An apparatus enables the effect of distance changes between ejectors in printheads of a printing system and the surface receiving ejected drops to be evaluated. The apparatus includes a housing with a cavity having a sloping floor to which a substrate is mounted to receive drops ejected by printheads in the printing system. The floor of the cavity can slope in either the process or cross-process direction. The substrate can include fiducial marks and target lines to enhance the analysis of the effect of changing distance on the ejected drops.

An apparatus enables the effect of distance changes between ejectors in printheads of a printing system and the surface receiving ejected drops to be evaluated. The apparatus includes a housing with a cavity having a sloping floor to which a substrate is mounted to receive drops ejected by printheads in the printing system. The floor of the cavity can slope in either the process or cross-process direction. The substrate can include fiducial marks and target lines to enhance the analysis of the effect of changing distance on the ejected drops.

A method of manufacturing a printing blanket without wrinkles in a sheet is provided, the printing blanket including an elastic body and a sheet bonded to a surface thereof, the method being configured to press a surface of the sheet against a surface to be printed, to perform printing, and including: fixing the sheet at a periphery of a region of the sheet to be bonded to the elastic body; mounting the elastic body to oppose a bonding surface of the elastic body to a bonding surface of the fixed sheet; applying an adhesive to at least one of the bonding surface of the sheet or the bonding surface of the elastic body; and pressing the bonding surface of the sheet and the bonding surface of the elastic body against each other to bring the sheet into close contact with the elastic body through intermediation of the adhesive while stretching the sheet along the surface of the elastic body.

A method of manufacturing a printing blanket without wrinkles in a sheet is provided, the printing blanket including an elastic body and a sheet bonded to a surface thereof, the method being configured to press a surface of the sheet against a surface to be printed, to perform printing, and including: fixing the sheet at a periphery of a region of the sheet to be bonded to the elastic body; mounting the elastic body to oppose a bonding surface of the elastic body to a bonding surface of the fixed sheet; applying an adhesive to at least one of the bonding surface of the sheet or the bonding surface of the elastic body; and pressing the bonding surface of the sheet and the bonding surface of the elastic body against each other to bring the sheet into close contact with the elastic body through intermediation of the adhesive while stretching the sheet along the surface of the elastic body.

A printing pad includes a printing surface to be pushed against a printing original plate and a surface to be printed, the printing original plate having ink placed on the printing original plate; an inner layer disposed inside the printing pad; and an outer layer provided in contact with a surface of the inner layer that is closer to where the printing surface is disposed than is an opposite surface of the inner layer. The outer layer has the printing surface on an outside surface of the outer layer, and is formed such that the printing surface is brought into close contact with the surface to be printed to conform to the surface to be printed when the printing surface is pushed against the surface to be printed, and the inner layer has a cavity provided in the inner layer.

A printing pad includes a printing surface to be pushed against a printing original plate and a surface to be printed, the printing original plate having ink placed on the printing original plate; an inner layer disposed inside the printing pad; and an outer layer provided in contact with a surface of the inner layer that is closer to where the printing surface is disposed than is an opposite surface of the inner layer. The outer layer has the printing surface on an outside surface of the outer layer, and is formed such that the printing surface is brought into close contact with the surface to be printed to conform to the surface to be printed when the printing surface is pushed against the surface to be printed, and the inner layer has a cavity provided in the inner layer.

A printing tool of the present disclosure is a printing tool disposed at least at a portion of a periphery of an item to be printed in performing printing in which a printing pad is pushed against the item to be printed by being linearly moved in a first direction toward a printing stage to transfer an ink image transferred to a printing surface of the printing pad to the item to be printed, wherein the printing tool includes an inner edge disposed side by side with the item to be printed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and facing, in the second direction, a peripheral edge portion of the item to be printed that is a portion outside a printing range of the item to be printed.

A printing jig system that includes a maintaining jig able to maintain an article for a first processing step and that is also used to maintain and align the article for a subsequent printing process step. In order to effectively be used for a first processing step and a second printing process step, a support portion supports the article in locations otherwise left unsupported by a processing aperture of the maintaining jig. The processing aperture is configured to facilitate the first processing step, such as steaming of the article. The print support portion is configured to extend through the processing aperture of the maintaining jig The maintaining jig and the print support portion are aligned and maintained relative to each other and a printing machine by a base plate adapted to removeably secure and align the maintaining jig and the print support portion.

A printing jig system that includes a maintaining jig able to maintain an article for a first processing step and that is also used to maintain and align the article for a subsequent printing process step. In order to effectively be used for a first processing step and a second printing process step, a support portion supports the article in locations otherwise left unsupported by a processing aperture of the maintaining jig. The processing aperture is configured to facilitate the first processing step, such as steaming of the article. The print support portion is configured to extend through the processing aperture of the maintaining jig The maintaining jig and the print support portion are aligned and maintained relative to each other and a printing machine by a base plate adapted to removeably secure and align the maintaining jig and the print support portion.