Printed output of digital printing systems

A method of operating components of a printing system 100, the method comprising:

• providing an impression cylinder 220 of the printing system the impression cylinder 220 having an impression cylinder gap 320 housing a plurality of grippers 350 substantially recessed therein;
• providing a pressure cylinder assembly 318 comprising a pressure cylinder 218 and a plurality of pressure cylinder coverings, the plurality of pressure cylinder coverings having in combination a differential thickness with respect to location on the circumference of the pressure cylinder 218;
• and
• applying pressuring force between the pressure cylinder 218 and the impression cylinder 220 so as to transfer ink image(s) 50 from an intermediate transfer member (ITM) 210 of the printing system to substrate 231,
• wherein:
• A. during the transferring, a leading edge 60 of the ink image 50 is aligned with a first transfer point 340 is displaced circumferentially from the grippers 350 on the surface of the impression cylinder 220, the location of the first transfer point 340 corresponding to a dimension of an unprinted margin 235 at the leading edge 233 of the substrate 231;
• and
• B. the differential thickness provided by the plurality of pressure cylinder coverings is effective to cause a change in the location of the first transfer point 340 and thereby reduce the dimension of the unprinted margin 235.

A method of operating a pressure cylinder assembly 318 of printing system 100, the method comprising:

• (A) providing the pressure cylinder assembly, the pressure cylinder assembly comprising:
• a. a pressure cylinder 218;
• b. first cylinder covering 219, disposed around at least a majority of the circumference of the pressure cylinder 218;
• and
• c. a second cylinder covering 375, interposed between the pressure cylinder 318 and first cylinder covering 219, and disposed around less than 5% of the circumference of the pressure cylinder 218,
• (B) operating the pressure cylinder assembly such that:
• i. a pressuring force between the pressure cylinder 218 and an impression cylinder 220 of the printing system transfers ink images 50 from an intermediate transfer member (ITM) 210 of the printing system to substrate 231;
• and
• ii. a change in the local external geometry of the pressure cylinder assembly 318 due to the presence of the second cylinder covering 375 is effective to reduce a dimension of an unprinted margin 235 on a leading edge 233 of the substrate 231.

A method of installing a margin insert 375 to a printing system 100, the method comprising:

• providing the printing system, the printing system comprising:
• a. an intermediate transfer member (ITM) 210 comprising a flexible belt operable to have ink images 50 formed thereupon by droplet deposition at an image-forming station 212;
• and
• b. an impression station 216 configured for transfer of the ink images 50 to substrate 231 after they are conveyed to the impression station 216 by the ITM 210, the impression station 216 comprising:
• i. a rotatable impression cylinder 220 having an impression cylinder gap 320, and
• ii. a pressure cylinder assembly 318 comprising:
• (A) a pressure cylinder 218 having a pressure cylinder gap 330 and operative to rotate synchronously with the impression cylinder 220 and in an opposing direction thereto, the pressure cylinder 218 comprising an angle portion 335 joining a trailing edge 331 of the pressure cylinder gap 330 and an outer circumferential surface 332 of the pressure cylinder 218,
• (B) a compressible blanket 219 disposed around at least a portion of the circumference of the pressure cylinder 218, and
• interposing the margin insert 375 between the pressure cylinder 218 and the compressible blanket 219 at least at the angle portion 335, such that a local external geometry of the pressure cylinder assembly 318 at the angle portion 335 is changed by the presence of the interposed margin insert 375,
• wherein the change in the local external geometry of the pressure cylinder assembly 318 due to the presence of the margin insert 375 is effective to subsequently reduce, during operation of the printing system, a dimension of an unprinted margin 235 on a leading edge 233 of the substrate 231.