A feed assembly for supporting feed material of a heat transfer printer and cutter and connectable to a support assembly of the heat transfer printer and cutter may include a first arm, a second arm, an adjustable roller, a passive roller, and a roller brake. The adjustable roller may extend between and may be rotatably connected to the first arm and the second arm. The passive roller may extend between and may be rotatably connected to the first arm and the second arm. The roller brake may be adjustably connected to the first arm and rotatably connected to the adjustable roller. Adjustable resistance may be appliable to the adjustable roller via the roller brake.

A feed assembly for supporting feed material of a heat transfer printer and cutter and connectable to a support assembly of the heat transfer printer and cutter may include a first arm, a second arm, an adjustable roller, a passive roller, and a roller brake. The adjustable roller may extend between and may be rotatably connected to the first arm and the second arm. The passive roller may extend between and may be rotatably connected to the first arm and the second arm. The roller brake may be adjustably connected to the first arm and rotatably connected to the adjustable roller. Adjustable resistance may be appliable to the adjustable roller via the roller brake.

A thermal transfer printer includes a label feeding roller driving unit, a ribbon roll-up driving unit, a ribbon feeding roller, a ribbon feeding roller driving unit, and a controller. The ribbon feeding roller has an adhesive layer on its surface and is rotated to feed the ink ribbon while holding the ink ribbon on the adhesive layer.

A thermal transfer printer includes a label feeding roller driving unit, a ribbon roll-up driving unit, a ribbon feeding roller, a ribbon feeding roller driving unit, and a controller. The ribbon feeding roller has an adhesive layer on its surface and is rotated to feed the ink ribbon while holding the ink ribbon on the adhesive layer.

The invention relates to a method (400) for protecting printed data on a transfer film of a heat-transfer printer for a plastic card comprising a print head (112), the protection method (400) comprising: a first printing step (402) during which the transfer film and the plastic card advance simultaneously over a printing length L.sub.0 under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, a rewinding step (404) during which the transfer film is rewound over a rewinding length L.sub.0+/d different from the printing length L.sub.0, and during which the plastic card is brought upstream of the print head, a subsequent printing step (408) during which the transfer film and the plastic card (10) advance simultaneously over another printing length under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, and an ejection step (410) during which the plastic card is expelled from the printer.

The invention relates to a method (400) for protecting printed data on a transfer film of a heat-transfer printer for a plastic card comprising a print head (112), the protection method (400) comprising: a first printing step (402) during which the transfer film and the plastic card advance simultaneously over a printing length L.sub.0 under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, a rewinding step (404) during which the transfer film is rewound over a rewinding length L.sub.0+/d different from the printing length L.sub.0, and during which the plastic card is brought upstream of the print head, a subsequent printing step (408) during which the transfer film and the plastic card (10) advance simultaneously over another printing length under the print head and during which the print head heats according to the text to be printed, and an ejection step (410) during which the plastic card is expelled from the printer.

A cartridge, that can reduce the diameter of a winding core, to be installed in a tape printing device includes: a cartridge case that constitutes an outer shell of the cartridge and accommodates a printing tape, a tape core on which the printing tape is wound, an ink ribbon, and a winding core; a core concave part on the cartridge case and into which a core convex part is inserted from a back side in an installation direction when the cartridge is installed in a cartridge installation part; and a cartridge-side first engagement part and a cartridge-side second engagement part that engage a device-side first engagement part and a device-side second engagement part, respectively, when the core convex part is inserted into the core concave part to change a state of a torque switching mechanism from a second to a first state or from the first to the second state.

The present printing apparatus includes a printing section including a thermal head and a film transfer motor for transferring a transfer film, a memory for storing printing data of different component colors and a control section for controlling the printing section. The control section adjusts the image length at the time of forming an image of each of the component colors on the transfer film by means of the thermal head and printing data of the component color according to the gradation values of the pixels of the pixel group corresponding to a line running in the main scanning direction of the thermal head and the image forming ratio representing the ratio of the number of pixels having the component color relative to the number of the pixels of the pixel group corresponding to the line in the printing data for the component color stored in the memory.

The present printing apparatus includes a printing section including a thermal head and a film transfer motor for transferring a transfer film, a memory for storing printing data of different component colors and a control section for controlling the printing section. The control section adjusts the image length at the time of forming an image of each of the component colors on the transfer film by means of the thermal head and printing data of the component color according to the gradation values of the pixels of the pixel group corresponding to a line running in the main scanning direction of the thermal head and the image forming ratio representing the ratio of the number of pixels having the component color relative to the number of the pixels of the pixel group corresponding to the line in the printing data for the component color stored in the memory.

An example thermal printhead apparatus includes a top end; a bottom end located opposite the top end; an electrical interface positioned proximate to the bottom end; a first distal end; a second distal end located opposite the first distal end; a printing face defined by the top end, the bottom end, the first distal end and the second distal end, the printing face includes a thermal element; a mounting face that is opposite the printing face, the mounting face defined by the top end, the bottom end, the first distal end and the second distal end, the mounting face including at least two mounting components, comprising: one or more holes configured to mount the printhead apparatus to a printer; and one or more grooves configured to mount the printhead apparatus to a printer, the one or more grooves extending substantially parallel to the top end and the bottom end.