Systems, structures and associated processes for inline ultrasonication of ink for printing
Granted: July 21, 2015
Patent Number:
9085161
Enhanced printing systems, structures, and processes provide ultrasonication of ink, such as to degas the ink, and/or to maintain the size of particles within the ink. At least one ultrasonic module, such as comprising any of an ultrasonic probe or an ultrasonic bath, is located within an ink delivery system. Ink is delivered to the ultrasonic module, and ultrasonic energy is applied to the ink, such as at a sufficient level and duration to degas the ink, and/or to reduce the size of…
Staggered ultra-violet curing systems, structures and processes for inkjet printing
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9079427
Enhanced printing systems, structures, and processes provide enhanced pinning of light sensitive inks before curing, such as to avoid artifacts, e.g. between colors, and/or between regions of different color densities. One or more pinning lamps are controlled or otherwise configured to deliver pinning energy over an interval, e.g. over a period of time or over a percentage of completion, to a pinning threshold level, which may be stored and/or determined. In some exemplary embodiments,…
Printer having a global skew adjustment and a print head assembly having an adjustment mechanism
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9079402
A printer includes a global skew adjustment and a print head assembly having an adjustment mechanism.
Coupling of digital printer and finishing
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9067435
Various disclosed embodiments relate to structures and methods for printing systems. In some embodiments, a device, e.g., a festoon, may be used to accumulate excess material. The festoon may be located between a print head and a finishing component to eliminate misalignment/mis-registration difficulties between printed images and finishing options. In some embodiments, registration images and other procedures may be used alone or in conjunction with the festoon placement to further…
Method and apparatus for high quality printing of non-saturated colored text and lines
Granted: June 2, 2015
Patent Number:
9049403
An embodiment implements a methodology for printing non-saturated text and lines in a way that removes the jagged edge problem. An embodiment uses a combination of two screens, e.g. AM screening and applying pure color. For example, according to the embodiment, the closer to the edge from the interior of text or lines, the less amplitude modulation half toning is applied and the more actual color or contone is applied. A particular algorithm for determining and using a blending parameter…
Methods and apparatus for adaptive imposition templates
Granted: March 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8976407
Methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a print file having an actual page size, and a nominal imposition template specifying a nominal page size, and generating an imposition flat for printing. If the actual page size matches the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is applied to the print file without change. If, however, the actual page size differs from the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is automatically modified based on the actual page…
Liquid ink containers for printing systems
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8967777
A liquid ink container having mating features for self alignment with an ink delivery station. The ink delivery station includes a receiver with an actuated puncture ring. The liquid ink container includes a cap that is punctured by the ring to allow fluid flow from the container. The receiver and container also include means for introducing pressurized gas into the container to facilitate evacuation of liquid ink.
Inkjet printer with dot alignment vision system
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8967762
Image processing of printed patterns of arrays of dots generated by an array of inkjet heads uses a vision system, including an HD color camera that can be a fixed focus or include autofocus and zoom capabilities. Pattern recognition techniques are used to analyze as many patterns as necessary to perform multiple alignment functions, such as dot size, shape, and integrity; unidirectional, bidirectional, and step alignments; physical position and straightness of jet packs; flatness of…
Printing system structures
Granted: February 24, 2015
Patent Number:
8960870
A liquid ink container having mating features for self alignment with an ink delivery station. The ink delivery station includes a receiver with an actuated puncture ring. The liquid ink container includes a cap that is punctured by the ring to allow fluid flow from the container. The receiver and container also include means for introducing pressurized gas into the container to facilitate evacuation of liquid ink.
Engine optimization
Granted: February 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8947702
Techniques are provided that include a workflow that optimizes print job execution by automatically categorizing and sorting requests into different configurations, respectively, for print operators, regular users, and the like.
Greenbooks
Granted: January 13, 2015
Patent Number:
8934119
A computer architecture that integrates desktop productivity applications with various visualization engines and various output engines allowing visualization, modification and formatting of the ultimate output from the application. Methods for accomplishing content visualization, editing and formatting in light of one or more printing option are also provided. Methods and apparatus are also provided for environmentally-friendly printing in booklet form.
Mobile print email reply with thumbnails
Granted: December 30, 2014
Patent Number:
8922818
Techniques are provided that allow the user to view on his or her mobile device the body of an email or other items from a message service as well as each of the attachments as thumbnails or individual images. As well, techniques allow the user to view particular attributes of each item, e.g. the number of pages and the page size of a particular attachment. Techniques are provided such that the user may view such thumbnails and/or attributes on a unique URL generated as a result of the…
Radiation curable ink compositions
Granted: November 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8889232
The radiation curable ink compositions exhibit fasting curing, high flexibility and good adhesion to a broad range of substrates. The ink compositions include a dendritic or hyperbranched polyester acrylate component, which is present in an amount of 10-45% by weight and has a functionality of greater than 5. The compositions further include an oligomer component, a monomer component, a photoinitiator component, a colorant component, and an additive component. The compositions have a…
Virtual press run
Granted: November 11, 2014
Patent Number:
8885181
A computer architecture that integrates desktop productivity applications with various visualization engines and various output engines allowing visualization, modification and formatting of the ultimate output from the application. Methods for accomplishing content visualization, editing and formatting in light of one or more printing option are also provided.
Ink jet printer
Granted: November 11, 2014
Patent Number:
8882243
An ink jet printer for printing on a substrate comprising a first print head outputting ink and defining an ink meniscus; a platen operable to carry the substrate; a support structure; and a print head mechanism coupled to the support structure and carrying the first print head. The print head mechanism moves the first print head relative to the platen. A controller controls the print head mechanism such that at least one of a predetermined acceleration and predetermined deceleration of…
Method and apparatus for automated generation of a white ink separation out of CMYK data or RGB print data
Granted: October 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8861053
Techniques are provided that include an algorithm and a computing device using such algorithm to compute a white ink separation channel from the CMYK or RGB data from a print pipeline as an input. This input originally corresponds to print data on a media with standard whiteness, e.g. standard whiteness corresponding to a diffuser used by the Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) 1964 media whiteness formula. In an example implementation, the white ink channel computed by the…
Apparatus and methods for transferring printer driver preferences
Granted: October 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8860998
A system is provided for supporting multiple platforms with common personal preferences for printer drivers. The set preferences for the printer driver are therefore reusable and may be moved from one driver to another. The system involves the provision of a common format for printer driver preferences. When a new printer is brought to a system or a user moves to a station that uses a different printer, the preferences are readily moved to that location. Further, an MIS department may…
Printing system for application of a patterned clear layer for reducing gloss banding
Granted: September 16, 2014
Patent Number:
8833922
The invention involves application of a clear, low-density after-layer of high gloss ink onto a printed substrate to reduce or eliminate negative printing effects, such as gloss banding. Some embodiments of the invention involve a method of applying colored ink, curing the colored ink, applying a clear ink layer in a pattern, and curing the clear layer.
Metallic ink jet printing system and method for graphics applications
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814346
A multi-phase system for creating a metallic effect on a substrate, including applying to the substrate a first ink jet ink including a dispersion of reflective metallic particles in a suitable carrier system, to form a reflective coating layer; and applying a second ink jet ink over the reflective coating layer to form a protective coating layer. Optionally, an undercoat layer is printed on the substrate prior to applying the first ink jet ink. The second ink jet includes at least one…
Dynamic image gamut compression by performing chroma compression while keeping lightness and hue angle constant
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8810876
A method and apparatus are provided by which optimum usage of available color space of an output device, e.g. an inkjet printer or laser printer, is achieved. Gamut compression is dynamically computed by being dependent on contents of a print job, as opposed to only using pre-calculated or static tables or ICC rendering intents.
