An inkjet printing method using an inkjet printing device including a vacuum support for a substrate held down against a support surface of the vacuum support by air suction includes a step of jetting a set of layers with a set of liquids on the support surface to form a pattern with a surface roughness between 2.0 m and 200.0 m and rougher than the surface roughness of the support surface, and a step of supporting the substrate at least partially on the pattern.

In one example, a media support includes a continuous loop belt and multiple suction cups arranged along the outer perimeter of the belt. Each suction cup has a port aligned with a hole in the belt so that air may be evacuated from the suction cup when connected to a vacuum source.

A sheet-transporting element includes suction openings for holding print sheets, longitudinal sliders including air passages, and transverse sliders including air passages. The longitudinal sliders and the transverse sliders are disposed in a cross-wise configuration and are movable into different positions corresponding to various sheet formats in the positions blocking selected ones of the suction openings.

A post processing apparatus includes a post processing unit that performs a post process on a sheet of paper, a duct, and a blower that blows an airflow to the duct. The post processing apparatus has a transport path through which the sheet is transported toward the post processing unit. The duct is provided in a width direction of the transport path. The duct has a slit formed in a sheet width direction, and the airflow having been blown by the blower is blown through the slit toward the sheet transported to the post processing apparatus.

A method of printing having the steps of transporting a print medium along a print station for printing on the print medium by means of an endless, air permeable transport belt positioned over a suction device for applying an underpressure to the print medium on the transport belt, wherein the transport belt comprises endless, non-permeable strips positioned between air permeable areas provided with openings and the suction device comprises a plurality of spaced apart support beams extending substantially in a main transport direction defined by the print station for supporting the transport belt; and controlling the position and/or orientation of the transport belt for aligning the print medium with respect to the print station, wherein each adjustment to the transport belt's position and/or orientation is restricted, such that the strips are maintained entirely overlapping the support beams.

A drying device (120) includes a liftable and lowerable conveying unit (40) which conveys a sheet on which ink is ejected, along a conveyance path (34); a liftable and lowerable drying unit (50) which faces the conveyance path (34) and dries the ink by heat; a lifting and lowering mechanism (60) capable of lowering a lower unit, which is a unit provided below among the conveying unit (40) and the drying unit (50), by gravity acting on the lower unit and lifting an upper unit, which is a unit provided above among the conveying unit (40) and the drying unit (50), to open the conveyance path (34); and a restriction mechanism (70) which restricts a lowering of the lower unit.

A drying device (120) includes a liftable and lowerable conveying unit (40) which conveys a sheet on which ink is ejected, along a conveyance path (34); a liftable and lowerable drying unit (50) which faces the conveyance path (34) and dries the ink by heat; a lifting and lowering mechanism (60) capable of lowering a lower unit, which is a unit provided below among the conveying unit (40) and the drying unit (50), by gravity acting on the lower unit and lifting an upper unit, which is a unit provided above among the conveying unit (40) and the drying unit (50), to open the conveyance path (34); and a restriction mechanism (70) which restricts a lowering of the lower unit.

An inkjet printing method with an inkjet printing device includes a vacuum belt having a set of air-channels connecting a top-surface and a bottom-surface of the vacuum belt. The set of air-channels couples an inkjet receiver to the vacuum belt by air suction in the set of air-channels, wherein the vacuum belt includes a dimple at the top-surface. The dimple has a closed bottom end, and wherein the dimple is connected with an air-channel of the set of air-channels to form an air cup and to couple the inkjet receiver to the vacuum belt at the dimple by air suction.

Embodiments of a system and method for shingulating, singulating, and synchronizing articles in an article feeder system are disclosed. The article feeder system may include a shingulating device configured to receive a stack of articles and to produce a positively lapped stack of articles, a plurality of picking devices configured to pick one or more articles from the positively lapped stack of articles and to produce one or more singulated articles, and one or more synchronization devices configured to deliver the one or more singulated articles to one or more sorter windows.

Examples described herein include devices and methods for adjusting a suction force for a media holddown, comprising detecting an advancement of a media (114) relative to a media holddown surface along a media advancement direction (X), wherein the holddown surface has a plurality of suction zones arranged along the media advancement direction, and adjusting a suction force in the respective suction zones in accordance with the advancement of the media relative to the media holddown surface.