A printer may be used to print on print media, such as labels, where the print media, as fed through the print, spans substantially less than the full width of the printhead and platen. This may result in uneven print pressure across the print media during the print process. The uneven print pressure, in turn, may result in an uneven print density on the print media, which causes poor print quality. A system and method is employed with identifies the uneven print pressure, and compensates for the uneven print pressure to ensure consistent print density and good print quality. Along segments of the printhead which apply a below average pressure to the print media, the printhead is configured to apply a proportionately higher density of an appropriate contrast-inducing element, such as ink or heat. Along segments of the printhead which apply an above average pressure to the print media, the printhead is configured to apply a proportionately lower density of an appropriate contrast-inducing element, such as ink or heat.

When printing is performed using a thermal head to convert power into heat and to heat an ink sheet laid on paper by the heat, a change in density in a paper carrying direction D1 of an image to be printed in an output region of the paper is calculated using printing data, printing-data-for-correction to indicate an image-for-correction to be printed in a margin printing region of the paper and to cause a change of power required by the thermal head while a combined image including the image and the image-for-correction is printed onto the paper to be smaller than a change of the power required by the thermal head while only the image is printed onto the paper is created, and the ink sheet is heated by the thermal head in accordance with the printing data and the printing-data-for-correction.

A density correction value determining method of correcting a printing density in a printing apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles onto a medium, includes printing a test pattern by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles, acquiring captured image data by imaging printed test pattern, calculating a first density correction value for bringing the printing density closer to a predetermined reference value set when one raster is formed by ejecting ink from each single nozzle of the plurality of nozzles based on a density of acquired captured image data, and calculating a second density correction value for bringing the printing density closer to a predetermined reference value set when one raster is formed by combining different nozzles of the plurality of nozzles based on the calculated first density correction value.

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 heat transfer printer performs gradation control processing for forming a first end portion and a second end portion Gbe on paper. In the gradation control processing, first heat treatment and second heat treatment are performed. Moreover, in the first heat treatment, a thermal head emits heat so that a contour of color generation by an ink sheet on a first rear end side of the first end portion is aligned parallel to a main scanning direction. In the second heat treatment, the thermal head emits the heat so that a contour of the color generation by the ink sheet on a second leading end side of the second end portion is aligned parallel to the main scanning direction.

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 density correction value determining method of correcting a printing density in a printing apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles onto a medium, includes printing a test pattern by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles, acquiring captured image data by imaging printed test pattern, calculating a first density correction value for bringing the printing density closer to a predetermined reference value set when one raster is formed by ejecting ink from each single nozzle of the plurality of nozzles based on a density of acquired captured image data, and calculating a second density correction value for bringing the printing density closer to a predetermined reference value set when one raster is formed by combining different nozzles of the plurality of nozzles based on the calculated first density correction value.

A printer includes a controller configured to perform a first printing process to control a thermal head to print a first image with a first density, store first print data for identifying the first image and first density data for identifying the first density into a first memory device attached to an attachment holder, when a second memory device storing second print data and second density data is attached to the attachment holder, acquire from the second memory device the second print data and the second density data stored into the second memory device by another printer, and perform a second printing process to control the thermal head to print a second image with a second density, the second image being identified based on the acquired second print data, the second density being identified based on the acquired second density data.

A printer may be used to print on print media, such as labels, where the print media, as fed through the print, spans substantially less than the full width of the printhead and platen. This may result in uneven print pressure across the print media during the print process. The uneven print pressure, in turn, may result in an uneven print density on the print media, which causes poor print quality. A system and method is employed with identifies the uneven print pressure, and compensates for the uneven print pressure to ensure consistent print density and good print quality. Along segments of the printhead which apply a below average pressure to the print media, the printhead is configured to apply a proportionately higher density of an appropriate contrast-inducing element, such as ink or heat. Along segments of the printhead which apply an above average pressure to the print media, the printhead is configured to apply a proportionately lower density of an appropriate contrast-inducing element, such as ink or heat.

Each area in a test pattern for performing color shift correction is recorded by a discharge port at an edge portion in many times of scanning and by a discharge port other than the discharge port at the edge portion in fewer times of scanning.