Patent ID: 8628187

Claim:
A method of forming an image on a substrate in printing, comprising: transporting a substrate along a transport path in a process direction; cooling the substrate with a cooling device; applying ink directly onto a surface of the cooled substrate from at least one of a plurality of fixed print heads; irradiating the ink on the surface of the substrate with first radiation from a first radiation unit, the first radiation unit being physically positioned downstream of, and non-overlapping with, all of the plurality of fixed print heads in the process direction to partially-cure the ink on the surface of the substrate; applying pressure to the substrate and the partially-cured ink already applied to the surface of the substrate at a nip of a leveling device with a first surface of a first member and a second surface of a second member to level the ink on the surface of the substrate, the first surface of the first member being formed of a hydrophilic material, and a release liquid comprising water and detergent being applied to the first surface of the first member; and irradiating the as-leveled ink on the surface of the substrate with second radiation from a second radiation unit downstream of the nip in the process direction to substantially fully cure the ink on the substrate.