Patent ID: 6227730
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A thermal transfer printer comprising:a carriage that freely reciprocates along a platen;a thermal head mounted on said carriage;a head up-down mechanism that brings said thermal head into contact with said platen, and detaches it from said platen;a carriage moving mechanism that reciprocates said carriage, whereby said thermal transfer printer executes printing on a printing medium with said thermal head pressed to said platen, while moving said carriage and driving said thermal head; andcontrol means, for controlling a plurality of printing modes, that select a contact pressure of said thermal head to said platen in correspondence with a selected printing mode, and control a printing setting position by controlling a dummy dot space corresponding to an electrical energization starting position for said thermal head at the time of image development of said printing data in accordance with said selected printing mode, when the printing is carried out on the same sheet under a plurality of printing modes, to correct a displacement of the printing position in response to a variation in the contact pressure to said platen as said printing mode is selected.