High efficiency printing system for improved image quality

A high efficiency thermal printing system, comprising:

• a donor ribbon having donor material;
• a receiver medium;
• a test pattern to be printed on the receiver medium using the donor ribbon, wherein the test pattern includes at least two portions with different code values, whereby the different code values cause different amounts of donor material to be transferred from the donor ribbon onto the receiver medium;
• a print head located in a thermal printer, wherein the print head is adapted to print the test pattern on the receiver medium by heating the donor ribbon to cause the donor material to transfer from the donor ribbon onto the receiver medium, thereby depleting donor material on the donor ribbon;
• a sensor adapted to measure a depletion amount of the donor material on the donor ribbon after printing the test pattern;
• and
• a processor adapted to calibrate the thermal printing system by adjusting a lookup table in response to the measured depletion amount of donor material.