In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a supply spool support for supporting a supply spool and a take-up spool support for supporting a take-up spool, the supply spool support and the take-up spool support being drivable by at least one motor; a housing defining an enclosure; and a device having an input for receiving an input voltage and an output for delivering an output voltage to the at least one motor, the output voltage being lower than the input voltage, wherein the device is located within the enclosure, and the printing apparatus including a heat sink for dissipating heat away from the device.

In accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes: a supply spool support for supporting a supply spool and a take-up spool support for supporting a take-up spool, the supply spool support and the take-up spool support being drivable by at least one motor; a housing defining an enclosure; and a device having an input for receiving an input voltage and an output for delivering an output voltage to the at least one motor, the output voltage being lower than the input voltage, wherein the device is located within the enclosure, and the printing apparatus including a heat sink for dissipating heat away from the device.

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.

A tape cassette includes: a cassette casing; and a tape roll that is a roll of a tape extending in a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction. The tape includes: a subject surface exposed in a thickness direction; and a first image provided on the subject surface and indicating first information. The tape roll has: a first end portion located at an inner portion of the tape roll in a radial direction of the tape roll; and a second end portion located at an outer portion of the tape roll in the radial direction. The first information relates to an amount of a portion of the tape which is located on a first-end-portion-side of a reference position in the lengthwise direction. The reference position is located on the first-end-portion-side of the first image in the lengthwise direction on the tape at a particular distance from the first image.

A cartridge unit for a printer including a cartridge and a circuit assembly. The circuit assembly includes a base member and a circuit substrate having a memory module and a plurality of second electrical contacts. In a cartridge attached state, the circuit assembly is configured to be in a circuit assembly attached state where the circuit assembly is arranged between the plurality of first electrical contacts of the printer and the particular cartridge side wall, the plurality of first electrical contacts electrically contacting the plurality of second electrical contacts, respectively. In a circuit assembly unattached state, the circuit assembly is not arranged between the plurality of first electrical contacts and the particular cartridge side wall. A thickness of the circuit assembly is larger than a distance between the plurality of first electrical contacts and the particular cartridge side wall in the cartridge attached and the circuit assembly unattached state.

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 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.