In accordance with an embodiment, a print head includes a first light emitting element line and a second light emitting element line. The first light emitting element line and the second light emitting element line each include a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light on the basis of image data. The plurality of light emitting elements of the second light emitting element line are arranged deviated from the plurality of light emitting elements of the first light emitting element line by a certain interval in a main scanning direction.

A liquid discharging apparatus includes a print head unit including a nozzle array with a plurality of nozzles in a sub-scanning direction, each nozzle being configured to discharge liquid onto a print medium. The liquid discharging apparatus includes a moving unit configured to move the print head unit in a scanning direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction with respect to the print medium, while causing discharge of the liquid onto the print medium. The moving unit is configured to move, without discharge of liquid, the print medium or the print head unit in the sub-scanning direction. The liquid discharging apparatus includes a line-pitch setting unit configured to set a line pitch by which the print head unit moves, per scan with respect to the sub-scanning direction.

The present invention embraces a method and apparatus for an efficient and economical print quality setup for thermal printers. A thermal printhead of a thermal printer constitutes multiple printhead banks. The printhead banks may be controlled by strobe signals. While configuring print quality, each of the strobe signals may operate separately with different power causing the printhead banks to operate in different configurations while printing an identical pattern. As each the banks are operating in different configuration, they each print the identical pattern with a different print quality. One print quality may be selected from the different quality patterns printed by each printhead bank on a single printed label or media. The selected quality pattern corresponds to a quality factor. The method may reduce the time to select a configuration and may reduce the amount of usage of media or labels.

A 3D printing device is provided, which includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels; a storage apparatus arranged in a light path of the display panel for storing a liquid light curable material, and a control component for controlling the display panel to perform imaging. The 3D printing device further includes a microlens array arranged in the light path between the display panel and the storage apparatus for adjusting the light path. The display panel further includes a light blocking matrix arranged at a non-pixel area of the display panel to separate the plurality of pixels from each other. The microlens array includes a plurality of microlenses arranged on the light blocking matrix, each microlens of the plurality of microlenses covers a single pixel of the plurality of pixels and light blocking layers of the light blocking matrix adjacent to the single pixel.

In accordance with an embodiment, a print head includes a first light emitting element line and a second light emitting element line. The first light emitting element line and the second light emitting element line each include a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light on the basis of image data. The plurality of light emitting elements of the second light emitting element line are arranged deviated from the plurality of light emitting elements of the first light emitting element line by a certain interval in a main scanning direction.

An optical print head comprises a first light emitting element row, a second light emitting element row, a lens array, a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first light emitting element row includes the arrangement of first light emitting elements. The second light emitting element row includes second light emitting elements arranged in parallel with the first light emitting element row. The lens array concentrates light emitted by the first light emitting elements and the second light emitting elements. The first drive circuit drives each first light emitting element with an identical first current value. The second drive circuit drives each second light emitting element with an identical second current value different from the first current value.

The present invention embraces a method and apparatus for an efficient and economical print quality setup for thermal printers. A thermal printhead of a thermal printer constitutes multiple printhead banks. The printhead banks may be controlled by strobe signals. While configuring print quality, each of the strobe signals may operate separately with different power causing the printhead banks to operate in different configurations while printing an identical pattern. As each the banks are operating in different configuration, they each print the identical pattern with a different print quality. One print quality may be selected from the different quality patterns printed by each printhead bank on a single printed label or media. The selected quality pattern corresponds to a quality factor. The method may reduce the time to select a configuration and may reduce the amount of usage of media or labels.

An optical print head comprises a first light emitting element row, a second light emitting element row, a lens array, a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first light emitting element row includes the arrangement of first light emitting elements. The second light emitting element row includes second light emitting elements arranged in parallel with the first light emitting element row. The lens array concentrates light emitted by the first light emitting elements and the second light emitting elements. The first drive circuit drives each first light emitting element with an identical first current value. The second drive circuit drives each second light emitting element with an identical second current value different from the first current value.

A print engine includes a printer module for printing image data in a plurality of different print modes, wherein each print mode has an associated line print time. A data interface receives image data and associated metadata for a print job from a pre-processing system, the metadata including print mode metadata. A digital memory stores a plurality of pulse timing functions, each pulse timing function corresponding to one of the line print times associated with the plurality of print modes. A metadata interpreter interprets the metadata and determines the print mode to be used to print the image data. A printer module controller controls the printer module to print the image data using the pulse timing function corresponding to the line print time associated with the print mode, wherein each light source is activated for a pulse count corresponding to a pixel code value of an associated image pixel.

A print engine includes a printer module for printing image data in a plurality of different print modes, wherein each print mode has an associated line print time. A data interface receives image data and associated metadata for a print job from a pre-processing system, the metadata including print mode metadata. A digital memory stores a plurality of pulse timing functions, each pulse timing function corresponding to one of the line print times associated with the plurality of print modes. A metadata interpreter interprets the metadata and determines the print mode to be used to print the image data. A printer module controller controls the printer module to print the image data using the pulse timing function corresponding to the line print time associated with the print mode, wherein each light source is activated for a pulse count corresponding to a pixel code value of an associated image pixel.