A learning device targeted for a printer including a printer head that discharges ink, the learning device includes: an information obtaining section configured to obtain a parameter that affects ink discharge failures of the print head; an event data obtaining section configured to obtain event data regarding an occurrence state of the ink discharge failures; and a learning section configured to perform machine learning on a prediction condition of an occurrence interval of the ink discharge failures in accordance with a learning data set created based on the parameter and the event data.

Current usage metrics are maintained for a consumable of a resource. A history of usage metrics associated with consumable and other consumables used by the resource are acquired for the resource. A predicted date for which the consumable will need a replacement consumable is predicted based on one or more of the current usage metrics and the history of usage metrics. The replacement consumable is ordered on a second date that precedes the predicted date ensuring that the replacement consumable arrives at a site where the resource is located before the predicted date.

In the technology of the present disclosure, multiple nozzles included in a printing head are stably driven while disparity in the usage frequency of each nozzle is suppressed. The dot counter scans the digital halftone data in the X direction and performs accumulation-counting on the pixel value Ixy (the number of printing dots) of each pixel for each address y with the accumulation counter CntCum(y). The signal value Gxy of the corresponding pixel address (x, y) is obtained from the division pattern memory unit. The nozzle selection unit selects the nozzle to be used for forming a printing dot, based on the counted values of the accumulation counter CntCum and the signal value Gxy of the division pattern. Then, the address n of the nozzle memory corresponding to the selected nozzle to form a printing dot is determined.

Disclosed is a printing device including: at least one processor that arranges multiple nail outlines based on a predetermined reference line, the nail outlines being outlines of multiple nails, and obtains multiple image portions from an image, the image portions corresponding to the arranged nail outlines and including designs that are related to each other; and a print head that prints the corresponding image portions on the respective nails.

A printing apparatus prints an image by applying ink to a print surface of an inclined print medium using a print head. A control apparatus for the printing apparatus acquires information on an inclination of the print surface. Based on the information, printing is controlled according to a print condition corresponding to a magnitude of the inclination of the print surface.

Methods, Apparatus, Devices and Systems herein load a firing distance into a distance counter of a printing device. The firing distance is the distance from the current position of a printhead of the printing device to a marking location on a substrate and the distance is calculated based on an angular encoder operatively associated with a roller used to transport a marking media to the printhead for marking. These devices and methods count the firing distance in angular distance increments as a function of the encoder angular position to correct for encoder roller runout using the distance counter, based on relative movement of the substrate and printhead. When the distance counter reaches the last discrete distance increment corrected for encoder roller runout of the firing distance, these devices and methods load the fractional remaining distance of the firing distance into a time counter of the printing device. Then, the fractional remaining distance is counted using velocity-based distance increments at regular time intervals using the time counter. When the time counter reaches the last velocity-based calculated distance increment of the fractional remaining distance, the marking material is transferred from the printhead to the substrate.

An image forming apparatus includes a linehead and a control unit. The linehead of an image forming apparatus includes a common ink chamber, a plurality of nozzles, an individual ink flow path, an ink supply path, a first piezoelectric actuator, and a second piezoelectric actuator. One end of the individual ink flow path is connected to the nozzle. The ink supply path is connected to the individual ink flow path and the common ink chamber. When putting the nozzle into a drying prevention state, the control unit deforms the first piezoelectric actuator in a direction in which a capacity of the individual ink flow path increases, to thereby draw an interface of ink to inside the nozzle. Further, the control unit deforms the second piezoelectric actuator, to thereby close the ink supply path.

An image forming apparatus includes a head, a first controller, and a second controller. When calculating an amount of ink used, the first controller obtains an estimated number of discharges, which is the number of dots of the ink to be discharged, on a basis of print image data which is image data used for printing, without using information on an actual number of discharges of the ink at the head. The first controller obtains a print usage on a basis of a value obtained by multiplying the obtained estimated number of discharges by a discharged droplet amount per ink discharge. The print usage is the amount of the ink used, discharged onto a paper for printing each page of a print job.

A system is disclosed. The system at least one physical memory device to store ink estimation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device, to execute the ink estimation logic to receive calibrated ink deposition data, receive a first transfer function associated with a printing system, generate a first inverse transfer function based on the first transfer function and generate first uncalibrated ink deposition data based on the calibrated ink deposition data and the first inverse transfer function.

Systems and methods are provided for adaptive printhead cleaning. One embodiment is a printer maintenance system that includes memory to store defect information of a group of nozzles of a printer, and a processor to determine whether the group of nozzles have a number of nozzle defects that exceeds a threshold based on the defect information. In response to a determination that the threshold is exceeded, the processor determines a type of cleaning operation, a cleaning duration, and a cleaning intensity to perform for the group of nozzles based on the defect information. The processor then initiates a cleaning operation for the group of nozzles according to the type of cleaning operation, the cleaning duration, and the cleaning intensity determined for the group of nozzles.