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.

In a printing apparatus, a platen configured to support a sheet to be printed includes an ink receiver configured to receive ink discharged from a print head. The ink receiver includes a plurality of first ink grooves and a plurality of second ink grooves configured to guide the received ink, the second ink grooves having a tilt angle greater than that of the first ink grooves. The platen includes an absorber configured to absorb the ink received by the ink receiver, the absorber being arranged on a back side of the ink receiver.

In a printing apparatus, a platen configured to support a sheet to be printed includes an ink receiver configured to receive ink discharged from a print head. The ink receiver includes a plurality of first ink grooves and a plurality of second ink grooves configured to guide the received ink, the second ink grooves having a tilt angle greater than that of the first ink grooves. The platen includes an absorber configured to absorb the ink received by the ink receiver, the absorber being arranged on a back side of the ink receiver.

A pretreatment device includes a platen, a guide that guide a conveyance of the platen from a set position at which a recorded medium is set on an upper surface of the platen, a spray that sprays a pretreatment agent onto the recording medium set on the upper surface of the platen, an input portion into which is input at least one of an application range of the pretreatment agent onto the recording medium and an application amount of the pretreatment agent, a processor; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions also includes setting, on the basis of at least one of the application range and the application amount input into the input portion, at least one of a conveyance speed of the platen and a spray duty ratio that is a ratio of a spray time during a spray period of the pretreatment agent.

A pretreatment device includes a platen, a guide that guide a conveyance of the platen from a set position at which a recorded medium is set on an upper surface of the platen, a spray that sprays a pretreatment agent onto the recording medium set on the upper surface of the platen, an input portion into which is input at least one of an application range of the pretreatment agent onto the recording medium and an application amount of the pretreatment agent, a processor; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions also includes setting, on the basis of at least one of the application range and the application amount input into the input portion, at least one of a conveyance speed of the platen and a spray duty ratio that is a ratio of a spray time during a spray period of the pretreatment agent.

A tray includes a holding portion configured to hold a print medium in a predetermined holding area and an ink absorption portion positioned adjacent to the holding area.

A printing system facilitates the printing of articles of manufacture. The system includes an array of printheads, a support member positioned to be parallel to a plane formed by the array of printheads, a member movably mounted to the support member, an actuator operatively connected to the movably mounted member, an object holder configured to mount to the movably mounted member, and a controller operatively connected to the plurality of printheads and the actuator. The controller is configured to operate the actuator to move the object holder past the array of printheads and to operate the plurality of printheads to eject marking material onto objects held by the object holder as the object holder passes the array of printheads. The support member and printhead array are oriented vertically to enable the printing system to be installed in a vertical cabinet that provides a small footprint in a non-production environment.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for printing on a convex or concave glass surface and for an apparatus for holding the one or more work pieces for printing. The invention operatively couples one or more curved pieces in a mounting fixture, wherein each of the one or more curved pieces comprise a convex surface or a concave surface. Furthermore, the invention accesses a flattened image of the convex outer surface or the concave inner surface of one or more generally curved pieces and disposes pigment on the convex surface or the concave surface of the one or more curved pieces according to the flattened image. Further embodiments may be directed towards printing on curved pieces such as glass eyes.

A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen to transport the print media through the deposition region. The vacuum platen has platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. Multiple vacuum plenums are provided to supply the vacuum suction to different groups of the platen holes. A first vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a first group of the platen holes located at least partially in the deposition region, and to a second group of platen holes located upstream of the first group. A second vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a third group of the platen holes comprising at least some platen holes located between the first and second groups of platen holes.

A medium supporting mechanism includes a medium supporting unit and a medium holding unit. The medium supporting unit includes a support face that supports a medium, a guide rail intersecting a transport direction in which the medium is transported, and an engaged portion positioned upstream of the first guide rail. The medium holding unit includes a holding portion that covers an edge of the medium in a width direction, an abutting portion movable between an abutting position and a separation position, a switching portion that switches a position of the abutting portion between the abutting position and the separation position, and an engaging portion engageable with the second guide rail. The medium holding unit includes a pressing portion downstream of the abutting portion in the transport direction. The pressing portion presses the support face to move a position of the holding portion in a direction away from the support face.