A makeup fluid is added to an ink liquid of an inkjet printer to reduce the viscosity of the ink liquid, the makeup fluid including a fluorescent color material in a solvent. An inkjet printer apparatus employing a makeup fluid is provided with a makeup fluid tank to which a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are attached, and detects the presence or absence of the makeup fluid by irradiating ultraviolet light from the light-emitting element, causing visible light to be emitted from the fluorescent color material in the makeup fluid, and detecting the visible light with the light-receiving element.

A makeup fluid is added to an ink liquid of an inkjet printer to reduce the viscosity of the ink liquid, the makeup fluid including a fluorescent color material in a solvent. An inkjet printer apparatus employing a makeup fluid is provided with a makeup fluid tank to which a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are attached, and detects the presence or absence of the makeup fluid by irradiating ultraviolet light from the light-emitting element, causing visible light to be emitted from the fluorescent color material in the makeup fluid, and detecting the visible light with the light-receiving element.

Embodiments of the invention relate to ink compositions suitable for applications in the printing industry, for example continuous inkjet printing, including ultra-high speed continuous inkjet printing. The ink compositions use volatile organic solvents, a colorant, and one or more binder resins including a resin that is a phenolic resole resin, wherein the ink composition is free of methanol, halogens, halogenated compounds and bisphenol-A. A phenolic resole resin of the ink composition preferably contains less than 0.1% by weight of free formaldehyde. The one or more binder resins including the phenolic resole resin may be present in an amount that is from about 5% to about 30% by weight of the ink composition.

Embodiments of the invention relate to ink compositions suitable for applications in the printing industry, for example continuous inkjet printing, including ultra-high speed continuous inkjet printing. The ink compositions use volatile organic solvents, a colorant, and one or more binder resins including a resin that is a phenolic resole resin, wherein the ink composition is free of methanol, halogens, halogenated compounds and bisphenol-A. A phenolic resole resin of the ink composition preferably contains less than 0.1% by weight of free formaldehyde. The one or more binder resins including the phenolic resole resin may be present in an amount that is from about 5% to about 30% by weight of the ink composition.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyer belt that transports sheets, a platen plate that supports the conveyer belt to be slidable, a head holding unit that holds inkjet heads ejecting ink to sheets transported on the conveyer belt and being arrayed in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the conveyer belt, and a pair of gap adjustment units that have ends on one side being respectively attached to both ends of a lower surface of the head holding unit and ends on the other side being attached to an upper surface of the platen plate to adjust a gap between the lower surface of the head holding unit and the upper surface of the platen plate.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyer belt that transports sheets, a platen plate that supports the conveyer belt to be slidable, a head holding unit that holds inkjet heads ejecting ink to sheets transported on the conveyer belt and being arrayed in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the conveyer belt, and a pair of gap adjustment units that have ends on one side being respectively attached to both ends of a lower surface of the head holding unit and ends on the other side being attached to an upper surface of the platen plate to adjust a gap between the lower surface of the head holding unit and the upper surface of the platen plate.

A method of controlling a control apparatus for use with a fluid dispenser having a plurality of nozzles includes obtaining, dividing, and substituting. A drop pattern is obtained as data for use in dispensing drops onto a substrate from the plurality of nozzles of the fluid dispenser. The obtained drop pattern is divided into a plurality of drop patterns based on a distance between drops of the obtained drop pattern. The plurality of drop patterns are substituted in place of the obtained drop pattern to dispense the drops onto the substrate from the fluid dispenser.

A method of controlling a control apparatus for use with a fluid dispenser having a plurality of nozzles includes obtaining, dividing, and substituting. A drop pattern is obtained as data for use in dispensing drops onto a substrate from the plurality of nozzles of the fluid dispenser. The obtained drop pattern is divided into a plurality of drop patterns based on a distance between drops of the obtained drop pattern. The plurality of drop patterns are substituted in place of the obtained drop pattern to dispense the drops onto the substrate from the fluid dispenser.

The invention provides a process for producing a printed article wherein a deposit liquid is provided to a substrate together with a carrier liquid. Also provided is a printed article obtained or obtainable by the process of the invention, such as a printed article. The invention further provides an apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the invention, comprising devices configured to provide a flow of each of the deposit liquid and carrier liquid to a substrate, a flow channel for carrying each of the said liquids and an aperture through which at least the deposit liquid must pass. In some embodiments, the process of the invention is performed using the apparatus of the invention. The invention therefore also provides the use of the apparatus of the invention to perform the process of the invention.

A continuous inkjet printer has an ink circuit comprising an ink tank, an ink pump and a Venture suction device. The Venturi is used to suck an extra solvent or ink as required. However, if the ink tank is empty, no ink can be pumped through the Venture and so it will not develop suction and thus, cannot be used to suck in an initial supply of ink to an empty tank. A removable ink container may be connected to the ink tank or elsewhere in the ink circuit, for example, between the Venturi outlet and the pump inlet. Compressing the ink container manually will force ink into the ink circuit. When enough ink has been added, the pump will drive ink through the Venturi and suction will be generated.