A calculable 3D color printing method is used for generating, on a 3D object surface, a user-specified color texture pattern, including: performing modeling and simulated calculation with respect to a motion and a deformation of a PVA film in a traditional water transfer printing process to obtain a mapping function between each of pixels on the PVA film and points on an object surface; and calculating, by using the mapping function, a texture pattern to print on the PVA film. This disclosure further includes a set of mechanical devices and a 3D vision system for realizing precise and controllable water transfer printing which precisely prints a user-specified texture pattern onto an object surface. This disclosure further includes a multiple water transfer printing method, including: partitioning a complex object surface into a plurality of regions, and separately coloring each region, until eventually completing coloring of the entire object surface.

A method is provided for printing a surface of a non-absorbent substrate with an ink to be applied by an inkjet printing device. An ink that contains water as a solvent is used for printing the substrate. An ink having a water content of at least 70% is used. The substrate to be printed is supported by a workpiece support and is moved relative to the inkjet printing device. During this relative movement, ink is applied by the inkjet printing device to the surface of the substrate to be printed. The ink that is applied to the surface of the substrate is heated to a temperature that is above the temperature of the air surrounding the substrate and that is below the boiling point of the solvent contained in the ink. Above a liquid phase of the ink, a vapor layer, consisting of the solvent that is contained in the ink, is formed. The vapor layer that is formed above the liquid phase of the ink is transported away by an air flow emitted by at least one blower nozzle unit. The air output by the respective blower nozzle unit is heated or is dehumidified beforehand. A digital printing press is provided for carrying out this method.

A printing apparatus (500) is provided with a moving unit (550) used to convey a can body (10). In addition, the printing apparatus (500) is provided with a first linear unit (610) in a linear shape which the moving unit (550) travels to move in one direction. Moreover, the printing apparatus (500) is provided with a second linear unit (620) which the moving unit (550) travels to move in a direction opposite to the one direction, the second linear unit (620) being arranged in parallel with the first linear unit (610) and formed linearly. Further, the printing apparatus (500) is provided with a printing unit (520) that performs printing on the can body (10) held by the moving unit (550). By these units, the miniaturization of a printing apparatus and a can body manufacturing system is attained.

A tablet printing apparatus 1 includes an inspection unit 53 determining whether or not the printed tablet T is good product, a good product collecting device 43 collecting the tablet T of the good product from the carrying belt 31a, a defective product collecting device 41 collecting the tablet other than the good product from the carrying belt 31a, a discharge confirming sensor 41c detecting whether or not the tablet other than the good tablet is collected by the defective product collecting device 41, and a re-inspection product collecting device 42 collecting the tablet T other than the good product from the carrying belt 31 a when a collecting operation for collecting the tablet T other than the good product is performed by the defective product collecting device 41, and the discharge confirming sensor 41c detects that the tablet T other than the good tablet is not collected.

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration or indicia on a predetermined portion of an outer surface of a metallic container body. The decorator includes at least one digital print unit, a transfer blanket, and a support element. The digital print unit transfers a decorating material to the transfer blanket to form a decoration on the transfer blanket. The support element then moves a metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket. In this manner, the decorating material is transferred to an exterior surface portion of the metallic container to decorate the metallic container. In one embodiment, the digital print unit is an electrophotographic system which transfers a toner material to the transfer blanket. In another embodiment, the digital print unit includes an inkjet print head which transfers an ink to the transfer blanket. Optionally, the decorator may include two or more support elements.

An apparatus (200) and method for preparing a cylindrical object having a protective surface coating, such as a necked can (100), for decorating thereon using a printing technique. According to the method, a primer is applied onto the surface coating, and the primer is then dried to form a surface for decorating the object. The apparatus comprises a priming station (260) for applying a primer onto said surface coating, and a drying station (270) for drying the primer.

A formulation for inkjet printing includes one or more solvents and a plurality of nanoparticles mixed with the one or more solvents. The plurality of nanoparticles has a first refractive index greater than 1.9. A method includes depositing a layer of the formulation by inkjet printing onto a substrate having a non-flat. The method thereby forms coating of the formulation having a first surface conforming to the non-flat surface of the substrate and a second surface, opposite to the first surface, being a flat surface. An optical device includes a surface relief grating and a coating layer disposed on the surface relief grating. The coating layer includes a plurality of nanoparticles having a refractive index greater than 1.45 and a resin. The plurality of nanoparticles has functional ligands cross-linked with the resin.

A method is disclosed in which an identifier is to be printed on a surface of a part to be additive manufactured. The identifier is utilized during post-processing of the part at the manufacturing facility, then the identifier is modified so as to no longer be visible before leaving the facility.

A container component decorating system has a decorating station (156), a container component handling module (102), a supply of colored inks, and inkjet printheads (124). The decorating station (156) delivers art graphics to container components (14) in a manufacturing queue (22). The inkjet printheads (124) comprise nozzles through which the colored inks are delivered. A flush cycle controller activated a flush cycle of the nozzles to deposit a flush cycle ink pattern (109) on a substrate to restore a meniscus (110) on the nozzles.

Method for providing a natural colour and optical depth to a dental object comprising the steps: providing a framework of the dental object, taking an object colour picture of an adjacent dental object or reference dental object, and uploading the object colour picture into a computing device, calibrating and adjusting the uploaded object colour picture into a target object colour picture in a computing device, (pre)determining the thickness profile of the enamel material to be applied on the framework, correcting in a computing device of the digital picture elements of the target object colour picture for the thickness profile of the enamel material to be applied on the position of the digital picture elements and providing a print colour picture of the corrected digital picture elements, printing the print colour picture as a print layer on the framework, applying the enamel material in the predetermined profile-thickness upon the print layer upon the framework.