Techniques for handling and reducing ink overspray of an ink jet printer are provided. In an example, an ink overspray collector for an ink jet printer can include a first opening defining a first print area of the ink jet printer, and a frame about the first opening. The frame is configured to receive overspray from operation of the ink jet printer and can be formed of a woven material. In some examples, a controller of the ink jet printer can reduce an amount of ink ejected near the edges of the print media to reduce overspray.

A fluid application system and method having a support structure for guiding a plurality of pallets along a path of travel through the system. The plurality of pallets for arranging a medium that receives fluid during operation. The system further includes an application assembly for applying fluid and energy to a medium arranged on the plurality of pallets and a conveyance arrangement comprising first and second conveyors for transferring the one or more pallets through the fluid application system. The first and second conveyors have a dedicated trolley selectively coupled to one of the plurality of pallets during movement along a first direction of the path of travel and selectively decoupled from the one of the plurality of pallets during movement along a second direction of the path of travel.

A fluid application system and method having a support structure for guiding a plurality of pallets along a path of travel through the system. The plurality of pallets for arranging a medium that receives fluid during operation. The system further includes an application assembly for applying fluid and energy to a medium arranged on the plurality of pallets and a conveyance arrangement comprising first and second conveyors for transferring the one or more pallets through the fluid application system. The first and second conveyors have a dedicated trolley selectively coupled to one of the plurality of pallets during movement along a first direction of the path of travel and selectively decoupled from the one of the plurality of pallets during movement along a second direction of the path of travel.

An inkjet printer including a feeding device configured to feed a sheet in a feeding direction, a platen configured to support the sheet, a recording device configured to eject ink on the sheet, contacting members configured to contact the sheet, a detector configured to detect an end portion position of the sheet in a width direction, and a controller configured to control the feeding device and the recording device is provided. The contacting members are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the controller performs a suppression process in which at least one of the feeding device and the recording device is controlled to suppress a contact of the sheet with the recording device when the end portion position detected by the detector is a position between the two adjacent contacting members.

A printing device includes: a first unit including a printing head; and a second unit including a platen roller. The printing head is configured to perform printing on a printing medium. The platen roller is configured to nip the printing medium in cooperation with the printing head for printing and to convey the printing medium. The first unit has a first fixing member for fixing the first unit to an external housing. The first fixing member is provided at at least one of a plurality of outer surfaces of the first unit. The second unit has a second fixing member for fixing the second unit to the external housing. The second fixing member is provided at at least one of a plurality of outer surfaces of the second unit. The first unit and the second unit can be assembled to each other and can be separated from each other.

A modular pallet for a textile printing machine, to hold textile products of different shapes and sizes to allow for effective printing on the products, the modular pallet having two parts, a first part which is fixed to the printing machine and is designed for removably fitting a second, modular part. The second part is made up of a range of exchangeable parts which are shaped and configured for different textile products. Each exchangeable part is able to fit into the first part, so that the pallet can be modified for printing different textile products.

A modular pallet for a textile printing machine, to hold textile products of different shapes and sizes to allow for effective printing on the products, the modular pallet having two parts, a first part which is fixed to the printing machine and is designed for removably fitting a second, modular part. The second part is made up of a range of exchangeable parts which are shaped and configured for different textile products. Each exchangeable part is able to fit into the first part, so that the pallet can be modified for printing different textile products.

A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes a medium supporting portion that moves in a transport direction in a state of supporting a medium; a liquid droplet ejecting portion that ejects liquid droplets (ink droplets) onto an ejection area of the medium supported by the medium supporting portion; a detection portion that detects a light amount of reflected light of light having been emitted toward the medium supporting portion or the medium supported by the medium supporting portion; and a carriage that reciprocates in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, in a state of supporting the liquid droplet ejecting portion and the detection portion, and a reflection pattern constituted of a high reflection portion having a high reflectance and a low reflection portion having a low reflectance which are repeatedly arranged in the width direction is formed on the medium supporting portion.

A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes a medium supporting portion that moves in a transport direction in a state of supporting a medium; a liquid droplet ejecting portion that ejects liquid droplets (ink droplets) onto an ejection area of the medium supported by the medium supporting portion; a detection portion that detects a light amount of reflected light of light having been emitted toward the medium supporting portion or the medium supported by the medium supporting portion; and a carriage that reciprocates in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, in a state of supporting the liquid droplet ejecting portion and the detection portion, and a reflection pattern constituted of a high reflection portion having a high reflectance and a low reflection portion having a low reflectance which are repeatedly arranged in the width direction is formed on the medium supporting portion.

A method/system of mechanical holdowns allows a substrate sheet in a CBAM (composite-based additive manufacturing technology) process to lie flat during printing. The invention includes a process of mechanically clamping sheets to be printed by a print head to a flat platen using a set of barrel cam driven clamping fingers. The finger supports are attached to the platen and the fingers can be raised and lowered with respect to the platen. Each finger can rotate while swinging downward toward a sheet at the edge of the platen. To clamp the sheet, the fingers are rotated to the perpendicular position and swung lower down to pinch the sheet to the platen. The process can include additional steps that release some, but not all, of the fingers to allow the sheet to relax before re-clamping them.