Agfa-gevaert

Agfa Graphics Nv

Agfa Nv

David Tilemans

Stefaan K De Meutter

Geert Van Dyck

Bartholomeus Cyriel Horsten

Guy Denis Jansen

Peter Bracke

Joseph Michielsen

Robert F Janssens

Jens Lenaerts

Leo Oelbrandt

Robert Theodoor Overmeer

Joris Van Garsse

Anthony Roy Dunn

Jaroslav Katona

Marc De Clerck

Krystyna Maria Windle

Matthew Richard Palmer

A grayscale inkjet printing method including the steps of: a) supplying a pigmented inkjet ink to a grayscale print head having nozzles with an outer nozzle surface area smaller than 500 μmand having an acoustic resonance period ARP of not more than 5.5 μs; and b) applying a voltage wave form for ejecting pigmented inkjet ink from a nozzle of the grayscale print head within one jetting cycle; wherein the pigmented inkjet ink has a viscosity of at least 3.8 mPa·s at jetting temperature and a shear rate of 1,000 s; wherein the voltage wave form for ejecting the largest ink droplet includes, in chronological order, a first ejecting pulse having an amplitude A1 and a second ejecting pulse having an amplitude A3 with the amplitude A1 complying with the relationship: 0.50×A3<A1<1.40×A3; and wherein a time period between the end time of the first ejecting pulse and the end time of the second ejecting pulse defines an idle time period including no other ejecting pulse, the time period having a duration between 1.5 to 2.5 times the acoustic resonance period ARP; and wherein any non-ejecting pulse having an amplitude A2 present during the idle time period complies with the relationship: A2≤0.15×A3. An inkjet printing system is also disclosed.

Inkjet printing methods and inkjet printing systems

A high viscosity jetting method includes jetting a liquid by a through-flow piezoelectric printhead through a nozzle in a nozzle plate, wherein a section of a nozzle has a shape including an outer edge with a minimum covering circle, the maximum distance from the outer edge to the center of the minimum covering circle is greater than the minimum distance from the outer edge to the center from the minimum covering circle times 1.2, and the jetting viscosity of the liquid is at least 20 mPa&#xb7;s.

High viscosity jetting method

A method for inkjet varnishing a substrate includes the steps of jetting a micro-pattern of a varnish having a viscosity of less than 30 mPa&#xb7;s at 45&#xb0; C. and at a shear rate of 30 sto a portion of the substrate by one or more printheads having nozzles with a nozzle diameter of no more than 30 &#x3bc;m, and at least partially curing the micro-pattern within 500 milliseconds after jetting to provide a micro-roughness to the portion of the substrate.

Methods for inkjet varnishing

A method and an inkjet printing device for single pass printing on an ink-receiver having a surface includes a plurality of sets of nozzles for jetting N inks on the surface, wherein N is larger than or equal to one, the N inks including a first ink, and wherein the plurality of sets of nozzles includes a first and a second set of nozzles for jetting the first ink; the device further including a radiation curing device arranged to cure the first ink when jetted on the surface by the first set of nozzles, wherein the radiation curing device is positioned between the first set of nozzles and the second set of nozzles.

Apparatus and method for single pass inkjet printing

A combination of: a) an inkjet print head having a nozzle density of at least 600 dpi and nozzles with an outer nozzle diameter D smaller than 25&#x3bc;m; and b) a UV curable inkjet composition containing 0 to 10 wt % of one or more monofunctional monomers and at least A wt % of 2-(2-vinyloxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, wherein both wt % are based on the total weight of the UV curable inkjet composition; and wherein A is defined by the formula 100 wt %&#x2212;D&#xd7;3.0 wt %/&#x3bc;m&#x2266;A&#x2266;100 wt %&#x2212;D&#xd7;1.0 wt %/&#x3bc;m.

UV curable inkjet compositions for high-density print heads

A single pass inkjet printing method includes the steps of: a) providing a radiation curable inkjet ink set containing at least a first and a second radiation curable inkjet ink having a dynamic surface tension of no more than 30 mN/m measured by maximum bubble pressure tensiometry at a surface age of 50 ms and at 25&#xb0; C.; b) jetting a first radiation curable inkjet ink on an ink-jet ink-receiver moving at a printing speed of at least 35 m/min.; c) at least partially curing the first inkjet ink on the ink receiver within the range of 40 to 500 ms after the first inkjet ink landed on the ink receiver; d) jetting a second radiation curable inkjet ink on the at least partially cured first inkjet ink; and e) at least partially curing the second inkjet ink within the range of 40 to 500 ms after the second inkjet ink landed on the first inkjet ink.

Single pass inkjet printing method

Non-label printing process for direct thermal imaging materials including an organic silver salt

Label-printing process for substantially light-insensitive elongated materials including an organic silver salt

A method and apparatus is provided for operating a direct electrostatic printer whereby no printer adjustments are required by the operator. The direct thermal printer includes a print head and a variable speed motor for reproducing images on an imaging element. The method for operating the direct electrostatic printer includes the steps of: receiving medical image data representing the medical images; processing one or more printing prerequisites provided with the medical image data for controlling heating energy applied to the print head and for controlling the speed of the variable speed drive motor; generating a control signal from the printing prerequisites for controlling the speed of the variable speed drive motor; automatically configuring the printer in a plurality of operating modes using the control signal; passing the imaging element adjacent the print head by means of the variable speed drive motor; and heating the print head in accordance with the medical image data and the printing prerequisites to form the medical images on the imaging element. In addition, the printer is capable of operating in at least two modes, including a standard quality operating mode in which the variable speed drive motor is operated at a first speed, and at least one premium quality operating mode in which the variable speed drive motor is operated at a second speed slower than the first speed.

Direct thermal printing method and apparatus

A method for making an image by means of a direct thermal imaging element, comprising on a support a thermosensitive layer incorporating an organic silver salt and a reducing agent contained in said thermosensitive layer and/or in other optional layers. The imaging element is imagewise heated by means of a thermal head having energizable heating elements. The activation of the heating elements is executed duty cycled pulsewise with the steps of preheating each heating element for a preheating time such that a preheat temperature in the imaging element is reached, which is just below the conversion temperature; selecting a pulse duty cycle such that a maximal density on the imaging element will be reached at the end of the maximal writing time; retrieving from a memory for each individual pixel an individual writing time related to a desired density on the imaging element; and energizing the heating elements with the selected pulse duty cycle for a time related to the retrieved individual writing time.

Method for making an image by direct thermal imaging

A method for making an image using a direct thermal imaging element, comprising on a support a thermosensitive layer incorporating an organic silver salt and a reducing agent contained in said thermosensitive layer and/or in other optional layers, said imaging element being imagewise heated by means of a thermal head having energisable heating elements, characterised in that the activation of the heating elements is executed line by line with a line duty cycle .DELTA. representing the ratio of activation time to total line time, such that the following equation is satisfied

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Mortsel, Belgium

David Tilemans