PURPOSE: To provide a thermal head capable of enhancing an image grade without generating a notched feeling even when an oblique line is printed.
CONSTITUTION: A large number of drive electrodes 12, the heating resistor elements ra, rb, rc, rd, ... connected across the respective drive electrodes 12, the bipolar drive circuits connected to the drive electrodes 12 and a changeover means alternately driving the odd number-th bipolar drive circuits and the even number-th bipolar drive circuits are provided. In this case, when the changeover means is operated at each time when the printing of one line is performed to alternately drive the odd number-th bipolar drive circuits and the even number-th bipolar drive circuits, a printing place can be shifted by a half dot in a main scanning direction. Therefore, even when an oblique line is printed, a notched feeling is not generated and an image grade can be enhanced.
OGATA HIDEICHIRO
INOUE HIROYUKI
