An image forming apparatus includes a first light source, a second light source, an optical sensor, a storage, and a hardware processor, wherein the storage stores a first threshold for determining a type of the recording material based on the basis weight, and the hardware processor calculates a first transmittance from the mount of the first emission light and the amount of the first transmission light, calculates a second transmittance from the amount of the second emission light and the amount of the second transmission light, derives a first basis weight corresponding to the first transmittance and a second basis weight corresponding to the second transmittance, by using predetermined determination criteria, determines the type of the recording material based on the first basis weight and the second basis weight, and derives the basis weight according to the determination criteria based on the determined type of the recording material.

Provided is a printing apparatus including a support portion configured to support a medium, a printing unit configured to carry out printing onto the medium supported by the support portion, a support portion moving unit configured to move at least a part of the support portion in a facing direction in which the support portion and the printing unit face each other to change a support position of the medium in the facing direction, a detected unit having position information in the facing direction, the detected unit being configured to move in the facing direction together with the support portion, a detector configured to detect the position information, and a control unit configured to detect a position of the support portion in the facing direction, based on the position information detected by the detector.

Provided is a printing apparatus including a support portion configured to support a medium, a printing unit configured to carry out printing onto the medium supported by the support portion, a support portion moving unit configured to move at least a part of the support portion in a facing direction in which the support portion and the printing unit face each other to change a support position of the medium in the facing direction, a detected unit having position information in the facing direction, the detected unit being configured to move in the facing direction together with the support portion, a detector configured to detect the position information, and a control unit configured to detect a position of the support portion in the facing direction, based on the position information detected by the detector.

There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a transporting roller; a driven roller provided opposite the transporting roller to sandwich the recording medium between the driven roller and the transporting roller, while moving in an approaching-departing direction based on a thickness of the recording medium; a first biasing member biasing the driven roller to the transporting roller; a platen; a recording portion configured to jet ink droplets from nozzles; and a cooperative portion moving along with the movement of the driven roller in the approaching-departing direction to move the platen.

There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a transporting roller; a driven roller provided opposite the transporting roller to sandwich the recording medium between the driven roller and the transporting roller, while moving in an approaching-departing direction based on a thickness of the recording medium; a first biasing member biasing the driven roller to the transporting roller; a platen; a recording portion configured to jet ink droplets from nozzles; and a cooperative portion moving along with the movement of the driven roller in the approaching-departing direction to move the platen.

An application device and an application method are disclosed which enable a three-dimensional applying and drawing process to be performed without provision of any rotary mechanism on a discharge head. The application device comprises a discharge head that includes a discharge device having a discharge port opened in a Z direction, a stage that holds a workpiece, a set of XYZ relatively-moving devices that moves the discharge head and the stage relative to each other, an R-axis rotation device that rotates the stage about an R-axis parallel to an XY plane, a P-axis rotation device that rotates the stage about a P-axis parallel to the XY plane, the P-axis extending in a different direction from the R-axis, a control device, and a stand, wherein the P-axis rotation device is disposed under the R-axis rotation device, and the P-axis rotation device rotates the stage and the R-axis rotation device together.

An application device and an application method are disclosed which enable a three-dimensional applying and drawing process to be performed without provision of any rotary mechanism on a discharge head. The application device comprises a discharge head that includes a discharge device having a discharge port opened in a Z direction, a stage that holds a workpiece, a set of XYZ relatively-moving devices that moves the discharge head and the stage relative to each other, an R-axis rotation device that rotates the stage about an R-axis parallel to an XY plane, a P-axis rotation device that rotates the stage about a P-axis parallel to the XY plane, the P-axis extending in a different direction from the R-axis, a control device, and a stand, wherein the P-axis rotation device is disposed under the R-axis rotation device, and the P-axis rotation device rotates the stage and the R-axis rotation device together.

A thermal printer includes a frame including sidewalls; a platen roller supported by the frame, through bearings, the platen roller being configured to rotate with a rotational shaft; a thermal head disposed opposite the platen roller; a support member for supporting the thermal head, the support member being configured to be pivoted with respect to the frame; and an adjustment mechanism disposed between the rotational shaft of the platen roller and the thermal head, the adjustment mechanism allowing a distance between the rotational shaft of the platen roller and the thermal head to be adjusted, while contacting at least one from among components of the platen roller and components of the thermal head, so that a gap between the thermal head and the platen roller is adjusted.

An integrated electrohydrodynamic jet printing and spatial atomic layer deposition system for conducting nanofabrication includes an electrohydrodynamic jet printing station that includes an E-jet printing nozzle, a spatial atomic layer deposition station that includes a zoned ALD precursor gas distributor that discharges linear zone-separated first and second ALD precursor gases, a heatable substrate plate supported on a motion actuator controllable to move the substrate plate in three dimensions, and a conveyor on which the motion actuator is supported. The conveyor is operative to move the motion actuator between the electrohydrodynamic jet printing station and the spatial atomic layer deposition station so that the substrate plate is conveyable between a printing window of the E-jet printing nozzle and a deposition window of the zoned ALD precursor gas distributor, respectively. A method of conducting area-selective atomic layer deposition is also disclosed.

Provided is technology enabling detecting cockling in a print medium without printing a cockling detection pattern on the print medium. An image processing device has: a light source configured to illuminate a print medium; a sensor configured to scan the print medium; and a controller configured to control the light source and sensor. The controller determines if there is cockling in an evaluation area of the print medium based on change in the detection values of the sensor in the evaluation area.