Patent ID: 7589754

Claim:
A printer which records a color image on a recording medium, by irradiating the recording medium cyclically with a plurality of colors while relatively feeding the recording medium for use to record the image in a predetermined direction by a motor, comprising: a light emitter which emits a plurality of different colored lights; a liquid crystal shutter which is placed on an optical path shared by the plurality of colored lights emitted by the light emitter and controls irradiation of the recording medium with the colored lights by opening and closing by application of a voltage; a pulse generating section which generates write command pulses synchronized with rotation of the motor; an emission control section which makes the light emitter illuminate with the plurality of colored lights in sequence upon receiving one of write command pulses generated by the pulse generating section, and keeps the light emitter off during a wait period for a next write command pulse after a round of illumination with the plurality of colored lights is completed; a shutter control section which controls the opening and closing of the liquid crystal shutter in synchronization with the sequential illumination of the light emitter with the plurality of colored lights so as to open the liquid crystal shutter individually for each colored light for a duration in accordance with an image signal as well as opens and closes the liquid crystal shutter even during the wait period; and wherein the shutter control section sets an open period of the liquid crystal shutter during the wait period equal to an open period of the liquid crystal shutter immediately before the wait period.