Abstract: A method of printing including testing the status of a printhead (12) having a plurality of printing elements (14) each of which is operable to transfer a marking medium from a web (16) to a substrate (18), wherein the method includes testing the status of each printing element (14), and providing a preview of an image (30) to be printed and, in the event that the print quality of the image is inadequate owing to the position of one or more damaged printing elements (14a, 14b) relative to the image (30) to be printed, adjusting the position of a component (30a, 30b) of the image (30) relative to the printhead (12) to improve the print quality.

Abstract: A method of detecting a reduction in tension in a tape, wherein the tape is transferable between a first spool (15) and a second spool (17) by a tape drive (11), the tape drive (11) having a motor control system (25) which includes two DC motors (16, 18) and a controller (24) for controlling the operation of the motors (16, 18), the tape drive (11) also having two spool supports (12, 14), each of which is suitable for supporting a spool (15, 17) of tape, and each of which is driven by a respective one of the motors (16, 18), the method including storing a value relating to the current required to be supplied to each motor (16, 18) to maintain tension in the tape, and comparing a value relating to the current being supplied to each of the motors (16, 18) during tape transfer with the respective stored values.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a printhead for transferring ink from a ribbon to a substrate to be printed, a print roller for guiding the substrate to be printed, a peel-off roller for separating the ribbon from the substrate, downstream of the printhead, wherein a peel-off angle is subtended between a portion of ribbon which, when the printing apparatus is in use, extends between the printhead and the peel-off roller and a tangent to the print roller at a contact point on the circumference of the print roller, and a printhead angle is subtended between a part of the printhead which transfers ink from the ribbon to the substrate and a radius of the print roller at the contact point, and wherein the printhead angle is adjustable in accordance with the speed of the ribbon relative to the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A method of operation of the tape drive, including obtaining the circumferences a supply spool, and a take-up spool, each spool being mounted upon a respective rotatable spool support which is mounted in a housing, the method including rotating the take-up spool support and the supply spool support simultaneously, so as to feed tape from the supply spool into a tape path extending between the spools, and to wind tape on to the take-up spool from the tape path, determining a length of tape fed into the tape path during a measurement period using a sensor assembly, monitoring the angle through which each of the spool supports has rotated during the measurement period, regulating the length of the tape in the tape path, such that the length of the tape in the tape path at the start of the measurement period and the length of the tape in the tape path at the end of the measurement period are substantially the same, and using knowledge of the length of tape fed into the tape path during the measurement period and

Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor having an associated rotary position encoder, and a controller for controlling the operation of the motor, wherein the motor is switchable between a position control mode and a torque control mode.