The present invention relates to a portable sublimation printer capable of simultaneously controlling up/down of a platen roller of a portable thermal sublimation printer and up/down of a printing medium pickup roller with a rack and pinion mechanism. A portable sublimation printer having a small thickness and a light weight to a rack apparatus of a portable sublimation printer is provided.

According to one aspect, a web handling system comprises a plurality of cross-grooved idler rollers, an imaging drum, a nip roller adjacent the imaging drum and forming a nip therewith, and a spreader roller disposed between the plurality of idler rollers and the nip roller. Each idler roller is disposed no more than a first distance from an adjacent idler roller, spreader roller, and nip roller and the spreader roller is disposed no more than a second distance from the nip. The first distance is in a range of 38 to 28 inches, 36 to 30 inches, or 35 to 33 inches and the second distance is in a range of 6 to 11 inches, 6.5 to 9 inches, or 7.0 to 8.5 inches.

According to one aspect, a web handling system comprises a plurality of cross-grooved idler rollers, an imaging drum, a nip roller adjacent the imaging drum and forming a nip therewith, and a spreader roller disposed between the plurality of idler rollers and the nip roller. Each idler roller is disposed no more than a first distance from an adjacent idler roller, spreader roller, and nip roller and the spreader roller is disposed no more than a second distance from the nip. The first distance is in a range of 38 to 28 inches, 36 to 30 inches, or 35 to 33 inches and the second distance is in a range of 6 to 11 inches, 6.5 to 9 inches, or 7.0 to 8.5 inches.

A printer includes a housing having a first surface having a cassette mounting opening, a print head extending toward the cassette mounting opening from an inside of the housing, a platen roller, and a printing cassette mountable on the housing by insertion to the cassette mounting opening in a first direction. The first surface has first and second areas both adjacent to the cassette mounting opening. The second area is opposite to the first area with respect to the cassette mounting opening in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second areas are located upstream from the print head in a cassette mounting direction. In a state where the printing cassette is mounted on the housing, respective portions of the printing cassette adjacent to the first and second areas are located outside the housing beyond the first and second areas, respectively, in the first direction.

Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.

Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.

A recording apparatus includes a printing portion, a first conveying portion, and a second conveying portion. The printing portion ejects liquid to print a medium having elasticity. The first conveying portion is disposed upstream of the printing portion in a conveying direction along which the medium is conveyed to the printing portion, and conveys the medium while stretching the medium in the conveying direction and in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. The second conveying portion conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveying portion while keeping the medium facing the printing portion.

A recording apparatus includes a printing portion, a first conveying portion, and a second conveying portion. The printing portion ejects liquid to print a medium having elasticity. The first conveying portion is disposed upstream of the printing portion in a conveying direction along which the medium is conveyed to the printing portion, and conveys the medium while stretching the medium in the conveying direction and in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. The second conveying portion conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveying portion while keeping the medium facing the printing portion.

A recording apparatus includes a printing portion and a first conveying portion. The printing portion ejects liquid to print a medium having elasticity. The first conveying portion is disposed upstream of the printing portion in a conveying direction along which the medium is conveyed to the printing portion. The first conveying portion includes at least two conveying bodies disposed in the conveying direction and around which the medium is alternately wound. The conveying bodies each include a shaft extending in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and a plurality of rollers rotatably supported by the shaft. The plurality of rollers are supported to be inclined outward with respect to the conveying direction from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction.

A recording apparatus includes a printing portion and a first conveying portion. The printing portion ejects liquid to print a medium having elasticity. The first conveying portion is disposed upstream of the printing portion in a conveying direction along which the medium is conveyed to the printing portion. The first conveying portion includes at least two conveying bodies disposed in the conveying direction and around which the medium is alternately wound. The conveying bodies each include a shaft extending in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and a plurality of rollers rotatably supported by the shaft. The plurality of rollers are supported to be inclined outward with respect to the conveying direction from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction.