An integrated cartridge is provided, which includes a printing medium receiving groove in which a printing medium is loaded; a feeding mounting hole and a take-up bobbin mounting hole are formed; a feeding bobbin mounted in the feeding bobbin mounting hole; a take-up bobbin mounted in the take-up bobbin mounting hole; and a first opening disposed between the feeding bobbin and the take-up bobbin configured to draw out the printing medium.

An integrated cartridge is provided, which includes a printing medium receiving groove in which a printing medium is loaded; a feeding mounting hole and a take-up bobbin mounting hole are formed; a feeding bobbin mounted in the feeding bobbin mounting hole; a take-up bobbin mounted in the take-up bobbin mounting hole; and a first opening disposed between the feeding bobbin and the take-up bobbin configured to draw out the printing medium.

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.

A printing system includes: a printing device including a thermal head, a supplier, a winder, and a ribbon transport mechanism; and a controller configured to: transport an ink ribbon in a first direction from the supplier to the winder and heat the ink ribbon to perform printing; rewind the ink ribbon subjected to the printing in a second direction opposite to the first direction; after again receiving a print command, rewind the ink ribbon in the second direction by a first length corresponding to a length required to reach a printable speed; after the rewindings, store a second length corresponding to a length of the ink ribbon subjected to the printing upstream of the thermal head in the first direction; and feed the ink ribbon in the first direction by the stored second length.

A 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; a printhead configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate, the printhead pressing the print ribbon and substrate together against a print roller; a substrate drive configured to cause movement of a substrate past the printhead; a sensor configured to monitor rotation of the print roller and generate a signal indicative thereof; and a controller configured to determine a measure of movement of the substrate and/or ribbon past the print roller based on the signal output by the sensor.

A 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; a printhead configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate, the printhead pressing the print ribbon and substrate together against a print roller; a substrate drive configured to cause movement of a substrate past the printhead; a sensor configured to monitor rotation of the print roller and generate a signal indicative thereof; and a controller configured to determine a measure of movement of the substrate and/or ribbon past the print roller based on the signal output by the sensor.

An ink ribbon feeding mechanism includes a cartridge mounting section, a first paying out rotor which is inserted into a first paying out core when a cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, and a plurality of rotor side engaging portions which are provided on the first paying out rotor and which engage with a plurality of core side engaging portions when the first paying out rotor rotates. The rotor side engaging portion has an butting portion. When the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, the core side engaging portion butts against the butting portion, one or the other of the first paying out core and the first paying out rotor rotates, the rotor side engaging portion is inserted into the core side insertion recessed portion. A plurality of the butting portions are provided in positions different from each other in a cartridge mounting direction.

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 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.