup.6 .Math.cm. The secondary roller is formed of a material having a specific resistivity of 110.sup.4 to 110.sup.9 .Math.cm.