Thermal printer that adjusts paper feed to match print pitch

A thermal printer comprising:

• memory means for storing printing patterns;
• a printer unit on which a thermal printing head having one line of dot print elements is replaceably mounted, said printer unit driving said printing head to print a printing pattern stored in said memory means in a unit of one line;
• a paper feed unit for feeding paper in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a print element line of the printing head mounted on the printer unit;
• first timer means for setting a print cycle for the printing head mounted on said printer unit;
• second timer means for setting a feed cycle for feeding paper to said printing head at a selected speed;
• and
• control means for concurrently driving said printer unit in the print cycle and said paper feed unit in the feed cycle, said control means driving said printer unit to cause said printing head to print in the print cycle while the paper feed unit is driven to continuously feed paper to said printer unit at said selected speed determined by the feed cycle set by said second timer means;
• wherein said control means includes adjusting means for adjusting at least one of said first and second timer means, to thereby adjust at least one of the print cycle and feed cycle, in such a manner that a length of the paper feed per printing line is equal to a print element pitch of said printing head, according to the print element pitch of said printing head.