Provided are an image forming device that always forms an image with an optimum treatment quality, and a manufacturing method of a printed material. An image forming device includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium in a transport direction, a printing unit that applies an ink to a printing surface of the transported recording medium to perform printing, a treatment unit that performs treatment on the transported recording medium, and a movement unit that changes a distance between the printing unit and the treatment unit in the transport direction, in which the distance is controlled based on at least one information of information on a transportation speed of the recording medium in the transport unit, information on an applied amount of the ink in the printing unit, or information on a surface state of the printing surface of the recording medium.

Examples described herein relate to printhead alignment in a printing system which may print onto media of different rigidity. An example method comprises determining a flatness profile for a first type of print medium on a platen of a printing apparatus. Using the flatness profile of the first type of print medium, first alignment compensation values are determined for a printhead to print onto the first type of print medium on the platen. The flatness profile for the first type of print medium is then also used to determine second alignment compensation values for the printhead to print onto a second type of print medium on the platen, the second type of print medium being more rigid that the first type of print medium.

Provided is technology enabling detecting cockling in a print medium without printing a cockling detection pattern on the print medium. An image processing device has: a light source configured to illuminate a print medium; a sensor configured to scan the print medium; and a controller configured to control the light source and sensor. The controller determines if there is cockling in an evaluation area of the print medium based on change in the detection values of the sensor in the evaluation area.

A printing apparatus includes a pattern correction unit configured to change a mutual positional relationship among a plurality of divided pieces of first image data obtained by dividing first image data representing a first pattern formed in a fabric to generate corrected first image data having a center made up of four corners of the first image data, a pattern extracting unit configured to compare the corrected first image data with second image data generated by imaging the fabric to extract a pattern region corresponding to a second pattern represented by the corrected first image data from the second image data, a printing image generation unit configured to arrange third image data representing an image to be printed overlaid on the first pattern so as to match a region having centers of the pattern regions as four corners to generate printing image data, and a printing control unit.

A method of printing a three-dimensional structure onto a base having irregularities on the surface is disclosed. A sensing device determines the depth of the irregularity on the surface. A computing system receives an image file including a predetermined thickness of a layer to be printed onto the base. The predetermined thickness is adjusted based on the depth of the irregularity. A printing device prints a layer onto the base having the adjusted predetermined thickness print on the irregularity to make the surface substantially smooth.

A method of depositing printing fluid on a sheet of corrugated media comprises determining a deformation of a sheet of corrugated media, adjusting control parameters for a plurality of nozzles based on the determined deformation, and depositing printing fluid from the plurality of nozzles onto the sheet of corrugated media according to the adjusted control parameters.

A method to increase the print quality of a printer can include determining sensor data corresponding to a print image printed by a print head of the at least one print head of the printer onto the recording medium; determining, based on the sensor data, undulation information corresponding to unevenness of the recording medium, a distance between the one or more nozzles of the print head of the printer and the recording medium varying due to the unevenness; and printing, based on the undulation information, a subsequent print image with the print head of the printer. The printer can include at least one print head including one or more nozzles that are configured to fire ink droplets onto a recording medium to generate a print image on the recording medium.

A duplex sheet printer comprising a first and second sheet quality detection device for determining a suitability of a sheet for printing. The first sheet quality detection device applies a first sheet rejection threshold to which sensed sheets are compared, while the second sheet quality detection device applies a second sheet rejection threshold different from the first. The controller designates sheets in the printing system to be sensed by one of the sheet quality detection devices in accordance with the sheet's media type or the sheet being on a simplex or duplex pass. Different rejection criteria are thus applied to the sheets without adjustment of a sheet quality detection device, resulting in high speed printing.

According to one aspect, a web handling system comprises a plurality of cross-grooved idler rollers, an imaging drum, a nip roller adjacent the imaging drum and forming a nip therewith, and a spreader roller disposed between the plurality of idler rollers and the nip roller. Each idler roller is disposed no more than a first distance from an adjacent idler roller, spreader roller, and nip roller and the spreader roller is disposed no more than a second distance from the nip. The first distance is in a range of 38 to 28 inches, 36 to 30 inches, or 35 to 33 inches and the second distance is in a range of 6 to 11 inches, 6.5 to 9 inches, or 7.0 to 8.5 inches.

An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a recording head, an irregularity detecting unit, a recording medium conveyance unit, and a control unit. The irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium conveyed toward the recording head. The recording medium conveyance unit has a recording medium diversion unit into which the recording medium with which an irregularity has been detected by the irregularity detecting unit is conveyed. The control unit can perform flushing operation and, when the irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium, the control unit cancels the flushing operation set immediately before the recording medium with which the irregularity has been detected and conveys, by controlling the recording medium conveyance unit, the recording medium to the recording medium diversion unit.