Abstract: A printer includes a thermal head including a line head in which heating elements are arranged in a straight line, a feed device being configured to feed a printing medium in a vertical scanning direction, and a control device being configured to control the feed device and the thermal head, the printer performing printing by forming a print dot by heating on the printing medium. Each iteration of the pulse application cycle is a time period from a main heating starting time to a next main heating starting time. The control device, in a case where the main heating is not performed on a second heating element adjacent in a main scanning direction to a first heating element, is configured to perform printing by using a first mode, in which applying of a first sub-pulse to the second heating element is performed starting from the main heating starting time.

Abstract: A printer includes a feeding portion, a printing portion, and a processor. The feeding portion is configured to feed a printing medium in a sub-scanning direction that is orthogonal to a main scanning direction. The printing portion includes a plurality of heating elements that are arrayed in the main scanning direction and that is configured to perform printing on the printing medium fed by the feeding portion when heating pulses are applied to the plurality of heating elements each corresponding to a single dot. A length of each of the plurality of heating elements in the sub-scanning direction is shorter than a length of each of the plurality of heating elements in the main scanning direction. The processor is configured to apply one or more heating pulses to one of the plurality of heating elements in response to a command to print one dot.

Abstract: A thermal printer includes a thermal head and a control unit that controls energization of each of a plurality of heater elements based on printing data including a plurality of line data arrays corresponding to the plurality of heater elements respectively, for selectively heating up the plurality of heater elements, and performs printing according to an order at the printing data while taking a line data array as a basic unit, on each printing cycle including a heating period and a non-heating period. The control unit delays a start of a heating period in a printing cycle with respect to a start of the printing cycle for a predetermined time period when a predetermined condition with respect to the line data array is satisfied.

Abstract: A printer includes a feeding portion, a printing portion, and a processor. The feeding portion is configured to feed a printing medium in a sub-scanning direction that is orthogonal to a main scanning direction. The printing portion includes a plurality of heating elements that are arrayed in the main scanning direction and that is configured to perform printing on the printing medium fed by the feeding portion when heating pulses are applied to the plurality of heating elements each corresponding to a single dot. A length of each of the plurality of heating elements in the sub-scanning direction is shorter than a length of each of the plurality of heating elements in the main scanning direction. The processor is configured to apply one or more heating pulses to one of the plurality of heating elements in response to a command to print one dot.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, each application period is set as fixed period of time ranging from main heating start point to next main heating start point to form successive printed dots on a printing medium in sub-scanning direction of thermal head. A control unit executes application of sub pulse for auxiliary heating which, when applied independently, cannot realize color development on the printing medium, but, when applied for compensating main heating by main pulse as applied in next application period can realize color development thereon, relating to each of heater elements under constraint such that sub pulse is applied within current application period wherein color development cannot be realized on the printing medium, irrespective of whether next application period wherein main pulse for main heating is applied to realize color development on the printing medium starts immediately after current application period wherein color development is not realized.

Abstract: A printer includes a thermal head including a line head in which heating elements are arranged in a straight line, a feed device being configured to feed a printing medium in a vertical scanning direction, and a control device being configured to control the feed device and the thermal head, the printer performing printing by forming a print dot by heating on the printing medium. Each iteration of the pulse application cycle is a time period from a main heating starting time to a next main heating starting time. The control device, in a case where the main heating is not performed on a second heating element adjacent in a main scanning direction to a first heating element, is configured to perform printing by using a first mode, in which applying of a first sub-pulse to the second heating element is performed starting from the main heating starting time.

Abstract: In the case where printing density is set to 180 dpi and temperature of a thermal head is under t5, low-density dot-expanding printing is carried out wherein a dot occupying two printing lines for 360 dpi is formed and thermally transferred onto a surface tape by conveying the surface tape and an ink ribbon by two printing lines for 360 dpi in a single printing cycle with heater elements to be used for printing based one line of line printing data being heated.

Abstract: A thermal printer includes a thermal head and a control unit that controls energization of each of a plurality of heater elements based on printing data including a plurality of line data arrays corresponding to the plurality of heater elements respectively, for selectively heating up the plurality of heater elements, and performs printing according to an order at the printing data while taking a line data array as a basic unit, on each printing cycle including a heating period and a non-heating period. The control unit delays a start of a heating period in a printing cycle with respect to a start of the printing cycle for a predetermined time period when a predetermined condition with respect to the line data array is satisfied.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus, each application period is set as fixed period of time ranging from main heating start point to next main heating start point to form successive printed dots on a printing medium in sub-scanning direction of thermal head. A control unit executes application of sub pulse for auxiliary heating which, when applied independently, cannot realize color development on the printing medium, but, when applied for compensating main heating by main pulse as applied in next application period can realize color development thereon, relating to each of heater elements under constraint such that sub pulse is applied within current application period wherein color development cannot be realized on the printing medium, irrespective of whether next application period wherein main pulse for main heating is applied to realize color development on the printing medium starts immediately after current application period wherein color development is not realized.

Abstract: In the case where printing density is set to 180 dpi and temperature of a thermal head is under t5, low-density dot-expanding printing is carried out wherein a dot occupying two printing lines for 360 dpi is formed and thermally transferred onto a surface tape by conveying the surface tape and an ink ribbon by two printing lines for 360 dpi in a single printing cycle with heater elements to be used for printing based one line of line printing data being heated.

Abstract: A thermal head has heating elements and is movable relative to a printing medium. A pulse application portion applies a drive voltage pulse selectively to the heating elements. A voltage measurement portion measures a head voltage applied to the thermal head. A total-dot counting portion adds a number of dots which are printed from a reference time point, thereby obtaining a total dot count. An adjustment portion adjusts the total dot count based on a predetermined adjustment dot count corresponding to an ambient temperature. A heat-buildup-coefficient storing portion stores a heat buildup coefficient corresponding both to the ambient temperature and to an excess dot count. A pulse-width setting portion sets the width of the drive voltage pulse based on the head voltage and the heat buildup coefficient. A pulse-width correction portion corrects the width of the drive voltage pulse based on the head voltage measured by the voltage measurement portion.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a thermal head, a measurement device that measures a temperature of the thermal head and a controller. The controller controls a printing speed on the basis of the measured temperature as measured by the measurement device, determines whether the measured temperature of the thermal head is rising or dropping, compares a preliminarily determined first threshold value with the measured temperature when the temperature is rising, compares a preliminarily determined second threshold value with the measured temperature when the temperature is dropping, controls printing by reducing the printing speed when the measured temperature is greater than the first threshold value, and controls printing by raising the printing speed when the measured temperature is less than the second threshold value.

Abstract: A thermal head has heating elements and is movable relative to a printing medium. A pulse application portion applies a drive voltage pulse selectively to the heating elements. A voltage measurement portion measures a head voltage applied to the thermal head. A total-dot counting portion adds a number of dots which are printed from a reference time point, thereby obtaining a total dot count. An adjustment portion adjusts the total dot count based on a predetermined adjustment dot count corresponding to an ambient temperature. A heat-buildup-coefficient storing portion stores a heat buildup coefficient corresponding both to the ambient temperature and to an excess dot count. A pulse-width setting portion sets the width of the drive voltage pulse based on the head voltage and the heat buildup coefficient. A pulse-width correction portion corrects the width of the drive voltage pulse based on the head voltage measured by the voltage measurement portion.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including a thermal head, a measurement device that measures a temperature of the thermal head and a controller. The controller controls a printing speed on the basis of the measured temperature as measured by the measurement device, determines whether the measured temperature of the thermal head is rising or dropping, compares a preliminarily determined first threshold value with the measured temperature when the temperature is rising, compares a preliminarily determined second threshold value with the measured temperature when the temperature is dropping, controls printing by reducing the printing speed when the measured temperature is greater than the first threshold value, and controls printing by raising the printing speed when the measured temperature is less than the second threshold value.