An array-type electrode, which may include a substrate, an isolating layer, an electrode and a micro-structure layer. The isolating layer may be disposed on one side of the substrate. The first part of the electrode may be disposed on one side of the substrate and covered by the isolating layer; the second part of the electrode penetrates through the substrate; the third part of the electrode may be disposed on the other side of the substrate; the first part may be connected to the third part via the second part. The micro-structure layer may be disposed on the isolating layer.

The invention is a method of using a turret styled decorator machine to decorate container media. The machine utilized has a rotatable turret and a number of circumferentially spaced container holding assemblies for holding a variety of pieces of media, such as a drink container, the exterior surface of which is to have ink applied to form an image. A plurality of workstations are positioned around the perimeter of the turret through which each media holder passes as the turret rotates. Due to the unique configuration of the decorating machine, each piece of media, once loaded, spins at a rate different from any other piece of media so that the entire decorating process is speed optimized for each print job. Further, container media may spin continuously during the decorating process so that the turret never needs to pause for media to stop rotating or to begin rotating.

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.

Soft bug screens for shielding motor vehicle radiators are disclosed. Mesh material having an un-lined surface and a surface with release liner is selected. The mesh material is fed out as uncut sheet from a wide roll, which is conveyed through a wide format printer with the release liner crossing the waste ink collector and the un-lined broad surface transiting the ink-application system. A light vacuum suction is supplied to the release-liner lined surface, to smooth the sheet flat without suctioning the sheet down to a pinned down immobility. Ink is applied on the transiting-past unlined broad surface of the mesh material while continuing to supply the light vacuum. The ink is let or heated to dry on the continuing transiting unlined broad surface along while still continuing supply of the light vacuum. The final outline is trimmed out. The release liner is peeled off.

Various of the disclosed embodiments concern printing systems configured to deposit flexible dye sublimation inks onto flexible transfer materials. Together, the flexible ink and transfer material allow images to be transferred onto complex-shaped, i.e. non-planar, surfaces of a substrate. The flexible ink may be, for example, a thermoformable UV dye sublimation ink or a superflexible UV dye sublimation ink. In order to transfer an image onto the substrate, the transfer material is pressed onto the surface of the substrate. The substrate, transfer material, or both are heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the ink to sublimate. During the sublimation process, dye is able to permeate the substrate and form a transferred image. The flexible ink formulation may also include a soluble or solvent-sensitive component. In such embodiments, a solvent can be jetted onto the substrate and/or transfer material to remove residual ink.

This disclosure describes substrate(s) formed with a three-dimensional (3D) feature thereon, and method(s) of printing the same. One method includes identifying a plurality of locations on a substrate surface where the three-dimensional feature will be formed, determining a height value of the three-dimensional feature at each location, assigning a grayscale value to each location based on the height value, and applying ink to the substrate surface at each location according to the assigned grayscale value.

A robotic printing system for an exterior surface of an aircraft includes a robotic printer, the robotic printer having a body and a plurality of vacuum suction cups mounted to the body for attaching the robotic printer to the exterior surface of the aircraft, where the plurality of vacuum suction cups are configured to move the robotic printer along the exterior surface of the aircraft. The robotic printer also includes a printing head mounted to the body, where the printing head is positioned to apply a print medium to the exterior surface of the aircraft. The robotic printer also includes a laser-based positioning device mounted to the body for determining a position of the robotic printer on the exterior surface of the aircraft.

A method for manufacture of a digitally printed decorative surfacing material includes applying a textured layer upon a substrate, processing a digital image to compensate for additional surface area provided by the textured layer so as to produce a resultant digital image, digitally printing the resultant digital image upon the textured layer, applying a top coat layer over the digitally printed image. A digitally printed decorative surfacing material in accordance with the method described above is also provided.

The present disclosure is drawn to leveling compositions, embossed print media, and methods of preparing embossed print media. The embossed print media can include a media substrate, an image-receiving layer applied to the media substrate at a coating weight of 3 gsm to 50 gsm, and a leveling composition layer. The image-receiving layer can include a pigment filler having an average particle size ranging from 0.1 m to 20 m and a polymeric binder, and in examples herein, is embossed. The leveling composition layer can be applied at a coating weight of 0.2 gsm to 3 gsm to the image-receiving layer, and can include a cationic ionene polymer.

This disclosure describes container(s) having an ultraviolet (UV)-cured matrix and methods to create the same. For example, a glass container according to this disclosure has a bottom and a body extending in a direction away from the bottom along a longitudinal axis. The body has a surface having an UV-cured matrix including UV-curable varnish drops arranged in a plurality of layers and having voids existing therebetween to form a porous matrix structure. One method to form the glass container is to apply a layer of UV-curable varnish to an outer surface of the glass container as a plurality of varnish drops, so as to establish a plurality of voids between the varnish drops, cure the layer of UV-curable varnish, apply one or more additional layers of UV-curable varnish, and cure the additional layer(s) of UV-curable varnish, wherein all of the varnish drops and the voids form the UV-cured matrix.