Apparatus for making graphic products having a calibrated print head, and method of calibrating same

摘要

An apparatus (10) for printing graphic images on sheet material (S) with a thermal print head (34), wherein the graphic images are wider than the length of the print head, calibrates the movement of the print head in the lateral direction of the sheet in order to compensate for variations in the first-to-last pixel length from one print head to the next, or other dimensional variations that might affect print quality as a result of such print-head movement. The thermal print head (34) has a linear array of heating elements (44) extending in the y-coordinate direction, and is movable between a home position (y0) and a command position (y1)in that direction for printing graphic images wider than the length of the linear array. With the print head (34) in the home position (y0), a first group of heating elements (44) at the upper end of the print head are actuated to print a plurality of first indicia (A1-A7) equally spaced relative to each other in the y-coordinate direction. The print head (34) is then moved upwardly in the y-coordinate direction to the command position (y1) whereby a second group of heating elements (44) at the lower end of the print head overlap the first indicia (A1-A7). The print head (34) then prints a plurality of second indicia (B1-B7) in the spaces defined between adjacent first indicia (A1-A7) with the second group of heating elements (44), and the print head (34) is moved incrementally in the y-coordinate direction between printing sequential second indicia. The second indicia (B1-B7) equally spaced between adjacent first indicia (A1-A7) is then selected, and the command position of the print head is adjusted based on its total incremental movement (yi(sum)) corresponding to the selected second indicia to calibrate the movement of the print head in the y-coordinate direction.