The present invention relates to a method for providing a multi-layered, hollow, chocolate figure with a print in edible color preparation, comprising providing one half of a hollow, chocolate figure with one or more types of edible color preparation by means of an elastic pad, characterized in that the printing takes place at a pressure of between 8 and 12 bar and wherein the figure is situated in a mold-half during printing.

An imprinting apparatus 100 includes a control unit 126 that controls movement of a stage 104. During a period after a pattern is formed in a first region of regions until a pattern is formed in a second region that differs from the first region of the regions, the control unit 126 does not allow the first region to pass through a facing portion that faces a discharge ports 122b. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the discharging unit 106 finally discharges a imprint material 127 to the substrate with an airstream generated along a substrate from the facing portion at the facing portion that faces the discharge ports 122b, the control unit 126 controls movement of the stage such that the regions in which the pattern is formed are allowed to pass through the facing portion.

There is described a method of increasing the output of a transfer film (1) upon embossing, in particular hot embossing, wherein the transfer film (1) has a carrier film (1a) and a transfer layer portion (1b) which is releasable from the carrier film (1a). During a first embossing operation first regions (10) of the transfer layer portion (1b) which are arranged removed from each other at a spacing a are transferred by means of a first embossing tool from the transfer film (1) onto at least one substrate (2), wherein first openings (10a) are produced at the spacing a in the transfer layer portion (1b) of the transfer film (1). After the first embossing operation the transfer film (1) is wound up after the first embossing operation and fed to at least a further embossing operation.

A method for manufacturing a rubber product includes printing a printing layer with a pattern or a color on a plate member; processing a rubber material in mixing, heating and pressing manners; molding the rubber material and the plate member together by heating and pressing to transfer the printing layer from the plate member onto the rubber material, so as to form the rubber product; demolding the rubber product; and detaching the plate member from the rubber product when demolding the rubber product. The pattern or the color is printed to at least one three-dimensional surface of the rubber product by transferring the printing layer from the plate member onto the rubber material.

An imprint apparatus forms a pattern of an imprint material in a shot area of the substrate using the mold, and includes a heating mechanism that changes a shape of the substrate by irradiating the shot area of the substrate with light, wherein the heating mechanism includes a plurality of optical modulators that forms an illuminance distribution in the shot area of the substrate, and light beams from the plurality of optical modulators illuminate mutually different areas of the shot area.