A printing system is described that has an intermediate transfer member in the form of a seamed endless belt for transporting an ink image from an image forming station, at which an ink image is deposited on the intermediate transfer member, to an impression station, where the ink image is transferred onto a printing substrate. The belt has along its edges formations of a greater thickness than the belt. The formations are received in channels to guide the belt and maintain the belt under lateral tension. Two drive members are provided, each located within a respective one of the channels. The two drive members are connected for movement in synchronism with one another and each has a respective laterally projecting gripper shaped for form locking engagement with the formations on a leading end of a strip from which the intermediate transfer member is to be formed. Rotation of the drive members during installation of a new intermediate transfer member serves to thread the strip through the printing system by pulling the strip from its leading end.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a printing system. In one example, the printing system comprises a print substrate supply mechanism and a conveyor belt. The print substrate supply mechanism is to supply print substrate to the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt is to advance the supplied print substrate. During a substrate loading operation of the printing system, the print substrate supply mechanism prevents motion of the substrate such that when the conveyor belt is activated the supplied substrate slides over the conveyor belt.

A recording head in an inkjet recording apparatus forms an image on paper using ink. A first sheet of paper has first and second sides. A second sheet of paper has third and fourth sides. The recording head forms a first image and a first mark image on the first side based on first image data, and then a second image and a second mark image on the second side based on second image data. The first mark image represents a first reference location in a first rectangular region in which the first image is to be formed. The second mark image represents a second reference location in a second rectangular region in which the second image is to be formed. A controller determines an enlargement ratio of the second image to be formed on the fourth side based on a discrepancy between the first and second reference locations.

A printing apparatus includes a first roller pair that sandwiches and conveys a continuous medium, a printing head that is located downstream of the first roller pair in a conveying direction of the continuous medium and that performs printing on the continuous medium, a cutting unit that is located downstream of the printing head in the conveying direction of the continuous medium and that cuts the continuous medium, a second roller pair that is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction of the continuous medium and that sandwiches and conveys the continuous medium, a common driving source that applies driving force to the first roller pair and the second roller pair, and a clutch mechanism configured to cut power from the driving source to the second roller pair, wherein the clutch mechanism is an electromagnetic mechanism that releases transmission of the power by electromagnetism.

A magnetic ink reader includes a conveyance mechanism for a sheet, a magnetizing mechanism configured to magnetize magnetic ink on the sheet and including a magnet having a first side of a first magnetic polarity, that is arranged to face a first surface of the sheet, and a yoke that is formed of a soft magnetic material and includes a base portion attached directly to a second side of the magnet, and an extension portion extending from the base portion such that an end surface of the extension portion faces a second surface of the sheet, and a magnetic detection head along the conveyance path and configured to detect magnetism of the magnetized magnetic ink on the sheet. A first distance between the conveyance path and the first side of the magnet is less than a second distance between the conveyance path and the end surface of the yoke.

A printing assembly for digital printing on a continuous metal strip, including: a digital printing unit having a printing area and a conveyor belt arranged for advancing the continuous metal strip in a longitudinal direction through the printing area, an inlet guide unit located upstream of the printing unit and configured to guide the continuous metal strip along a path comprising at least one first movable bend which is freely movable in the longitudinal direction, and an outlet guide unit located downstream of the digital printing unit and configured to guide the continuous metal strip along a path comprising at least one second movable bend which is freely movable in the longitudinal direction.

A printing apparatus includes a holding unit that holds a plurality of roll bodies, a transport device (100) which has a transport unit (110) that imparts a transport force by coming into contact with a medium (M), a pressing unit (120) which presses the medium (M) toward the transport unit (110), and an adjustment unit (140) which is able to adjust a pressing force on the medium (M) in each of a plurality of regions in a width direction, the transport device (100) is able to transport the plurality of mediums (M) in the transport direction (F) in a state of being lined up in the width direction, a printing unit which performs printing on the medium (M), and a control unit which controls the adjustment unit (140) such that pressing force on the medium (M) in the non-printing state is smaller than in the printing state.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for printing and drying inks on substrates. Printing systems may include a metering device positioned between a printing station and a light source. During operation, the printing station deposits ink onto a substrate to define a printed region. And the light source directs infrared light onto the substrate to define an illumination zone. The printed region is advanced from the printing station to the metering device and from the metering device through the illumination zone, wherein the ink is dried with infrared light traveling from the light source, which also heats the substrate and changes the modulus of elasticity of the substrate. In turn, the metering device isolates the printing station from the change in the modulus of elasticity to help reduce phase shifts caused by changes in the modulus of elasticity resulting from heat in the substrate.

A dancer suspension assembly for use in a roll-to-roll printing system, which assembly comprises a wire element connectable to a dancer of the printing system, which wire element is connected to actuator via a spring element, which actuator is configured to control a spring force exerted by the spring element on the wire element, and a pulley assembly around which the wire element runs. The spring element allows the operator to adjust the spring force and to apply said spring force to the dancer at any position of the dancer. Both the web tension and the dancer position can be controlled in a simple manner.

The measured winding diameter values Ds1(d) corresponding to the conveying distance d are measured by measuring the diameter of the printing medium M wound on the unwinding roll 71 by the diameter sensor 77. The measured winding diameter values Ds1(d) are smoothed by the low-pass filter to extract the smoothed winding diameter values Ds_avg1(d). By calculating the value of the diameter based on the initial diameter value Do1, the thickness value Tm and the conveying distance of the printing medium M, the calculated winding diameter values Dc1(d) are calculated. An operation of calculating the difference Ddiff1(d) between the calculated winding diameter value Dc1(d) and the smoothed winding diameter value Ds_avg1(d) while compensating for the delay by the low-pass filter is performed whereby the differences Ddiff1(d) are calculated. The calculated winding diameter value Dc1(d) are corrected by the differences Ddiff1(d).