Thermal transfer printer, composite consumable thereof and method for supplying such composite consumable to thermal transfer printer

A method for supplying thermal transfer consumable applicable to a thermal transfer printer comprising:

• installing a composite consumable onto a consumable supplying device of the thermal transfer printer, wherein the composite consumable is made by winding a thermal transfer ribbon and a printing media together around a common core with an ink side of the thermal transfer ribbon facing a surface of the printing media;
• supplying the thermal transfer ribbon and the printing media to the thermal transfer printer at the same time via the consumable supplying device installed with the composite consumable;
• wherein the thermal transfer printer comprises:
• the consumable supplying device installed with the composite consumable, wherein the consumable supplying device and the composite consumable are linked together;
• a thermal print head configured to heat an ink on the thermal transfer ribbon and to print heated ink onto the surface of the printing media;
• a platen roller configured to drive the composite consumable to pass through a printing area of the thermal print head;
• a motor configured to drive the platen roller to operate;
• and
• a printing control device respectively electrically connected with the thermal print head and the motor for controlling a printing of the thermal transfer printer;
• a RFID module and an antenna electrically connected with the RFID module, wherein the RFID module is further electrically connected with the printing control device to cooperate with a RFID tag chip installed on the composite consumable for reading an authentication information pre-stored in the RFID tag chip to verify a legality of the composite consumable before the composite consumable is supplied to the thermal transfer printer and for dynamically reading and writing a length information of the composite consumable to monitor and manage a length of the composite consumable after the legality of the composite consumable is verified.

A composite consumable made by winding a thermal transfer ribbon and a printing media together around a common core with an ink side of the thermal transfer ribbon facing a surface of the printing media;

• wherein the composite consumable is applicable to a thermal transfer printer comprising:
• a consumable supplying device installed with the composite consumable wherein the consumable supplying device and the composite consumable are linked together;
• a thermal print head configured to heat an ink on the thermal transfer ribbon and to print heated ink onto the surface of the printing media;
• a platen roller configured to drive the composite consumable to pass through a printing area of the thermal print head;
• a motor configured to drive the platen roller to operate;
• and
• a printing control device respectively electrically connected with the thermal print head and the motor for controlling a printing of the thermal transfer printer;
• wherein a free end of the thermal transfer ribbon is longer than a free end of the printing media.