Printing systems with progressive image transfer and progressive radiant energy exposure of images for multi-pass printing, printing apparatuses and corresponding methods

A printing apparatus, comprising:

• a rotatable intermediate member including an outer surface;
• a marking section adapted to apply marking material to the outer surface of the intermediate member to form an image on the outer surface via multiple passes of the intermediate member past the marking section;
• a transport device including a rotatable transport belt having an inlet end and an outlet end, the transport device being movable relative to the outer surface of the intermediate member to engage the transport belt with a medium starting at the inlet end at which a leading edge of the medium enters and progressively increase an engagement zone with the medium toward the outlet end as the leading edge of the medium advances, the outer surface and the transport belt forming an image transfer/curing zone along which the image is transferred from the outer surface to the medium, the image transfer/curing zone increasing in length as the transport belt is progressively engaged with the advancing medium;
• and
• a radiating device including a radiant energy source adapted to simultaneously progressively expose the image to radiant energy while the image is being transferred to the medium along the image transfer/curing zone.

A method of forming images on media in a printing system, comprising:

• forming an image on an outer surface of a rotating intermediate member via multiple passes of the intermediate member past a marking system;
• moving a transport device including a rotatable transport belt having an inlet end and an outlet end relative to the outer surface of the intermediate member to engage the transport belt with a medium starting at the inlet end at which a leading edge of the medium enters and progressively increase an engagement zone with the medium toward the outlet end as the leading edge of the medium advances, the outer surface and the transport belt forming an image transfer/curing zone along which the image is transferred from the outer surface to the medium, the image transfer/curing zone increasing in length as the transport belt is progressively engaged with the advancing medium;
• and
• simultaneously progressively exposing the image to radiant energy emitted by a radiating device while the image is being transferred to the medium along the image transfer/curing zone.