A screen mask inspection device inspects a screen mask including a screen opening that forms a printing pattern, and includes: an inspection control device that detects solder position information of a solder paste printed on a substrate via the screen opening, and based on the solder position information, determines whether a quality of printing using the screen mask is good or bad, the solder position information being based on an amount of positional misalignment of the solder paste actually printed on the substrate relative to a predetermined reference position.

A method for processing a print job by a printing system and a finishing system resulting in an end product is disclosed. The printing system includes a print controller. The finishing system is an in-line or near-line finishing system and includes a finishing controller for controlling the finishing process by means of a collection of finishing templates stored in memory of the finishing controller. The printing system and the finishing system are connected via a digital connection. The method includes the steps of the print controller receiving the print job including a plurality of print job settings, the print controller establishing an identifier of a finishing template from the collection of finishing templates in accordance with at least one print job setting of the plurality of print job settings, the print controller sending the established identifier of the finishing template to the finishing system, the finishing controller receiving the established identifier of the finishing template, the printing system printing the print job, the finishing system retrieving the finishing template identified by the received identifier from memory of the finishing controller, and the finishing system finishing the print job according to the retrieved finishing template.

A printing method includes determining a master machine setting by using a master substrate, printing a first test print including test fields, and using a first combination of printing fluid and master substrate, recording test fields of the first test print, and computationally determining and storing a first setting value for a first machine setting as the master setting. Printing a print job is prepared by changing the substrate to a second combination of printing fluid and substrate, printing a second test print including test fields, and using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and master setting, recording the test fields of the second test print, and computationally determining and storing a second setting value for a second machine setting, the second setting value defined relative to the master setting. The print job is printed by using the second combination of printing fluid, substrate and second machine setting.

A method for operating a system for a multiple dynamic job sequence includes providing a packet of information in order to process different production runs. An additional packet of information is used to inquire about respective states during the manufacturing process so as to enable interventions to be made based on the jobs being not processed as originally. An additional packet of information is received, from which information regarding physical detection of a printing and processing situation is taken such that each downstream processing machine is able to identify the job and a job end. By identifying the job and the job end, an additional packet of information is forwarded to the plant controller, the plant controller detecting an actual state of the manufacturing process therefrom such that new or adapted job sequences and job ends are directly defined during the manufacturing process.

A printing machine includes: a printing plate attached to a plate cylinder; a blanket configured to transfer ink from the printing plate to a printed material; a blanket wheel configured to rotate the blanket; and at least one of a distance sensor or a temperature sensor. The distance sensor is provided in the blanket wheel and configured to measure a distance of the printing plate to the blanket wheel, and the temperature sensor is provided in the blanket wheel and configured to measure a temperature of the printing plate.

A printing parameter acquisition device includes an acquisition section and an output section. The acquisition section acquires a printing condition for specifying a member to be used when solder is printed on a board. The output section outputs, from a database that stores the printing condition, a printing parameter used for controlling driving of a printer, and a reliability of the printing parameter in association with each other, the printing parameter which is associated with the printing condition corresponding to the printing condition acquired by the acquisition section and of which the reliability is a predetermined level or more.

A method operates a flexographic printing press. The flexographic printing press includes a printing cylinder carrying a sleeve with at least one flexographic printing forme or a flexographic printing cylinder and an impression cylinder. At least one parameter of the flexographic printing press is set. The sleeve is marked with an ID, the ID is detected in a flexographic printing unit of the flexographic printing press or in the flexographic printing press. Data saved in association with the ID are transmitted to the flexographic printing unit or to the flexographic printing press, and the data are used when the parameter is set. In this manner, a cost-efficient way of producing high-quality prints in an industrial flexographic printing process is obtained. In addition, the method provides further automation of the printing process.

A printing machine for printing on a printing substrate web includes a plurality of inline flexographic printing units which are disposed in a plane accessible to an operator of the machine. Each one of the two flexographic printing units of a respective duplex printing station includes a respective impression cylinder and a dryer disposed between the two impression cylinders along a path of web travel of the web of printing substrate. A method of operating the printing machine is also provided.

A method for printing a marking on a golf ball includes arranging ink in an etching pattern on a printing plate, matching a reference position on the plate to a reference position on the golf ball, transferring the ink from the printing plate to a pad, and transferring the ink from the pad to the golf ball such that the golf ball includes the marking. The pattern includes an etch corresponding to the marking, wherein the etch differs from the marking in a manner dependent on the position of the marking on the golf ball. The marking that results on the golf ball is a linear marking, and a centerline of the linear marking lies entirely within a marking plane that is not a centerline plane of the golf ball, and wherein the edges of the marking are parallel with the marking plane.

A method for printing a marking on a golf ball includes arranging ink in an etching pattern on a printing plate, matching a reference position on the plate to a reference position on the golf ball, transferring the ink from the printing plate to a pad, and transferring the ink from the pad to the golf ball such that the golf ball includes the marking. The pattern includes an etch corresponding to the marking, wherein the etch differs from the marking in a manner dependent on the position of the marking on the golf ball. The marking that results on the golf ball is a linear marking, and a centerline of the linear marking lies entirely within a marking plane that is not a centerline plane of the golf ball, and wherein the edges of the marking are parallel with the marking plane.