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 thermal printer according to one embodiment includes a thermal head, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The thermal head includes a plurality of heating elements. The temperature sensor is provided in the thermal head and is configured to measure a temperature of the thermal head. The control unit is configured to control an amount of heat generated from the heating elements by determining a pulse supply time for which a pulse signal is supplied to the thermal head based on the temperature of the thermal head and a cumulative heat generation time of the thermal head.

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 semiconductor device is adapted for controlling energization of a heating element that performs printing. The semiconductor device includes: a strobe signal input unit receiving a printing strobe signal that causes the heating element to generate heat for printing; a preheating strobe generation circuit generating a preheating strobe signal that causes the heating element to preheat by compressing a waveform of the printing strobe signal in a time axis direction; and an output controller outputting a control signal that controls energization of the heating element based on the printing strobe signal and the preheating strobe signal.

In some examples, continuous frequency based print pipeline generation may include ascertaining an input image that is to be printed. For a specified pixel of the input image, a first frequency and a second frequency that respectively correspond to first and second colors may be determined. Based on the first frequency and the second frequency, an intermediate frequency that is to be generated to produce an intermediate color relative to the first and second colors may be determined. The intermediate frequency may be converted to discrete pulses. Operation of a printhead that is to print the specified pixel may be controlled based on the discrete pulses.

A thermal printer according to one embodiment includes a thermal head, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The thermal head includes a plurality of heating elements. The temperature sensor is provided in the thermal head and is configured to measure a temperature of the thermal head. The control unit is configured to control an amount of heat generated from the heating elements by determining a pulse supply time for which a pulse signal is supplied to the thermal head based on the temperature of the thermal head and a cumulative heat generation time of the thermal head.

A semiconductor device is adapted for controlling energization of a heating element that performs printing. The semiconductor device includes: a strobe signal input unit receiving a printing strobe signal that causes the heating element to generate heat for printing; a preheating strobe generation circuit generating a preheating strobe signal that causes the heating element to preheat by compressing a waveform of the printing strobe signal in a time axis direction; and an output controller outputting a control signal that controls energization of the heating element based on the printing strobe signal and the preheating strobe signal.

Examples disclosed herein relate to an imaging device. Examples include a method for increasing the temperature of the imaging device by determining an internal temperature of the imaging device; determining if a start-up routine is to be initiated; pausing the start-up routine if the internal temperature is below a threshold temperature; and energizing at least one of a fan or heating element of the imaging device when the internal temperature is below the threshold temperature.

A fluid ejection device including a plurality of primitives each having a same set of addresses and including a plurality of fluid chambers, each fluid chamber corresponding to a different address of the set of addresses and including a firing mechanism. Input logic receives a series of fire pulse groups, each fire pulse group corresponding to an address of the set of addresses and including warming data having an enable value or a disable value and a series of firing bits, each firing bit corresponding to a different primitive and having a firing value or a non-firing value. For each firing bit of each fire pulse group, when the warming data has the enable value, activation logic provides a warming pulse to the firing mechanism of the fluid chamber corresponding to the firing bit when the firing bit has the non-firing value.

Examples disclosed herein relate to an imaging device. Examples include a method for increasing the temperature of the imaging device by determining an internal temperature of the imaging device; determining if a start-up routine is to be initiated; pausing the start-up routine if the internal temperature is below a threshold temperature; and energizing at least one of a fan or heating element of the imaging device when the internal temperature is below the threshold temperature.