Abstract: A method for printing an image using a thermal printing system comprising a thermal printer having a thermal head TH incorporating a plurality of energisable heating elements Hn and a thermographic material m, comprises several steps. These steps comprise supplying image data Id corresponding to a plurality of output values Dn to a processing unit, reading a first table LUT1 comprising first entries for desired output values Dk and second entries for sequences Sk of time slices si of activation pulses, transformation of the image data Id into corresponding sequences Sk of time slices of activation pulses, providing the time slices of activation pulses to the heating elements Hn of the thermal head TH, and printing the image by transporting the thermographic material past and adjacent to the thermal head and by activating the heating elements Hn of the thermal head.

Abstract: A method of determining supply parameters and storing the supply parameters in a memory is disclosed. The method comprises: providing supply characteristics for a supply, selecting a dot history pattern, generating a table, the table comprising values based on the selected dot history pattern and the provided supply characteristics, and storing supply parameters, based on the values in the generated table, in a memory associated with the supply. Thereafter, the stored supply parameters can be accessed, either before or during printing, to regulate the energy delivered to thermal elements, to increase printing speed, and to reduce the workload of the processor in the system.

Abstract: A micro porous plastic sheet is stencil plate made by a method for stencil plate making of a stencil sheet for stencil printing under the following conditions: heat is provided to form a negative image with TPH at −30≦Tp−Tm≦300° C. (Tp is heating peak temperature and Tm is melting temperature (melting point) of the sheet) and in 10≦To×100/Ts≦80% (To is current-carrying time period and Ts is current-carrying cycle), micro pores are closed by the pressure for stencil plate making of 0.1≦P≦1.0 MPa, and the thermal shrinkage rate of the sheet measured by TMA is set to 1≦STm-30≦20% (STm-30 is a thermal shrinking rate of the sheet at a temperature 30° C. lower than the melting point TM).

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermosensitive line printer, wherein a heating element array of a thermal head is pressed on a thermosensitive recording paper at a distance L2 from a nipping position by a pair of conveyer rollers, and is driven to record an image frame line by line from a print starting end, as the recording paper is conveyed by the conveyer rollers in a direction from the thermal head to the conveyer rollers. Based on image data of an upper zone of an image frame that is to be recorded around the distance L2 from the print starting end if the image frame is recorded from its top side, an image analyzer calculates a first estimation value that represents conspicuousness of potential density deviation in the upper zone that could be caused by a thermal deformation of the thermosensitive recording paper at the print starting end if the image frame is recorded from the top side.

Abstract: The thermal recording compensation method performs photoelectric reading of a recorded image on a thermal recording material to construct unevenness data and uses the unevenness data to perform unevenness compensation. The unevenness data constructed by said photoelectric reading is used in the unevenness compensation after the unevenness data is subjected to filtering for frequency enhancement.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a thermal head including plural heating elements. The heating elements are arranged in an array in a main scan direction, are driven according to image data, for recording an image to thermosensitive recording paper moved in a sub scan direction. The recording paper has a size smaller in the main scan direction than the thermal head. The thermal printer includes two arrays of photo receptor elements for detecting two lateral edges of the recording paper, to determine effective heating elements in contact with the recording paper among the heating elements. A data correcting unit effects a correcting process to part of the image data for heating elements of a first group included in the effective heating elements. The first group contacts each of the two lateral edges and a near portion near to the lateral edge with reference to the main scan direction in the recording paper.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each include a density setting section. The printing system further includes a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database. Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer, for example, in a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from the database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing.

Abstract: In a thermal printer, the print mode that has been set by the user is judged at the start of printing. When the high-speed print mode is set, the standard deviation &sgr; of the original image data is calculated. According to the standard deviation &sgr;, it is judged whether the densities are evenly distributed. When the densities are evenly distributed, a gradation conversion characteristic is selected for converting the gradation in the entire density range only by decreasing the number of gradation levels of the output image. When the densities are intensively concentrated in a specific density range, it is further judged whether the specific density range is the low, middle, or high density range. According to the judgement, the gradation values of input data are converted using a gradation conversion characteristic for decreasing the number of gradation levels of the output image and accurately reproducing the gradation in the specific density range.

Abstract: The thermal recording compensation method performs photoelectric reading of a recorded image on a thermal recording material to construct unevenness data and uses the unevenness data to perform unevenness compensation. The unevenness data constructed by said photoelectric reading is used in the unevenness compensation after the unevenness data is subjected to filtering for frequency enhancement.

Abstract: A method of color conversion includes preserving a 0% density for a particular color in the pre-conversion state to maintain a 0% density after conversion is provided via a translation table. Density gradation methods include a gradient value structure such that the highlight and shadow regions of the density are more finely represented in comparison to non-highlight and non-shadow regions. A further density correction method includes supplying an amount of energy to a non-image area when printing using a first color, wherein the amount of energy will not produce a dot in the non-image area upon application of a second color. A printer may employ one or more of the above methods in the form of a translation table or a density correction patch.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of generating print data from a printed image produced by a printing device operating at a first dots per inch (dpi) value, so that the image is composed of a plurality of dots, the image incorporating defects resulting during printing of the image, such as rotation of a print medium and blemishes of the image. The method includes the step of scanning the printed image, at a sampling rate which corresponds to a second dpi value that exceeds the first dpi value by a predetermined factor so that each dot of the image results in the generation of at least two markers. Data relating to the position and colour value of each marker is generated. The defects in the image are detected and a data value is assigned to such defects. The data is processed and the data value is used to determine which of each of the markers generated for a respective dot should be recorded as a center for that dot.

Abstract: There will be provided a printing method for block copy film and a block copy printer capable of adjusting printing density as occasion arises as well as making joints between print lines inconspicuous. A predetermined mount of conveyance of transparent resin film P will be set to 1/N (N is an integer of 2 or more) of a predetermined printing width, which is a line-up width of the exothermic elements, and printing at a predetermined printing width will be repeated after the transparent resin film P is conveyed in the predetermined amount of conveyance.

Abstract: The thermal printer forms a recorded image in accordance with image data on a thermal recording material by using a thermal head. The thermal printer includes a first control mode for cleaning the thermal printer by using the thermal recording material and a second control mode for measuring density of the thermal printer by using the thermal recording material, in which the first and second control modes are switched at a partway of one piece of the thermal recording material. In the thermal printer various kinds of materials used for the processing of management, adjustment and maintenance can be used more effectively than before.

Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet is equipped with an approval information of being approved as applicable to the predetermined printer. When the thermal transfer sheet is set on a printer and a determinator determines that the approval information is correct for the printer, the printer is interlocked with the determinator to actuate in the state where the thermal transfer sheet is set thereon. A front part of a thermal transfer sheet may be provided with a mark coded from the approval information. The mark may be formed of a material detectable with the light in a visible region or invisible region, a magnetic material, an electrically conductive material, a material responsive to microwave or a resonance circuit. The approval information may be recorded on an approval card, a resonance circuit or IC card which makes a pair with a thermal transfer sheet. In addition, a host system as a determinator may be connected to a facsimile as a printer via a communication circuit.

Abstract: A printer for printing an image onto a substrate includes a thermal print head having a plurality of electrical resistors, a supply of coloring material adjacent the print head for deposition on the substrate and a print head controller. The print head controller provides a pulse train output to at least one of the electrical resistors. The pulse train includes a plurality of pulses and at least one pulse has a variable width related to a binary value at least another pulse has fixed width.

Abstract: The thermal recording apparatus is capable of recording an image of high quality having sufficient sharpness without performing a sharpness correction processing in which a scanning line structure is visually unrecognizable. The apparatus records the image using a thermal head of which a recording density is 400 dpi or more by dividing heat recording per pixel in the sub-direction to between 2 points and 4 points.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the amount of energy from a printer head in a thermo-printer. The appropriate amount of energy for obtaining the best possible print quality with a certain printing material is controlled through calculating the amount of energy required as a function of the printing speed of the printer, over the full range of printer speed, and of the characteristic printing material data. The printing speed is continuously variable within the complete printing speed range of the printer. Characteristic data for the printing material are classified for magnitude and may be given as an offset relative to a reference material, or as absolute values.

Abstract: The improved thermal head adjusting method used when an image is recorded onto a thermal recording material by applying a voltage to a thermal head in accordance with image data, comprises the steps of measuring an initial state of at least one of characteristic values of the thermal head and adjusting the voltage to be applied in accordance with the image data with respect to a reference voltage. According to this method, variation in densities caused by difference of and variation in individual thermal heads can be greatly reduced and a high quality homogeneous thermal image can be stably recorded without being affected by difference of thermal heads.

Abstract: A belt-like pattern, or the like, is printed at a predetermined-gradation value in the first main scanning direction of the line head 66 (S1); a scanner 51 is relatively moved along the first main scanning direction of the line head 66 while aligning the second main scanning direction of the scanner 51 with the subsidiary scanning direction of the line head 66 to thereby detect printing density of the belt-like pattern, or the like (S2); a correction condition for each pixel position on the basis of the detected printing-density value and the predetermined-gradation value is obtained (S5); and image data for image recording is corrected on the basis of the obtained correction condition (S9). Thus, a density irregularity correction method can be provided for correcting density irregularity accurately without influence of individual sensitivity of scanners of an image recording apparatus using the methods.

Abstract: A thermal master making device and a thermal printer including the same are disclosed. A thermistor senses ambient temperature around a thermal head. A correcting device corrects the amount of heat to be generated by the thermal head, i.e., the duration of energization at least two times during a single master making operation. This configuration reduces a change in the perforation conditions of a thermosensitive medium ascribable to the heat accumulation characteristic of the head. The printer achieves high resolution, high-speed master making and space saving.

Abstract: The improved image recording apparatus that performs image recording on a recording material to output a print with a record of a visible image includes an outputting device of a print having printed thereon a minimum density in the recording material, a measurement device for measuring the minimum density that has been recorded on the print, and a control device by which tones to be recorded are controlled in accordance with the minimum density measured by the measurement device. The image recording apparatus that uses various recording materials including light-sensitive materials and thermal recording materials and which, in spite of the fluctuation in the fog density of a particular recording material or the difference in characteristics between production lots and other identifications of the recording material, is capable of consistent recording of high-quality images that assure satisfactory tone representation over the entire density range including low densities.

Abstract: A method of printing using a thermal print head comprises a plurality of printing elements arranged generally in an array each of which may selectively be energised and de-energised under the control of a control means to transfer pixels of marking medium from a carrier onto a substrate or to activate pixels on a sensitive substrate, the method comprising providing to the control means data dependent on the nature of the image to be printed which would enable the image having an image length L to be printed as a matrix of pixels at a linear resolution of C where C is the number of image columns per unit length in the direction of printing, wherein the method comprises causing relative movement between the print head and the substrate such that the print head relatively traverses the substrate the image length L in an available time T whilst the print head performs E thermal cycles to print the image, and the control means manipulating the data so that the image is printed with the print head omitting or repea

Abstract: A thermal imaging system for compensating for the temperature dependent changes in thermal elements of a thermal printhead is disclosed. Specifically, the thermal imaging system generates a temperature or energy dependent profile of the resistances of each thermal element which makes up the thermal printhead. Based upon this profile, the imaging system estimates the resistances of thermal elements based upon a pixel density to be transferred to media. Based upon the estimated resistances, the imaging system adjusts the amount of energy to be applied to particular thermal elements for transferring a pixel having a density which more closely approximates the density of a corresponding pixel in a desired image.

Abstract: A pixel density correction device for processing a signal containing pixel density values conveyed to a printing head of an electrocoagulation printing apparatus that includes a plurality of simultaneously addressable electrodes. The pixel density correction device of the invention comprises an input for receiving the signal representative of pixel density values associated with the simultaneously addressable electrodes, and a processing element for altering a pixel density value of a selected one of the simultaneously addressable electrodes, the signal processing element being responsive to pixel density values associated with electrodes other than the selected electrode to determine a corrected pixel density value associated with the selected electrode.

Abstract: In a thermal printer, the print mode that has been set by the user is judged at the start of printing. When the high-speed print mode is set, the standard deviation &sgr; of the original image data is calculated. According to the standard deviation &sgr;, it is judged whether the densities are evenly distributed. When the densities are evenly distributed, a gradation conversion characteristic is selected for converting the gradation in the entire density range only by decreasing the number of gradation levels of the output image. When the densities are intensively concentrated in a specific density range, it is further judged whether the specific density range is the low, middle, or high density range. According to the judgement, the gradation values of input data are converted using a gradation conversion characteristic for decreasing the number of gradation levels of the output image and accurately reproducing the gradation in the specific density range.

Abstract: In a heat transfer recording apparatus for printing on photographic print paper using an ink film coated with sublimable ink, density unevenness that occurs at the edges of the wide printing paper is prevented by compensating density in the area that corresponds to the difference between wide print paper and narrow print paper.

Abstract: A printhead having multiple print lines of conventional design and a printhead control system for using the multiple print lines in a variety of operations. In one embodiment, the printhead control system prints an image by superimposing the printing from multiple print lines. In another embodiment, the image is printed by alternating the energization of one print line so that each print line is used to print only ⅓ of the image lines. As a result, the print lines are allowed a relatively long time to cool, thus allowing the printhead to be operated at a faster speed. In another embodiment, the printing elements of each print line print with a different image density, and images printed by superimposing the printing elements in the print lines with a variety of combinations depending upon the desired magnitude of the image density.

Abstract: Transparent documents with precoated background so that only the text and foreground need to be printed by a printer is taught. Alternatively, the transparent documents may be precoated with watermarks, company logos, company confidential or other common background patterns. The printer may be able to selectively remove the background precoating from predetermined areas of the transparency where text or other foreground material will be printed. Alternatively, the ink in the printer may chemically dissolve the precoating in predetermined areas.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for thermally transferring a film of a transparent resin as a top coat layer to an image formed surface of a recording paper, includes a thermal head which generates heat in proportion to a supplied energy, and a control unit to keep the supplied energy under control such that the energy supplied during an application of film to an initial area of recording paper extending a length from the starting position of an application of the supplied energy, is greater than a supplied energy during an application of film to remaining areas of the recording paper. The apparatus promptly obtains the temperature appropriate for the transfer of film and faultlessly transfers the film to the recording paper, including an initial printing area of such recording paper.

Abstract: A thermal master making device includes a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged in an array in the main scanning direction. The thermal head is caused to contact a stencil including a thermoplastic resin film. While the master is fed at a preselected feed pitch in the subscanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, the heating elements selectively heat and perforate the film of the stencil in accordance with image data to thereby form an image in the stencil in the form of a dot pattern. A pitch at which the heating elements are arranged and the feed pitch are substantially equal to each other. The heating elements each have a length in the subscanning direction smaller than one-half of the feed pitch inclusive and have a length in the main scanning direction greater than the length in the subscanning direction. The device is capable of stably forming desired perforations in the stencil and extending the life of the heating element and therefore the life of the head.

Abstract: A thermal printing method for printing an image line by line on a recording material by driving an array of heating elements of a thermal head while transporting the recording material relative to the thermal head. Heating data for recording a subject line to print is corrected in accordance with heat accumulation amounts of the heating elements. Surface temperatures of the respective heating elements are estimated on the basis of corrected heating data. A frictional force that will be generated between the thermal head and the recording sheet on recording the subject line is calculated on the basis of the estimated surface temperatures. The heating elements start being driven to record the subject line at a time shifted by a time shifting amount from a standard time. The time shifting amount is determined depending upon the frictional force so as to eliminate influence of fluctuations in transport speed of the recording sheet on the printed image.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia. A diagnostic test procedure reads a printed test document and determines whether the MICR indicia are within specifications. A test document found to be out of specifications, prompts the adjustment of the print parameters of the printing system of the check processing machine.

Abstract: A high-yield printhead where density unevenness is surely corrected taking into consideration various factors related to manufacturing processes of the printhead, a printer utilizing the printhead, and an apparatus and method for correcting print density unevenness by the printhead, are provided. According to the method, a plurality of correction tables generated based on the data reflecting the various factors related to manufacturing processes of the printhead are prepared in advance. A test print pattern is printed by using a full-line printhead having a memory for storing correction data, and a tendency of density distribution of the printed pattern image is analyzed. On the basis of the tendency of the density distribution obtained as a result of the analysis, the most appropriate correction table is selected from the plurality of stored correction tables.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a printing registration method permits printing registration between a forward and a reverse scan of a head cartridge between a plurality of head cartridges without troubling a user and simply. By forward and reverse scan of the head cartridge, a plurality of patterns, in which a print start timing of the reverse scan is shifted per a predetermined amount relative to that of the forward scan, are printed. These patterns may vary an area factor by the dots formed by printing depending upon offset amount. On the other hand, the plurality of patterns are optically read an average density. By this, the timing, at which the read average density is maximum is set as the printing registration condition.

Abstract: A gradation correction data used in correcting the gradation of the printed image is recorded on the leader film of the ink ribbon in a form of optically readable marks. Then the ink ribbon is set in a thermal printer, the marks are read out by an optical sensor to obtain the gradation correction data. Then, the gradation correction of the image data to be printed is carried out by referring to the correction data thus obtained prior to the actual printing of the image data.

Abstract: A variable speed print apparatus and method provide for adjustment of the effective print speed for each print line being printed on the work piece by determining a maximum shade value to be printed on each print line and adjusting the print speed for each line accordingly. When there is no printing on a given line of the work piece, that print line may be effectively skipped altogether.

Abstract: In image recording, density correction is performed by an improved method in which the image densities on a density correcting reference chart that have known densities which are associated with a visual density are measured with a densitometer for setting the density correcting conditions, the correcting conditions for correcting the values of measurement with the densitometer such that they coincide with the image densities on the reference chart are constructed from the image densities on the reference chart and the values of measurement with the densitometer, and the density correcting conditions are set in accordance with the constructed density correcting conditions. Alternatively, the density correcting conditions are set in consideration of a threshold for color formation to occur in the thermal recording material or the maximum heating time in thermal recording is controlled.

Abstract: In the improved shading compensation method applied to thermal recording for recording on a thermal recording material by using a thermal head having a glaze in which heat-generating elements are arranged in one direction, and by relatively moving the glaze and the thermal recording material in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the heat-generating elements are arranged, with the thermal recording material being kept in contact with the glaze, a plurality of shading compensation tables corresponding to different recording densities are used and the weights of the plurality of shading compensation tables are changed in accordance with the recording densities, to thereby calculate conditions for shading compensation.

Abstract: A printhead having multiple print lines of conventional design and a printhead control system for using the multiple print lines in a variety of operations. In one embodiment, the printhead control system prints an image by superimposing the printing from multiple print lines. In another embodiment, the image is printed by alternating the energization of one print line so that each print line is used to print only 1/3 of the image lines. As a result, the print lines are allowed a relatively long time to cool, thus allowing the printhead to be operated at a faster speed. In another embodiment, the printing elements of each print line print with a different image density, and images printed by superimposing the printing elements in the print lines with a variety of combinations depending upon the desired magnitude of the image density.

Abstract: A digital decorating system for transferring a selected image to a surface of an article includes a thermal printhead, an advancing mechanism for producing relative movement between the printhead and the surface of the article, and a force member for exerting a selected amount of pressure between the thermal line of pixels and the surface of the article. The thermal printhead includes a plurality of energizable heater elements constructed to deliver heat to a thermal line of pixels on a surface of the printhead. The digital decorating system also includes a microcontroller operatively connected to the printhead, the force member and the advancing mechanism to provide control signals selectively delivering heat to pixels of the thermal line and selectively causing the movement thereby thermally transferring, over a two dimensional array of pixels, a two dimensional image to the article surface.

Abstract: The improved thermal recording apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image data on a thermal recording material using a thermal head comprises a correction data storage unit for holding shading correction data for the image data and at least one of weighting functions for performing weighting on a coefficient of shading correction of the image data, and an image processing unit that weights the shading correction data on the basis of at least one of the weighting functions, that calculates the coefficient of the shading correction and which then performs at least the shading correction on the image data. The correction data storage unit holds at least one of the respective weighting functions of shading correction coefficient associated with a recording density of the image data, a temperature of the thermal head, a recording speed of the image, temperature and humidity of the thermal recording material and a gradient of the thermal recording material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tape printing device for printing a desirable series of characters on a tape and cutting the tape to a label of a desirable length, and also a tape cartridge used in the tape printing device. The tape cartridge has a characteristic element readably storing specific information on the tape such as a width of the tape. The tape printing device reads the characteristic element to control printing conditions according to the type of the tape cartridge. More specifically, the tape printing device determines a variety of parameters including a number of lines and character sizes of the character series printed on the tape as well as lengths of left and right margins. When a tape of a relatively large width is set in the tape cartridge, the device increases a rotation torque of a platen for feeding the tape.

Abstract: The improved image recording apparatus comprises an image processing section which receives image data from its external supply source and which processes the image data by image processing procedures including at least shading compensation performed on the basis of conditions for shading compensation so as to produce recording image data; an output portion for outputting the image data of an image for setting the conditions for shading compensation; an image recording section which performs image recording in response to the image data delivered from the image processing section or the output portion; a reading portion for reading the image recorded by the image recording section; and a setting portion by which the conditions for shading compensation to be used in the image processing section are set on the basis of the result of the reading by the reading portion of the image for setting the conditions for shading compensation.

Abstract: A method of selectively setting the print cycle speed of a thermal printing apparatus such as a thermal postage meter. The thermal postage meter has a thermal print head and an optical reader under the control of a micro controller for printing an image on a sheet like material comprising the steps of first causing said micro processor to be programmed to first cause said thermal print head to print a test pattern just prior to print said image. The optical reader reads said the pattern intensity. The microprocessor is programmed to select a print cycle speed as a function of the test pattern intensity.

Abstract: A thermal demand printer for printing on media is a novel system which includes a case structure including a hinged cover panel, easily removable guide structures and media hanger, and a single central support wall to which the various components are attached. The printer includes a power supply circuit for receiving power from an external source and conditioning it for operation of the printer. An input device is provided for receiving command signals related to the operation of the printer. A control circuit for processing the command signals and generating corresponding control signals for controlling the operation of the printer and a printhead assembly for processing the control signals and generating corresponding control signals for controlling the operation of the printer are mounted in the case structure and coupled to the input device and the power supply circuit. The printhead assembly includes a printhead support structure which controls the printhead.

Abstract: A thermal head has a heating element array with a plurality of heating elements disposed in line and a head driver. The head driver drives the heating elements at the same time in accordance with each set of heating data of 8 bits to record dots of one line on a recording sheet. In printing dots by using heating data of 9 bits, a heating data divider circuit divides the 9-bit heating data into two series of 8-bit converted heating data. By using these two series of the 8-bit converted heating data, two heating sequences are continuously executed. Each heating element is heated by the two heating sequences as many times as that corresponding to the heating data.

Abstract: A thermal printer using a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged in line, wherein the heating elements are driven for different power conduction times to record dots at different densities. According to the invention, the thermal printer is comprised of a first look-up table for converting original heating data into time data representative of a power conduction time corresponding to the original heating data; a correction circuit for correcting the time data to obtain a corrected power conduction time; a second look-up table for converting the corrected power conduction time into corrected heating data which corresponds to the corrected power conduction time; and a head driver for driving the heating elements in accordance with the corrected heating data.

Abstract: A heat accumulation control device is provided to control printing responsive to residual-heat values which remain in head elements of a thermal head in a line-type thermoelectric printer due to previous printing operation. The heat accumulation control device contains a line buffer for storing input data, which are supplied thereto from the printer or an external device, and a residual-heat-value storing memory which is capable of storing one line of residual-heat values corresponding to the head elements respectively. A correction calculation section performs correction calculations, using parameters, based on the input data, outputted from the line buffer, and a residual-heat value which is read out from the residual-heat-value storing memory with respect to a specific head element to be currently driven, so that print data are calculated. Thus, the specific head element is driven so that a dot is printed on a paper in a density corresponding to the print data.

Abstract: In the improved thermal recording method in which image data supplied from an image data supply source are subjected to specified image processing jobs and in which a thermal head is driven in accordance with the processed image data so as to perform thermal recording, image processing jobs are performed in a specified order such that sharpness correction and tone correction are followed by shading correction and correction of resistance values which, in turn are followed by compensation for temperature elevation, provided that calculation treatment of respective values of the image data for the compensation for temperature elevation is performed either prior to or after either one of the corrections that are performed subsequent to the tone correction. It is preferred that black ratio correction and/or load variation correction are also performed after the shading correction and the correction of resistance values, and prior to the compensation for temperature elevation.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal transfer printer which can stably perform recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-fusible ink and recording using an ink ribbon formed of a base member coated with heat-sublimated ink without needing any complicated mechanism. The thermal transfer printer has cassette type detecting means for detecting the type of a ribbon cassette, and control means for controlling rotational speeds of a carriage motor and a ribbon reel-up motor in accordance with a detection result of the cassette type detecting means.