An image forming apparatus includes: a pretreatment section that applies a precoat liquid to a printing surface of a continuous recording medium to be transported; a printing section that sprays ink onto the continuous recording medium to which the precoat liquid is applied; and a transport section that transports the continuous recording medium along a predetermined path. The transport section includes at least one pass roller that is disposed between the pretreatment section and the printing section, the pass roller transporting the continuous recording medium to which the precoat liquid is applied toward the printing section and coming into contact with the printing surface of the continuous recording medium. A surface of the pass roller is subjected to water-repellent finishing for the precoat liquid.

An aqueous inkjet printer also ejects drops of UV material on an aqueous ink image and exposes the aqueous ink image and the UV material to UV radiation before passing the aqueous ink image and UV material through a thermal dryer. The exposure to UV radiation pins the UV material to the aqueous ink image and underlying substrate and the thermal dryer fixes the aqueous ink image to the substrate while releasing free radicals from the UV material. Thus, the printer produces textured prints that do not have free radicals that can irritate skin or produce noxious odors.

Systems and methods for forming and applying decorations onto substrates are disclosed. According to some aspects, a decoration may be formed on a carrier web at a decoration forming station positioned along a web path. The decorations may be transported along the web path to an application station at which the decorations are applied to substrates from the carrier web.

A print substrate transport system comprises a print substrate supply mechanism and a tensioner. The print substrate supply mechanism is configured to advance print substrate to a printing zone in a discontinuous motion. The tensioner is provided downstream of the print printing zone and is configured to guide a path of the print substrate from the printing zone to a post-processing zone, to control tension in the print substrate in the post-processing zone, and to convert the discontinuous motion of the substrate to continuous motion. A print substrate transport method comprises supplying a print substrate to a printing zone in a discontinuous motion, controlling a tension of the print substrate on a path downstream of the printing zone and converting the motion of the substrate from the discontinuous motion to a continuous motion.

A machine for processing textile substrates includes a base configured to receive a substrate support carrying a textile substrate, and may further include a nozzle assembly supported above the base for applying pretreatment liquid to a pretreatment area of the substrate during relative movement between the nozzle assembly and the substrate support along a conveying direction. A forced air assembly is supported above the base for movement transverse to the conveying direction. A controller that controls the relative movement between the substrate support and the nozzle assembly along the conveying direction, or the movement of the forced air assembly along the second axis based on information related to a pretreatment area or a print area of the textile substrate in order to direct heated air from the forced air assembly onto an area of the textile substrate substantially corresponding to the pretreatment area or the print area.

A sheet conveyor includes a conveyance belt configured to convey a sheet on a first surface of the conveyance belt in a conveyance direction, a suction device configured to suck the sheet onto the conveyance belt via the conveyance belt, and multiple supports between the conveyance belt and the suction device in a vertical direction, the multiple supports configured to support a second surface of the conveyance belt. A longitudinal direction of each of the multiple supports is parallel to a direction intersecting the conveyance direction, and the multiple supports are arrayed in the conveyance direction.

A recording device includes a transport unit configured to alternately repeat transport and stop of a recording medium, a recording head configured to discharge ink onto the recording medium to form an image while the recording medium is stopped in an image forming region, a drying unit including a plate in which a plurality of openings for blowing an air flow are formed in a position facing the recording medium transported by the transport unit, and being configured to dry the recording medium on which an image is formed by the recording head, and a relative movement unit configured to move the recording medium and the plate relatively in an intersecting direction that intersects a facing direction in which the recording medium and the plate face each other, while the recording medium is stopped in the image forming region.

Examples systems and methods of this disclosure include a threshold corresponding to a vapor density, and a circuit or method step to compare an incoming signal that corresponds to a detected vapor density with the threshold.

The drying apparatus includes a conveying belt and a heating unit. The heating unit includes a blower fan, a rectifying member, a heater, and a reflecting plate. The rectifying member is arranged on the downstream side of the blower fan in the blowing direction of the blower fan and includes one or more first through holes. The heater is arranged on the downstream side of the rectifying member in the blowing direction to radiate infrared rays in all directions. The reflecting plate is arranged between the rectifying member and the heater, includes one or more second through holes, and reflects the infrared rays radiated from the heater to the side of the conveying belt. The one or more first through holes are formed in a portion other than a portion where the infrared rays passing through the one or more second through holes of the reflecting plate are radiated.

Systems and methods for forming and applying decorations onto substrates are disclosed. According to some aspects, a decoration may be formed on a carrier web at a decoration forming station positioned along a web path. The decorations may be transported along the web path to an application station at which the decorations are applied to substrates from the carrier web.