Abstract: An automatic cartridge feeder includes a magazine slot that receives a cartridge magazine and includes a priority slot that directly receives single cartridges. The automatic cartridge feeder can receive a cartridge through the priority slot regardless of the condition of the cartridge magazine. In an automatic mode, cartridges are taken sequentially from the magazine and are processed. Any cartridge placed in the priority slot by an operator will be processed immediately after any in-progress cartridge processing. In an accumulate mode, cartridges are received through the priority slot for processing and are returned in sequence to an empty cartridge magazine.

Abstract: In a printer in which character code bytes representing characters to be printed are translated into graphic code bytes, assembled into lines and pages, and thereafter used to select character image bits which are applied to modulate a scanning laser beam and thereby effect printing of the characters, the pitch of each character is determined independently of other characters in each line being printed by pitch bits included in the sets of character image bits. As each scan line of modulation bits from a set of character image bits is selected for use in modulating the laser beam, the pitch bit included within the bits is examined to determine whether the width of the charactor is to be a maximum or some value less than the maximum. For the maximum width all of the modulation bits are applied to modulate the laser beam, while for a character cell width less than the maximum, only a selected number of the modulation bits are used to modulate the laser beam.