Heat source segments aligned with different sizes

A printing system comprising:

• a printing blanket location;
• and
• a heater for radiating heat onto a printing blanket placed at the printing blanket location, wherein the heater comprises:
• a heating element disposed between a first end of the heater and a second end of the heater, wherein an amount of heat generated per unit time varies along the heating element between the first end of the heater and the second end of the heater, such that the heat per unit time received at the printing blanket location is substantially uniform along a length of the printing blanket location.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

• (i) receiving data indicating an input heat radiating pattern of a heat source for radiating heat onto an intermediate printing material transfer element;
• (ii) receiving data indicating a specified distance between the heat source and a heating target;
• (iii) determining a heat profile at the heating target of heat radiated from the heat source having the input heat radiating pattern from the specified distance;
• (iv) comparing the determined heat profile to a desired heat profile;
• (v) determining whether or not the input heat radiating pattern meets a selection criteria on the basis of the comparison of (iv);
• (vi) selecting the input heat radiating pattern if the input heat radiating pattern meets the selection criteria;
• and
• (vii) repeating (i) to (v) if the input heat radiating pattern does not meet the selection criteria.