Control device for a thermosensitive stencil printer

A thermosensitive stencil printer comprising:

• a thermal head for perforating a thermosensitive stencil and having an array of heating portions arranged in a main scanning direction;
• stencil conveying means for conveying the thermosensitive stencil in a subscanning direction perpendicular to said main scanning direction;
• a control device comprising
• (a) drive means for driving the stencil conveying means;
• (b) resolution setting means by which an operator sets a desired resolution in the subscanning direction;
• (c) drive control means for controlling, in response to an output of said resolution setting means, said drive means at a pitch corresponding to the desired resolution;
• and
• (d) heating interval control means for increasing, when said desired resolution is above a certain threshold, an interval of time between consecutive generations of heat by said heating portions;
• means for pressing said thermal head against said thermosensitive stencil to thereby perforate said stencil in a pattern matching an image signal;
• a print drum around which the perforated stencil is wrapped;
• and
• ink feeding means for feeding ink to a sheet via said pattern of said stencil wrapped around said print drum to thereby form an ink image on said sheet,
• wherein each of said heating portions has a dimension in said subscanning direction which is smaller than a pitch corresponding to the highest resolution available with said resolution setting means.