A dielectric heating device includes: an electrode unit including a first electrode and a second electrode that face a to-be-heated object, and configured to heat the to-be-heated object; a voltage application unit configured to apply an alternating-current voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode; a current value detection unit configured to detect a current value of an alternating current that flows through the electrode unit; a phase difference detection unit configured to detect a phase difference between the alternating-current voltage and the alternating current; an impedance detection unit configured to detect an impedance of the electrode unit based on the current value and the phase difference; and a control unit configured to control output of alternating-current power output to the electrode unit by controlling the voltage application unit based on the impedance.

An inkjet printing apparatus for printing on a substrate, such as a flexible packaging material, includes at least three inkjet heads including a first inkjet head, a second inkjet head, and at least one further inkjet head. At least one drying unit includes a first drying unit arranged opposite a first drying location which is located between the first and second inkjet location, the first drying unit being configured for physically removing liquid from ink applied by the first inkjet head. At least a first drum and a second drum, where the first and second inkjet locations as well as the first drying location are located on an outer surface of the first drum; and the at least one further inkjet location is located on an outer surface of the second drum.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a rotatable conveying member, and a suction device. The image forming device forms an image on a continuous recording medium. The conveying member has a hollow drum shape. The conveying member conveys the continuous recording medium. The suction device is disposed inside the hollow drum shape of the conveying member. The suction device sucks the continuous recording medium through the conveying member in a fixed region in which the continuous recording medium and the conveying member are in contact with each other.

A drying device includes a contact heater unit to contact and heat a medium. The contact heater unit includes a plurality of heating members each having a curved contact face to contact the medium among plural heating members of the plurality of heating members to contact a first surface of the medium opposite a second surface of the medium on which liquid is applied. The plurality of heating members includes a first heating member and a plurality of second heating members. The first heating member has a maximum contact distance to contact the medium. The plurality of second heating members is disposed upstream from the first heating member in a direction of conveyance of the medium. Two heating members of the plurality of second heating members immediately upstream from the first heating member in the direction of conveyance of the medium contact the first surface of the medium.

Provided is a dielectric heating apparatus for heating a first ink and a second ink that adhere to a medium. The first ink contains carbon black, and the second ink does not contain carbon black. The dielectric heating apparatus includes: a first electrode unit as an electrode unit configured to heat the first ink and the second ink, the first electrode unit including a first electrode and a second electrode that face the medium; and a first voltage application unit configured to apply an AC voltage having a frequency of 300 MHz or more and 300 GHz or less to the first electrode and the second electrode.

In example implementations, a system is provided. The system includes at least one fluid ejection apparatus, a heater and an energy source. The at least one fluid ejection apparatus dispenses a de-contented fluid onto a substrate during conveyance of the substrate. The heater is arranged after the at least one fluid ejection apparatus along a substrate conveying path. The heater removes a liquid from the de-contented fluid on the substrate such that the particles of the de-contented fluid remain on the substrate. The energy source is arranged after the heater along the substrate conveying path. The energy source applies energy to the substrate during the conveyance of the substrate to heat the substrate to a temperature that is approximately a melting temperature of the substrate to fuse the particles on the substrate to the substrate.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge device configured to discharge a liquid curable by active-energy rays onto a discharge target to form a liquid discharge surface, an irradiator configured to irradiate the liquid discharge surface with the active-energy rays, a carriage mounting the discharge device and the irradiator, the carriage configure to move in a main-scanning direction, and circuitry configured to relatively move the carriage and the discharge target in the main-scanning direction, relatively move the carriage and the discharge target in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, and control illuminance of the active-energy rays emitted from the irradiator to the liquid discharge surface on the discharge target according to a length of a discharge range of the liquid discharge surface on the discharge target in the main-scanning direction.

A heating device includes a heating unit configured to heat a medium in a non-contact manner, a reflector configured to reflect heat rays of the heating unit toward the medium, a flow path member including a gas flow path disposed between a suction port and an outlet, an air blowing unit configured to generate an air flow so that gas is sucked from the suction port and is blown out from the outlet, a first cutting unit configured to stop a current to the heating unit when a temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, and a second cutting unit configured to stop the current to the heating unit when a temperature reaches a predetermined temperature. The first cutting unit is disposed in the gas flow path, located in the vertically upward direction with respect to the heating unit. The second cutting unit is in contact with the reflector.

A digital printing system (10) includes an intermediate transfer member (ITM) (44) which is configured to receive a printing fluid so as to form an image, a continuous target substrate (50), and a processor (20). The continuous target substrate (50) is configured to engage with the ITM (44) at an engagement point (150) for receiving the image from the ITM (44), at the engagement point (150), the ITM (44) is configured to move at a first velocity and the continuous target substrate (50) is configured to move at a second velocity. The processor (20) is configured to match the first velocity and the second velocity at the engagement point (150).

Provided are an ink jet ink for forming an infrared absorbing image and applications thereof, the ink jet ink including an infrared absorbing material represented by Formula (1), resin particles, a water-soluble organic solvent, a water-soluble organic compound X1, a surfactant, and water. M.sup.+ represents a proton, a monovalent alkali metal cation, or an organic cation, L.sup.1 represents a methine chain consisting of 5 or 7 methine groups, a methine group at a center of the methine chain has a substituent, R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and X represents O, S, or Se.

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