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.

Examples for cost generation for a common print substance supply are described herein. In some examples, signals indicative of an amount of print substance consumed by a plurality of printing devices are received at a computing device. Signals indicative of a cost corresponding to the amount of print substance consumed by each printing device of the plurality of printing devices are generated at a processor of the computing device based on the received signals. The cost is also generated based on a device identifier, a customer identifier, a print media identifier, or a combination thereof. The signals indicative of the cost for each printing device are transmitted.

A printhead for a thermal transfer printer comprising a plurality of printing elements, each of the printing elements being configured to transfer ink from an ink carrying ribbon to a substrate, and at least one sensor arranged to sense ink carrying ribbon. The at least one sensor comprises at least one emitter arranged to emit radiation towards the ribbon and a plurality of receivers. Each of the plurality of receivers is arranged to receive a respective reflected signal reflected by the ribbon, each reflected signal is based upon radiation emitted by the at least one emitter.

A printhead for a thermal transfer printer comprising a plurality of printing elements, each of the printing elements being configured to transfer ink from an ink carrying ribbon to a substrate, and at least one sensor arranged to sense ink carrying ribbon. The at least one sensor comprises at least one emitter arranged to emit radiation towards the ribbon and a plurality of receivers. Each of the plurality of receivers is arranged to receive a respective reflected signal reflected by the ribbon, each reflected signal is based upon radiation emitted by the at least one emitter.

In an ink ribbon cassette, a case housing an ink ribbon wound around a supply-side bobbin and the ink ribbon wound around a wind-up side bobbin includes a case main body including a cylindrical supply-side case portion to house the ink ribbon wound around the supply-side bobbin and a cylindrical wind-up side case portion to house the ink ribbon wound around the wind-up side bobbin and a cover to close one end of the cylindrically formed supply-side case portion and one end of the cylindrically formed wind-up side case portion. The cover is removably attached to the case main body.

In an ink ribbon cassette, a case housing an ink ribbon wound around a supply-side bobbin and the ink ribbon wound around a wind-up side bobbin includes a case main body including a cylindrical supply-side case portion to house the ink ribbon wound around the supply-side bobbin and a cylindrical wind-up side case portion to house the ink ribbon wound around the wind-up side bobbin and a cover to close one end of the cylindrically formed supply-side case portion and one end of the cylindrically formed wind-up side case portion. The cover is removably attached to the case main body.

A printing machine comprising a processor and a memory storing computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions are arranged to cause the processor to generate access request data for processing by an access control server, receive access response data responsive to the access request data, process the access response data to determine a first print limit indicated by the access response data, and update, responsive to processing the access response data, an access status in the memory to indicate a second print limit.

A printing machine comprising a processor and a memory storing computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions are arranged to cause the processor to generate access request data for processing by an access control server, receive access response data responsive to the access request data, process the access response data to determine a first print limit indicated by the access response data, and update, responsive to processing the access response data, an access status in the memory to indicate a second print limit.

A printer includes a thermal print head, a supply shaft, a winding shaft, a light emitting device, and a photodetector. The light emitting device and the photodetector are aligned along a line parallel to a line passing through rotational axes of the supply and winding shafts at a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is greater than a radius of the supply shaft and a radius of the winding shaft. The predetermined distance is less than a radial distance from the rotational axis of the supply shaft to an outer surface of the ink ribbon on the supply shaft and a radial distance from the rotational axis of the winding shaft to an outer surface of the ink ribbon on the winding shaft when a length of the ribbon on the supply shaft is equal to a length of the ribbon on the winding shaft.

A printer includes a thermal print head, a supply shaft, a winding shaft, a light emitting device, and a photodetector. The light emitting device and the photodetector are aligned along a line parallel to a line passing through rotational axes of the supply and winding shafts at a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is greater than a radius of the supply shaft and a radius of the winding shaft. The predetermined distance is less than a radial distance from the rotational axis of the supply shaft to an outer surface of the ink ribbon on the supply shaft and a radial distance from the rotational axis of the winding shaft to an outer surface of the ink ribbon on the winding shaft when a length of the ribbon on the supply shaft is equal to a length of the ribbon on the winding shaft.