A thermal transfer device includes a fixture that holds a transfer object, a foil transfer tool that presses a thermal transfer foil placed on the transfer object and a light absorbing film placed on the thermal transfer foil and emits light onto the light absorbing film, a carriage moving mechanism that moves the foil transfer tool relative to the fixture, and a temperature detector that measures a temperature of a portion of the light absorbing film pressed and irradiated with light by the foil transfer tool.

The present disclosure is drawn to printing systems. In one example, a printing system can include a pretreatment head, an inkjet print head, and a post-treatment head. The pretreatment head can include a first plasma generator to apply a plasma treatment to a media substrate. The inkjet print head can be positioned with respect to the pretreatment head to form a printed image on the media substrate after the plasma treatment. The post-treatment head can include a second plasma generator positioned with respect to the inkjet print head to treat the printed image on the media substrate.

A printing apparatus includes a print head, a processor, and a drying mechanism. The print head ejects ink onto a printing medium located in a printing region to form an image. The processor is configured to control a duty that is an amount of ink ejected by the print head onto the printing medium per unit area. The drying mechanism includes a transport unit that transports the printing medium in a first direction and a heater that heats the printing medium. The drying mechanism is configured to dry the printing medium having the image formed thereon by the print head, by transporting, using the transport unit, the printing medium to a drying region in which the printing medium is dried by the heater. The processor controls drying of the printing medium performed by the drying mechanism in accordance with the duty.

There is provided an ink jet printing method including: an image forming process of applying ink onto an image forming surface of a transfer body to form a first intermediate image; an auxiliary liquid applying process of applying an auxiliary liquid containing a thermoplastic resin onto the first intermediate image on the transfer body to form a second intermediate image; and a transferring process of contacting the second intermediate image on the transfer body with a printing medium and separating the second intermediate image from the transfer body while maintaining a contact state with the printing medium to transfer the second intermediate image to the printing medium, wherein in the auxiliary liquid applying process, an area difference between an area of a first intermediate image and an area of an auxiliary liquid application area in the image forming surface is adjusted.

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 system is provided for transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate. The system includes a ribbon take-up device; a ribbon supply source that supplies the ribbon to the ribbon take-up device such that the ribbon is moved in a process direction; a pressure roll located between the ribbon supply source and the ribbon take-up device in the process direction, the pressure roll being configured to apply pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and a laser beam source that directs a laser beam or laser light through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that a marking portion of the ribbon is heated by the laser beams and transferred to the substrate.

A system is provided for transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate. The system includes a ribbon take-up device; a ribbon supply source that supplies the ribbon to the ribbon take-up device such that the ribbon is moved in a process direction; a pressure roll located between the ribbon supply source and the ribbon take-up device in the process direction, the pressure roll being configured to apply pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and a laser beam source that directs a laser beam or laser light through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that a marking portion of the ribbon is heated by the laser beams and transferred to the substrate.

An information recording medium having a front surface and a back surface has a first color developing layer, a second color developing layer and a third color developing layer. The first color developing layer develops yellow at a temperature not less than a first threshold value. The second color developing layer is arranged at the back surface side with respect to the first color developing layer. The second color developing layer develops magenta at a temperature not less than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value. The third color developing layer is arranged at the front surface side with respect to the first color developing layer. The third color develops cyan at a temperature not less than a third threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value.

An information recording medium having a front surface and a back surface has a first color developing layer, a second color developing layer and a third color developing layer. The first color developing layer develops yellow at a temperature not less than a first threshold value. The second color developing layer is arranged at the back surface side with respect to the first color developing layer. The second color developing layer develops magenta at a temperature not less than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value. The third color developing layer is arranged at the front surface side with respect to the first color developing layer. The third color develops cyan at a temperature not less than a third threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value.

A system for performing substrateless and/or local donor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), comprising a reservoir comprising at least one opening and an energy source configured to deliver energy to a donor material within said reservoir, characterized by at least one of: said reservoir is embedded into a medical device; said reservoir is in fluid connection with a medical device; said reservoir is incorporated into a medical device; said reservoir contains at least one biologically active substance; and, said reservoir is in fluid connection with at least one source of at least one biologically active substance. This system enables deposition of material by LIFT without any need for a donor substrate. Methods of substrateless and local donor LIFT, in particular for medical and biological applications, are also disclosed.