An inkjet printing system with a droplet measurement apparatus is described herein. The droplet measurement apparatus has a light source with a collimating optical system, an imaging device disposed along an optical path of the collimating optical system, and a droplet illumination zone in the optical path of the collimating optical system, the droplet illumination zone having a varying droplet illumination location, wherein the light source, the imaging device, or both are adjustable to place a focal plane of the imaging device at the droplet illumination location. The droplet measurement apparatus is structured to accommodate at least a portion of a dispenser of the printing system within the droplet illumination zone.

A method comprises printing an image using a printhead cartridge including a number of dies, each die comprising a nozzle array, the printing comprising: determining a drop parameter of fluid drops ejected from nozzles of the nozzle array of at least one die; comparing the drop parameter to a threshold value; and determining an image characteristic of an image to be printed; and if the image characteristic meets a defined criterion and if the drop parameter exceeds the threshold value, applying a second print mask for printing the image; and if the image characteristic does not meet the defined criterion or if the drop parameter does not exceed the threshold value, applying a first print mask for printing the image, wherein the second print mask uses less nozzles of the nozzle arrays than the first print mask.

A droplet measurement method is described. The droplet measurement method may include discharging a droplet on a substrate, scanning the droplet by moving a scanning unit, and calculating a volume of the droplet by using the thicknesses of the portions of the droplet. The scanning unit may include optical scanners arranged in multiple directions, storing thicknesses of portions of the droplet scanned by the scanning unit.

The present invention relates to real time discharging droplet compensating apparatus and method capable of compensating a discharging degree in real time by feeding-back drop information. To this end, the present invention provides a real time discharging droplet compensating apparatus which is configured by including a discharge control unit controlling the driving of an inkjet head; and a drop measurement unit provided below a substrate to measure drop information of a droplet to be discharged on the substrate and feed-back the measured drop information to the drop measurement unit, wherein the discharge control unit compensates a nozzle waveform of discharging the droplet by using the drop information. Therefore, according to the present invention, the position, size, and volume information of the drop are measured at the same time to be fed-back to the inkjet head unit in real time, thereby acquiring drop information without movement of a separate head unit.

An image recording apparatus, having a discharging head, a fan, and a controller, is provided. The discharging head includes a discharging surface and a plurality of nozzles arranged along a sub-scanning direction, which intersects orthogonally with a main scanning direction. The discharging head is configured to move in the main scanning direction. The fan is configured to generate an airflow for collecting mist of ink discharged through the nozzles. The controller is configured to obtain a droplet size of the ink to be discharged through the nozzles from one of a print job and a printing mode set in advance, obtain a distance between the discharging surface and a printable medium, and control a rotation speed of the fan based on the droplet size and the distance.

Provided are a decorative member manufacturing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a decorative member which is formed in a reproduction color and has a desired tactile sensation.

In the decorative member manufacturing apparatus and the method for manufacturing a decorative member of the present invention, a fluid is jetted from a jetting part toward a base material to form a decorative layer, and fine particles constituting a surface of the decorative layer are scattered from a scattering part toward the base material. An amount of the fine particles which are scattered from the scattering part to constitute the surface of the decorative layer is an amount which corresponds to a setting content regarding a tactile sensation of the decorative member and to a jetting amount of the fluid from the jetting part during the formation of the decorative layer.

An inkjet printing device includes a stage part including a stage, an inkjet head part including at least one inkjet head that disposes an ink on the stage, the ink including dipoles and a solvent having the dipoles, a heat treatment device that removes the solvent, a first sensing part that measures a position of the ink disposed on the stage, a second sensing part that measures a position of the inkjet head, and a third sensing part that measures a position of each of the dipoles disposed on the stage. A dipole aligning method includes disposing an ink on a substrate, the ink including dipoles and a solvent having the dipoles, generating an electric field on the substrate and disposing the dipoles on the substrate by the electric field, removing the solvent, and measuring a position of each of the dipoles disposed on the substrate.

Example implementations relate to a method to manage printhead operational life; the method comprising firing at least one nozzle of a printhead according to an associated firing parameter to produce a respective drop of print liquid, measuring a parameter associated with the drop of print liquid, and adjusting the firing parameter in response to the measuring to reduce the measured parameter associated with the drop of print liquid on a subsequent firing while maintaining the firing parameter at or above a predetermined parameter limit to maintain print image quality.

Techniques for handling and reducing ink overspray of an ink jet printer are provided. In an example, an ink overspray collector for an ink jet printer can include a first opening defining a first print area of the ink jet printer, and a frame about the first opening. The frame is configured to receive overspray from operation of the ink jet printer and can be formed of a woven material. In some examples, a controller of the ink jet printer can reduce an amount of ink ejected near the edges of the print media to reduce overspray.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head, a scanning device, a storage device, and circuitry. The liquid discharge head discharges liquid from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium. The scanning device moves at least one of the recording medium and the liquid discharge head to perform scanning. The storage device stores a plurality of mask patterns to change a discharge amount and a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head. The circuitry acquires image data, creates dot data from the image data, and determines the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head, based on the dot data and one of the plurality of mask patterns.