A method of forming an article including a diffraction grating includes forming a periodic structure by printing lines on a first side of transparent substrate with a toner. The lines have a frequency and a spacing which causes incident light to be diffracted into a plurality of beams travelling in different directions. The method can be used for forming reflective or transmissive diffraction gratings using xerographic printing techniques.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion configured to transfer an image borne on the image bearing member to a sheet, a current detection portion configured to detect a current flowing through the transfer portion, a conveyance portion configured to convey the sheet to the transfer portion, a driving portion configured to drive the conveyance portion, and a controller configured to acquire an arrival timing at which a leading edge of a preceding sheet has arrived at the transfer portion based on a detection result of the current detection portion, and control the driving portion in response to the arrival timing in a state where a succeeding sheet that follows the preceding sheet is conveyed by the conveyance portion.

A method of forming an article which includes a diffraction grating, an article, and an apparatus for forming the article by printing are described. The method includes forming a periodic structure by printing a first set of parallel lines on a first side of a transparent substrate with a marking material and printing a second set of parallel lines on a second side of the transparent substrate with a marking material, the first and second sets of lines, in combination, defining a grating having a frequency and a spacing between lines which causes incident light to be diffracted into a plurality of beams travelling in different directions.

A printer and a printing method are proposed. The printer and the printing method include transferring printing paper until a cutting target marker first disposed after a location at which the printing of a unit output has been completed based on the transfer direction of the printing paper reaches a cutting position, and cutting the corresponding location when the printing paper is transferred until the cutting target marker reaches the cutting position.

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration or indicia on a predetermined portion of an outer surface of a metallic container body. The decorator includes at least one digital print unit, a transfer blanket, and a support element. The digital print unit transfers a decorating material to the transfer blanket to form a decoration on the transfer blanket. The support element then moves a metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket. In this manner, the decorating material is transferred to an exterior surface portion of the metallic container to decorate the metallic container. In one embodiment, the digital print unit is an electrophotographic system which transfers a toner material to the transfer blanket. In another embodiment, the digital print unit includes an inkjet print head which transfers an ink to the transfer blanket. Optionally, the decorator may include two or more support elements.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, an image reading unit, and a control unit. The fixing device includes a heating elements arranged in a main scanning direction, a band-shaped thin film which slides on the surface of the heating element while in contact with the heating element, and a rotatable body configured to press against a surface of the thin film to cause the thin film to rotate. The fixing device heats the heating elements when an inspection sheet is passed through the fixing device, the inspection sheet having plural images formed by using a decolorable developer, each of the images having an image density that differs in a sub-scanning direction of the image forming apparatus. The image reading unit reads an image of the heated inspection sheet and the control unit determines an operative state of each heating element based on the read image.

A sheet separation device separates a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are bonded together at a portion. The sheet separation device includes a rotator, a nipping member opposite the rotator, to nip the two-ply sheet with the rotator, a conveyor to convey the two-ply sheet between the rotator and the nipping member, a winding member adjacent to the rotator, to wind the two-ply sheet around the rotator, and control circuitry. In winding the two-ply sheet, the control circuitry rotates the rotator at a first speed faster than a second speed at which the two-ply sheet moves to the rotator via the conveyor, and creates a difference in winding circumferential length between the two sheets, thereby separating the two sheets. The conveyor conveys the two-ply sheet with a bonded portion of the two-ply sheet being an upstream end or a downstream end in a conveyance direction of the two-ply sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer portion configured to transfer an image borne on the image bearing member to a sheet, a current detection portion configured to detect a current flowing through the transfer portion, a conveyance portion configured to convey the sheet to the transfer portion, a driving portion configured to drive the conveyance portion, and a controller configured to acquire an arrival timing at which a leading edge of a preceding sheet has arrived at the transfer portion based on a detection result of the current detection portion, and control the driving portion in response to the arrival timing in a state where a succeeding sheet that follows the preceding sheet is conveyed by the conveyance portion.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; a fixing device including a fixing member, a heating portion and a pressing member; a pressure switching mechanism configured to switch pressure between the fixing member and the pressing member; and a controller capable of executing an operation in an image forming mode in which the image is capable of being formed on the envelope by causing the pressure switching mechanism to switch the pressure to first pressure when an instruction to form the image on an address side of the envelope is inputted and by causing the pressure switching mechanism to switch the pressure to second pressure higher than the first pressure when an instruction to form the image on a non-address side of the envelope is inputted.

An image recording medium includes two sheets made of resin and a toner image interposed between the two sheets. The toner image serves as an adhesive to bond the two sheets together and includes an information image. At least one of the two sheets includes a transparent portion to enable the information image to be visible through the at least one of the two sheets.