Ribbon conservation in thermal printing

Details Ribbon conservation in thermal printing Ribbon conservation in thermal printing

1995-03-17

1997-11-25

Tran, Huan H.

Incremental printing of symbolic information

Thermal marking apparatus or processes

With transfer medium or driving means therefor

347171, B41J 3520, B41J 2325

Patent

active

056919611

ABSTRACT:
A method of improving ribbon usage, i.e. reducing ribbon waste, in a non-impact color printer of the type that employs a continuous ribbon having panels of transfer material is described. The method includes defining an plurality of sectors across the width of the ribbon, at least one of the sectors including a region having a width less than a total width of the panel. The ribbon sector thus defined extends laterally adjacent to another sector of the same panel. The size and location of an image to be printed is determined; next one or more of the unused sectors of the panel is selected that provides an area of the panel having adequate width and location for printing the image. This unused sector of the ribbon may well be laterally adjacent or next to a used sector. Next the image is printed onto a substrate using the selected sector(s). Finally, an indication of the sector usage is recorded for each of the sectors that it is used for printing to facilitate the subsequent identification of used and unused sectors of ribbon panels.

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