In one example, a media support includes a platen and multiple suctions cups embedded in or an integral part of the platen. Some of the suction cups are arranged in a first part having a first density and some of the suction cups arrange in a second part having a second density less than the first density.

In one example, a media support includes a platen and multiple suction cups in the platen. Each suction cup in the platen has a port through which air may be evacuated from the cup.

In one example, a media support includes a sheet of elongated suction cups. In another example, a media support includes an arrangement of elongated and/or circular suction cups in which the density of the suction cups varies between different parts of the support.

A method and machine arrangement for sequential processing of sheet-like substrates are disclosed. At least one of a front side and a rear side of the substrates is processed in a production line one after another. A printing ink or another type of ink is applied in at least one non-impact printing device on the respective side of the substrates. The printing ink or the other type of ink is dried. A dispersion coating or a coating cured by UV radiation is then applied onto the respective side of the substrates. The dispersion coating or the coating cured by UV radiation is dried and the substrates are fed to a mechanical processing device for carrying out a further mechanical processing of the substrates. The further mechanical processing is performed by at least one of punching, inserting grooves, separating parts and by breaking out panels from their respective composite in the respective substrate.

A printing cylinder includes a plurality of suction chambers and a masking sheet configured to cover the suction chambers. The masking sheet includes a non-sucking portion which protrudes from the boundary of the suction chambers toward the inside of the suction chambers. A number of through holes are formed in a portion except for the non-sucking portion in the masking sheet. The non-sucking portion exists between the sheet to be printed and the boundary of the suction chamber to be used and the suction chamber not to be used. This can prevent an ink mist from adhering to the printing cylinder.

A conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance device including a sheet-bearing member having a curved sheet-bearing surface, the conveyance device conveying a sheet by bearing the sheet with the curved sheet-bearing surface of the sheet-bearing member, and a blower to blow air onto the sheet. The carved sheet-bearing surface of the sheet-bearing member is formed by a plurality of wires defining gaps through which the blower blows air.

Provided in one example is a printing system that has a printing zone with a platen (10), a drive, a suction force generator (18), a media advance sensor (26) to monitor movement of the medium through the printing zone in a medium advance direction, and a controller 28) to perform suction force calibration prior to printing. The suction force calibration includes controlling the drive to cause movement of the medium from an initial position at least partly through the printing zone while the suction force generator is controlled to generate at least one suction force level, determining a suction force level to be used during printing on the medium based on the output of the media advance sensor during the movement, and moving the medium back to the initial position.

A media transport system includes a drum with a plurality of rows of holes, a vacuum plenum, and a shutter. The vacuum plenum is positioned within the drum at a position opposite a printhead and the shutter is configured for movement in a cross-process direction. Each row of holes in the drum includes at least one inter-copy gap. The shutter includes a solid member having at least one aperture in it. The shutter is moved to a position so the aperture is aligned with a row of holes and the solid portion of the shutter prevents a flow of air through the vacuum plenum from the holes in other rows of holes not aligned with the aperture in the shutter and the inter-copy gaps in the row of holes aligned with the aperture selectively prevents air flow to the vacuum plenum.

A printing apparatus and a printing method that allow transport performance, and reading and correction performance to be compatible with each other are provided. The above problem is solved by a printing apparatus including a suction unit that suctions a recording medium with a first suction force on a supporting surface; a correction unit that corrects at least one of a printing unit or a reading unit on the basis of a reading result of the reading unit; and a controller that controls a suction force of the suction unit at a reading position of the reading unit and that suctions the recording medium on the suction unit with a second suction force smaller than the first suction force or stops suction of the suction unit, at least in a case where the reading unit reads an image using a reading result in the correction unit.

A digital printing machine includes a first sheet-conveying belt made of a first material, a second sheet-conveying belt made of a second material, and a print head for printing on a front side and a back side of the print sheet. The print head is directed towards the first sheet-conveying belt. A reversing device reverses the print sheet between receiving a print on the front side and receiving a print on the back side. A drier dries a print that has been printed onto the print sheet by the print head. The drier is directed towards the second sheet-conveying belt. For instance, the first sheet-conveying belt may be a metal belt and the second sheet-conveying belt may be a plastic belt.