Claims
- 1. A method of printing which comprises:
- (a) providing a record receiving surface;
- (b) providing a movable printhead having a set of marking elements greater in number than used for printing a single line, a registration mark forming element and a registration mark detector;
- (c) advancing said record receiving surface in line by line increments;
- (d) moving said printhead across said record receiving surface, in a direction transverse to said advancing direction, at each line location;
- (e) generating printing marks upon said record receiving surface with a subset of said set of marking elements as said printhead is moved in said transverse direction along each printline and generating a registration mark; upon said record receiving surface as said printhead is moved in said transverse direction along each print line, with said registration mark forming element;
- (f) detecting said registration mark with said registration mark detector and generating an output signal therefrom;
- (g) using said output signal as a measure of the relative location between said printhead location on a given print line and said registration mark location of the preceding print line; and
- (h) selecting and activating a subset of said set of marking elements in accordance with said output signal for printing said subsequent given print line.
- 2. A printhead for a scanning printhead serial printer for placing printing marks upon a record receiving surface moved in line increments in an advancing direction, said printhead comprising:
- (a) means for moving said printhead in a scanning direction which is transverse to said advancing direction;
- (b) an array of scanning marking elements greater in number than used for printing on a single line,
- (c) a registration mark marking element, and
- (d) a registration mark detector.
- 3. A method of thermal transfer printing which comprises:
- (a) providing a record receiving surface;
- (b) providing a movable printhead supporting an array of heating elements greater in number than used for printing a single line, a registration line heating element, and a registration line detector;
- (c) providing a thermal transfer ink donor ribbon between said printhead and said record receiving surface;
- (d) providing a strip of coating on a portion of said ink donor ribbon for forming a colorless registration line on said record receiving surface;
- (e) aligning said array of heating elements with said thermal transfer ink donor ribbon and said registration line heating element with said strip of coating;
- (f) advancing said record receiving surface in line by line increments;
- (g) moving said printhead across said ink donor ribbon, in a direction transverse to said advancing direction, while heating a subset of said array of heating elements to form printing marks on said record receiving surface, and while heating said registration line heating element to form a registration line on said record receiving surface;
- (h)detecting said registration linewith said detector and generating an output signal indicative of the location of said registration line:
- (i) using said output signal from said detector as a measure of the relative location between said printhead location on a given printline and said registration line location of the preceding printline; and
- (g) selecting and activating a subset of said array of heating elements in accordance with said output signal for printing said given printline.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said record receiving surface is advanced a distance less than the printing height of said array.
- 5. A printhead for a scanning printhead thermal transfer printer for placing printing marks upon a record receiving surface moved in line increments in an advancing direction, said printhead comprising:
- (a) means for moving said printhead in a scanning direction which is transverse to said advancing direction;
- (b) an array of heating elements greater in number than used for printing a single line,
- (c) a registration line heating element, and
- (d) a registration line detector.
- 6. A scanning printhead thermal transfer printing apparatus which comprises:
- (a) means for supporting and advancing a record receiving surface for movement in line by line increments;
- (b) a movable printhead for forming printing images and a registration line on said record receiving surface, said printhead including an array of heating elements, extending in said advancing direction, greater in number than used for printing a single line, a registration line heating element and a registration line detector;
- (c) a ribbon supply spool and a ribbon take-up spool for supporting and advancing an ink donor ribbon between said printhead and said record receiving surface;
- (d) means for moving said printhead along a print line in a direction perpendicular to the direction of advance of said record receiving member; and
- (e) means for raising and lowering said ink donor ribbon.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 663,111, filed Oct. 22, 1984, now abandoned
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0069066 |
Apr 1982 |
JPX |
0069065 |
Apr 1982 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
663111 |
Oct 1984 |
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