Patent ID: 7382388

Claim:
A thermal printer adapted to perform printing on a paper based on printing density data input, the thermal printer comprising: a thermal head having at least one heating element; a temperature detector which is configured to detect a temperature of the thermal head; and a control part which is operatively connected to the thermal head and the temperature detector and configured to receive the printing density data and control an amount of energy to be supplied to the heating element based on the printing density data, wherein the control part stores therein a printing density-energy supply amount table which sets forth an amount of energy to be supplied to the heating element to perform printing with certain printing densities at certain head temperatures, the printing density-energy supply amount table setting forth that the amount of energy to be supplied is greater than zero at the printing density of zero if the head temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, while the energy to be supplied to the heating element is zero at the printing density of zero if the head temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.