Abstract: A a color ink-jet printer has at least four ink cartridges each containing one basic color selected from among yellow, magenta, cyan and black, and at least one additional cartridge containing a basic pale color ink. A processor receives a printing order containing data concerning the requested color and/or the number and color of the ink droplets to be deposited on one another at a specific location of a selected printing substrate. The processor includes an optimizing mode capable of matching the requested color and/or the required number and color of droplets to be superimposed to obtain a selected color at a given pixel with an equivalent color and/or an equivalent number and/or color of droplets to be superimposed to obtain a substantially equivalent and satisfactory color rendering in conformity with the human eye sensory response. The thus-determined equivalent color and/or the equivalent number and color of droplets to be superimposed is applied to the printer for each printing order received.

Abstract: In a machine for the color printing of cards, the different primary colors borne by the ribbon are deposited on the card by successive operations in which this card passes beneath the same thermal printer head by a series of back-and-forth motions. To this end, the primary colors of a sequence are separated by separators which are different from the indicators between each sequence, and these separators and indicators are detected by a detection device.

Abstract: The invention concerns automatic systems for printing both sides of cards in black and white and in color. It comprises a black-and-white printing machine next to a color printing machine, each machine incorporating a thermal printing head, in front of which travel simultaneously a ribbon holding colorants to be deposited and the card to be printed, and at least one card-reversing device placed before or after a machine. The invention can be used for bank card printers.