Patent ID: 7965308
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: B41J,G07B

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling printing by a thermotransfer printing apparatus, said thermotransfer printing apparatus comprising a print data controller and a thermotransfer print head with heating elements arranged in a row which is arranged orthogonally to a transport direction of a print medium and operated by drivers to produce printed dots for printing a printed image on said print medium, said method comprising the steps of: in said print data controller, for each of said dots lying in a print column to be printed by said heating elements, converting a pixel energy value, that controls printing of each of said dots, into a number of binary pixel data corresponding to the pixel energy value for each of said dots, each of the binary pixel data of said number of binary pixel data having a same binary value; incorporating each of the binary pixel data of said number of binary pixel data for heating any one heating element of said row in any one phase of a plurality of phases of a print pulse duration of a single print pulse; supplying a plurality of binary pixel data in succession from said print data controller to said drivers wherein each of said plurality of binary pixel data is scheduled for heating a predetermined heating element for printing a dot lying in a print column n said same phase of said print pulse duration; and in said driver, energy during a plurality of phases of said single print pulse to said thermotransfer print head to produce said printed dots lying in said print column on said print medium.