Methods for printing using printing systems comprising a flexible intermediate transfer member (ITM) disposed around a plurality of guide rollers at which encoders are installed, and an image-forming station at which ink images are formed by droplet deposition by print bars onto the ITM, can include measuring a local velocity of the ITM under one of the print bars, determining a stretch factor for a portion of the ITM based on a relationship between an estimated stretched length fixed physical distance between print bars, controlling an ink deposition parameter according to the stretch factor so as to compensate for stretching of the reference portion of the ITM.

An ultra-high resolution capacitive sensor affixed above an imaging member surface measures the thickness of fountain solution on the imaging member surface in real-time during a printing operation. The sensor is considered ultra-high resolution with a resolution high enough to detect nanometer scale thicknesses. The capacitive sensor would initially be zeroed to the imaging member surface. As fluid is added, the capacitive sensor detects the increase and can measure and communicate with the image forming device to adjust fountain solution flow rate to the imaging member surface and correct for any anomalies in thickness. This fountain solution monitoring system may be fully automated. The capacitive sensor may have a resolution (e.g., as low as about 1 nm resolution) of about 0.001% of the distance/gap that the capacitive sensor is mounted away from the imaging member surface.

A method and system for enabling a patterned liquid, can involve creating a heat image on an imaging blanket by selectively heating the imaging blanket with a digitally controlled energy source, and subjecting the heat image to a selective deposition of a fountain solution material to enable vapor condensation on unheated areas and vapor rejection from heated areas to generate a fountain material image.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method of indirect printing with an aqueous ink. Related apparatus, systems and treatment formulations are disclosed herein. Some embodiments relate to an aqueous treatment formulation for use with an intermediate transfer member of a printing system. In some embodiments, the system comprises a treatment station disposed downstream of the impression station and upstream of the image forming station for forming a uniform thin layer of a liquid treatment formulation onto a surface of an intermediate transfer member (ITM) at a lower run thereof.

A system (10, 110) includes: (i) a flexible intermediate transfer member (ITM) (44, 500, 600), including: a stack of: In (a) a first layer (602), located at an outer surface of the ITM (44, 500, 600), configured to receive ink droplets to form an ink image thereon, and to transfer the ink image to a target substrate (50, 51), and (b) a second layer (603) including a matrix holding particles (622), configured to receive optical radiation (99) passing through the first layer (602), and to heat the ITM (44, 500, 600) by absorbing the optical radiation (99); (ii) an illumination assembly (113), configured to dry the ink droplets by directing the optical radiation (99) to impinge on the particles (622); and (iii) a temperature control assembly (121), configured to control a temperature of the ITM (44, 500, 600) by directing a gas (101) to the ITM (44, 500, 600).

Printing apparatus (20) includes a continuous blanket (24) and a set of motorized rollers (31), which advance the blanket at a constant speed through an image area. One or more print bars (38) eject droplets of ink at respective locations onto the blanket in the image area. One or more monitoring rollers (42), in proximity to the locations of the print bars, contact the blanket so as to be rotated by advancement of the blanket. Each monitoring roller includes an encoder (44), which outputs a signal indicative of a rotation angle of the monitoring roller. A control unit (40) collects, during a calibration phase, the signal from the encoders over multiple rotations of the monitoring rollers and computes runout correction factors. During an operational phase, the control unit synchronizes ejection of the droplets from the print bars using the computed runout correction factors.

An inkjet image forming apparatus includes: an image former that forms an image on a transfer body by discharging an ink droplet from an inkjet head; and a hardware processor that detects a landing state of the ink droplet that has been discharged and landed on the transfer body and changes an image forming condition when the image is formed so that a detected landing state approaches a target landing state.

A coating layer application device (200) for applying a coating layer, which is located on a transfer element, to a substrate, the coating layer (206) being formed from a coating material, in particular a thermosetting coating material, the coating layer (206) being curable and comprising an amorphous material, the coating layer application device comprising: a heating device (214, 220) being configured so as to (i) maintain the temperature of the coating layer (206) within a temperature range before removal of N the transfer element (204) from the coating layer (206), wherein within the temperature range the uncured coating material is in its supercooled liquid state; and/or (ii) partially cure the coating layer (206) during a contact of the coating layer (206) and the substrate (210) and before removal of the transfer element (204) from the coating layer, in particular by increasing the temperature of the coating layer (206) to a temperature at or above a curing temperature of the coating layer (206).

A digital printing system (10) includes a flexible substrate (44), an optical assembly (200, 301) and a processor (20). The flexible substrate (44) has a periodic pattern, and is configured to be moved and to receive ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon. The optical assembly (200, 301) is configured to illuminate the flexible substrate (44) with light (215, 315), to detect the light (215, 315) from the flexible substrate (44), and to derive from the detected light (215, 315) a signal indicative of the periodic pattern. The processor (20) is configured to receive the signal and to monitor or control the digital printing system (10) based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.

An image formation device includes a mixer, a fluid ejection device, and a liquid removal element. The mixer is to receive a first ink mixture of ink particles within a first non-aqueous liquid carrier in a first concentration, to receive a second non-aqueous liquid carrier, and to form a second ink mixture of the ink particles within both the first and second liquid carriers in a second concentration less than the first concentration. The fluid ejection device is to receive the second ink mixture and to deposit droplets of the second ink mixture onto a substrate to at least partially form an image via the ink particles. The liquid removal element is to remove the respective liquid carriers from the substrate to provide at least a portion of the second liquid carrier at the mixer to form part of the second ink mixture.