| 摘要 |
<p>A gradation record printer in which an amount of energy applied to a thermal head (2) is controlled in response to a gradation level of an input image signal to print an image on a printing medium (3) with gradations. The printer comprises a gradation density detecting unit (12) for storing data of standard density patterns with respect to address values corresponding to gradation levels and for outputting a coincidence signal when data supplied from an outside of the gradation density detecting unit (12) substantially coincides with the data of standard density patterns, a gradation test print circuit (11) for applying data of different amounts of printing energy to the thermal head (2) sequentially to make a gradation test print on the printing medium (3), a density detecting sensor (13) for detecting densities of the gradation test print and for applying a detection output from the density detecting sensor (13) to the gradation density detecting unit (12) and a memory element (9) for storing the data of different amounts of energy with respect to address values corresponding to the gradation levels in response to the coincidence signal from the gradation density detecting unit (12). In practical printing, the input image signal is applied to the memory element (9) and the data for the amounts of printing energy corresponding to gradation levels of the image signal is read out of the memory element (9) thereby to perform a printing operation. Accordingly, the printing operation can be performed with the printing energy suitable for the thermal characteristic of the given printing medium (3) and the resultant print is excellent in gradation characteristic. <IMAGE></p> |
