Method and apparatus for printing partially overlapping characters

Abstract

Plural imprints of a selected character on a record carrier medium, which imprints are close together, mutually offset and partially overlapping, are generated in an office machine printer equipped with a typing element, in order to correct misprints or produce bold face prints. The printer is arranged to produce lines of typed characters, and to effect relative movement along a typing line between the typing element and the record carrier medium, by a sequence of operations composed of: effecting an initial relative movement between the typing element and the record carrier medium in a first direction along the printing line to an initial position, and generating at least one imprint of the selected character; effecting a second relative movement between the typing element and the medium by a given number of elemental steps, which number is equal to at least one, each having a length which is a fraction of the spacing between successive characters on a typed line, in the first direction from the initial position to a second position; and effecting a third relative movement between the typing element and the medium by the same number of elemental steps as the second movement, in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, along the printing line, from the second position to a third position, and generating at least one further imprint of the selected character.