An image recording apparatus that irradiates a recording target with laser light and records an image thereon, that includes: a laser irradiation device that has plural laser emitting elements, and irradiates the recording target with laser light emitted from the plural laser emitting elements; an irradiation condition adjusting unit that causes the laser irradiation device to emit laser light such that a part of an image dot recorded on the recording target moving relatively to the laser irradiation device overlaps an image dot adjacent thereto, and makes a laser irradiation condition for when image dots forming a boundary between a colored portion and a non-colored portion are recorded, different from a laser irradiation condition for when the other image dots are recorded; and an output control unit that controls the irradiation with the laser light, based on the laser irradiation condition adjusted by the irradiation condition adjusting unit.

An image recording apparatus that irradiates a recording target with laser light and records an image thereon, that includes: a laser irradiation device that has plural laser emitting elements, and irradiates the recording target with laser light emitted from the plural laser emitting elements; an irradiation condition adjusting unit that causes the laser irradiation device to emit laser light such that a part of an image dot recorded on the recording target moving relatively to the laser irradiation device overlaps an image dot adjacent thereto, and makes a laser irradiation condition for when image dots forming a boundary between a colored portion and a non-colored portion are recorded, different from a laser irradiation condition for when the other image dots are recorded; and an output control unit that controls the irradiation with the laser light, based on the laser irradiation condition adjusted by the irradiation condition adjusting unit.

Recording method including emitting laser light from optical fiber array to record image formed of writing units with moving recording target and the optical fiber array relatively using recording device including laser light-emitting elements and emitting unit including the optical fiber array where optical fibers configured to guide laser light emitted from the laser light-emitting elements are aligned, wherein the image includes convex-concave shapes formed by aligning convex portions relative to, as standard, vertical line to the writing units where the vertical line includes the nearest contact points at endmost side of the image in sub-scanning direction where the image is formed by overlapping or adjoining at least part of the writing units in main-scanning direction and satisfies formula below:
T0.4X
where T is average height of the convex portions and X is minimum distance between centers of the adjacent writing units in the image.

Recording method including emitting laser light from optical fiber array to record image formed of writing units with moving recording target and the optical fiber array relatively using recording device including laser light-emitting elements and emitting unit including the optical fiber array where optical fibers configured to guide laser light emitted from the laser light-emitting elements are aligned, wherein the image includes convex-concave shapes formed by aligning convex portions relative to, as standard, vertical line to the writing units where the vertical line includes the nearest contact points at endmost side of the image in sub-scanning direction where the image is formed by overlapping or adjoining at least part of the writing units in main-scanning direction and satisfies formula below:
T0.4X
where T is average height of the convex portions and X is minimum distance between centers of the adjacent writing units in the image.

Controlling power delivered to a heating device occurs using a phase control, wherein the phase control includes changing a cut-off phase of an alternating current electrical signal delivered to the heating device. The power delivered to the heating device is increased from zero to an operational level using the phase control. The level of the power delivered to the heating device is maintained at the operational level using both the phase control and an integral half cycle control. The integral half cycle includes selectively removing a plurality of half cycles from the alternating current electrical signal delivered to the heating device.

A decoloring apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit, a scanner, a decoloring unit, and a controller. The decoloring unit decolors the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit. The decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction. A distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size. A controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size. The controller performs a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

A decoloring apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit, a scanner, a decoloring unit, and a controller. The decoloring unit decolors the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit. The decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction. A distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size. A controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size. The controller performs a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

An image forming apparatus includes an oscillator configured to oscillate a laser beam, an irradiation portion configured to radiate the laser beam oscillated by the oscillator to an outside, a light absorption unit configured to absorb the laser beam and to convert the laser beam to heat, and a control unit including at least one processor and at least one memory. The control unit is configured to control the irradiation portion to press the irradiation portion against a workpiece via the light absorption unit and irradiating the workpiece with the laser beam via the light absorption unit, so as to perform image forming processing.

A system for producing images directly on a surface includes an operational curing system comprised of a thermal acquisition system, a distance monitoring device, and a directed radiant energy source. The system also includes a support assembly for supporting the operational curing system relative to a substrate and a computer-based control system processing data and controlling the operational curing system and the support assembly.

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for imaging and cutting a label from a linerless label substrate 6, the substrate 6 comprising: a paper or polymeric film base layer; a colour change layer, incorporating a colour change compound operable to change colour in response to illumination by a laser 1; an adhesive layer; and a release layer adapted to have low adherence to the adhesive layer. The label substrate 6 is transported from a storage reel to an imaging area. At the imaging area, the label substrate 6 is selectively illuminated by laser 1 to form an image in the colour change layer. Subsequently, further laser illumination is used to cut the label substrate 6 thereby providing a single label for application to an object. The invention is characterised in that the laser spot size is varied for imaging and cutting.