There is disclosed apparatus for wetting a roller of a printing system comprising an applicator unit comprising a liquid agent chamber. Upper and lower walls extend from the liquid agent chamber to define a slit therebetween. The upper wall extends beyond a lip of the lower wall to a transfer lip. A flow restrictor is received in the slit to prevent flow of liquid agent to a respective portion of the transfer lip, thereby defining a restricted portion of the slit and an adjacent unrestricted portion of the slit. The flow restrictor fits in the restricted portion with a clearance that permits liquid agent flow at a reduced velocity relative flow through the unrestricted portion, such that liquid agent along the restricted portion is discharged from the lower wall. A method of installing a flow restrictor is also disclosed.

A method for producing a foamed body includes: forming a foamed layer precursor including applying a coating liquid onto a base to form a liquid film and applying an ink onto the liquid film by an inkjet method, where the coating liquid contains a foaming agent and an active energy ray curable material having a radical-polymerizable functional group, the active energy ray curable material contains a multifunctional active energy ray curable material having two or more radical-polymerizable functional groups, and the ink contains a foaming accelerator having a radical-polymerizable functional group; and foaming a desired position of the foamed layer precursor by heating to form a foamed layer. A functional group equivalent of the radical-polymerizable functional group in the foaming accelerator is greater than a functional group equivalent of the radical-polymerizable functional group in the active energy ray curable material.

A roller arrangement for printing apparatus comprises a first roller. The first roller comprises a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells receives an amount of a coating material. The roller arrangement further comprises an extractor to remove at least a portion of the coating material from a selected set of the plurality of the cells.

A roller arrangement for printing apparatus comprises a first roller. The first roller comprises a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells receives an amount of a coating material. The roller arrangement further comprises an extractor to remove at least a portion of the coating material from a selected set of the plurality of the cells.

There is disclosed a selective wetting apparatus (2) comprising a roller (20) rotatable about a roller axis (24) and comprising a wettable roller surface (22); an applicator unit (10) having a lip (12) which extends parallel to the roller axis (24) and is radially spaced apart from the roller surface (22) by a gap (30), wherein the applicator unit (10) is to convey liquid agent (14) towards the roller (20) so that the liquid agent (14) forms a liquid bridge (32) over the gap (30) to wet a wettable axial portion of the roller surface (22); and a flow guide (50) to direct a gas flow (56) into a regulated axial portion of the gap (30) to locally prevent formation of a liquid bridge (32), and thereby prevent wetting of a corresponding axial portion of the roller surface (22).

A roller arrangement for printing apparatus comprises a first roller. The first roller comprises a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells receives an amount of a coating material. The roller arrangement further comprises an extractor to remove at least a portion of the coating material from a selected set of the plurality of the cells.

A roller arrangement for printing apparatus comprises a first roller. The first roller comprises a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells receives an amount of a coating material. The roller arrangement further comprises an extractor to remove at least a portion of the coating material from a selected set of the plurality of the cells.

A roller arrangement for printing apparatus comprises a first roller. The first roller comprises a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells receives an amount of a coating material. The roller arrangement further comprises an extractor to remove at least a portion of the coating material from a selected set of the plurality of the cells.

A printing apparatus includes a reading unit, having a detection surface, that reads an image on a print medium, and a fixing unit that fixes a relative position between the detection surface and the print medium in one of a first state, in which the detection surface is in contact with the print medium, and a second state, in which the detection surface is not in contact with the print medium. A control unit stops conveyance and fixes the relative position between the detection surface and the print medium to the first state, using the fixing unit, in a case in which the reading unit reads the image, and changes the relative position between the detection surface and the print medium from the first state to the second state, using the fixing unit, and resumes conveyance after image reading by the reading unit is complete.

A printing apparatus includes a reading unit, having a detection surface, that reads an image on a print medium, and a fixing unit that fixes a relative position between the detection surface and the print medium in one of a first state, in which the detection surface is in contact with the print medium, and a second state, in which the detection surface is not in contact with the print medium. A control unit stops conveyance and fixes the relative position between the detection surface and the print medium to the first state, using the fixing unit, in a case in which the reading unit reads the image, and changes the relative position between the detection surface and the print medium from the first state to the second state, using the fixing unit, and resumes conveyance after image reading by the reading unit is complete.