FC53-Li/FC53-Lc/FC53-Ri/FC53-Rc User Manual
Rev.2.0
34
3.7 Printing Principle
3.7.1 Thermal Transfer Technology
FC53-Li/FC53-Lc/FC53-Ri/FC53-Rc machines use thermal transfer print heads, similar to
that used in fax machines.
With specially treated paper (blackened when heated), the thermal printer can also work
without ribbon. This is how the fax paper works. However, printers basically use ribbon at
all times.
Both FC53 devices use thermal transfer print heads for printing.
Along the print line, each print head has a series of heating elements (resistors). These
print dots are 12 per millimeter and are protected by enamel.
When printing, the print head is removed by turning on the cylinder. This causes the print
head to press the ink ribbon against the substrate or label.
The heat of the printing point will melt the ink, and the pressure between the print head
and the substrate will transfer the ink to the substrate.
FC53-Li/FC53-Lc/FC53-Ri/FC53-Rc equipment uses the principle of stepper motor to drive
the print head / brake movement and ribbon feeding.
3.7.2 Printing process
For intermittent printers, the stepping rate of the print head carriage motor is directly
related to the linear motion of the carriage.
The length of time that the dots are energized for is determined by the linear speed of the
print head carriage.
For continuous mobile printers, the length of time that the dots are energized is
determined by the speed of the ribbon, and the speed of the ribbon is controlled by the
data from the speed encoder.
The print control processor will determine which dots to energize and when to activate
them.
In both cases, the length of each dot should ultimately be 1/12 mm to maintain the aspect
ratio of the printed characters.
