Image transfer for liquid electro-photographic printing
In one example, a system for transferring an image from a photoconductor to a print substrate includes a transfer member having a removable blanket wrapped around a rotatable drum and a laser. The blanket has a light absorbing exterior surface to receive a liquid LEP ink image from the photoconductor and to release a layer of molten toner to a print substrate. As the drum rotates, the laser exposes a width of the exterior surface of the blanket carrying a liquid LEP ink image to a beam of coherent light that delivers enough power to transform the liquid LEP ink image into molten toner.
1. A system for transferring an image from a photoconductor to a print substrate, the system comprising:
a rotatable transfer member having a light absorbing exterior surface to receive a liquid LEP ink image from the photoconductor and to release a layer of molten toner to a print substrate; and
a laser to, as the transfer member rotates, expose a width of the exterior surface of the transfer member carrying a liquid LEP ink image to a beam of coherent light delivering enough power to transform the liquid LEP ink image into molten toner.
2. The system of claim 1 , where the laser is to expose the width of the exterior surface of the transfer member to a beam of coherent light having an energy density at least 3 mJ/mm 2 .
3. The system of claim 1 , where the laser is to deliver enough power to heat the width of the exterior surface of the transfer member to a temperature of 180° C. to 220° C. in less than 10 ms.
4. The system of claim 1 , where the laser is to deliver enough power to raise the temperature of the width of the exterior surface of the transfer member at least 150° C. in less than 10 ms.
5. A printing process, comprising:
developing a latent image on a photoconductor into a liquid LEP ink image on the photoconductor;
transferring the liquid LEP ink image on the photoconductor to an unheated part of a moving transfer member;
exposing a part of the moving transfer member carrying the LEP ink image to a beam of coherent light with enough power to transform the liquid LEP ink image into molten toner; and
transferring the molten toner to a moving print substrate within 30 ms after exposing the part of the moving transfer member carrying the LEP ink image to the light.
6. The printing process of claim 5 , where the exposing includes exposing an exterior surface of the moving transfer member to a beam of coherent light having an energy density at least 3 mJ/mm 2 .
7. A processor readable medium having instructions thereon that, when executed as part of an LEP printing process:
develop a latent image on a photoconductor into a liquid LEP ink image on the photoconductor;
transfer the liquid LEP ink image on the photoconductor to an unheated part of a moving transfer member;
expose a part of the moving transfer member carrying the LEP ink image to a beam of coherent light with enough power to transform the liquid LEP ink image into molten toner; and
transfer the molten toner to a moving print substrate within 30 ms after exposing the part of the moving transfer member carrying the LEP ink image to the light.
8. The processor readable medium of claim 7 , where the instructions to expose include instructions to expose an exterior surface of the moving transfer member to a beam of coherent light having an energy density at least 3 mJ/mm 2 .
9. An LEP printer controller that includes the processor readable claim 7 .