While deterioration in processing efficiency caused by printing devices with slow printing speed is suppressed, facilities necessary to manufacture can bodies are able to be shared. A can body manufacturing system includes: a can body conveyance route, by which can bodies are conveyed, provided to branch halfway and thereafter merge again, the can body conveyance route at least including a first branching conveyance route and a second branching conveyance route; a first printing device performing printing on can bodies conveyed by the first branching conveyance route; and a second printing device performing printing on can bodies conveyed by the second branching conveyance route, the number of can bodies on which printing is performed by the second printing device per unit time being different from the number of can bodies on which printing is performed by the first printing device per unit time.

A printing apparatus includes at least one processor which detects color information on a region which is not coated with base and a base coated region which is coated with the base from an image of a nail, sets, in a relation between the base coated region and a desired design, a region which overlaps with the design in the base coated region as a design printing region in which the design is to be printed, sets a region which does not overlap with the design printing region in the base coated region as a nail color coating region which is to be coated with a nail color which is based on color information on the nail and thereby generates print data and a print head which performs printing on the nail in accordance with the print data.

A printer includes a spindle that rotates a fibrous object opposite a plurality of printheads while a forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object. The plurality of printheads eject drops of solid ink onto the surface of the fibrous object to form a solid ink image on the fibrous object and the heated air affixes the solid ink image to the surface of the fibrous object without requiring pressure to affix the solid ink image to the fibrous object.

A printer includes a spindle that rotates a fibrous object opposite a plurality of printheads while a forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object. The plurality of printheads eject drops of solid ink onto the surface of the fibrous object to form a solid ink image on the fibrous object and the heated air affixes the solid ink image to the surface of the fibrous object without requiring pressure to affix the solid ink image to the fibrous object.

A producing method of a base member provided with a printed layer, the method including: disposing a printing plate including a screen plate having an opening pattern and a frame body supporting the screen plate so that the printing plate is opposed to a printing target surface of the base member having at least one bent portion; disposing a squeegee so as to be opposed to a plate surface of the screen plate opposite to the base member; and forming the printed layer by extruding a printing material onto the printing target surface by the squeegee via the opening pattern of the screen plate in a state where the frame body is supported so as to be relatively movable with respect to the printing target surface in a normal direction of the printing target surface.

A producing method of a base member provided with a printed layer, the method including: disposing a printing plate including a screen plate having an opening pattern and a frame body supporting the screen plate so that the printing plate is opposed to a printing target surface of the base member having at least one bent portion; disposing a squeegee so as to be opposed to a plate surface of the screen plate opposite to the base member; and forming the printed layer by extruding a printing material onto the printing target surface by the squeegee via the opening pattern of the screen plate in a state where the frame body is supported so as to be relatively movable with respect to the printing target surface in a normal direction of the printing target surface.

A beverage use can includes a cylindrical can main body. The can main body includes a round opening at its upper portion. The can main body further includes a bottom at its lower portion. The can main body further includes an outer circumferential surface. Inkjet printing is performed over the entire outer circumferential surface of the can main body to form inkjet-printed images thereon. Then, plate printing is performed on these inkjet-printed images to form thereon images including characters. This improves quality of images formed on an outer circumferential surface of a beverage use can.

A printing apparatus and method are disclosed for printing on three-dimensional objects. The apparatus employs an offset printing process in which an ink image is deposited onto an intermediate transfer member (ITM) having the form of a flexible endless belt. After drying of the ink image on the ITM, the ITM transports the dried ink image to an impression station having a nip at which the ITM is compressed between an object and an impression surface, so that the dried ink image is transferred from the ITM to the object. The impression surface may form part of a stationary anvil, the ITM sliding relative to the impression surface during passage through the impression station. To optimize throughput, the velocity of the ITM relative to the surface of the object at the impression station may be greater than the velocity of the ITM relative to the imaging station.

A sports ball having a cover with an outer substrate surface is provided. The cover includes a plurality of raised lenticular features each having a terminus and a plurality of land areas. The raised lenticular features are formed from dimensional ink and disposed upon and extend from the outer substrate surface, such that each terminus is spaced apart from the outer substrate surface by a height greater than about 0.05 millimeters. The cover, including raised lenticular features and the land areas, defines a plurality of directionally-based designs within the physical surface geometry thereof, such that a first design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a first viewing angle, a second design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a second viewing angle, and a third design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a third viewing angle.

A method for safely differentiating a three dimensional object subsequent to its creation and varnish protection by means of applying and sealing a decoration and/or data between the original and a final varnish layers. The three dimensional object may be decorated and/or contain data from its original manufacturing process but it may also be protected by a varnish prior to utilizing this process. The method enables the addition of decoration and data at any time or location subsequent to the original manufacturing process. The process takes place on top of the original varnish and may be subsequently sealed by applying another varnish layer.