Portable printer and methods

A printer, comprising:

• a housing,
• a support mounted on the housing,
• a print head mounted on the support and capable of printing on a web of record members,
• an ink ribbon cartridge received on the support,
• a holder continuously spring-urged into a non-operating position,
• a sensor and/or a light source on the holder,
• the holder being movable between the non-operating position and an operating position through an intermediate position,
• the ink ribbon cartridge being movable to move the holder from the non-operating position to the intermediate position against the spring-urging, and
• the housing having a movable housing section capable of moving the holder from the intermediate position to the operating position against the spring-urging.

A printer comprising:

• a housing,
• a support movably mounted on the housing between operating and non-operating positions, the support being continuously spring-urged to its non-operating position,
• a platen roll mounted on the housing, the support being cooperable with respect to the platen roll in the operating position, and
• a print head yieldably mounted to the support.