Abstract: An image output device includes two color ink cartridges. The first color ink cartridge is filled with yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink. Besides, the yellow ink nozzle, first magenta ink nozzle, first cyan ink nozzle eject the yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink respectively. The second color ink cartridge is filled with black ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink. Besides, the black ink nozzle, second magenta ink nozzle, and second cyan ink nozzle ejects the black ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink respectively. The second magenta ink nozzle has a diameter smaller that of the first magenta ink nozzle, and the second cyan ink nozzle has a diameter smaller that of the first cyan ink nozzle. The color ink cartridge ink having the nozzle with small diameter is driven to create small ink drops or light ink drops. It improves the image resolution and creates a six-color tone expression. Moreover, the cost of manufacturing the printhead will not increase and the controlling method will not become complicated.

Abstract: A method of performing printhead maintenance comprises the steps as follow. First, the orifices of the printhead are defined to form a plurality of orifice groups. Then, a test graph comprising a plurality of test lines associated with the orifice groups is provided, and the ink is ejected through the printhead to obtain a printing result of the test graph. Next, the orifice groups containing the clogged orifices are selected according to the printing result. Then the orifice groups to be cleaned undergo the maintenance procedure. In the present invention, the orifice groups to be cleaned are determined by comparing the printing result and the test graph. Then the maintenance procedure can be selected to purge only the orifice groups containing clogged orifices, so that the unnecessary consumption of ink in purging unclogged orifices is reduced.

Abstract: An ink ribbon positioning system of a color printer for identifying various positions of a color ink ribbon of the color printer. The ink ribbon includes a plurality of sequentially arranged color frames for storing different color dyes. The color printer includes a thermal print head for printing the color dyes onto an object. The ink ribbon positioning system includes first and second light sources for emitting light beams through the ink ribbon, an optical sensor for detecting the light beams penetrating through the ink ribbon, and an identification device electrically connected to the first and the second light sources. When the ink ribbon scrolls relative to the thermal print head, the identification device will control the first and the second light sources and identify the position of each of the color frames of the ink ribbon according to an output voltage generated by the optical sensor.

Abstract: An image output device includes two color ink cartridges. The first color ink cartridge is filled with yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink. Besides, the yellow ink nozzle, first magenta ink nozzle, first cyan ink nozzle eject the yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink respectively. The second color ink cartridge is filled with black ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink. Besides, the black ink nozzle, second magenta ink nozzle, and second cyan ink nozzle ejects the black ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink respectively. The second magenta ink nozzle has a diameter smaller that of the first magenta ink nozzle, and the second cyan ink nozzle has a diameter smaller that of the first cyan ink nozzle. The color ink cartridge ink having the nozzle with small diameter is driven to create small ink drops or light ink drops. It improves the image resolution and creates a six-color tone expression. Moreover, the cost of manufacturing the printhead will not increase and the controlling method will not become complicated.

Abstract: An ink ribbon positioning system of a color printer for identifying various positions of a color ink ribbon of the color printer. The ink ribbon includes a plurality of sequentially arranged color frames for storing different color dyes. The color printer includes a thermal print head for printing the color dyes onto an object. The ink ribbon positioning system includes first and second light sources for emitting light beams through the ink ribbon, an optical sensor for detecting the light beams penetrating through the ink ribbon, and an identification device electrically connected to the first and the second light sources. When the ink ribbon scrolls relative to the thermal print head, the identification device will control the first and the second light sources and identify the position of each of the color frames of the ink ribbon according to an output voltage generated by the optical sensor.

Abstract: A method of performing printhead maintenance comprises the steps as follow. First, the orifices of the printhead are defined to form a plurality of orifice groups. Then, a test graph comprising a plurality of test lines associated with the orifice groups is provided, and the ink is ejected through the printhead to obtain a printing result of the test graph. Next, the orifice groups containing the clogged orifices are selected according to the printing result. Then the orifice groups to be cleaned undergo the maintenance procedure. In the present invention, the orifice groups to be cleaned are determined by comparing the printing result and the test graph. Then the maintenance procedure can be selected to purge only the orifice groups containing clogged orifices, so that the unnecessary consumption of ink in purging unclogged orifices is reduced.

Abstract: A printer has a print head for forming a pixel, and a driving system for moving the print head from a first location to a second location. The print head forms the pixel according to a firing signal. The movement of the print head is controlled by a control signal sent to the driving system. The method involves building a list of desired pixel locations, building a calibrated list of firing signal offsets, sending the control signal to trigger movement of the print head, and sending a firing signal to the print head to form a pixel at a predetermined location. The firing signal offsets correspond to the desired pixel locations, and are adjusted to compensate for the driving system. The timing of the firing signal is determined by the timing of the control signal and by a firing signal offset in the calibrated list of firing signal offsets. The firing signal offset adjusts the firing time so that the predetermined location of the pixel is effectively on a corresponding desired pixel location.

Abstract: A printer has a print path disposed along a left-and-right direction, a driving system for moving a print head left or right along the print path, a control circuit for controlling the driving system, and a look-ahead system. The print head is used to perform a printing operation that forms at least one pixel on a media in a print swath. The look-ahead system determines a plurality of different paths that cover at least three print swaths, and computes a print time required by the driving system to cover each path. The look-ahead system then selects a path having the shortest print time, and the control system directs the driving system to follow this path.

Abstract: A printer has a print path disposed along a left-and-right direction, a driving system for moving a print head left or right along the print path, a control circuit for controlling the driving system, and a look-ahead system. The print head is used to perform a printing operation that forms at least one pixel on a media in a print swath. The look-ahead system determines a plurality of different paths that cover at least three print swaths, and computes a print time required by the driving system to cover each path. The look-ahead system then selects a path having the shortest print time, and the control system directs the driving system to follow this path.

Abstract: An ink ribbon positioning system of a color printer for identifying various positions of a color ink ribbon of the color printer. The ink ribbon includes a plurality of sequentially arranged color frames for storing different color dyes. The color printer includes a thermal print head for printing the color dyes onto an object and a driving device for scrolling the ink ribbon relative to the thermal print head. The ink ribbon positioning system includes first and second light sources for emitting light beams through the ink ribbon, an optical sensor for detecting the light beams penetrating through the ink ribbon, and an identification device electrically connected to the first and the second light sources. When the driving device scrolls the ink ribbon relative to the thermal print head, the identification device will control the first and the second light sources and identify the position of each of the color frames of the ink ribbon according to an output voltage generated by the optical sensor.

Abstract: A printer has a print path, a code strip disposed in parallel along the print path, a sensor for sensing the code strip, a driving system for moving the sensor along the code strip, a timer, a memory and a position signal generator. The code strip has embedded position information, which the sensor reads. The sensor generates a first or a second code signal depending upon the position of the sensor on the code strip. The timer generates clock signals at a rate that corresponds to an expected rate of change of the first and second signals from the sensor when the driving system moves the sensor along the code strip. The memory is used to hold the locations of defective areas on the code strip. The position signal generator uses the sensor to generate a position signal when the sensor is not reading within any of the defective areas on the code strip, and uses the clock signals from the timer to generate the position signal when the sensor is moving within any of the defective areas on the code strip.