Print head with split rendering of print jobs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814657-B2
Application number	US-201715655993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods where multi-color graphics on a substrate are printed at a first resolution, and single color data is printed at a second, higher resolution using the same print head. The multi-color graphics can be a printed photograph of a person, a printed logo, or any printed feature that is printed using multiple colors. The single color data can be printed alphanumeric text such as a person's name, address, account number or any other data that is printed using a single color.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printing method in a personalization machine for plastic cards or passports, the method comprising:
printing on a plastic card, a passport page, or a retransfer film at a first resolution using a thermal print head and at least a first panel section of a ribbon supply located in the personalization machine; and
printing on the plastic card, the passport page, or the retransfer film at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution using the thermal print head and a second panel section of the ribbon supply located in the personalization machine.

2. The printing method of claim 1 , further comprising:
printing multi-color graphical data on the plastic card, the passport page, or the retransfer film at the first resolution using the thermal print head; and
printing single color data on the plastic card, the passport page, or the retransfer film at the second resolution using the thermal print head,
wherein the multi-color graphical data comprises a photograph of a person or a logo, and the single color data comprises alphanumeric text.

3. The printing method of claim 2 , further comprising:
printing the multi-color graphical data using cyan, magenta and yellow print ribbon panels, and
printing the single color data using a black ribbon panel.

4. A plastic card, a passport page, or a retransfer film having a printed image that is printed according to the method of claim 1 .

5. The printing method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following:
laminating a surface of the plastic card;
programming an integrated circuit chip on the plastic card;
encoding a magnetic stripe on the plastic card.

6. A personalization machine for plastic cards or passports, the personalization machine comprising:
a thermal print head; and
a controller that controls the thermal print head to print multi-color graphical data on a plastic card, a passport page, or a retransfer film using the thermal print head and at least a first panel section of a print ribbon at a first resolution, and to print single color data on the plastic card, the passport page, or the retransfer film using the thermal print head and a second panel section of the print ribbon at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution.

7. The personalization machine of claim 6 , wherein the personalization machine includes a lamination mechanism, a smart card mechanism, and/or a magnetic stripe encoding mechanism.

8. A personalization printer for plastic cards or passports, the personalization printer comprising:
a thermal print head;
a multi-color print ribbon that includes a first panel section and a second panel section; and
a controller operably coupled to the thermal print head to control operation of the thermal print head, wherein the controller can control the thermal print head to print multi-color graphical data on a plastic card, a passport page, or a retransfer film at a first resolution using the thermal print head and at least the first panel section; and print single color data on the plastic card, the passport page, or the retransfer film at a second, higher resolution using the thermal print head and the second panel section.

9. The personalization printer of claim 8 , wherein the personalization printer includes a lamination mechanism, a smart card mechanism, and/or a magnetic stripe encoding mechanism.

Assignees

• Entrust Datacard Corp

Inventors

• Juriasingani Rajesh K
• Wagener Thomas

Classifications

• B41M3/14

  Security printing {(securities B42D25/29)} · CPC title

• B41M5/345

  by thermal transfer of dyes or pigments · CPC title

• B41J2/325

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B42D25/24

  Passports · CPC title

• B41J2/315

  characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material (B41J2/385, B41J2/435 take precedence) · CPC title