Claims
- 1. A method of reducing uneven use of a series of heating elements on a print head in a thermal printer, when certain ones of the heating elements can be selectively used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left along at least one side of the color image print, and when other ones of the heating elements are not used they leave the non-image non-color margin area unchanged, said method comprising:selectively using certain ones of the heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium and leave a non-image non-color margin area along at least one side of the color image print; and using other ones of the heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print to make the margin area a shade of substantially gray or black, whereby, since those heating elements which are not to be selectively used to effect the dye transfers to create the color image print are instead used to effect the dye transfers to make a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print a shade of substantially gray or black, uneven use of the heating elements on the print head is reduced.
- 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein those heating elements which can be selectively used to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium are variable as to their location on the print head, but are always the same number, to able to alternately place the color image either spaced from first and second opposite sides of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left inwardly adjacent each opposite side of the receiver medium, or offset to the first opposite side of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left inwardly adjacent only the second opposite side of the receiver medium, or offset to the second opposite side of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left inwardly adjacent only the first opposite side of the receiver medium, and those heating elements which are used to make a non-image non-color margin area a shade of substantially gray or black are variable as to their location on the print head, but are always the same number, to be able to make the non-image non-color margin area a shade of substantially gray or black regardless of it being inwardly adjacent the first and/or second opposite sides of the receiver medium.
- 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the series of heating elements are arranged in a line on the print head and include heating elements closest to opposite ends of the line, those heating elements which can be selectively used to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium are varied as to their location along the line to be either spaced from opposite ends of the line or closest to only one end of the line, and those heating elements which are used to make a non-image non-color margin area a shade of substantially gray or black are varied as to their location along the line to be either equally divided to be closet to both ends of the line or to be not divided so that they are spaced from one end of the line.
- 4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein those heating elements which can be selectively used to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium are a predetermined number of heating elements less than the total number of heating elements, and those heating elements which are used to make a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print a shade of substantially gray or black are a smaller number of heating elements less than the predetermined number that together with the predetermined number constitute the total number.
- 5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the total number of heating elements are selectively used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print substantially the same size as the receiver medium so that there is no non-image non-color margin area left along either side of the color image print.
- 6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the total number of heating elements are arranged in a line on the print head and include heating elements closest to opposite ends of the line, and the smaller number of heating elements which are used to make a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print a shade of substantially gray or black are closet to at least one end of the line.
- 7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print is cut off the receiver medium after being made a shade of substantially gray or black.
- 8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver medium is originally white so that a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print is changed from initially being white to a shade of substantially gray or black.
- 9. A method of reducing uneven use of a total number of heating elements on a print head in a thermal printer, when the total number can be selectively used in order to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print substantially the same size as the receiver medium so that no non-image non-color margin area is left along either side of the color image print, when a predetermined number less than the total number can be selectively used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left along at least one side of the color image print, and when a smaller number less than the predetermined number are not used they leave the non-image non-color margin area unchanged, said method comprising:selectively using the total number of heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print substantially the same size as the receiver medium so that there is no non-image non-color margin area left along either side of the color image print; selectively using the predetermined number of heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium and leave a non-image area along at least one side of the color image print; and using the smaller number of heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a non-image margin area left along at least one side of a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium to make the margin area a uniform shade of gray or black, whereby, since the smaller number of heating elements are to be used when the predetermined number of heating elements are to be selectively used, uneven use of the total number of heating elements is reduced.
- 10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the total number of heating elements which can be selectively used to create a color image print substantially the same size as the receiver medium are arranged in a line on the print head and include heating elements closest to opposite ends of the line, the predetermined number of heating elements which can be selectively used to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium are chosen to be either spaced from opposite ends of the line or closest to only one end of the line, and the smaller number of heating elements which are used to make a non-image non-color margin area a shade of substantially gray or black are chosen to be either equally divided to be closet to both ends of the line or to be not divided so that they are spaced from one end of the line.
- 11. Apparatus for reducing uneven use of a series of heating elements on a print head in a thermal printer, comprising:means for selectively using certain ones of said heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium and leave a non-image non-color margin area along at least one side of the color image print; and means for using other ones of said heating elements to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print to make the margin area a shade of substantially gray or black, whereby, since those heating elements which are not to be selectively used to effect the dye transfers to create the color image print are instead used to effect the dye transfers to make a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print a shade of substantially gray or black, uneven use said heating elements on the print head is reduced.
- 12. A method of reducing uneven use of a series of heating elements on a print head in a thermal printer, when the heating elements can be used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area is left along at least one side of the color image print, said method comprising:assigning one subgroup consisting of the majority of heating elements to be selectively used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a dye receiver medium to create a color image print smaller than the size of the receiver medium so that a non-image non-color margin area along at least one side of the color image print; and assigning another subgroup consisting of a minority of heating elements, not included in the subgroup of the heating elements to be selectively used to effect the dye transfers to create a color image smaller than the receiver medium, to be used to effect yellow, magenta and cyan dye transfers superimposed on a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print to make the margin area a shade of substantially gray or black, whereby, since those heating elements in the subgroup not to be selectively used to effect the dye transfers to create the color image print are instead used to effect the dye transfers to make a non-image non-color margin area left along at least one side of the color image print a shade of substantially gray or black, uneven use of the series of heating elements on the print head is reduced.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending application Ser. No. 10/268,814 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING UNEVEN USE OF HEATING ELEMENTS ON THERMAL PRINT HEAD and filed Oct. 10, 2002 in the names of Robert F. Mindler and Charles S. Christ.
US Referenced Citations (4)