The present invention relates to a method of forming an image on a substrate comprising a transparent or translucent composition applied thereto, wherein the transparent or translucent composition comprises a protein in a non-denatured state, and the method comprises applying radiation to the transparent or translucent composition to denature the protein and thereby form an image on the substrate. The invention also relates to a method of preparing a substrate on which an image can be formed, and related substrates, compositions and uses thereof.

A thermal treatment unit for a printer is mountable on a carriage that moves across a printing medium. The thermal treatment unit comprises an emitter element to emit radiation towards the printing medium to thermally treat the printing medium, wherein the thermal treatment unit varies a radiation power output of the emitter element in terms of a spatial position of the carriage along a width direction of the printing medium.

A method is described for radiation-cured relief printing onto containers, where at least two print layers are applied one on top of the other onto a container surface by way of an ink jet and are cured successively by way of irradiation in such a way that the print layers, in particular edge regions thereof, can run over one another and/or alongside one another. As a result, the height and contours of relief-like printed images can be adjusted flexibly and efficiently by radiation-induced limited smoothing.

A device cures a UV-curable fluid, such as offset or inkjet printing ink, on a substrate by way of an emitter. The emitter includes at least two flash lamps which are disposed in a row. This provides a cost-efficient way of evenly and homogeneously curing UV-curable printing fluids at low environmental impact. There is also described a printing machine with a device for curing UV-curable printing ink.

An aqueous inkjet printing ink composition that is cured by the following radiation rays (1) includes: an acylphosphine oxide-based compound as a photopolymerization initiator of 3 to 10% by mass; a monofunctional water-soluble monomer of 30 to 50% by mass; a multifunctional water-soluble monomer of 10 to 30% by mass; and a pigment based on the whole ink composition, wherein the radiation rays (1) are radiation rays that contain a wavelength of 800 nm and a wavelength of 385 nm and have an irradiation intensity of 100 mW/cm.sup.2 or less at a wavelength of 385 nm. The aqueous inkjet printing ink composition can be cured by specific radiation rays and does not change color of the ink composition in an exemplary embodiment.

An active energy ray-curable ink including a radical polymerizable monomer, a radical polymerization initiator, a pigment, a pigment dispersing resin, an organic onium salt, and a radical polymerization inhibitor, wherein the content of the radical polymerization inhibitor is 0.05% to 5.0% by mass of the total amount of the active energy ray-curable ink and an image recording method.

An apparatus and methods for using coatings for metal applications are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an article comprises a cured polymeric film having a first reaction product of a cationic photoinitiator and a compound suitable for cationic polymerization. The article has a second reaction product of a free-radical photoinitiator and a compound suitable for free-radical polymerization; The article has a metal substrate, wherein the cured polymeric film coats the metal substrate.

The present invention relates to a print method. In the print method, a first layer of ink is deposited and cured before a second layer is applied. The present invention further relates to a software product. The present invention also relates to an inkjet printing apparatus.

A method and apparatus for curing a substrate are described. The apparatus includes a curing apparatus with a casing and an ultraviolet (UV) radiation assembly coupled to the casing. The ultraviolet radiation assembly further includes a line UV radiation source. The casing includes an opening on one end. A substrate passes by the opening and is exposed to the UV radiation of the line UV radiation source. The curing apparatus further includes a purge assembly configured to continuously purge the process volume and the volume directly above the exposed portion of the substrate. The curing apparatus is configured to only cure a portion of the substrate at any one point in time, such that the curing apparatus is a scanning curing apparatus and includes a small process volume.

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration or indicia on a predetermined portion of an outer surface of a metallic container body. The decorator includes at least one digital print unit, a transfer blanket, and a support element. The digital print unit transfers a decorating material to the transfer blanket to form a decoration on the transfer blanket. The support element then moves a metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket. In this manner, the decorating material is transferred to an exterior surface portion of the metallic container to decorate the metallic container. In one embodiment, the digital print unit is an electrophotographic system which transfers a toner material to the transfer blanket. In another embodiment, the digital print unit includes an inkjet print head which transfers an ink to the transfer blanket. Optionally, the decorator may include two or more support elements.