A non-limiting example method of printing device startup based on computed pen age includes reading a pen manufacturing date encoded in a pen of a printing device. The method includes computing a pen age for the pen of the printing device based on the pen manufacturing date, and selecting a startup level based on the computed pen age.

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink composition, an ink encasement in which the ink composition is encased, a recording head that ejects the ink composition, and a carriage configured to move the recording head back and forth. The carriage carries the ink encasement, with the ink encasement integrated with the carriage. The ink encasement has an ink fill port that opens and shuts as a port through which the ink composition is loaded and also has a detector that detects the amount of ink composition encased. The ink composition contains a surfactant with an HLB of 6 or less.

A system for printing an imprint on a flat material includes a cartridge holding a consumable (e.g. ink) and at least one material processing device (MPD) (e.g. franking machine) having a printer and a data processor connected to the printer to control use of the cartridge to produce the imprint. The MPD is configured to detect insertion of the cartridge into the printer and generate current consumption information representing the use of the cartridge by the printer since insertion. The cartridge can include a first non-volatile memory that (unchangeably) stores a unique cartridge identification of the cartridge. The data processor is configured to: cause, based on a predeterminable usage-relevant event occurring, a current use-information, generated based on the current consumption information logically linked to the cartridge identification, to be stored in a second memory, and write to an irreversibly writable memory area of the first memory when the event occurs.

Examples disclosed herein relate to identifying an amount of remaining supply of a print material, selecting one of a plurality of threshold ranges associated with the amount of remaining print material, and updating a visual indicator indicative of the selected one of the plurality of threshold ranges.

In one embodiment a sub-assembly of components is provided to assemble a print liquid supply container, the set including a reservoir and a support structure to form a print liquid supply container, the container having a first, second and third dimensions, the support structure to at least partially surround and support the reservoir and to provide stiffness to the container, at least in a folded and mounted condition, the reservoir including a bag to hold the print liquid, being at least partially flexible to collapse for print liquid to be withdrawn from the reservoir, the bag being configured to inhibit fluid exchange, and a neck that is relatively narrow with respect to the bag in a filled state, with an opening to output print liquid from the bag.

The use of a magnetic particle based “PUF” (Physically Unclonable Function) disk, when read by magnetic sensor(s), as a positional encoder is described. It is often necessary to include a linear or rotary encoder within a device for tracking motor movements, or to enable a closed-loop control algorithm on the motor system. These randomly dispersed magnetic particle disks can be used as a positional encoder, where the speed of movement and the direction of movement may be monitored.

A printing device includes a printing portion, a maintenance portion, and a controller. The printing portion includes an ejection head and prints using ink. The maintenance portion performs maintenance on the ejection head. The maintenance involves consumption of ink. The controller has a manual maintenance mode and an automated maintenance mode. In the manual maintenance mode, the controller executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance command signal based on a manual operation. In the automated maintenance mode, the controller automatically executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance execution condition being met. Based on control information acquired, the controller switches an operating mode of the printing device from a first operating mode of selectively executing the manual maintenance mode and the automated maintenance mode to a second operation mode of executing the automated maintenance mode without executing the manual maintenance mode.

A repair chip, an ink cartridge, and a printer are provided. In the repair chip, a first surface of a substrate is provided with a first contact point and a second contact point. A repair resistor, a first tin point, and a second tin point are provided on a second surface of the substrate. Each of the first tin point and the second tin point is connected to both ends of the repair resistor. Each of the first contact point and the second contact point is electrically connected to the printer. The first contact point is connected to the first tin point, and the second contact point is connected to the second tin point; each of the first tin point and the second tin point is connected to the chip contact points of an ink cartridge chip.

In some examples, an apparatus can include a drive shaft, a compression flange, an expansion member located proximate to the compression flange, and a compression mechanism, where the compression mechanism is to cause the expansion member to expand from a first diameter to a second diameter when the compression mechanism moves from a disengaged position to an engaged position.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus executes software that obtains and manages information of a printing device, and the information processing apparatus comprises: a requesting unit configured to request a delivery of a cartridge for exchange based on residual amount of recording agent in a cartridge containing the recording agent installed in the printing device, the residual amount being included in first information obtained from the printing device by using the software; and a control unit configured to perform, when initially obtaining a residual amount of recording agent from the printing device after booting the software or the information processing apparatus, controlling to output a message for checking whether the requesting is necessary if the requesting has not been performed in response to detecting a cartridge having an increased residual amount compared to a previously obtained residual amount of recording agent.