A method for operating a printing machine having a processor and a device for detecting features of printing substrates includes storing print jobs with the printing substrates appropriate thereto in a database. Features of at least one printing substrate are detected by using the device. The detected features of the at least one printing substrate are compared by the processor with the printing substrates of the print jobs from the database. The processor selects at least one print job in which the printing substrates of the print jobs from the database correspond to the at least one detected printing substrate or attain a predefined similarity. The at least one print job selected by the processor is subsequently executed on the printing machine.

A printing machine comprising advancement elements for advancing material in sheet form to be printed which are provided at least with a traction drum which is designed to receive, at an entry region, the material in sheet form to be printed and to convey it toward an exit region spaced circumferentially apart, along the direction of rotation of the traction drum about its own axis, from the entry region; analog print stations are arranged around the traction drum, between the entry region and the exit region and, between at least two analog print stations, conveyance means are provided for conveying the material in sheet form to be printed which arrives from the traction drum along an advancement path that has at least one advancement portion for advancing the material in sheet form to be printed which extends substantially straight, along which at least one digital print station is arranged.

A machine arrangement sequentially processes sheet-like substrates with multiple different processing stations each having a substrate-guiding unit and a substrate-processing unit. At least one of the processing stations has, as a substrate-processing unit, at least one non-impact printing device which prints on the substrate. The processing station with the at least one non-impact printing device has a printing cylinder. Each non-impact printing device is arranged at the circumference of the printing cylinder. The printing cylinder is triple-sized or quadruple-sized. A double-sized or a triple-sized transfer drum, or a corresponding feed cylinder, is arranged directly upstream of this printing cylinder. Alternatively, a double-sized or a triple-sized transfer drum, or a corresponding transfer cylinder, is arranged directly downstream of this printing cylinder.

A printing apparatus for applying ink to a target print medium to form an image by a print unit, comprising a plurality of temperature regulation units juxtaposed in a conveyance direction of the target print medium and each configured to regulate a temperature of the target print medium, a plurality of measurement units each configured to measure the temperature of the target print medium, and a control unit configured to make a temperature regulation capability of each temperature regulation unit variable, wherein each temperature regulation unit regulates temperature in a widthwise direction of the target print medium, each measurement unit measures the temperature in the widthwise direction of the target print medium, and the control unit controls the plurality of temperature regulation units based on the measured temperatures.

An image forming apparatus includes a holding body that holds a formed image; a transport unit that transports a recording medium in a state where a tip of the recording medium is grasped by a grasping portion; a transfer cylinder that has a substantially circular cross section, and that includes a concave portion that accommodates the grasping portion in a direction substantially orthogonal to a rotation direction and transfers an image on the holding body to the recording medium transported by the transport unit by interposing the recording medium transported by the transport unit between the transfer cylinder and the holding body; and an imparting portion that imparts a transport load to the recording medium that is transported to a transfer position at which the image on the holding body is transferred to the recording medium.

A transport device includes: a first transport body; a second transport body that is movable between a contact position and a separate position with respect to the first transport body and that nips a transported material with the first transport body at the contact position; and a transport section that includes a holder to hold a leading end portion of the transported material and that transports the transported material toward a nip region where the first transport body and the second transport body nip the transported material in a state in which the second transport body is located at the separate position. After holding of the leading end portion by the holder for the transported material transported by the transport section has been released, the second transport body nips the transported material with the first transport body and transports the transported material.

An image forming apparatus includes plural rotating members that are rotatable; an annular circulating member that is wound around the plural rotating members and circulates when the rotating members rotate; a retaining member attached to an attaching portion of the circulating member and that circulates together with the circulating member, the retaining member being configured to retain a recording medium in an area where the attaching portion comes into contact with one of the rotating members; an image forming section that forms an image on the recording medium at an image forming position defined on a circulation path along which the circulating member circulates; a delivering unit that delivers the recording medium to a retaining position where the recording medium is to be retained by the retaining member; a detector that detects rotation of the one rotating member; and a controller that controls delivery of the recording medium from the delivering unit to the retaining position, the delivery being controlled with reference to information detected by the detector.

A recording medium transport device includes: a circulating member that forms a part of a transport path for transporting a recording medium; a holding member that is fixed to the circulating member and thereby circulates and holds a front end portion of the recording medium; plural transport cylinders around which the circulating member is suspended and having a recessed part in which the holding member is stored; and a selection part that selects any one of the plural transport cylinders. A mode for stopping the selected one of the plural transport cylinders so that the recessed part of the selected one of the plural transport cylinders is located at a maintenance position is prepared.

A transport device includes a rotating member that rotates; a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped around the rotating member, the circulating member being circulated by rotation of the rotating member; a pair of pinching members attached to the circulating member and circulated together with the circulating member, the pair of pinching members changing from a separated state, in which the pair of pinching members are separated from each other, to a closely positioned state to pinch a transport object that has entered a space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state; and a guide unit positioned to overlap the pair of pinching members in the separated state when viewed in one direction along a rotational axis direction of the rotating member, the guide unit guiding the transport object into the space between the pair of pinching members in the separated state.

An image formation apparatus includes: a sheet feeder that conveys a paper fed from a sheet feed tray; a conveyance cylinder that includes a gripper that grips the paper, and receives the paper conveyed on the sheet feeder and conveys the paper to a position of a printing part in a state where the paper is gripped by the gripper; and a heater that is provided on an upstream side of the conveyance cylinder in a conveyance direction and heats the paper so as to satisfy a temperature condition of following Expression (1):
|T1−T2|/T1<0.15   Expression (1)
where T1 is a temperature [° C.] of a paper end of the paper at the position of the printing part, and T2 is a temperature [° C.] of the paper end of the paper when the paper is transferred from the sheet feeder to the conveyance cylinder.