Method and apparatus for fixing a radiation-curable gel-ink image onto a substrate

摘要

An apparatus prints and/or fixes ink on a substrate, such as in ink-jet printing with UV-curable inks. A conformable member (14) is positioned to contact an ink-bearing side of the substrate (S) at a nip. The conformable member substantially comprises a silicone-based elastomer having a conformability from about 20 shore A to about 10 shore A. A radiation source (30) directs radiation to the ink-bearing side of the substrate at the nip, the radiation suitable for curing the ink (I) on the substrate. The apparatus is particularly useful for printing onto corrugated cardboard or otherwise non-planar surfaces, since the resulting ink image is impressed uniformly onto the substrate by the conformable member without voids in the ink layer in the recesses of the non-planar surface.