An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

A printer includes a housing, a printer cover configured to rotate between a closed position at which the printer cover closes an interior of the housing and an open position at which the printer cover opens the interior of the housing, a platen roller configured to feed print medium, a thermal head opposed to the platen roller when the printer cover is located at the closed position, and an operation member configured to connect and disconnect the thermal head, the operation member guides the print medium fed by the platen roller when the printer cover is located at the closed position.

A printhead mounting system includes one or more pins attached to a printhead, and configured to be inserted through one or more slots in a support frame coupled to a printer, and one or more fasteners configured to engage with the pins inserted through the support frame slots. The fasteners can be detachable, operably coupled to the support frame, or coupled to each other. Additionally, the system can have locating pins for aligning the printhead with the support frame. A method for attaching a printhead includes inserting posts located at a top of a printhead through openings in a printhead support frame, and engaging one or more quick-release fasteners with the posts above the support frame.

A thermal head includes a substrate, a glaze layer, and a reinforced conductor layer. The glaze includes a first glaze and a second glaze. The first glaze extends in a predetermined direction on the surface of the substrate. The second glaze is spaced part from the first glaze to one side in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the surface of the substrate. The reinforced conductor layer includes a lateral side part. The lateral side part extends on the surface of the substrate from the first glaze side to the second glaze side and is partially located on the second glaze. An edge part on the first glaze side in the second glaze includes a cutout portion cut out toward the one side in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The lateral side part passes through the cutout portion.

A thermal printer includes a thermal head configured to perform printing on recording paper; a platen roller, which is arranged at a position opposed to the thermal head, and is configured to convey the recording paper by nipping the recording paper between the thermal head and the platen roller; a head support plate having conductivity, which has the thermal head to be fixed thereto; a frame, which is configured to support the head support plate, and includes a shaft support portion configured to rotatably support the platen roller about an axis; and a conductive member having conductivity, which is provided between a side surface of the shaft support portion and the head support plate.

An object is to improve image quality in panoramic printing using a thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a seam shape calculator and a controller. The seam shape calculator determines the position and shape of a seam between images on the basis of an index of inconspicuousness to human eyes, in panorama printing where a panoramic image longer than a specified printing size is divided into the images as small as or smaller than the printing size, and is printed multiple times so that the images are joined to each other. The controller controls a printing medium, an ink ribbon, and a thermal head so that the images divided based on the position and shape of the seam are thermally transferred onto respective continuous regions of the printing medium using unit printing regions of the ink ribbon, so as to be joined to each other.

A thermal head X1 according to the present disclosure includes a substrate, a heat generator, an electrode, and a protective layer. The heat generator is positioned on the substrate. The electrode is positioned on the substrate and connected to the heat generator. The protective layer covers the heat generator and part of the electrode. The protective layer contains titanium and nitrogen. The protective layer satisfies P2>P1 where P1 is the peak intensity of X-ray diffraction of the (111) plane, and P2 is the peak intensity of X-ray diffraction of the (200) plane.

A thermal printer includes a frame, a platen roller supported on the frame so as to be rotatable about a first direction, a head support plate supported on the frame, and a thermal head fixed to the head support plate. The head nips paper between the roller in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The frame includes a swing support portion supporting the plate so that the plate is swingable about the first direction and a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The head is fixed to a portion of the plate located on a first side in the third direction with respect to the swing support portion. Between a portion of the plate located on a second side and the frame, an urging member configured to urge the plate in a direction of causing the head to approach the roller is interposed.

The present disclosure provides a thermal print head and a method of fabricating the thermal print head. The thermal print head includes a substrate made of a semiconductor material and having a main surface and a convex portion, a resistor layer including a plurality of heat generating portions on the convex portion, and a wiring layer conducted to the plurality of heat generating portions and formed to contact the resistor layer. The convex portion has a top surface, a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. At least one of two ends of the convex portion in the main scanning direction forms a third inclined surface connected to the main surface and the first inclined surface, and a fourth inclined surface connected to the main surface and the second inclined surface.

There is provided a printing apparatus including: a thermal head including heating elements arranged in a first direction; a shaft extending in a second direction; a first engaging part; a head holder; an insertion part; a shaft holder holding the shaft; a second engaging part engageable with the first engaging part so that the shaft does not come off from the shaft holder; a guide configured to guide the shaft holder movably between engaging and non-engaging positions; a fixing member; and a fixing member-holder. The fixing member fixes the shaft holder to the head holder in a case that the shaft holder is located at the engaging position. The fixing member-holder holds the fixing member so that the fixing member does not come off from the shaft holder in a case that the shaft holder is located at the non-engaging position.