Thermotransfer printer, and method for controlling activation of printing elements of a print head thereof

A printer comprising:

• a thermotransfer print head having a plurality of individually actuatable printing elements;
• an ink carrier device comprising an ink carrier carrying ink thereon, said ink carrier device being disposed at a position to interact with said printing elements of said print head, said printing elements of said print head, when individually activated, melting said ink carried on said ink carrier to transfer said ink onto a print medium to print an image point;
• and
• a processing unit connected to said thermotransfer print head for individually actuating said printing elements to respectively print image points forming a print image on said print medium comprising at least one print image type, said processing unit actuating at least one of said printing elements by automatically determining an energy quantity for supply to said one of said printing elements dependent on the print image type at the image point to be printed by the printing element.

A franking machine comprising:

• a thermotransfer print head having a plurality of individually actuatable printing elements;
• an ink carrier device comprising an ink carrier carrying ink thereon, said ink carrier device being disposed at a position to interact with said printing elements of said print head, said printing elements of said print head, when individually activated, melting said ink carried on said ink carrier to transfer said ink onto a print medium to print an image point;
• a security module containing security information required by a governmental authority to be embedded in a franking imprint;
• and
• a processing unit connected to said thermotransfer print head and to said security module for individually actuating said printing elements respectively to print image points forming a franking imprint on said print medium comprising at least one print image type, and embodying said security information, said processing unit actuating at least one of said printing elements by determining an energy quantity for supply to said one of said printing elements dependent on the print image type at the image point that will be printed by the printing element.

An ink carrier device comprising:

• a device body adapted to be placed adjacent a thermotransfer print head comprising a plurality of individually actuatable printing elements;
• an ink carrier disposed in said device body, carrying ink adapted to be melted dependent on energy supplied to individual ones of said printing elements to transfer said ink onto a print medium to print respective image points of a print image comprising at least one print image type;
• and
• a memory attached to said carrier body containing information that is specifically characteristic of said ink carrier device with regard to melting of said ink for printing the print image type at each image point.