A liquid ejection system includes a liquid ejection head configured to ejecting liquid, a liquid storage container that includes a liquid storage portion capable of storing the liquid that is to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, and a ventilation unit that constitutes at least a portion of an air introduction portion that is in communication with the liquid storage portion and is configured to introducing air into the liquid storage portion, and is detachable from the liquid storage container. The ventilation unit includes an introduction passage that constitutes at least a portion of a path of air flowing toward the liquid storage portion in the air introduction portion, and an air chamber that constitutes at least a portion of the introduction passage. The ventilation unit is arranged in the periphery of the liquid storage container.

A printer is configured to provide a stream of extraction gas that extracts a printing fluid from a printing nozzle. An electrode produces an electric field that accelerates the extracted printing fluid toward a printing substrate. The printer can be configured to selectively turn the electric field and the stream of extraction gas off and on to enable printing in a gas-extraction mode, an e-assisted gas-extraction mode, or an e-jet mode. The stream of gas can be provided by a second nozzle concentric with the printing nozzle, and the electrode can be part of the second nozzle. A third nozzle can discharge a focusing gas around the extracted printing fluid.

An electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing system includes a print head with a plurality of ink nozzles arranged in recesses on the print head. A plurality of ejection electrodes located at the ink nozzles. A support structure is arranged in front of the ink nozzles and forming a front surface, wherein the ejection electrodes are arranged on the support structure. Gas from a first gas source and/or from a second gas source is conveyed through gas ducts and or gas is fed through the gas ducts to a gas sink. The gas ducts extend, over at least part of their length, along the support structure.

A liquid discharge head includes multiple nozzles arrayed in a first direction, the multiple nozzles to discharge droplets in a discharge direction onto a medium conveyed in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a gas-discharge port between the multiple nozzles adjacent to each other in the first direction, the gas-discharge port to discharge gas.

An inkjet printing system includes a print head with a plurality of ink nozzles arranged in recesses on the print head. Gas from a first gas source is conveyed through first gas ducts and fed to the recesses. An evaporator is arranged along the first gas ducts before the nozzles, saturating the gas with solvent, which prevents undesired evaporation of ink at the ink nozzles. The printing system further includes second gas ducts feeding dry gas to the region between the print head and the target as well as third gas ducts for carrying off gas from the first and second air ducts.

A fluid ejector for ejecting discrete volumes of ejectant includes a body with opposing first and second surfaces. One or more nozzles are defined as conduits extending through the body between the surfaces to connect first and second orifices at the first and second surfaces respectively. The fluid ejector further includes a gas supply means having a gas outlet and an ejectant supply means. The ejectant supply means supplies the ejectant to the nozzles at a pressure above ambient via their supply orifices. The supply orifice is defined in a conduit's side or is the second orifice. Relative movement of the gas supply means and body exposes first orifices to the gas outlet allowing the gas supply means to supply gas at a pressure above ambient, wherein a pressure difference thereby created between the first and second orifices causes ejection of the ejectant from the nozzles through the second orifices.

An apparatus for printing discrete high-resolution high-density features on a surface is provided using an aerosol stream. An aerosol chamber has a transport gas that enters through a port and entrains aerosol in an aerosol chamber to form an aerosol-laden transport gas. A flow cell is provided that has a flow cell channel and sheath gas conduits. The aerosol-laden transport gas passes through the flow cell channel and is surrounded by sheath gas passed through the sheath gas conduits. At least one aerodynamic lens receives the aerosol-laden transport gas surrounded by sheath gas. A method of printing the aerosol droplets from the aerosol-laden transport gas onto the substrate with a mean diameter of 0.5 to 8 microns is also provided.

A method of operating an inkjet printer operates solvent vapor generators that direct two flows of solvent vapor towards media on each side of each printhead in the process direction. The solvent vapor attenuates the evaporation of ink solvent from ink drops on the nozzle plates or from the ink in the nozzles of the printheads. Thus, the ink on the nozzle plates and in the nozzles does not dry out and the operational status of the inkjets is preserved.

The electrohydrodynamic print head includes ink nozzles as well as blow openings for dry gas and suction openings at its front side. In addition, humid gas is fed through the print head to the nozzles. The front side has an elongate active region surrounded by a passive region, with all the ink nozzles being arranged in the active region. The blow and suction openings are arranged in the active and the passive regions such that the active region is surrounded by ventilation openings. Ink feed slit vias beneath the rows of the nozzles provide a homogenous ink supply. In one of the bottom layers of the print head, bulk feed and withdrawal ducts distribute the fluids to smaller ducts above them. Manifolds are provided in the print head in order to homogenize the feed and withdrawal of the fluids. Manifolds are used to further homogenize with fluid flows.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a conveyance path, a conveyor, and a liquid discharger. The conveyor conveys a medium in a conveyance direction along the conveyance path. The liquid discharger is disposed above the conveyance path to discharge a liquid toward the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid discharger includes a discharge head, a housing, an airflow generator, and slit. The discharge head has a nozzle from which the liquid is discharged. The housing accommodates the discharge head. The housing has a lower face from which the nozzle of the discharge head is exposed and a slit adjacent to the discharge head in the lower face of the housing. The airflow generator generates an airflow flowing through the housing and discharged from the slit toward the conveyance path.