Direct thermal recording media are designed to operate based on a thermally-induced change of state rather than a thermally-induced chemical reaction between a leuco dye and an acidic developer. The media use two types of scattering particles, one of which changes its state from solid to liquid during printing, and the other of which does not. The former particles, upon melting, fill spaces between the latter particles, thus eliminating or substantially reducing light scattering, which makes an underlying colorant visible at selected print locations where heat is locally applied. The latter, higher melting point particles have a caged morphology and comprise perforated particles. The media can provide high quality thermally-produced images at print speeds at least as high as 10 inches per second (ips).

A recording apparatus includes a recording head including a plurality of heating elements, a sheet-like recording medium formed of a plurality of laminated color-developing layers for developing a plurality of colors. A first condition is satisfied when a subsequent pixel, located at the same position as a target pixel to be recorded following the target pixel, is a pixel for developing a color of a bottom color-developing layer of the recording medium. In a case where a value of the target pixel in the image data is a predetermined value and does not satisfy the first condition, the pulse control unit controls the pulse so that a thermal energy to be applied to the recording medium by the recording head in forming the target pixel is lower than if the first condition is satisfied.

A printer includes a printer head configured to operate in a normal mode for printing print data on a medium with at least one of a designated size or a designated thickness of a character, and a size change mode or a thickness change mode for printing the print data on the medium with a size or thickness of the character being greater than the designated size or the designated thickness, respectively. The printer also includes a sensor configured to detect a printing density of a printing pattern. The printer also includes a processor configured to acquire print data, print the printing pattern, the printing pattern being set in advance, and set an operation mode of the printer head to one of the size change mode or the thickness change mode.

A printer includes a printer head configured to operate in a normal mode for printing print data on a medium with at least one of a designated size or a designated thickness of a character, and a size change mode or a thickness change mode for printing the print data on the medium with a size or thickness of the character being greater than the designated size or the designated thickness, respectively. The printer also includes a sensor configured to detect a printing density of a printing pattern. The printer also includes a processor configured to acquire print data, print the printing pattern, the printing pattern being set in advance, and set an operation mode of the printer head to one of the size change mode or the thickness change mode.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a reading device, and circuitry. The image forming device discharges ink droplets through nozzles to form an image on a recording medium conveyed in a first direction. The reading device reads the image formed on the recording medium. The circuitry generates a correction chart that includes patches, located in the first direction and representing different densities from each other, and two marks located at different positions from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The circuitry locates opposed end portions of the patches in the second direction outside the two marks in the second direction. The circuitry derives correction data, based on read data of an area of the patches existing inside the two marks in the second direction included in read data provided by the reading device reading the correction chart formed on the recording medium.

A high speed tabletop and industrial printer is disclosed with integrated high speed RFID encoding and verification at the same time. The industrial printer simultaneously prints on and electronically encodes/verifies RFID labels, tags, and/or stickers attached to a continuous web. The industrial printer comprises a lighted sensor array for indexing the printing to the RFID tags; and a cutter powered from the industrial printer for cutting the web that the RFID tags are disposed on. The industrial printer comprises two RFID reader/writers that are individually controlled. Specifically, one of the RFID reader/writers comprises the ability to electronically encode the RFID tags while the web is moving; and the second RFID reader/writer uses an additional RFID module and antenna on the printer for verifying the data encoded to the RFID tags.

An example is given of a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store machine-readable instructions to be executed by a controller. The controller controls a heating element to print pixels of an image. The controller calculates an estimated thermal energy accumulation based on control of the heating element. The controller controls the heating element to print subsequent pixels based on the estimated thermal energy accumulation.

According to one embodiment, in a barcode printer (printer device), if a sleep mode transition detection unit (first state transition detection unit) detects that a barcode printer transitions to a sleep mode (first state), or if a power state control unit detects an instruction to turn off the power of the barcode printer, a head position control unit pulls the thermal head (print head) away from the platen roller and holds the thermal head in the state of being pulled away from the platen roller.

A method for printing includes analyzing print quality requirements for a printing area; adjusting settings for heater elements (e.g., energy and/or firing durations) of strobe lines based on the requirements analysis; and providing a plurality of individual strobe signals to the strobe lines. The strobe signals can be transmitted simultaneously, for example with a field-programmable gate array. Analyzing print quality requirements can include separating the printing area into one or more areas of interest, such as rows and/or columns. For each area of interest individual print quality settings (e.g., darkness, contrast, and/or media sensitivity) may be selected.

A method for printing includes analyzing print quality requirements for a printing area; adjusting settings for heater elements (e.g., energy and/or firing durations) of strobe lines based on the requirements analysis; and providing a plurality of individual strobe signals to the strobe lines. The strobe signals can be transmitted simultaneously, for example with a field-programmable gate array. Analyzing print quality requirements can include separating the printing area into one or more areas of interest, such as rows and/or columns. For each area of interest individual print quality settings (e.g., darkness, contrast, and/or media sensitivity) may be selected.