Systems and methods for laser assisted deposition of a material includes a printing unit configured to print individual dot-like portions of a material from a donor substrate onto a receiving substrate, and a vacuum shuttle configured to be positionable in two or three dimensions between the printing unit and the donor substrate and to engage the donor substrate upon application of a vacuum to the vacuum shuttle. The printing unit may include a coating system and a laser. The vacuum shuttle includes a vacuum channel about its periphery and an open window through which the laser irradiates the donor substrate. The vacuum channel is fluidly coupled to a vacuum inlet for receiving a vacuum suction, thereby to engage the donor substrate and hold it taught against the bottom of the vacuum shuttle in operation. The vacuum shuttle may also include one or more distance measuring sensors and fiducial markers.

In an image forming apparatus (an ink jet printer 100), in a sub scanning direction, when an area in arrange of a nozzle at an end portion of a head (41) to a nozzle at a predetermined distance is set as a predetermined area, and a medium is transported in a certain amount by using the head (41), a scan portion, and a transport portion so as to form an image on medium sheet (10), the number of times of scanning for forming a dot array which is formed by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is more than the number of times of the scanning for forming a dot array which does not use the nozzle in the predetermined area, and the number of times of the scanning for forming the dot array by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is at least three times.

A novel printing system and associated printing methods that can overcome many of the obstacles presented by today's printing systems. In certain embodiments a printing vehicle is presented that may work in cooperation with other vehicles to produce a system capable of delivering a wide range of productivity and scale. This printing system is amenable to novel printing methods that can reduce printing defects and ink consumption by up to 30%.

Each area in a test pattern for performing color shift correction is recorded by a discharge port at an edge portion in many times of scanning and by a discharge port other than the discharge port at the edge portion in fewer times of scanning.

A method for alternately operating an inkjet printing machine applying a plurality of inks to a printing material in accordance with a print image, includes conveying the printing material at a conveying speed. A switch is made between the following two modes, a 1.sup.st mode of printing an n-color first print job at a first conveying speed and at a print resolution using n inks, i.e. using black ink and n1 different chromatic inks; and a 2.sup.nd mode of printing a reduced-color second print job at a second conveying speed greater than the first conveying speed and at the same print resolution using the n inks. The printing speed and thus the number of prints produced per unit of time in a machine can therefore advantageously be increased.

Provided is a novel inkjet printer system that can use machine learning to improve the inspection performance of a printing inspection device. The inkjet printer system includes, in the machine learning, a random test printing function unit (301) that has a function that prints a random dot arrangement that is based on various characters printed in the printing area of a printing target, and an evaluation function training function unit (302) that has a function that optimizes an evaluation function for inspecting a printed image on the basis of a captured image of the results of the printing.

A method of printing a pattern from at least two rows of fluid ejection nozzles, said nozzles ejecting a first fluid in a multi-pass printing mode, the method comprising: dividing the pattern to be printed between the rows of fluid ejection nozzles; applying masks to the rows of fluid ejection nozzles for printing with selected nozzles of each of the rows of fluid ejection nozzles during each pass; wherein a first mask for printing from a first row of fluid ejection nozzles during an n-th pass is different from a second mask for printing from a second row of fluid ejection nozzles during said n-th pass.

According to an example, a three-dimensional (3D) printer may include a first delivery device to selectively deposit first liquid droplets onto a layer of build materials and a second delivery device to selectively deposit second liquid droplets onto the layer of build materials, in which the second delivery device is positioned in relatively close proximity to the first delivery device. The 3D printer may also include a controller to identify a density at which the second liquid droplets are to be selectively deposited to control splashing of the build materials upon which the second liquid droplets are deposited and to control the second delivery device to selectively deposit the second liquid droplets at the identified density.

A printer performs a multi-pass printing including: (a) pass process executed with Ka number of nozzles; (c1) pass process executed with Kc1 number of nozzles; (c2) pass process executed with Kc2 number of nozzles; and (b) pass process executed with Kb number of nozzles. Kc1 and Kc2 are greater than or equal to Kb and smaller than Ka. An upstream gradient of dot recording rates of (c1) pass process is greater than a gradient of (a) pass process. A downstream gradient of (c1) pass process is the same as the gradient of (a) pass process. An upstream gradient of (c2)-pass process is the same as a gradient of (b) pass process. A downstream gradient of (c2)-pass process is greater than the gradient of the (a) pass process. Kc1 is greater than Kc2.

In an image forming apparatus (an ink jet printer 100), in a sub scanning direction, when an area in arrange of a nozzle at an end portion of a head (41) to a nozzle at a predetermined distance is set as a predetermined area, and a medium is transported in a certain amount by using the head (41), a scan portion, and a transport portion so as to form an image on medium sheet (10), the number of times of scanning for forming a dot array which is formed by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is more than the number of times of the scanning for forming a dot array which does not use the nozzle in the predetermined area, and the number of times of the scanning for forming the dot array by using the nozzles included in the predetermined area is at least three times.