A roll device includes a feeding roll in which a web is wound, a winding roll configured to wind the web fed from the feeding roll, and a partition disposed between an outermost winding portion of the web fed from the feeding roll and an inner winding portion of the web overlapped with the outermost winding portion.

This printer performs printing on a print medium having an RFID, and comprises: a communication unit which has a communication part movably provided in a predetermined area along the transport surface of the print medium, and communicates with an IC chip of the RFID; and a detection unit which detects the print medium by means of detection light. The detection unit includes: a light emitting part that emits detection light; a light guide member that guides the detection light emitted from the light emitting part to the print medium; and a light receiving part that receives the detection light via the print medium.

This printer performs printing on a print medium having an RFID, and comprises: a communication unit which has a communication part movably provided in a predetermined area along the transport surface of the print medium, and communicates with an IC chip of the RFID; and a detection unit which detects the print medium by means of detection light. The detection unit includes: a light emitting part that emits detection light; a light guide member that guides the detection light emitted from the light emitting part to the print medium; and a light receiving part that receives the detection light via the print medium.

Techniques are described for obscuring residual images on print ribbons that have been used to print on plastic cards in order to prevent access to sensitive or personalized data appearing in the residual images. An image is printed on a retransfer film using the print ribbon, thereby creating a residual image of the printed image on the print ribbon. The retransfer film is then used to obscure some or all of the residual image on the print ribbon by transferring ink from the section of the print ribbon containing the residual image onto the retransfer film. In some embodiments, obscuring the residual image on the print ribbon occurs before the printed image on the retransfer film is transferred to the plastic card.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a housing including at least one removable portion, a pair of spool supports which are rotatably drivable by at least one motor, a supply spool, a take-up spool, each spool being receivable on a respective spool support, such that, in use, a ribbon extends along a ribbon path between the supply spool and the take-up spool, a ribbon identification system comprising: a tag for storing information concerning a property of the ribbon, a reader, wherein the tag is attached to one of the supply and take-up spools and the reader is attached to the removable portion or one of the removable portions, and wherein a signal emitted by the tag and received by the reader allows the reader to identify a property of the ribbon.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a housing including at least one removable portion, a pair of spool supports which are rotatably drivable by at least one motor, a supply spool, a take-up spool, each spool being receivable on a respective spool support, such that, in use, a ribbon extends along a ribbon path between the supply spool and the take-up spool, a ribbon identification system comprising: a tag for storing information concerning a property of the ribbon, a reader, wherein the tag is attached to one of the supply and take-up spools and the reader is attached to the removable portion or one of the removable portions, and wherein a signal emitted by the tag and received by the reader allows the reader to identify a property of the ribbon.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a housing including at least one removable portion, a pair of spool supports which are rotatably drivable by at least one motor, a supply spool, a take-up spool, each spool being receivable on a respective spool support, such that, in use, a ribbon extends along a ribbon path between the supply spool and the take-up spool, a ribbon identification system comprising: a tag for storing information concerning a property of the ribbon, a reader, wherein the tag is attached to one of the supply and take-up spools and the reader is attached to the removable portion or one of the removable portions, and wherein a signal emitted by the tag and received by the reader allows the reader to identify a property of the ribbon.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a housing including at least one removable portion, a pair of spool supports which are rotatably drivable by at least one motor, a supply spool, a take-up spool, each spool being receivable on a respective spool support, such that, in use, a ribbon extends along a ribbon path between the supply spool and the take-up spool, a ribbon identification system comprising: a tag for storing information concerning a property of the ribbon, a reader, wherein the tag is attached to one of the supply and take-up spools and the reader is attached to the removable portion or one of the removable portions, and wherein a signal emitted by the tag and received by the reader allows the reader to identify a property of the ribbon.

A heat transfer system is provided with a first heating element that transfers ink in an ink layer to a transfer-receiving body in a first pattern, a winding part that winds an ink ribbon having ink transferred therein on the downstream side of the first heating element in such a manner that a back surface layer is positioned outside the ink layer, a second heating element that transfers ink in the ink layer to the back surface layer inside the ink layer in a second pattern near the winding part, and a controller that controls the heating elements, and the controller controls the first heating element to transfer ink corresponding to the first pattern by transferring a portion of the ink layer, and controls the second heating element to transfer ink corresponding to the second pattern by transferring the ink layer as a whole.

The present invention embraces printers such as hand-held printers and mobile/portable printer. One exemplary embodiment includes print as you glide (PAYG) devices. Such printers may comprise a modular print engine that is removable from the printer and may allow a user to easily access and load the ribbon in the mobile print engine. The modular print engine may comprise a modular print head and an encoder that may determine the movement of the print head relative to a stationary media. When a printer is pressed against the media, the print head's burn line may be resting on the media. When the printer is stationary relative to the media, the encoder may not trigger the printing. Once PAYG is being slid or glided across the media, the encoder may start to rotate and then send a signal to a processor, causing the printer to start printing.