Printing device with transverse guide for offsetting a print head transversely with respect to the printing direction

The invention relates to a printing device, in particular to a franking and/or addressing machine, with a print head which is held displaceably on a print-head holder. In order to achieve the relative movement between a print head and a medium to be printed, the print-head holder is configured such that, during printing, it can be moved along a first line with respect to a base element, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position. In addition, a first offsetting device is provided which permits the printing of printed images offset from one another transversely with respect to the first line. The first offsetting device is configured to offset the print head relative to the print-head holder from a first transverse position into at least a second transverse position spaced apart from the first transverse position transversely with respect to the first line. In this case, the first offsetting device contains at least a first guide device with a first guide face and at least a second guide device with a guide element which cooperate, with mutual relative movement, in order to offset the print head from the first into the second transverse position by moving the print-head holder along the first line. A printing device is described that has a print head held displaceably on a print-head holder. To achieve a relative movement between the print head and a medium to be printed, the print-head holder is configured such that during printing it can be moved in a first line with respect to a base element, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position. An offsetting device is provided which permits a printing of images offset from one another transversely with respect to an imaginary line and which is configured to offset the print head relative to the print-head holder from a first transverse position into at least a second transverse position spaced apart from the first transverse position, transversely with respect to the imaginary line.