A liquid electrophotographic (LEP) printing device that includes a photo-imaging plate (PIP) to receive a liquid printing fluid, the liquid printing fluid including a pigment incorporated into a resin, a charge conductor, and a carrier liquid, and a transfer roller to transfer the liquid printing fluid from the PIP to a fabric substrate while wet.

This image forming device includes an image former, a fuser, a sheet transport path that transports a paper sheet to the image former and the fuser, first and second discharge ports that are connected to the sheet transport path so as to enable a paper sheet on which a toner image has been fused to be discharged to the outside, and a controller. The sheet transport path includes first to third transport paths, and a first and second switcher. The controller, in the case of duplex printing, controls the first and second switchers such that a one end side of the paper sheet is transported to the second discharge port, and controls the second switcher such that, when the one end side is being discharged from the second discharge port, reverses the paper sheet and causes the another end side to be transported toward the image former.

An imaging system includes a heating device, a conveyor belt including a surface layer located on an outer surface of the heating device to receive a printing medium, and a cooling device to cool the surface layer after the conveyor belt passes along the outer surface of the heating device. The surface layer includes a temperature sensitive material to vary an adhesive force of the conveyor belt with respect to the printing medium in response to a change in temperature of the surface layer. The adhesive force increases in response to an increase in temperature of the surface layer.

A liquid electrophotographic (LEP) printing device that includes a photo-imaging plate (PIP) to receive a liquid printing fluid, the liquid printing fluid including a pigment incorporated into a resin, a charge conductor, and a carrier liquid, and a transfer roller to transfer the liquid printing fluid from the PIP to a fabric substrate while wet.

A liquid electrophotographic (LEP) printing device that includes a photo-imaging plate (PIP) to receive a liquid printing fluid, the liquid printing fluid including a pigment incorporated into a resin, a charge conductor, and a carrier liquid, and a transfer roller to transfer the liquid printing fluid from the PIP to a fabric substrate while wet.

An imaging system includes a heating device, a conveyor belt including a surface layer located on an outer surface of the heating device to receive a printing medium, and a cooling device to cool the surface layer after the conveyor belt passes along the outer surface of the heating device. The surface layer includes a temperature sensitive material to vary an adhesive force of the conveyor belt with respect to the printing medium in response to a change in temperature of the surface layer. The adhesive force increases in response to an increase in temperature of the surface layer.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit that transfers an image onto an object by making contact with the object; a holding unit that holds the object having a circumferential surface so that the circumferential surface rotates along a transfer direction of the transfer unit; and a transport unit that transports the holding unit holding the object along a transport path, and the transfer unit transfers an image onto the circumferential surface of the object in a circumferential direction as the object rotates, by making contact with the circumferential surface of the object maintained at a transfer position.

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet under an operation condition set depending on a sheet type, includes a hardware processor that: detects whether the sheet type is any one of a plurality of assumed types; performs control such that an activation operation for forming the image under an interim condition, which is an operation condition corresponding to one of the plurality of assumed types, is performed before detecting the sheet type; determines whether or not a recovery operation for optimizing a state of image formation is performed before starting image formation under a determinate condition, which is an operation condition corresponding to the detected type; performs control such that the recovery operation is performed when it is determined that the recovery operation is performed; and performs control such that the image formation is performed under the determinate condition after the recovery operation is performed.

A method of operating an electrophotographic printer (100) to control the optical density of a printed image is described. The method comprises providing a printing substance on a transfer member (104); emitting a pulse of heat to heat the printing substance on the transfer member to increase flowability of the printing substance on the transfer member; and transferring, from the transfer member to a substrate (108), the printing substance heated by the pulse of heat so as to provide the printed image on the substrate.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit that transfers an image onto an object by making contact with the object; a holding unit that holds the object having a circumferential surface so that the circumferential surface rotates along a transfer direction of the transfer unit; and a transport unit that transports the holding unit holding the object along a transport path, and the transfer unit transfers an image onto the circumferential surface of the object in a circumferential direction as the object rotates, by making contact with the circumferential surface of the object maintained at a transfer position.