High efficiency printing method for improved image quality

摘要

Novel methods for calibrating a thermal printer by adjusting a look up table comprising the steps of receiving a test pattern to be printed on a receiver medium, printing the test pattern on the receiver medium, using a sensor to measure a depletion amount of donor material, and using a processor to adjust the lookup table based on the measured depletion amount are disclosed.

主权项

1. A method for detecting an incorrect donor ribbon in a thermal printer, wherein the thermal printer comprises an emitter, a detector, and a controller, and wherein the donor ribbon comprises a plurality of repeating sequences of donor material patches, the method comprising:
(a) locating the donor ribbon in the thermal printer at a position where a donor material patch is in an optical path between the emitter and detector; (b) emitting light, by the emitter, onto the donor material patch; (c) detecting, by the detector, at least a portion of the light emitted by the emitter, wherein the detector comprises an opto-electronic circuit and further detecting, by the detector, a non-absorbed portion of the light emitted by the emitter; (d) measuring, by the controller, a color of the donor material patch based on the portion of light detected by the detector; (e) determining, by the controller, whether the color corresponds to a donor ribbon profile associated with a lookup table stored in a memory; (f) determining a plurality of intensity values of the non-absorbed portion of light corresponding to a plurality of frequencies of the non-absorbed portion of light; (g) displaying, on an operator control panel, a warning when the color does not correspond to a donor ribbon profile.