The present invention includes a method and an apparatus (1) for handling flat material and/or film material wound onto rolls (5) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Rolls (5), which are at least partially unwound, are alternately removed from at least one installation position (EB1; EB2) of a packaging machine (3), and in each case a new roll (5) of flat material and/or film material is mounted in the particular installation position (EB1; EB2). After each mounting, an externally arranged layer (15) is extracted from the particular new roll (5) near or in the area of its free end attached to a section of a material web of a further roll (5) being guided in the packaging machine (3). This is done in a manner such that flat material and/or film material is unwound interruption-free.

The present invention includes a method and an apparatus (1) for handling flat material and/or film material wound onto rolls (5) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Rolls (5), which are at least partially unwound, are alternately removed from at least one installation position (EB1; EB2) of a packaging machine (3), and in each case a new roll (5) of flat material and/or film material is mounted in the particular installation position (EB1; EB2). After each mounting, an externally arranged layer (15) is extracted from the particular new roll (5) near or in the area of its free end attached to a section of a material web of a further roll (5) being guided in the packaging machine (3). This is done in a manner such that flat material and/or film material is unwound interruption-free.

The present invention provides a recording medium detecting device, an image forming device, an image forming system, a recording medium detecting method, and a non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program capable of detecting a grain direction of a recording medium. A recording medium detecting device has: a sensor capable of detecting a recording medium from a first detection direction and a second detection direction different from the first detection direction; and a control unit. The control unit determines a grain direction of a recording medium from first surface property data obtained when the recording medium is detected from the first detection direction and second surface property data obtained when the recording medium is detected from the second detection direction.

The present invention provides a recording medium detecting device, an image forming device, an image forming system, a recording medium detecting method, and a non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program capable of detecting a grain direction of a recording medium. A recording medium detecting device has: a sensor capable of detecting a recording medium from a first detection direction and a second detection direction different from the first detection direction; and a control unit. The control unit determines a grain direction of a recording medium from first surface property data obtained when the recording medium is detected from the first detection direction and second surface property data obtained when the recording medium is detected from the second detection direction.

Example printer finishing apparatus are described herein. An example printer disclosed herein includes an alignment guide, a track to align a sheet relative to the alignment guide, a clamp to move between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sheet, and a force applicator coupled to the clamp. The force applicator is to cause the sheet to engage the alignment guide when the clamp is in the lowered position.

Example printer finishing apparatus are described herein. An example printer disclosed herein includes an alignment guide, a track to align a sheet relative to the alignment guide, a clamp to move between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sheet, and a force applicator coupled to the clamp. The force applicator is to cause the sheet to engage the alignment guide when the clamp is in the lowered position.

A printing system for printing on sheets of media having a non-uniform thickness profile. A user interface is controlled to instruct the operator to load a media tray with a stack of media having a specified pattern of media orientations. A media transport system picks sequential sheets of media from the media tray. A front end supplies sequential image data having orientations in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations. A printing module sequentially prints the supplied image data on the sheets of media in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations.

A printing system for printing on sheets of media having a non-uniform thickness profile. A user interface is controlled to instruct the operator to load a media tray with a stack of media having a specified pattern of media orientations. A media transport system picks sequential sheets of media from the media tray. A front end supplies sequential image data having orientations in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations. A printing module sequentially prints the supplied image data on the sheets of media in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations.

A medium processing device includes a conveyance guide that forms a conveyance path, a reference surface guide that is provided at one side of the conveyance path, a trigger sensor that detects a rear end of the medium in the conveyance direction, a first alignment roller and a second alignment roller for aligning the medium with the reference surface guide. The first alignment roller is provided at the middle, in a width of the conveyance path. The second alignment roller is provided between the reference surface guide and the first alignment roller in the width direction. The second alignment roller is provided at a downstream side of the first alignment roller in the conveyance direction. A space from the first alignment roller to the second alignment roller in the conveyance direction is longer than a space from the trigger sensor to the first alignment roller in the conveyance direction.

A printing apparatus includes: an image former that forms an image on a pre-cutting sheet; a cutter that cuts the pre-cutting sheet on which the image is formed; and a hardware processor that controls the image former, wherein the hardware processor acquires image deviation information related to a deviation of an image with respect to a post-cutting sheet, and corrects at least one of a position, a tilt, or a shape of an image formed on the pre-cutting sheet so as to eliminate the deviation of the image based on the image deviation information.