A geographically remote computing device transmits an image to a central computing device. The geographically remote computing device also communicates specifications of a substrate or substrates to be imaged to the central computing device. The central computing device selects a geographically remote fulfillment printer. A local, but geographically diverse distribution system is available according to the invention. The central computing device chooses the geographically remote fulfillment printer as a function of factors such as the selected image and substrate, printer capabilities, and the consumer's location. Image quality and consistency is maintained by the central computer selecting an appropriate geographically remote computing device and providing printer the appropriate instructions, rather than the instructions for printing being determined locally at the printer.

White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as well as combinations thereof. A combination of transparent process inks and opaque white helps to maintain brightness (luminosity).

In at least one embodiment, a number of nozzle rows in a first area on a side of one end of a first substrate closest to one end of a print head is set to be lower than a number of nozzle rows on a central side of the print head relative to the first area, and energy for driving the element on the first substrate is set to be larger than energy for driving the element on a second substrate on the central side of the print head relative to the first substrate to set a dot to be formed on the recording medium by ink discharged from a nozzle in the first area to be larger than a dot to be formed on the recording medium by ink discharged from a nozzle in the second substrate.

A networked product imaging system includes devices that provide the production of imaged goods. Sellers are easily integrated into the network with minimal or no inventory requirements. Customer requirements are provided to a central computing device (CCD) that has two-way communication with a plurality of geographically separated product image forming devices. The central computing device determines specifications for forming the image on the blank product in accordance with the customer's order. The central computing device selects a product image forming device from the plurality of geographically separated product forming devices for fulfilling the order, based upon factors that include the specification of the product image forming device available, the product image forming inventory and the blank product inventory available at the geographic location of the product image forming device. The selected product image forming device forms the image on the blank product at the remote location.

Provided are a head device, an ink jet printing device, and a driving voltage adjustment method capable of adjusting a driving voltage corresponding to a target jetting amount and suppressing unevenness of printing density occurring between head modules. A dead device includes an ink jet head including a plurality of head modules, and a driving voltage supply device that includes a processor and supplies a driving voltage to the ink jet head, in which the processor acquires a module characteristic, acquires an ink characteristic of ink applied to printing, derives a first voltage coefficient for adjusting a driving voltage corresponding to a target jetting amount for each head module based on the module characteristic and the ink characteristic, and adjusts the driving voltage by applying the first voltage coefficient for each head module.

A method for correcting an image includes: moving first and second ink jet heads and a medium relative to each other, each of the first and second ink jet heads including nozzles and drive elements corresponding to the nozzles respectively; discharging ink droplets from the nozzles of the first and second ink jet heads, by connecting each of the drive elements to one of power supply circuits and by applying voltage to each of the drive elements, the power supply circuits having different output voltage values each other; determining a density difference between a first image region and a second image region; and switching the voltage to be applied to first drive elements to a first voltage by switching the power supply circuits to be connected to the first drive elements based on the density difference.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge device, a driving device, processing circuitry, and a reading device. The discharge device discharges liquid to a recording medium to form a test pattern. The driving device causes the discharge device to discharge the liquid according to a driving waveform. The processing circuitry inputs a plurality of driving waveforms and acquires first data indicating a standard pattern that corresponds to the driving waveform and is formed with the driving waveform or indicating a parameter of the standard pattern. The reading device reads the test pattern to generate second data. The processing circuitry compares the second data with the first data and selects a driving waveform generating a smallest difference between the second data and the first data, based on a result of comparison of the second data with the first data.

The present invention discharges ink from a plurality of inkjet heads and is used when performing drive whereby one droplet or a plurality of droplets are discharged onto and united on one pixel. A drive signal includes a drive waveform comprising N number (N being an integer of at least 2) of drive waveform elements and is configured so as to fulfil the relationship 1.1 Tc≤Ts≤1.4 Tc, when Tc is the natural vibration cycle determined from the inkjet head structure and Ts is the time from the start point of the drive waveform to the start point of the subsequent drive waveform. As a result, velocity deviation caused by the resonant frequency of a piezoelectric actuator driving the inkjet head can be suppressed when driving an inkjet head using multiple gradations.

A digital printing system includes a print head and a processor. The print head is configured to jet droplets of ink. The a processor is further configured to translate a required shade of a color, to be printed at a given location on a substrate by the print head, into a sequence of pulses, the sequence including: (a) up to a predefined maximum number of driving pulses that cause the print head to jet respective droplets, and (b) a tickling pulse, which has a smaller amplitude than the driving pulses and which causes the print head to jet a droplet smaller than the droplets jetted in response to the driving pulses. The processor is additionally configured to apply the sequence of pulses to the print head.

In an example implementation, a method of dual and single drop weight printing includes operating a printing system in a hybrid drop weight print mode to enable ejecting black ink from high drop weight nozzles and low drop weight nozzles, and ejecting color ink from high drop weight nozzles but not from low drop weight nozzles.