The printing apparatus includes a ribbon laid between spools, and DC motors for rotating these spools. A CPU drives the motor without tension, calculates the rotation velocity of the motor based on the rotation amount of the motor, applies the calculated rotation velocity and supplies current in driving the motor, by calculating a drive current for providing the DC motor with a same rotation velocity as a rotation velocity of a reference DC motor based on a difference between a rotation speed of the DC motor in driving the DC motor at a predetermined supply current in a state in which the ribbon is broken, or the ribbon is separated from the supply spool, and a rotational speed of the reference DC motor in driving the reference DC motor at the predetermined supply current, and controls the motor driver to supply the calculated drive current.

An ink ribbon cartridge may include a supply roll; a winding roll; and a power transmission mechanism to transmit power from a drive source to the supply roll and the winding roll. A direction in which an ink ribbon is wound by the winding roll is a ribbon winding direction and a direction in which the ink ribbon is wound by the supply roll is a ribbon rewinding direction. The power transmission mechanism may include a winding side one-way clutch to transmit a driving force in the ribbon winding direction to the winding roll and cut off transmission of the driving force in the ribbon rewinding direction to the winding roll; and a supply side one-way clutch to transmit the driving force in the ribbon rewinding direction to the supply roll and cuts off transmission of the driving force in the ribbon winding direction to the supply roll.

A mounting of a ribbon supply on a re-useable cartridge is described where the mounting is designed so that the supply friction, supply and control of the ribbon supply are substantially independent of the cartridge. When the supply rolls are initially mounted on the cartridge, the supply rolls are frictionally engaged with the cartridge to reduce the tendency for the supply rolls to rotate or move prior to being loaded into the printer, which would loosen the ribbon material by unwinding, thereby reducing slack in the ribbon material. When the cartridge is loaded into a card personalization machine, features on the card personalization machine automatically reduce the frictional engagement between the supply rolls and the cartridge, permitting the supply rolls to rotate substantially freely relative to the cartridge so that the supply friction, supply and control are substantially independent of the cartridge.

A mounting of a ribbon supply on a re-useable cartridge is described where the mounting is designed so that the supply friction, supply and control of the ribbon supply are substantially independent of the cartridge. When the supply rolls are initially mounted on the cartridge, the supply rolls are frictionally engaged with the cartridge to reduce the tendency for the supply rolls to rotate or move prior to being loaded into the printer, which would loosen the ribbon material by unwinding, thereby reducing slack in the ribbon material. When the cartridge is loaded into a card personalization machine, features on the card personalization machine automatically reduce the frictional engagement between the supply rolls and the cartridge, permitting the supply rolls to rotate substantially freely relative to the cartridge so that the supply friction, supply and control are substantially independent of the cartridge.

A printer includes a feeding shaft, a rolling shaft, a conveyance unit, a print head, and a turning force generation mechanism. The feeding shaft rotatably holds a supply roll in which the ink ribbon is rolled. The rolling shaft rotatably holds a collection roll in which the ink ribbon fed from the supply roll is rolled. The conveyance unit conveys a printing medium along the ink ribbon that moves from the supply roll toward the collection roll. The print head prints by bringing the ink ribbon into contact with the printing medium conveyed by the conveyance unit. The turning force generation mechanism generates a turning force in a direction in which the ink ribbon is rolled around the rolling shaft during back-feeding of moving the ink ribbon in a reverse direction by rotating the feeding shaft in a direction reverse to a feeding direction of the ink ribbon.

A printer includes a feeding shaft, a rolling shaft, a conveyance unit, a print head, and a turning force generation mechanism. The feeding shaft rotatably holds a supply roll in which the ink ribbon is rolled. The rolling shaft rotatably holds a collection roll in which the ink ribbon fed from the supply roll is rolled. The conveyance unit conveys a printing medium along the ink ribbon that moves from the supply roll toward the collection roll. The print head prints by bringing the ink ribbon into contact with the printing medium conveyed by the conveyance unit. The turning force generation mechanism generates a turning force in a direction in which the ink ribbon is rolled around the rolling shaft during back-feeding of moving the ink ribbon in a reverse direction by rotating the feeding shaft in a direction reverse to a feeding direction of the ink ribbon.

An ink ribbon cartridge may include a supply roll; a winding roll; and a power transmission mechanism to transmit power from a drive source to the supply roll and the winding roll. A direction in which an ink ribbon is wound by the winding roll is a ribbon winding direction and a direction in which the ink ribbon is wound by the supply roll is a ribbon rewinding direction. The power transmission mechanism may include a winding side one-way clutch to transmit a driving force in the ribbon winding direction to the winding roll and cut off transmission of the driving force in the ribbon rewinding direction to the winding roll; and a supply side one-way clutch to transmit the driving force in the ribbon rewinding direction to the supply roll and cuts off transmission of the driving force in the ribbon winding direction to the supply roll.

Provided is a printing device capable of performing data communication with a wireless tag provided on a holder that holds a medium used for printing. The printing device can include a shaft, an antenna, a reader, and a controller. The shaft rotatably supports a medium roll configured to have the medium wound around a cylindrical body provided with the wireless tag. The antenna wirelessly communicates with the wireless tag. The reader reads data recorded in the wireless tag by wireless communication via the antenna. The controller causes the reader to perform a second read of the data in the wireless tag after the cylindrical body has been rotated around the shaft for a first rotation time and then has been stopped in response to the reader being unable to read the data recorded in the wireless tag.

Provided is a printing device capable of performing data communication with a wireless tag provided on a holder that holds a medium used for printing. The printing device can include a shaft, an antenna, a reader, and a controller. The shaft rotatably supports a medium roll configured to have the medium wound around a cylindrical body provided with the wireless tag. The antenna wirelessly communicates with the wireless tag. The reader reads data recorded in the wireless tag by wireless communication via the antenna. The controller causes the reader to perform a second read of the data in the wireless tag after the cylindrical body has been rotated around the shaft for a first rotation time and then has been stopped in response to the reader being unable to read the data recorded in the wireless tag.

A tape transfer apparatus (10, 110, 210) including a body (11, 111, 211) and two spool supports (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216) each of which is suitable for supporting a spool of tape (18, 20, 118, 120, 218, 220) and a tape drive apparatus which is operable to transfer tape between spools (18, 20, 118, 120, 218, 220) supported on the spool supports (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216), characterised in that a position of at least one of the spool supports (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216) relative to the body (11, 111, 211) is adjustable; and a method of operating such a tape transfer apparatus (10, 110, 210), including controlling the rotation of each of the spool supports (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216) to enable tape to be transferred from one spool (18, 20, 118, 120, 218, 220), mounted on a respective spool support (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216), to another spool (18, 20, 118, 120, 218, 220), mounted on the other spool support (14, 16, 114, 116, 214, 216), and controlling a drive mechanism that is operable to adjust the position of at least one of the spool supports relative to the body.