An apparatus is configured to heat a print medium in which a plurality of color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of colors so as to form an image on the medium by causing a desired color development layer in the plurality of color development layers to independently develop the color. The apparatus includes a printhead, an input unit configured to receive a print job, a generation unit configured to generate image data and cut information for specifying a cut position, a second generation unit configured to generate first and second pulses for driving the print head, and a drive unit configured to drive the print head to form an image on the medium and apply heat beyond a melting point to melt the medium so as to cut the medium.

An image forming apparatus includes a printhead configured to add energy to an image material; and a control unit configured to output, based on image data, a signal pattern for controlling energy to be added by the printhead to the image material including a plurality of color development layers that have different color development characteristic and develop colors in accordance with the added energy. When causing at least two of the plurality of color development layers to develop colors, the control unit generates, based on at least two signal patterns generated to cause the at least two color development layers to develop colors, a signal pattern of an OR of the at least two signal patterns and outputs the signal pattern.

An image forming apparatus includes a printhead configured to add energy to an image material; and a control unit configured to output, based on image data, a signal pattern for controlling energy to be added by the printhead to the image material including a plurality of color development layers that have different color development characteristic and develop colors in accordance with the added energy. When causing at least two of the plurality of color development layers to develop colors, the control unit generates, based on at least two signal patterns generated to cause the at least two color development layers to develop colors, a signal pattern of an OR of the at least two signal patterns and outputs the signal pattern.

The paper cutting device includes: a lower frame configured such that a platen roller and a thermal head are disposed on the top surface thereof and provide a paper movement path and a drive unit is contained therein; an upper frame configured to form the paper movement path in association with the lower frame, and to open the paper movement path; a fixed cutter configured to be disposed on the upper frame, and to cut the roll paper; a movable cutter configured to be disposed on the lower frame, to cut the roll paper, and to allow the roll paper to move; and a jam control unit configured to detect a jam of the roll paper, and to detect the opening of the paper movement path and lower the movable cutter.

The paper cutting device includes: a lower frame configured such that a platen roller and a thermal head are disposed on the top surface thereof and provide a paper movement path and a drive unit is contained therein; an upper frame configured to form the paper movement path in association with the lower frame, and to open the paper movement path; a fixed cutter configured to be disposed on the upper frame, and to cut the roll paper; a movable cutter configured to be disposed on the lower frame, to cut the roll paper, and to allow the roll paper to move; and a jam control unit configured to detect a jam of the roll paper, and to detect the opening of the paper movement path and lower the movable cutter.

A device for providing a marking arranged or arrangeable around an object includes: a mechanical interface for releasably or irreversibly mounting the device to a printer; a material interface for receiving a print medium, which is printed by the printer using a print head, as a printed product in a longitudinal direction; at least one eccentric supported at the material interface to be pivotable about a pivot axis; and at least one print head actuator for moving the at least one eccentric to a first pivot position and to a second pivot position different from the first pivot position to provide the marking originating from the printed product. The eccentric, in a state of the device mounted to the printer using the mechanical interface, moves the print head and the print medium towards each other into a printing position for printing the print medium when the eccentric moves.

A device for providing a marking arranged or arrangeable around an object includes: a mechanical interface for releasably or irreversibly mounting the device to a printer; a material interface for receiving a print medium, which is printed by the printer using a print head, as a printed product in a longitudinal direction; at least one eccentric supported at the material interface to be pivotable about a pivot axis; and at least one print head actuator for moving the at least one eccentric to a first pivot position and to a second pivot position different from the first pivot position to provide the marking originating from the printed product. The eccentric, in a state of the device mounted to the printer using the mechanical interface, moves the print head and the print medium towards each other into a printing position for printing the print medium when the eccentric moves.

A printing device includes a frame, and an electronic circuit-board unit attached to the frame. The electronic circuit-board unit includes: a holder including a holding portion; a first substrate held to a first surface of the holder; a second substrate held to a second surface of the holder and attached to the frame; an electronic component; and a harness electrically connected to the electronic component. The holder has: a first region overlapped with the first substrate in a plan view; and a second region offset from the first region in the plan view. At least one of the electronic component and the harness is held by the holding portion.

A movable paper guide structure of a label printer includes: a paper guide body installed in the label printer including a roller and a print head; a movable unit that is movably installed on the paper guide body close to one end of the print head, adapts to a displacement of the roller and the print head because of a changed contact position, and keeps approaching the print head during a print process of the label printer for neither gap between the tip of the movable unit and the print head nor other problems such as a label sticker on printing paper improperly peeled off, printing crooked and paper jam.

The present disclosure provides a thermal print head and a method manufacturing the thermal print head, and a thermal printer including the thermal print head. The thermal print head includes: a substrate having a protruding surface; a resistance layer including multiple heating portions and a portion formed on the protruding surface; and a wiring layer conductive to the multiple heating portions. The thermal print head further includes a glaze layer having a pair of end edges arranged apart from each other in y direction and formed in contact with a top surface of the protruding surface. The multiple heating portions are formed on the glaze layer. When observed in z direction, each of the pair of end edges includes a receding section located closer to an inner side of the top surface than a junction of the top surface, and a pair of inclined surfaces of the protruding surface.