Abstract: A drive IC for a printing head is rectangular with first and second longer sides, and first and second shorter sides. The drive IC has a multiplicity of drive output pads arranged adjacent to and along the first longer side. The drive IC also has control signal pads which include at least a data-in pad, a data-out pad, a strobe pad, a logic power supply pad, and a clock pad. The control signal pads are arranged adjacent to the respective shorter sides.

Abstract: A plurality of thermal heads are made from a rectangular material substrate board having one surface entirely formed with a conductor layer which has bulging portions extending along and adjacent to the four sides of the material substrate board. First, the conductor layer is etched in different regions of the substrate board so that each region is made to have a conductor pattern for a corresponding thermal head, wherein the conductor pattern at least in one region of the substrate board is made to have a common electrode provided by one bulging portion of the conductor layer. Then, the different regions of the substrate board are separated from each other to provide different thermal heads.

Abstract: A printing head comprises an elongate head substrate provided with a line of printing dots along a first longitudinal edge of the substrate, and an array of drive IC's provided on the head substrate along a second longitudinal edge of the substrate. The substrate is further provided with a plurality of connection terminals adjacent to the second longitudinal edge. The drive IC array is rendered shorter than the printing dot line to provide two excess portions at both ends of the head substrate, and the connection terminals are locally arranged within the respective excess end portions without overlapping the drive IC array longitudinally of the head substrate.