A printing apparatus includes a liquid ejector configured to eject liquid droplets towards a medium. A particle delivery device is configured to deliver particles to the medium. The particles are configured to combine with at least some of the liquid droplets and change at least one property of the liquid droplets. The particle delivery device is configured to deliver the particles after or substantially simultaneously as the liquid droplets are ejected. A curing device is configured to cure the combination of the liquid droplets and the particles onto the medium. A controller is configured to independently control the liquid ejector and the particle delivery device.

An image forming apparatus includes a housing of an apparatus body, an electrical equipment portion provided to project in a horizontal direction with respect to the housing, wherein a space is provided under the electrical equipment portion, a cover configured to cover the electrical equipment portion, and a louver which comprises plural slats arranged with intervals therebetween and through which an inside of the cover communicates with an outside of the cover, and is provided in a lower surface portion of the cover. The louver comprises a first louver member and a second louver member. The first louver member comprises a first slat portion constituting a part of the slats. The second louver member comprises a second slat portion disposed below the first slat portion to overlap with the first slat portion at least partially in a front view of the louver and constituting another part of the slats.

An ink-jet printer including a conveyor, a carriage, a recording head, a power supply, an ink receiver, a command receiver, and a controller, is provided. The controller executes the steps of: determining a discharge ink amount that should be discharged to the ink receiver; raising a drive voltage to a first voltage when the discharge ink amount is less than a first threshold value, and raising the drive voltage to a second voltage when the discharge ink amount is the first threshold value or more; performing a flushing process; based on the flushing process after having raised the drive voltage to the second voltage having finished in the case of having raised the drive voltage to the second voltage, stepping down the drive voltage from the second voltage to the first voltage; and based on the flushing process having finished and on the drive voltage being the first voltage, performing a printing process.

An ion writing unit includes an ion generator and an array of electrode nozzles aligned to receive and guide generated ions. An air flow source causes an air flow adjacent the ion generator or in an orientation adjacent the electrode nozzles.

An ion writing unit includes an ion generator and an array of electrode nozzles aligned to receive and guide generated ions. An air flow source causes an air flow adjacent the ion generator or in an orientation adjacent the electrode nozzles.

A substrate for an additive manufacturing process, the substrate having a build surface for fusing to a part being formed on the substrate by the additive manufacturing process, wherein the substrate is configured to provide relatively high stiffness in a direction substantially perpendicular to the build surface, while having a low longitudinal stiffness in the plane of the build surface. Also, a method of forming the substrate, a system including the substrate, and use of the system for creating a part by an additive manufacturing process.

A recording medium includes a substrate and an ink-receiving layer as the top layer. The ink-receiving layer contains inorganic particles. The inorganic particles contain cationized colloidal silica, alumina hydrate, and fumed alumina. A content of the cationized colloidal silica is 5% or more by mass and 25% or less by mass based on a content of the inorganic particles. The mass ratio of the alumina hydrate to the fumed alumina (alumina hydrate content:fumed alumina content) is from 95:5 to 55:45.

An ink-jet printer including a conveyor, a carriage, a recording head, a power supply, an ink receiver, a command receiver, and a controller, is provided. The controller executes the steps of: determining a discharge ink amount that should be discharged to the ink receiver; raising a drive voltage to a first voltage when the discharge ink amount is less than a first threshold value, and raising the drive voltage to a second voltage when the discharge ink amount is the first threshold value or more; performing a flushing process; based on the flushing process after having raised the drive voltage to the second voltage having finished in the case of having raised the drive voltage to the second voltage, stepping down the drive voltage from the second voltage to the first voltage; and based on the flushing process having finished and on the drive voltage being the first voltage, performing a printing process.

An ion writing unit includes a housing, an electrode assembly, and a heating mechanism. The housing includes a chamber at least partially containing an ion generator. The electrode assembly includes an array of electrode nozzles on one exposed exterior surface of the housing and aligned to receive and guide generated ions. The heating mechanism applies heat to at least one of the chamber and at least a portion of the array of electrode nozzles.

An ion writing unit includes a housing, an electrode assembly, and a heating mechanism. The housing includes a chamber at least partially containing an ion generator. The electrode assembly includes an array of electrode nozzles on one exposed exterior surface of the housing and aligned to receive and guide generated ions. The heating mechanism applies heat to at least one of the chamber and at least a portion of the array of electrode nozzles.