A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system. A group of print bars is located with respect to a marker transport platen and a marker transport belt. A vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with the marker transport platen. The marker transport platen includes airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots. The cross-section direction slots are located beneath the print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, which facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots. Pneumatic valves are associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots. The pneumatic vales can be timed to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.

A machine for inkjet decoration of ceramic manufactured articles, comprising a basic frame; one supporting surface having a surface to be decorated, where the supporting surface is movable along a direction; a plurality of printing heads each provided with a plurality of nozzles substantially aligned with each other along a relevant line of action and adapted to dispense ink along a relevant direction of dispensing, each of the heads defining a respective range of action on the surface to be decorated, wherein the heads comprise a fixed head(s) and a swivel head(s), and comprises a plurality of groups of heads, where each of the groups comprises a plurality of rows of heads arranged parallel to each other along a direction transverse to the direction, the heads of each of the rows being staggered with respect to the heads of the adjacent row belonging to the same group.

There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.

There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that can correct bending of an ink jet head with a compact structure. First supporting frames 122 that support ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K and second supporting frames 170 that support a part of ink supply sections supplying ink to the ink jet heads 110C, 110M, 110Y, and 110K are mounted on a mount 300. The first supporting frames 122 are mounted on the mount 300 while both end portions of the first supporting frames 122 in a longitudinal direction are supported. Each of the second supporting frames 170 is provided with a bending correction mechanism 340 that applies a pressing force to the first supporting frame 122 to correct the bending of the first supporting frame 122.

In an example implementation, a method of dual and single drop weight printing includes operating a printing system in a hybrid drop weight print mode to enable ejecting black ink from high drop weight nozzles and low drop weight nozzles, and ejecting color ink from high drop weight nozzles but not from low drop weight nozzles.

An image recording method according to this invention is an image recording method using an ink jet ink composition containing a pigment, in which the maximum particle size of the pigment is 2.5 μm or less and recording is performed with continuous scanning time of 10 minutes or more.

An image recording method according to this invention is an image recording method using an ink jet ink composition containing a pigment, in which the maximum particle size of the pigment is 2.5 μm or less and recording is performed with continuous scanning time of 10 minutes or more.

A liquid discharge apparatus to discharge liquid to apply the liquid to an object includes a head, a mover, a rotator, and processing circuitry. The head has a nozzle surface in which a plurality of nozzle rows each including a plurality of nozzles to discharge the liquid are arranged. The mover relatively moves the head and the object in each of a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other along the nozzle surface. The rotator rotates the head along the nozzle surface. The processing circuitry controls the relative movement to correct unevenness of a nozzle interval between the plurality of nozzles along the second direction caused by an inclination between the first direction and a third direction when the head is rotated. The third direction is a direction in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged in each of the plurality of nozzle rows.

A liquid discharge apparatus to discharge liquid to apply the liquid to an object includes a head, a mover, a rotator, and processing circuitry. The head has a nozzle surface in which a plurality of nozzle rows each including a plurality of nozzles to discharge the liquid are arranged. The mover relatively moves the head and the object in each of a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other along the nozzle surface. The rotator rotates the head along the nozzle surface. The processing circuitry controls the relative movement to correct unevenness of a nozzle interval between the plurality of nozzles along the second direction caused by an inclination between the first direction and a third direction when the head is rotated. The third direction is a direction in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged in each of the plurality of nozzle rows.

A printing device comprising a printing head including a plurality of nozzles configured to discharge ink to a printing medium are arranged, and a control unit configured to control discharge of the ink. The printing head is configured to discharge the ink along with scanning that is a relative movement in a predetermined direction with respect to the printing medium, and in test printing for printing a TP on the printing medium, the control unit performs control such that the ink of a first discharge amount is discharged from the nozzles when a color difference between the TP and the printing medium is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and the ink of a second discharge amount that is greater than the first discharge amount is discharged when the color difference between the TP and the printing medium is equal to or smaller than the threshold value.