Abstract: A compact ink ribbon cartridge includes a casing divided into lower and upper halves and rotatably mounts ink ribbon supply and take-up reels in a parallel spaced apart relationship. A length of ink ribbon is wound between the reels so as to be stretched over a head insertion opening provided through the cartridge casing. A guide portion is provided at a central portion of the cartridge casing such that ink ribbon guide shafts are disposed at both sides of the head insertion opening along the path of winding of the ink ribbon. A plurality of guide shafts are provided at each side of the head insertion opening as necessary for prevention of wrinkling and/or slackening of the ink ribbon. Furthermore, the print head of a printer is provided with guide shafts to guide the ink ribbon and to minimize the vertical distance that the print head must travel.

Abstract: A printing unit header finding mark PH1 is formed at the head of the color ink areas Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). Color header finding marks YH, MH, CH, and KH which are respectively formed at the head of the color ink areas Y, M, C, and K have a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction and do not overlap with the printing unit header finding mark PH1 in the ribbon width direction. The head of the printing unit and the color ink areas Y, M, C, and K are accurately detected in accordance with the output of two sensors 2A and 2B. One of the marks PH1, YH, MH, CH, and KH has a length which varies in a manner which indicates the diameter of the ribbon wound on one of the supply and the take-up reels.

Abstract: A printing apparatus prevents forgery and alteration through lamination formed on a print surface of a medium in a simple structure, and improves the design effect. In the printing apparatus, a print pattern of one frame is stored in a memory component, on a film sheet F with a thermal transfer head, and a printing medium 37 is coated with the film sheet.

Abstract: A card printing apparatus for printing a graphic design on the surface of a card comprising a card stage adapted to mount a card on its upper surface. The upper surface of the card stage has two planes separated by about the card thickness. The card stage is fed along a straight linear path toward a card stock. When the card stage has reached a certain point along the path, a card is withdrawn from the card stock means so that the card is mounted onto the card stage. A thermal print head prints the graphic design on the surface of the card mounted on the card stage, and an ejector means responsive to the feeding of the card stage ejects the card mounted on the card stage to a card collection zone.

Abstract: When a magnetic head is fed in one direction by a card stage, ID information recorded in a magnetic stripe on a lowermost one of vertically stacked cards in a card stock unit is read by the magnetic head. Then, the lowermost card is carried by the card stage and fed in an opposite direction toward a printing unit, which prints image information on the card on the card stage based on the ID information that has been read by the magnetic head. This arrangement allows a complete match to be achieved between the ID information recorded in the magnetic stripe and the image information printed on the card.