Electro-optical printing system

A method of electro-optically printing alpha-numeric characters on the recording surface of a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:

• arranging a plurality of radiation emitters in a straight line array, each of the said emitters being capable of emitting radiation at wavelengths to which said photosensitive material is sensitive,
• selectively energizing for predetermined periods of time each of the said emitters,
• transmitting the emitted radiation from each of the said emitters to a different area on said surface,
• providing relative movement at substantially constant speed between said recording surface and said emitters, and
• coordinating the predetermined periods of time in which each of said plurality of emitters are selectively energized with said constant speed of said relative movement between said emitters and recording surface so that alpha-numeric character images are recorded on said recording surface by exposure of selected ares of said recording surface by said emitted radiation, said step of coordinating including the steps of synchronously generating a first data signal which programs the order to energization of said emitters and a second data signal which determines the duration of the energization period of said emitters, and employing said first and second data signals to effect energization of said emitters so as to record said alpha-numeric character images.