METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THERMAL GRAPHIC PRINTING

摘要

A method of thermally transferring colorant from a movable ribbon (66) onto printable areas of a thermal print receptive sheeting (46). The method includes arranging a print head (44) so that its length is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the thermal print receptive sheeting (46) and transferring colorant from the movable rib bon (66) to the sheeting (46) as the sheeting is station ary and the thermal print head (44) is moved in a second direction (x) substantially nor mal to the length of the thermal print head. The system includes a thermal print head (44), a transport for moving the thermal print receptiv e sheeting past the thermal print head in the first dire ction (y), and a mechanism that moves the print head in a second direction (x) normal t o the first direction (y) when the print head is transfe rring colorant onto the sheeting.