A printer is configured to provide a jet of extraction gas that extracts a printing fluid from a printing nozzle in the presence of an electric field that accelerates the extracted printing fluid toward a printing substrate. The printer is also configured to selectively turn the electric field and the jet of extraction gas off and on to enable printing in gas-extraction mode, an e-assisted gas-extraction mode, or an e-jet mode. The jet of gas can be provided by a second nozzle concentric with the printing nozzle. A third nozzle can discharge a focusing gas around the extracted printing fluid.

One example provides a fluidic die including a semiconductor substrate, and a nozzle layer disposed on the substrate, the nozzle layer having a top surface opposite the substrate and including a nozzle formed therein, the nozzle including a fluid chamber disposed below the top surface and a nozzle orifice extending through the nozzle layer from the top surface to the fluid chamber, the fluid chamber to hold fluid, and the nozzle to eject fluid drops from the fluid chamber via the nozzle orifice. An electrode is disposed in contact with the nozzle layer about a perimeter of the nozzle orifice, the electrode to carry an electrical charge to adjust movement of electrically charged components of the fluid.

Atomic-to-Nanoscale Matter Emission/Flow Regulation Devices, Systems and methods are set forth. An exemplary device can include a through-hole that has a top, and a nozzle configured to facilitate atomic-to-nanoscale matter emission/flow regulation formed in an etchable nozzle substrate. The nozzle can be configured at the smallest cross-section of the through-hole. A bottom can be formed in the nozzle substrate or selectively connected to the nozzle. Systems can include matter transportation/flow regulation columns, printing systems, etching systems and the like through which self-aligned nanodroplets or single-to-finite numbered ionic species/gas phase matter can flow under spontaneous or external excitation conditions (such as voltages) at atmospheric as well as regulated pressures.

A printer is configured to provide a stream of extraction gas that extracts a printing fluid from a printing nozzle. An electrode produces an electric field that accelerates the extracted printing fluid toward a printing substrate. The printer can be configured to selectively turn the electric field and the stream of extraction gas off and on to enable printing in a gas-extraction mode, an e-assisted gas-extraction mode, or an e-jet mode. The stream of gas can be provided by a second nozzle concentric with the printing nozzle, and the electrode can be part of the second nozzle. A third nozzle can discharge a focusing gas around the extracted printing fluid.

A printer is configured for printing with conductive ink for applying a conductive pattern to a surface including a wheeling structure for moving the printer over the surface and a transfer unit for applying a layer of electrically conductive ink to the surface. To provide accurate printing with the ability to obtain fine tolerances, the transfer unit has a printing drum rotatable about a printing drum axis and defining a printing drum periphery moving between a first zone and a second zone by rotation of the printing drum. The printing drum periphery, in the first zone, receives the conductive ink and in the second zone transfers the ink to the surface.

A metal ejecting apparatus is disclosed. The metal ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle orifice in connection with the inner cavity and configured to eject one or more droplets of a liquid metal may include the metal printing material, and a first sensor pair in contact with an internal surface of a lower portion of the inner cavity. Each sensor pair is electrically connected to a printing material feed system where the printing material feed system is configured to receive an electrical signal indicative of an electrical connection from each sensor pair when the metal printing material bridges the electrical connection between each sensor in each sensor pair. A method of controlling level in a metal jetting apparatus is also disclosed.

There is provided an image recording apparatus including: a casing; a conveyor positioned inside the casing and configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction; a recording part positioned inside the casing and configured to record an image, with an ink, on the sheet conveyed by the conveyor; a heater positioned inside the casing, on a downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording part, and configured to heat at least one of the sheet and the ink; a reading part positioned inside the casing, on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the heater, and configured to optically read the image recorded on the sheet; and a blower positioned inside the casing and configured to generate an air current toward the reading part and toward the sheet located at a position on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the heater.

In a method for jetting a droplet of an electrically conductive fluid, a Lorentz force is generated in the electrically conductive fluid. The Lorentz force is directed into an actuation direction. The actuation direction is a direction opposite to the droplet ejection direction. A jetting device is provided for printing a droplet of an electrically conductive fluid.

An ink jet printing method includes a metallic ink application step of ejecting a metallic ink composition containing a metallic pigment from an ink jet head to apply the metallic ink composition onto a printing medium, a heating step of heating the metallic ink composition applied on the printing medium with an infrared heater, and a coloring ink application step of ejecting a coloring ink composition containing a coloring material from an ink jet head to apply the coloring ink composition onto the metallic ink composition on the printing medium. Each of the metallic ink composition and the coloring ink composition is a water-based ink or a solvent-based ink.

A method for operating a printer can include draining a print material from a printer, placing a sacrificial metal into the printer, ejecting the sacrificial metal from a nozzle of the printer, and cooling to printer to a temperature that is below a melting point of the print material and the sacrificial metal. The print material can be or include aluminum and the sacrificial metal can be or include tin. The print material can be drained from the printer when the print material is in molten form, for example, from about 600° C. to about 2000° C. The sacrificial metal can be ejected from the nozzle at a temperature above the melting point of the sacrificial metal but below the melting point of the print material, for example, below about 300° C. The method can reduce or eliminate cracking of various printer structures such as the nozzle during a shutdown or cooling of the printer.