An image formation device includes a transfer member and a first portion to receive an electrically charged, image-receiving holder onto the transfer member. A second portion downstream from the first portion is to receive droplets of ink particles within a dielectric carrier fluid onto the electrically charged, image-receiving holder to form at least part of an image. A charge source is to emit airborne charges to charge the ink particles to move, via attraction relative to the image-receiving holder, through the carrier fluid to become electrostatically fixed relative to the image-receiving holder. A liquid removal unit is to remove at least the carrier fluid from at least a surface of the image-receiving holder. A transfer station is to transfer the ink particles of the image and the image-receiving holder together from the transfer member to an image formation medium.

A method for forming at least one plurality of printed dots on a surface, with help of at least one plurality of drops generated by a printhead of a continuous inkjet printer. The method comprises, for each plurality of printed dots: deciding, whether all drops of the at least one plurality of drops are protected from perturbations due to the air resistance or whether at least one drop of the at least one plurality of drops is not protected from the perturbations; generating and charging each drop of the at least one plurality of drops according to whether it is protected from the perturbations or not protected from the perturbations; and printing the at least one plurality of drops on the surface.

A printed graphical code has H lines and a W columns i (i=1, . . . W) and a pattern of H×W cells, each at the intersection of a column and a line. Each cell or dot is formed with a drop from a printhead of a continuous inkjet printer and two successive dots of a column are separated by at least one non printed cell. A method for printing each column comprises: retrieving or selecting charges to be applied to each drop for printing the dots of the column from a set of data or database of charges for each of a number of configurations of drops to be printed, the number being equal to or less than 2.sup.(H/2)+1 if H is an even number or equal to or less than 2.sup.((H+1)/2)+1 if H is an odd number; charging the drops for printing according to the retrieved charges; and printing the column.

To realize high-quality printing with less printing distortion by reducing an influence of a Coulomb force that acts between ink particles which are ejected in an inkjet recording device.

The inkjet recording device is configured to charge ink particles ejected from a nozzle, deflect the charged ink particles, and print a character in a shape of an object to be printed. In the inkjet recording device, dots of each column of the character to be printed are divided into a plurality of blocks in a column direction. In addition, charging voltage data in which the order of the ink particles corresponding to the dots is switched in the divided block unit is stored, and a predetermined charging voltage is applied to the charging electrode on the basis of the charging voltage data.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device having a print head cleaning function of preventing a cleaning liquid from spilling around the inkjet recording device and storing the cleaning liquid used for cleaning in a highly airtight container. In order to realize the foregoing object, the inkjet recording device includes a main body including an ink container that accommodates an ink used to perform printing on a print target, and a cleaning liquid container that accommodates a cleaning liquid; a print head including a nozzle that is connected to the ink container to discharge the ink which is pressurized and supplied, a charging electrode that charges ink particles to be used for the printing, a deflection electrode that deflects the ink particles charged by the charging electrode, and a gutter that recovers the ink particles which are not used for the printing; and a head cleaning unit including a cleaning nozzle that discharges the cleaning liquid, and an insertion port into which the print head is insertable.

An inkjet recording device includes a main body unit, a print head unit, and a head mounting unit. The main body unit includes an ink container. The print head unit includes a nozzle connected to the ink container. The head mounting unit is configured to allow the print head unit to be mounted on the head mounting unit. The head mounting unit includes a head detection unit that detects whether or not the print head unit is mounted, using a magnetic force.

An inkjet recording device includes a main body unit, a print head unit, and a head mounting unit. The main body unit includes an ink container. The print head unit includes a nozzle connected to the ink container. The head mounting unit is configured to allow the print head unit to be mounted on the head mounting unit. The head mounting unit includes a head detection unit that detects whether or not the print head unit is mounted, using a magnetic force.

An image formation device includes a transfer member and a first portion to receive an electrically charged, image-receiving holder onto the transfer member. A second portion downstream from the first portion is to receive droplets of ink particles within a dielectric carrier fluid onto the electrically charged, image-receiving holder to form at least part of an image. A charge source is to emit airborne charges to charge the ink particles to move, via attraction relative to the image-receiving holder, through the carrier fluid to become electrostatically fixed relative to the image-receiving holder. A liquid removal unit is to remove at least the carrier fluid from at least a surface of the image-receiving holder. A transfer station is to transfer the ink particles of the image and the image-receiving holder together from the transfer member to an image formation medium.

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container in which ink to be used to perform printing on a print target is stored, a nozzle which is connected to the ink container and from which pressurized and supplied ink is jetted, charging electrodes that charge ink particles jetted from the nozzle with electricity, deflecting electrodes that polarize the ink particles charged with electricity by the charging electrodes, a gutter that recovers ink not used for printing, a solvent container in which a solvent is stored, and a liquid nozzle which is connected to the solvent container and from which a pressurized and supplied solvent is jetted. The liquid nozzle includes a liquid flow passage portion that extends from the nozzle in a direction of the gutter, and a liquid jet hole that is formed at an angle allowing the pressurized and supplied solvent to hit the nozzle through the liquid flow passage portion.

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container in which ink to be used to perform printing on a print target is stored, a nozzle which is connected to the ink container and from which pressurized and supplied ink is jetted, charging electrodes that charge ink particles jetted from the nozzle with electricity, deflecting electrodes that polarize the ink particles charged with electricity by the charging electrodes, a gutter that recovers ink not used for printing, a solvent container in which a solvent is stored, and a liquid nozzle which is connected to the solvent container and from which a pressurized and supplied solvent is jetted. The liquid nozzle includes a liquid flow passage portion that extends from the nozzle in a direction of the gutter, and a liquid jet hole that is formed at an angle allowing the pressurized and supplied solvent to hit the nozzle through the liquid flow passage portion.