An image forming apparatus includes a print head including heating elements for applying a thermal energy to an imaging material, an operation unit configured to operate the plurality of heating elements of the print head by using a first pulse for preheating the color developing layers and a second pulse for developing the colors of the color developing layers, and a generation unit configured to, in a case where a spatial frequency of the image to be recorded based on image data for forming an image on the imaging material is lower than a predetermined frequency, generate the first pulse so that a temperature to be applied to the imaging material by the first pulse is lower than a temperature to be applied to the imaging material in a case where the spatial frequency of the image data is equal to or higher than the predetermined frequency.

A method of operating a transfer printer configured to transfer ink from a printer ribbon to a substrate which is transported along a predetermined substrate path adjacent to the printer. The printer comprises a tape drive comprising two tape drive motors, two tape spool supports on which said spools of ribbon may be mounted, each spool being drivable by a respective one of said motors. The printer further comprises a printhead being displaceable towards and away from the predetermined substrate path and being arranged to, during printing, contact one side of the ribbon to press an opposite side of the ribbon into contact with a substrate on the predetermined substrate path, and a printing surface. The printer further comprises a controller configured to control the tape drive to transport ribbon between the first and second ribbon spools. The method comprises controlling the tape drive to perform a ribbon movement in which ribbon is transported between first and second ribbon spools along a ribbon path, the ribbon path having a first length during a first part of said ribbon movement, and a second length during a second part of said ribbon movement, a transition from the first length to the second length being caused by a displacement of the printhead with respect to the printing surface, wherein control of at least one of the tape drive motors is based upon data indicative of the first and second lengths.

A method of operating a transfer printer configured to transfer ink from a printer ribbon to a substrate which is transported along a predetermined substrate path adjacent to the printer. The printer comprises a tape drive comprising two tape drive motors, two tape spool supports on which said spools of ribbon may be mounted, each spool being drivable by a respective one of said motors. The printer further comprises a printhead being displaceable towards and away from the predetermined substrate path and being arranged to, during printing, contact one side of the ribbon to press an opposite side of the ribbon into contact with a substrate on the predetermined substrate path, and a printing surface. The printer further comprises a controller configured to control the tape drive to transport ribbon between the first and second ribbon spools. The method comprises controlling the tape drive to perform a ribbon movement in which ribbon is transported between first and second ribbon spools along a ribbon path, the ribbon path having a first length during a first part of said ribbon movement, and a second length during a second part of said ribbon movement, a transition from the first length to the second length being caused by a displacement of the printhead with respect to the printing surface, wherein control of at least one of the tape drive motors is based upon data indicative of the first and second lengths.

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.

An example thermal printer includes: a receptacle to receive a thermal media sheet; a thermal printhead to heat the thermal media sheet in the receptacle; a memory to store color correction data for types of thermal media sheets; a processor interconnected with the memory and the thermal printhead, the processor to: identify a type of the thermal media sheet in the receptacle; obtain, from the memory, the color correction data for the type of the thermal media sheet; and control the thermal printhead to heat the thermal media sheet based on the color correction data.

An example thermal printer includes: a receptacle to receive a thermal media sheet; a thermal printhead to heat the thermal media sheet in the receptacle; a memory to store color correction data for types of thermal media sheets; a processor interconnected with the memory and the thermal printhead, the processor to: identify a type of the thermal media sheet in the receptacle; obtain, from the memory, the color correction data for the type of the thermal media sheet; and control the thermal printhead to heat the thermal media sheet based on the color correction data.

A print processing portion causes a print device to execute printing of a print image based on print data in accordance with a first scanning amount detected when manual scanning is performed at a first time. A density complementation processing portion causes the print processing portion to execute reprinting in accordance with a second scanning amount detected when the manual scanning is performed at at least a second time. When the manual scanning is performed at at least the second time, the density complementation processing portion identifies density insufficient parts in the print image printed by the print device based on the scanning amount and an image read by an optical reading device. Furthermore, the density complementation processing portion causes the print processing portion to execute the reprinting for the density insufficient parts.

A print processing portion causes a print device to execute printing of a print image based on print data in accordance with a first scanning amount detected when manual scanning is performed at a first time. A density complementation processing portion causes the print processing portion to execute reprinting in accordance with a second scanning amount detected when the manual scanning is performed at at least a second time. When the manual scanning is performed at at least the second time, the density complementation processing portion identifies density insufficient parts in the print image printed by the print device based on the scanning amount and an image read by an optical reading device. Furthermore, the density complementation processing portion causes the print processing portion to execute the reprinting for the density insufficient parts.

A thermal head control device includes: a printing rate calculation range determination unit configured to determine, as a printing rate calculation range, a range from a left-end energization dot to a right-end energization dot among energization dots present in printing data corresponding to heating elements to be controlled among a plurality of heating elements included in a thermal head; a printing rate calculation unit configured to calculate a printing rate of the printing rate calculation range determined by the printing rate calculation range determination unit; an energizing time calculation unit configured to calculate an energizing time for which a current is caused to flow through the heating elements based on the printing rate calculated by the printing rate calculation unit; and an output unit configured to output a control signal for driving the heating elements to be controlled of the thermal head, based on the calculated energizing time.

A thermal head control device includes: a printing rate calculation range determination unit configured to determine, as a printing rate calculation range, a range from a left-end energization dot to a right-end energization dot among energization dots present in printing data corresponding to heating elements to be controlled among a plurality of heating elements included in a thermal head; a printing rate calculation unit configured to calculate a printing rate of the printing rate calculation range determined by the printing rate calculation range determination unit; an energizing time calculation unit configured to calculate an energizing time for which a current is caused to flow through the heating elements based on the printing rate calculated by the printing rate calculation unit; and an output unit configured to output a control signal for driving the heating elements to be controlled of the thermal head, based on the calculated energizing time.