PURPOSE: To control an optical output or drive time of a solid scanning-type printing head per element based on a simultaneous output of an analog voltage level of one line to realize a multivalued output of this head by using an analog shift register in the printing head.
CONSTITUTION: In a printing head, a D/A converter 21 converts multivalued digital image data to analog signals per pixel; an analog shift register 22 shifts the signals per pixel and holds them; an analog latch register 23 simultaneously receives the analog signals for one line held in the register 22 on a latch clock signal and holds them; and a driver 24 drives an LED array 25 based on the analog signals per pixel in synchronism with a horizontal synchronizing signal. While the register 22 successively receives image data for one line, the array 25 is driven based on the data for one line held in the register 23. In this case, the driver 24 changes a luminous intensity to control an intensity modulation light quantity to realize a multivalued output.
NAKATANI MUNEHIRO
KAMEI NOBUO
