摘要:
A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.
摘要:
A method of operating a transfer printer (1), the transfer printer comprising first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool (3,4) of ribbon (2), a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon (2) from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path, and a printhead (7), the printhead being configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate is moved relative to the printhead in a direction of substrate movement. The method comprises driving the ribbon in a direction parallel to the direction of substrate movement, printing a first plurality of images onto a first respective plurality of substrates, driving the ribbon in a direction opposite to the direction of substrate movement, driving the ribbon in the direction parallel to the direction of substrate movement, and printing a second plurality of images onto a second respective plurality of substrates. Printing each image of the first and second pluralities of images results in corresponding pluralities of first (15 a, b, c) and second (16 a, b, c) negative images being formed on the ribbon, wherein each negative image of the first plurality of negative images (15 a, b, c) is located adjacent a negative image of the second plurality of negative images (16 a, b, c) on the ribbon.
摘要:
A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.
摘要:
In accordance with one embodiment, a thermal transfer printer comprises a ribbon feeding roller (10a) configured to feed an ink ribbon (10c) including an ink layer on a base film; a ribbon winding roller (10c) configured to wind the ink ribbon fed from the ribbon feeding roller; a print head (1) configured to heat the ink ribbon from a surface provided with no ink layer to selectively transfer the ink layer to paper (19); and a control section (21) configured to control to apply an appropriate tension to the ink ribbon between the ribbon feeding roller and the ribbon winding roller according to the type of the ink ribbon.