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.

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.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear wall, a front wall, and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape included at least partially within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and a first indicator aperture positioned on the front wall and a second indicator aperture position on a rear portion of the bottom surface. A position of the first indicator aperture on the front wall indicates a type of the tape included within the housing. A position of the second indicator aperture indicates a color of characters.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear wall, a front wall, and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape included at least partially within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and a first indicator aperture positioned on the front wall and a second indicator aperture position on a rear portion of the bottom surface. A position of the first indicator aperture on the front wall indicates a type of the tape included within the housing. A position of the second indicator aperture indicates a color of characters.

The invention relates to a printer device for thermal printing or embossing of a carrier film coated with a coloring matter on a substrate, wherein the printer device has a roller arrangement for accommodating the carrier film and for moving the carrier film along a conveyor path, stepper motors for driving the roller arrangement, a thermal print head for printing or embossing the coloring matter from the carrier film onto the substrate, and a swivel arrangement, which can be deflected over a swivel range, for engaging with a swivel roller of the roller arrangement and for exerting a tensile force on the carrier film. The printer device is characterized in that, with regard to an engagement with the carrier film, the swivel roller is arranged along the conveyor path directly adjacent to the thermal print head.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall of the housing. A combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape at least partially included within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures include a first tape type indicator aperture and a second tape type indicator aperture, and the tape type indicator apertures are positioned such that the first tape type indicator aperture is not aligned with the second tape type indicator aperture in a direction orthogonal to the tape feed path and parallel to the front wall.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall of the housing. A combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape at least partially included within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures include a first tape type indicator aperture and a second tape type indicator aperture, and the tape type indicator apertures are positioned such that the first tape type indicator aperture is not aligned with the second tape type indicator aperture in a direction orthogonal to the tape feed path and parallel to the front wall.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall of the housing. A combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape at least partially included within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures include a first tape type indicator aperture and a second tape type indicator aperture, and the tape type indicator apertures are positioned such that the first tape type indicator aperture is not aligned with the second tape type indicator aperture in a direction orthogonal to the tape feed path and parallel to the front wall.

A tape cassette that includes a housing having a front wall and a tape feed exit located on the front wall, a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along a tape feed path extending to the tape feed exit, and tape type indicator apertures formed on the front wall of the housing. A combination of the tape type indicator apertures forms a pattern corresponding to a type of the tape at least partially included within the housing. The tape type indicator apertures include a first tape type indicator aperture and a second tape type indicator aperture, and the tape type indicator apertures are positioned such that the first tape type indicator aperture is not aligned with the second tape type indicator aperture in a direction orthogonal to the tape feed path and parallel to the front wall.

A printing system includes: a movable printing device; a control unit; and a device moving unit that is configured to move the movable printing device, the movable printing device includes a thermal head and a ribbon transport unit, the control unit is configured to: execute print operation control including: device position control; ribbon transport control; and head print control; execute, when a print stop command is received, print stop control; execute, when a print resume command is received after a start of execution of the print stop control, the print resume control, and execute, when predetermined information is received after the start of execution of the print stop control, reset control of causing the device moving unit to move the movable printing device to a reference position, causing the ribbon transport unit to transport the ink ribbon by a predetermined amount and then restarting the print operation control.