Claims
- 1. A print sheet set for a thermal printer, comprising:
- a print sheet,
- a heat sensitive image transfer sheet overlying said print sheet, and
- identifiers on said print sheet for controlling a thermal printer by indicating an optimal amount of thermal energy for printing on said print sheet using said image transfer sheet, a size of at least one print field within said print sheet, and an appropriate size of data to be printed commensurate with said size of said print field.
- 2. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet is comprised of a particular type of material.
- 3. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers indicate scaling of said data is required for printing said data in said print field.
- 4. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet is unsuitable for printing said data.
- 5. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet is comprised of zones of different colors and wherein said identifiers identify said zones.
- 6. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers comprise coded indicia.
- 7. A print sheet set according to claim 1, further comprising means for dividing said print sheet into a code zone and a print zone, and means for permanently securing a part of said transfer sheet to said code zone.
- 8. A print sheet set according to claim 7, wherein said means for dividing comprises a weakened tear line formed in said print sheet facilitating separation of said zones.
- 9. A print sheet set according to claim 1, further comprising means for dividing said print sheet into said print fields, said means for dividing comprising a weakened tear line formed in said print sheet facilitating separation of said print sheet into said print fields.
- 10. A print sheet set according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers indicate a duplication of said data is required for printing said data in a plurality of said print fields.
- 11. A thermal printer, comprising:
- means for sensing identifiers on a print sheet indicating an optimal amount of thermal energy for printing, a size of at least one print field within said print sheet, and an appropriate size of data to be printed commensurate with said size of said print field, and
- means, coupled to said sensing means, for programming said thermal printer to print said data in accordance with said identifiers.
- 12. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet is comprised of a particular type of material.
- 13. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said identifiers indicate scaling of said data is required for printing said data in said print field.
- 14. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet is unsuitable for printing said data.
- 15. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said print sheet is comprised of zones of different colors and wherein said identifiers identify said zones.
- 16. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said identifiers comprise coded indicia.
- 17. The thermal printer of claim 11, wherein said identifiers indicate a duplication of said data is required for printing said data in a plurality of said print fields.
- 18. A print sheet apparatus for a thermal printer, comprising:
- print sheet means, responsive to thermal energy, for producing images thereon, and
- machine readable identifiers coupled to said print sheet means for controlling a thermal printer by indicating an optimal amount of thermal energy for printing on said print sheet means, a size of at least one print field within said print sheet means, and an appropriate size of data to be printed commensurate with said size of said print field.
- 19. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said print sheet means is comprised of zones of different colors and wherein said identifiers identify said zones.
- 20. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet means is comprised of a particular type of material.
- 21. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identifiers indicate scaling of said data is required for printing said data in said print field.
- 22. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identifiers indicate said print sheet means is unsuitable for printing said data.
- 23. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said print sheet means comprises a direct thermal transfer sheet.
- 24. A print sheet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identifiers comprise coded indicia.
- 25. A print sheet apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said print sheet means comprises a code zone and a print zone, a weakened tear line intermediate said zones, and means for permanently attaching a heat sensitive image transfer sheet to said print sheet means in said code zone.
- 26. A print sheet apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said identifiers indicate a duplication of said data is required for printing said data in a plurality of said print fields.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Cross-Reference To Related Applications
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 258,375, filed Oct. 17, 1988, by Thomas K. McGourty et al., entitled "SIGN PRINTING SYSTEM", now abandoned, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of sign printing and has particular reference to the printing of display signs such as are used in advertisements, etc.
3. Description of Related Art
Businesses such as restaurants, department stores, food stores, etc. often have the occasion to display signs showing new items, changing sales prices, festive events, warnings, and similar information. Such signs may be of different sizes depending on the amount of information to be presented, the size and location of the display area, and thus the size of the printed data must be varied to fit within the available sign area. Heretofore, such signs were generally either painted or printed by hand in which case the appearance or eye appeal depended on the skill of the painter or they were prepared by printing press facilities in which case the preparation of the printing plates was slow, expensive and often not warranted when only one or a few signs were required.
A principal object of the present invention is to automatically format and print signs.
Another object is to provide a printing sheet set for a thermal printing system in which the set contains coded instructions for automatically programming a thermal printer to print signs and the like.
Another object is to provide a sign printing system utilizing prepared print sheet sets having coded instructions for automatically programming a thermal printer according to predetermined conditions.
Another object is to provide a sign printing system using a print sheet set having coded instructions for programming a thermal printer in accordance with the size and other characteristics of the print sheet.
Another object is to provide a thermal printing system of the above type utilizing print sheet sets which include coded instructions for programming the thermal energy setting of the printer to provide optimum printing quality.
Another object is to provide a thermal printing system of the above type utilizing print sheet sets which include coded instructions for programming the color zone in which printing is to take place.
Another object is to provide a thermal printing system which obviates the need for an image transfer ribbon and ribbon feed mechanism.
According to the invention, a print sheet set is provided for a thermal printer comprising a print sheet, a pigment transfer overlay sheet thereon and coded data or indicia on the set for automatically programming various functions of the printer in accordance with different characteristics of the print sheet, such as the size of the sheet, the material of the sheet, the optimum thermal heat energy for best printing and the printing color.
The thermal printer is controlled by an electronic microprocessor having, as an input, a keyboard for setting up data to be printed and a reader for sensing the code indicia and for causing the microprocessor to program such functions as the optimum amount of thermal energy, the field of printing in accordance with the size of the print sheet or size of the field to be printed within the sheet, and means for determining the appropriate size of the data to be printed commensurate with the size of the print field. Thus, the system can be programmed by relatively unskilled operators and will result in a minimum wastage of time and supplies in arriving at an appropriate format and size of printing for a particular size print field.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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| Parent |
258375 |
Oct 1988 |
|
Patent Grant
5085529
