A method for producing a relief-like printed image on containers is described in which print layers are layered onto one another by way of jet application of a printing paint, an ink, a varnish, or an adhesive from at least one print head onto a container, thereby producing elevated regions of the printed image. Due to the fact that the print layers are each applied in full tone printing, optical and haptic effects can be created on container surfaces with low equipment complexity and a minimal number of printing steps.

Provided is an object to be printed which can improve the quality of a printed image in inkjet printing on the object to be printed, regardless of the resolution of an inkjet image. In a method for producing an object to be printed having an area to be printed on a surface thereof, a surface of the area to be printed is adjusted so that the area to be printed has a surface energy E (mN/m) of 30 or more and 50 or less. The object to be printed is selected from a can and a film for containers.

Provided is a printer capable of efficiently printing an image on a cylindrical recording medium with simple control.

A plurality of printing start positions are set on an outer circumferential surface of a recording medium. A processor performs transport control of the recording medium for a transport unit and printing control of the recording medium for a printing unit provided in each station. In the transport control, control for the transport unit is performed such that the recording medium is rotated at a constant speed, movement of the recording medium is stopped each time the recording medium arrives at the station, and the movement of the recording medium is restarted after printing at the station is completed. In the printing control, control for the printing unit of each station is performed such that image printing is started from the printing start position that first reaches the printing position.

A printing process for a metal container includes the steps: Heating the metal container, in particular formed as a metal bottle ready for filling, to a pre-treatment temperature lying in an interval between 100° C. and 250° C., cooling the metal container to a temperature below 100° C., locally activating a printing zone, formed on an outer surface of the metal container to increase a surface energy of the printing zone and/or locally heating the printing zone to a printing temperature which is in an interval between 30° C. and 70° C., printing the printing zone with a printing method.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.

A tiltable mounting device is for mounting cylindrical objects with a top surface and a lateral surface, and for tilting the objects relative to a reference plane. The device has a frame, and one or more mandrels, each configured to mount a cylindrical object. Each mandrel is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and is tiltable in the frame between first and second positions. The longitudinal axis of each mandrel in the first position is oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the respective mandrel in the second position. In the first position, each mandrel is oriented with the top surface of the object in the reference plane, and in the second position, each mandrel is oriented such that the lateral surface of the cylindrical object is tangent to the reference plane.

Digital printing machine for printing workpieces, including a print head carrier to which a print head for dispensing ink droplets in a printing direction and a drying unit for curing the ink droplets are attached, wherein the print head and the drying unit define a working space in which an application of a print image to an outer surface of a workpiece with the print head and a drying of the print image on the workpiece with the drying unit is provided, wherein the drying unit provides electromagnetic waves for a photochemical polymerization of the ink droplets, wherein the drying unit includes a radiation source to provide electromagnetic waves with an intensity maximum at a wavelength from the group of: 395 nanometers, 385 nanometers, 365 nanometers.

A can body printing system includes: a measurement section 34 configured to measure, for a predetermined unit, a quantity of can bodies subjected to printing; a quantity detection section 304 configured to detect, for the unit, that the quantity measured for the unit reaches a predetermined allowable quantity of can bodies for the printing; and a print stopping section 305 configured to control a stoppage of the printing on can bodies in response to the detection by the quantity detection section 304.

A can body printing system includes: a host device 10; and a printing device 30 configured to print an image acquired from the host device 10 onto can bodies. The print image information acquisition section 301 of the printing device 30 acquires, from the host device 10, image information to which an authorization for printing on can bodies is added. The activation control section 305 of the printing device 30 prints an image based on the image information onto can bodies on the basis of the authorization for printing on can bodies added to the acquired image information.

A container component decorating apparatus (10) delivers one or more art graphics to a plurality of container components in a manufacturing queue. A container component handling module (200) has one or more holders (204) which retain the container components to the apparatus (10). The apparatus (10) has a supply of one or more fluids which are to be deposited onto the container components; A source of thermal energy (240) is thermally couplable to the container component. A thermal energy is transferred from the source to the container component prior to one or more fluid droplets from the source fluid being deposited on a non-absorbent surface of the container component.