A thermal printer comprises a base part, a platen roller and a thermal head oppositely arranged, a pickup roller, and a gear set connecting the platen roller and the pickup roller. The base part is provided with a printing paper accommodating cavity and a pickup roller mounting frame, a plurality of printing paper sheets are disposed in the printing paper accommodating cavity, and a clutch mechanism is further provided. The clutch mechanism comprises a driving portion driven by the gear set and a driven portion for driving the pickup roller to rotate. The driving portion is disposed outside the pickup roller mounting frame, such that the impact force, which is generated by the remaining printing paper sheet that falls down when the printing paper sheet departs from the pickup roller and which is transmitted to the platen roller, can be reduced. The thermal printer is capable of providing smooth printing.

An image forming apparatus includes a printhead configured to add energy to an image material; and a control unit configured to output, based on image data, a signal pattern for controlling energy to be added by the printhead to the image material including a plurality of color development layers that have different color development characteristic and develop colors in accordance with the added energy. When causing at least two of the plurality of color development layers to develop colors, the control unit generates, based on at least two signal patterns generated to cause the at least two color development layers to develop colors, a signal pattern of an OR of the at least two signal patterns and outputs the signal pattern.

A thermal printer includes a thermal head in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in a line, and a processor that executes a printing process of energizing the thermal head successively a predetermined number of times so at to print a printing data by causing a predetermined voltage to be applied to the thermal head the predetermined number of times in accordance with and in synchronization with strobe pulses in a strobe signal, a strobe width of each strobe pulse in the strobe signal defining a duration during which the thermal head is being applied with the predetermined voltage, wherein among the strobe pulses for the predetermined number of times of energizing the thermal head, a strobe width of at least one predetermined strobe pulse is set to be always shorter than a strobe width of another predetermined one of the strobe pulses.

A thermal printer includes a thermal head in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in a line, and a processor that executes a printing process of energizing the thermal head successively a predetermined number of times so at to print a printing data by causing a predetermined voltage to be applied to the thermal head the predetermined number of times in accordance with and in synchronization with strobe pulses in a strobe signal, a strobe width of each strobe pulse in the strobe signal defining a duration during which the thermal head is being applied with the predetermined voltage, wherein among the strobe pulses for the predetermined number of times of energizing the thermal head, a strobe width of at least one predetermined strobe pulse is set to be always shorter than a strobe width of another predetermined one of the strobe pulses.

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

In example implementations, a method is provided, which may include providing a carrier, applying a thermal release tape over the carrier, attaching a print head die, a drive integrated circuit (IC) and an interposer on the thermal release tape, wherein the print head die comprises ink feed holes formed in a back surface of the print head die, encapsulating the print head die, the drive IC and the interposer with an epoxy molded compound (EMC), removing the carrier and the thermal release tape, and forming a slot over an area of the EMC that covers the ink feed holes, wherein the ink feed holes are to be fluidically coupled to the slot.

In example implementations, a method is provided, which may include providing a carrier, applying a thermal release tape over the carrier, attaching a print head die, a drive integrated circuit (IC) and an interposer on the thermal release tape, wherein the print head die comprises ink feed holes formed in a back surface of the print head die, encapsulating the print head die, the drive IC and the interposer with an epoxy molded compound (EMC), removing the carrier and the thermal release tape, and forming a slot over an area of the EMC that covers the ink feed holes, wherein the ink feed holes are to be fluidically coupled to the slot.

An example system for a thermal printing device may comprise a printhead comprising a heat source, where the printhead is to transmit heat from the heat source onto a thermally activated print medium to form markings on a plurality of regions of the thermally activated print medium to form a pixel, and a controller to determine a plurality of voltage pulse patterns prior to formation of the markings on the plurality of regions, determine which of the plurality of regions the plurality of voltage pulse patterns are to activate prior to formation of the markings on the plurality of regions, where the plurality of regions comprise regions with overlapping color layers onto which markings are to be formed with an individual pulse pattern of the plurality of voltage pulse patterns, and send a voltage pulse pattern information to the printhead.

Examples disclosed herein relate to an imaging device. Examples include a method for increasing the temperature of the imaging device by determining an internal temperature of the imaging device; determining if a start-up routine is to be initiated; pausing the start-up routine if the internal temperature is below a threshold temperature; and energizing at least one of a fan or heating element of the imaging device when the internal temperature is below the threshold temperature.