Printing method and apparatus

摘要

A thermal transfer printer comprises a print head drive mechanism that is configured to reciprocally move a print head parallel to movement of a carrier ribbon past the print head. A controller is configured to control the print head drive mechanism to move the print head in a first direction along the carrier ribbon to transfer ink material from the carrier ribbon to a substrate to print a first portion of an image on a first area of the substrate. The controller is also configured to control movement of the print head in a second direction opposite to the first direction as the carrier ribbon and substrate are also moved in the second direction to position the print head relative to the carrier ribbon so that a second portion of the image is printed on a second are of the substrate adjacent to the first area of the substrate.

主权项

1. A thermal transfer printer for selectively transferring a meltable ink material carried on a ribbon to a substrate intended to receive the ink material for printing an image on the substrate, the printer comprising:
a carrier ribbon feed mechanism comprising a pair of rotatable spool supports, one for a supply spool of carrier ribbon and the other for a take-up spool of carrier ribbon, with a span of carrier ribbon being held in tension and transported between the two spools, and the carrier ribbon carrying meltable ink to be transferred to a substrate for printing an image; a print head positioned at the span of the carrier ribbon between the supply spool and take-up spool, with the carrier ribbon being positioned between the print head and the substrate, wherein the print head comprises heating elements selectively energizeable for transferring ink material on the span of carrier ribbon between the spools to the substrate; a print head drive mechanism configured to selectively move the print head between an extended position adjacent the span of carrier ribbon between the spools and a retracted position spaced apart from the span of carrier ribbon between the spools and to selectively energize the heating elements when the print head is moved to its extended position and into contact with the carrier ribbon while the carrier ribbon is in contact with the substrate to print the image; wherein the print head drive mechanism is further configured to reciprocally move the print head generally parallel to a longitudinal direction of movement of the carrier ribbon past the print head; a platen for supporting the substrate and carrier ribbon adjacent the print head during printing of the image on the substrate; a controller operatively associated with the print head drive mechanism to control movement of the print head between its retracted position and its extended position and to control the reciprocal movement of the print head; wherein the controller is further configured to control the print head drive mechanism to move the print head to the extended position, and to control selective energization of the heating elements on the print head and to control the print head drive mechanism to move the print head in a first direction a plurality of times along the carrier ribbon and substrate to transfer ink material from the carrier ribbon to the substrate to print consecutive adjacent portions of the image on the substrate; wherein the controller is further operatively associated with the carrier ribbon feed mechanism and a substrate feed mechanism and is configured to coordinate movement of the print head with movement of the carrier ribbon and substrate, wherein between printings of consecutive portions of the image the print head, carrier ribbon and substrate are moved in a second direction, opposite to the first direction when the print head is in its retracted position, so that a portion of the image that is printed is displaced in the first direction on the substrate relative to a previously printed portion of the image for an incremental printing operation; and, wherein the heating elements are arranged as an array extending at least partially across a width of the substrate, and the controller is further configured to control the print head drive mechanism to move the print head in the first direction a distance that is substantially shorter than the length of the array, whereby the portions of the image printed are stripes transversely disposed on the substrate.