Thermal printing mechanism, thermal printer, and thermal printing method

A thermal printing method of a thermal printing mechanism that comprises a head unit having a heating element, a energizing unit that energizes the heating element, and a energizing control unit that controls the energizing unit to energize the heating element for a total energization time that is set according to a color density of a pixel to be recorded on a recoding medium so that the higher the color density is, the longer the total energization time becomes in a total time period required for recording one pixel, thermal printing method comprising:

• dividing the total time period into a plurality of energization time units of arbitrary lengths, based on printing speed, and from among the divided energization time units, specifying energization time units for energization so that a sum of the energization time units for energization is equivalent to the total energization time, the dividing and the specifying being executed by the energizing control unit;
• and
• controlling the energizing unit so that the energization time units for energization appear continuous, if the printing speed is lower than a first printing speed, and controlling the energizing unit so that the energization time units for energization do not appear continuous, if the printing speed is equal to or higher than the first printing speed, the controlling being executed by the energizing control unit.