A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.

Provided are a transfer roller 33 that transfers an image formed on a transfer film 46 to a card, peeling member 34b that peels off the transfer film 46 from the card after transferring the image, and transfer roller up-and-down means 61 and peeling member up-and-down means 62 for respectively moving the transfer roller 33 and the peeling member 34b up and down. By this means, the transfer roller 33 and the peeling member 34b are moved up and down respectively at predetermined timing before transfer and after transfer, and it is thereby possible to always perform stable image formation without causing the transfer film to become damaged and/or deformed.

Provided are a transfer roller 33 that transfers an image formed on a transfer film 46 to a card, peeling member 34b that peels off the transfer film 46 from the card after transferring the image, and transfer roller up-and-down means 61 and peeling member up-and-down means 62 for respectively moving the transfer roller 33 and the peeling member 34b up and down. By this means, the transfer roller 33 and the peeling member 34b are moved up and down respectively at predetermined timing before transfer and after transfer, and it is thereby possible to always perform stable image formation without causing the transfer film to become damaged and/or deformed.

A device for printing flat packages fed individually to a printing unit of a franking machine, pass the printing unit on one side and are guided on a side edge in the conveying direction, including a conveying apparatus which grips the packages at a front end and, by a guide plate forms a conveying plane of a conveying gap with an opposite conveying unit of the conveying apparatus. In the conveying direction, the conveying unit has two endless drawing devices next to each other which circulate a common axle on deflecting rollers, and the upper run of which, and the lower run of which are guided on running rollers mounted freely rotatably in pairs so as to lie opposite one another at pivotable ends of double lever arms assigned to the upper and the lower run, and supported on the inner side of the runs by spring force.

A device for printing flat packages fed individually to a printing unit of a franking machine, pass the printing unit on one side and are guided on a side edge in the conveying direction, including a conveying apparatus which grips the packages at a front end and, by a guide plate forms a conveying plane of a conveying gap with an opposite conveying unit of the conveying apparatus. In the conveying direction, the conveying unit has two endless drawing devices next to each other which circulate a common axle on deflecting rollers, and the upper run of which, and the lower run of which are guided on running rollers mounted freely rotatably in pairs so as to lie opposite one another at pivotable ends of double lever arms assigned to the upper and the lower run, and supported on the inner side of the runs by spring force.

A single plasma nozzle of a plasma treatment station is used to treat the card surface prior to performing drop-on-demand printing on the card surface. The single plasma nozzle has a plasma discharge width that is less than the width of the card. The card and the plasma nozzle are moved relative to one another using a two direction control scheme during plasma treatment in order to be able to plasma treat a desired area of the card surface. The card and the plasma nozzle may also be moveable toward or away from one another to change the distance therebetween.

A single plasma nozzle of a plasma treatment station is used to treat the card surface prior to performing drop-on-demand printing on the card surface. The single plasma nozzle has a plasma discharge width that is less than the width of the card. The card and the plasma nozzle are moved relative to one another using a two direction control scheme during plasma treatment in order to be able to plasma treat a desired area of the card surface. The card and the plasma nozzle may also be moveable toward or away from one another to change the distance therebetween.

An apparatus includes an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes, a conveyor for conveying each envelope of the stack along an envelope path, and a cartridge retainer adapted for electrical connection to an inkjet cartridge defining a 1M array of inkjet printing nozzles. The apparatus further includes a controller electrically coupled to the cartridge retainer and configured to activate the inkjet cartridge nozzles to deposit ink droplets according to a predetermined duty cycle able to cause printing, on an envelope conveyed at a first feed rate, a first indicium having a density of MN dots per inch, where N is greater than M/2 and less than M. The conveyor, however, conveys envelopes faster than the first feed rate, whereby the first indicium is printed at a density of less than MN dots per inch on a moving envelopes.

The present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of cleaning the surface of a medium such as a card at each time before and after image transfer, in a transport path to which is fed a card ejected from a media supply C, and a cleaning section that performs cleaning by nipping the card with a pair of contact rollers to pass through. In the transport path, when the card is transported to the transfer section by driving roller pairs and contact rollers, the card prior to transfer is cleaned. After transfer processing in the transfer section, the card is transported in the opposite direction to pass through the cleaning section again, and is transported to the discharge section D, and the card subsequent to transfer is thereby cleaned.

The present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of cleaning the surface of a medium such as a card at each time before and after image transfer, in a transport path to which is fed a card ejected from a media supply C, and a cleaning section that performs cleaning by nipping the card with a pair of contact rollers to pass through. In the transport path, when the card is transported to the transfer section by driving roller pairs and contact rollers, the card prior to transfer is cleaned. After transfer processing in the transfer section, the card is transported in the opposite direction to pass through the cleaning section again, and is transported to the discharge section D, and the card subsequent to transfer is thereby cleaned.