A thermal transfer printer, including first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first support to the second spool support; a printhead for selectively transferring ink from the ribbon to a substrate; an electromagnetic sensor arranged to sense electromagnetic radiation and to generate data indicative of a property of the ribbon based upon sensed electromagnetic radiation; and a controller for processing data generated by the electromagnetic sensor.

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.

A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.

A method of operating a thermal transfer printer, the thermal transfer printer comprising first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead. The printhead is moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, is configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed. The method comprising causing relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed. A relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate during printing is controlled based upon a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and/or a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface.

A printing system includes: a control unit; and a printing device including: a supply unit configured to be attached with a supply roll configured by an ink ribbon; a winding unit configured to be attached with a winding roll for winding the ink ribbon fed out from the supply roll; a ribbon motor configured to rotationally drive at least one of the supply unit and the winding unit; a thermal head configured to perform printing by heating the ink ribbon transported from the supply roll toward the winding roll by driving the ribbon motor; and a head drive source configured to move the thermal head. The control unit is configured to control the ribbon motor to decrease tension of the ink ribbon when the thermal head is moved in a first direction, in which the tension of the ink ribbon increases, with the head drive source.

There is provided a tape cartridge, in which the cartridge case is provided with an outer protrusion portion received by an outer recess portion, the outer protrusion portion blocks insertion of a third core projection into a core hole of a tape core B around which a tape B, which is different in type from the tape A, is wound and which has a shape different from that of the tape core A, by contact with the tape core B when the tape roll A is mistakenly replaced with a tape roll B included in a tape cartridge B, which is configured to be mounted on a tape printing apparatus, and including the tape B and the tape core B.

There is provided a tape cartridge, in which the cartridge case is provided with an outer protrusion portion received by an outer recess portion, the outer protrusion portion blocks insertion of a third core projection into a core hole of a tape core B around which a tape B, which is different in type from the tape A, is wound and which has a shape different from that of the tape core A, by contact with the tape core B when the tape roll A is mistakenly replaced with a tape roll B included in a tape cartridge B, which is configured to be mounted on a tape printing apparatus, and including the tape B and the tape core B.

A cassette tape includes: a cassette case; a first tape roll and a second tape roll accommodated in the cassette case and rotatably supported thereby; and an RFID tag disposed at one of an upper wall and a lower wall of the cassette case. The first tape roll includes a first tape wound about a first winding axis extending in an axial direction. The second tape roll includes a second tape wound about an axis different from the first winding axis and extending in the axial direction. The second tape roll has a smaller diameter than the first tape roll. The RFID tag includes an antenna and a storage element for radiocommunication to read and write data. A part of the RFID tag is positioned to overlap with a part of the first tape roll in a predetermined direction parallel to the axial direction.

There is provided a tape drive. The tape drive comprises first and second spool supports on which spools of tape may be mounted. The tape drive further comprises an optical sensing system. The optical sensing system comprises a radiation emitter and a radiation detector, said radiation emitter and radiation detector having a fixed positional relationship in use with respect to said first and second spool supports. The tape drive further comprises a controller. The controller is operative to, energise the radiation emitter to emit radiation, and determine a diameter data indicative of a diameter of a spool mounted on one of the first and second spool supports based on a radiation signal generated by the detector.

A printing system includes: a control unit; and a printing device including: a supply unit configured to be attached with a supply roll configured by an ink ribbon; a winding unit configured to be attached with a winding roll for winding the ink ribbon fed out from the supply roll; a ribbon motor configured to rotationally drive at least one of the supply unit and the winding unit; a thermal head configured to perform printing by heating the ink ribbon transported from the supply roll toward the winding roll by driving the ribbon motor; and a head drive source configured to move the thermal head. The control unit is configured to control the ribbon motor to decrease tension of the ink ribbon when the thermal head is moved in a first direction, in which the tension of the ink ribbon increases, with the head drive source.