A water dispersible sulfo-polyamide is configured as a filament for use as an extrudable support material in the additive manufacture of a part comprising a non water dispersible polymer. The water dispersible sulfo-polyamide is a reaction product of a sulfo monomer, the water dispersible sulfo-polymer being dispersible in water resulting in separation of the water dispersible polymer from the part comprising the non water dispersible polymer.

The invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional shaped object without height limitation by means of layer-by-layer material application, wherein geometric data for the shaped object, a substrate part having a base surface for holding the shaped object, flowable first and second material, and a transfer body are provided. Material portions of the flowable first material are applied to the base surface and/or to a solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object located on the base surface in accordance with the geometric data in order to produce a material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object. The material layer consisting of the first material is solidified. A surface region of the transfer body is coated with a layer of the second material, and said layer is brought into contact with the surface of the topmost solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object facing away from the base surface in such a way that the flowable second material is transferred from the transfer body to the surface of the topmost solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object and forms the further material layer on the surface of the topmost solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object, the structure of which further layer corresponds to the structure of the topmost solidified material layer of the three-dimensional shaped object. The further material layer is likewise solidified.

An additive manufacturing system for forming 3D parts includes a platen, a gantry, at least one print head, and a retention device. The gantry is configured to move the platen along a vertical axis. The at least one print head is configured to extrude part and/or support material onto a sheet substrate that is positioned on a support surface of the platen. The retention device includes a frame that is configured to press two or more edge portions of the sheet substrate against the support surface of the platen when the retention device is in a lowered position relative to the platen or support surface.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a recording medium whose image formation surface has electric conductivity; a transfer unit that makes contact with the image formation surface of the recording medium transported by the transport unit and transfers an image formed with particles onto the image formation surface by an electric field formed between the transfer unit and the image formation surface; and a support unit that has electric conductivity, supports the recording medium so as to be conductive with the image formation surface of the recording medium, and is transported to the transfer unit together with the recording medium by the transport unit.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit that transfers an image onto an object by making contact with the object; a holding unit that holds the object having a circumferential surface so that the circumferential surface rotates along a transfer direction of the transfer unit; and a transport unit that transports the holding unit holding the object along a transport path, and the transfer unit transfers an image onto the circumferential surface of the object in a circumferential direction as the object rotates, by making contact with the circumferential surface of the object maintained at a transfer position.

An image forming apparatus includes an image processing section and an image forming section. The image processing section corrects, on the basis of pieces of image data, a pixel value corresponding to an auxiliary color developer in a first pixel and thereby causes a developer amount in the first pixel to fall within a predetermined range. The pieces of image data correspond to respective developers including one or more basic color developers that configure an image and the auxiliary color developer. The developer amount in the first pixel is a total amount of the one or more basic color developers and the auxiliary color developer in the first pixel when the one or more basic color developers and the auxiliary color developer are disposed on each other. The image forming section forms an image on a transfer print medium on the basis of the pieces of processed image data processed.

Layers of build and support material on an intermediate transfer surface are exposed to a solvent using a solvent application station to make the build material tacky, without affecting the support material. Then, the intermediate transfer surface moves past a transfuse station (the transfuse station is positioned to receive the layers after exposure to the solvent) and a platen moves relative to the intermediate transfer surface to contact the platen to one of the layers on the intermediate transfer surface. The intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of the build material and the support material to the platen each time the platen contacts the layers on the intermediate transfer surface at the transfuse station to successively form a freestanding stack of the layers of build and support material on the platen.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section. The image forming section includes: a first toner image forming unit that forms a textile printing toner image with a textile printing toner; and a second toner image forming unit that forms a first dyeing-target toner image with a dyeing-target toner. The image forming section disposes the textile printing toner image and the first dyeing-target toner image in this order on a print medium. The textile printing toner includes a textile printing dye. The dyeing-target toner includes a polymer compound that is to be dyed with the textile printing dye.

An on-foil object color adjustment device includes a data receiver that obtains non-bonded area data relating to a non-bonded area; and a hardware processor that: calculates a ratio of a size of the non-bonded area to a size of the foil area based on the non-bonded area data obtained by the data receiver; calculates, based on the calculated ratio, a color of the non-bonded area, a color of the foil, and color data of an on-foil object, a first influence degree indicating an influence of the non-bonded area on a color of the on-foil object to be printed in the foil area after the foil-bonding; and adjusts the color data of the on-foil object based on the calculated first influence degree.

A 3-D printer includes development stations that electrostatically transfer first and second materials to an intermediate transfer surface. The development stations can each include a photoreceptor supplying the materials to the intermediate transfer surface, and a boosted developer roll supplying the materials to the photoreceptor. The boosted developer roll comprises an outer roll rotating in a first rotational direction to move with movement of the photoreceptor, and a magnetic roll within the outer roll rotating in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. The magnetic roll comprises alternating permanent magnets. The intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of the materials to a platen each time the platen contacts the intermediate transfer surface to successively form a freestanding stack of layers on the platen. A bonding station is positioned to apply light and/or heat to the freestanding stack to bond the layers to one another.