Print data editing device, print data editing method and storage medium

Abstract

A print data editing apparatus, a print data editing method, and a storage medium are provided that can improve both print quality and print speed compared to previous methods. The control unit of the print data editing apparatus acquires image data (S1) and performs the following modification processing (S15): when a print unit obtained by dividing a point defined by multiple heating elements into M units (M is an integer greater than 2) in the sub-scanning direction is defined as a sub-point, multiple sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction are defined as sub-rows, sub-points with open print data are defined as print portions, and sub-points with closed print data are defined as non-print portions, or when sub-points with closed print data and portions outside the print area are defined as non-print portions, print data is generated in all sub-rows of at least one row in the print portion where at least one sub-point has been changed from open to closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a print data editing device, a print data editing method, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional printing apparatuses are known to use linear thermal heads with multiple heating elements to print onto printing media (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When the printing apparatus is operated by a power source such as a battery or AC adapter, the current that can be supplied to the linear thermal head simultaneously is limited by the power supply specifications. Therefore, conventional printing apparatuses correct the print data based on the number of dots to be printed, dividing the print data into even-numbered and odd-numbered dots for printing, thereby suppressing peak currents supplied to the linear thermal head.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-168794 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Previous printing devices could not adequately raise the temperature of the heating element at the starting point of the grid lines, which sometimes caused white streaking, making it difficult to balance print quality and printing speed.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a print data editing apparatus, a print data editing method, and a print data editing program that can improve both print quality and print speed compared to previous methods.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The first aspect of the present invention provides a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprising: a print head having a plurality of heating elements arranged linearly in a main scanning direction; and a transport unit for moving a printable object and the print head relative to each other in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the print data, which includes data indicating the ON / OFF state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The print data editing device includes a control unit capable of executing: Figure The data acquisition process acquires image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and the change process defines a printing unit as a sub-point by dividing the point defined by the plurality of heating elements into M (M is an integer greater than 2) in the sub-scanning direction, defines the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as sub-rows, defines the printing data as the enabled sub-points as printing portions, defines the printing data as the disabled sub-points as non-printing portions, or defines the printing data as the disabled sub-points and portions outside the printing area as non-printing portions, and generates printing data in at least one of the rows in the printing portions where at least one or more modified sub-points as sub-points are changed from enabled to disabled.

[0011] The second aspect of the present invention provides a print data editing method executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes: a print head having a plurality of heating elements arranged linearly in a main scanning direction; and a transport unit for moving a printable object and the print head relative to each other in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to print data including data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements. An image is formed by thermally transferring ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction. The print data editing method includes: image data. The process involves acquiring image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and a change process, where a print unit obtained by dividing the points defined by the plurality of heating elements in the sub-scanning direction into M units (M is an integer greater than 2) is defined as a sub-point, the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction are defined as sub-rows, the print data of the enabled sub-points is defined as print portions, and the print data of the disabled sub-points is defined as non-print portions, or the print data of the disabled sub-points and portions outside the print area are defined as non-print portions, and at least one change sub-point is generated in all the sub-rows of at least one row in the print portions, where at least one or more change sub-points that were enabled are changed to disabled print data. The print data editing method of the second scheme achieves the same effect as the print data editing device of the first scheme by being executed by the control unit of the print data editing device.

[0012] The storage medium of the third aspect of the present invention stores a print data editing program executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes: a print head having a plurality of heating elements arranged linearly in a main scanning direction; and a transport unit for moving a printable object and the print head relative to each other in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to print data including data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The print data editing program includes executing a process by the control unit to... The following processing instructions are provided: image data acquisition processing, acquiring image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and change processing, defining a printing unit obtained by dividing the point defined by the plurality of heating elements into M (M is an integer greater than 2) in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-point, defining the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as a sub-row, defining the printed data as the enabled sub-point as a printed portion, defining the printed data as the closed sub-point as a non-printed portion, or defining the printed data as the closed sub-point and the portion outside the printing area as a non-printed portion, generating at least one or more changed sub-points in all the sub-rows of at least one row in the printed portion that are changed from enabled to closed. The print data editing program of the third scheme achieves the same effect as the print data editing device of the first scheme by being executed by the control unit of the print data editing device. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram of printing device 1.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the printing device 1.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the printing process performed by printing device 1.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram of the input image G for a specific example.

[0017] Figure 5 This is an illustration of the process for generating high-resolution images.

[0018] Figure 6 This is an illustration of how to set the object image.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the comparison condition acquisition process performed during the printing process.

[0020] Figure 8 This is an illustration of the editing method.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the change processing performed during the printing process.

[0022] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram of the change processing for specific examples that are not being executed during editing.

[0023] Figure 11 This is an illustration of the change method.

[0024] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram of the change processing of a specific instance being edited.

[0025] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram comparing images before and after editing and modifying grid lines extending in the main scanning direction, based on the condition that the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent portions of the image in the main scanning direction X is 150 μm.

[0026] Figure 14 This is an illustration of the process for generating a composite image.

[0027] Figure 15 This is an illustration of the process for generating a composite image.

[0028] Figure 16 This is an explanatory diagram of the segmentation process.

[0029] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram of the segmentation process.

[0030] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram of the first, second, and third conditions that the editing method must satisfy.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a flowchart of the change processing performed during the printing process of the variant example.

[0032] Figure 20 This is an explanatory diagram comparing images before and after performing editing and modification processing on grid lines extending in the main scanning direction, under the condition that the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent partial images in the main scanning direction X is 300 μm. Detailed Implementation

[0033] A printing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are used to illustrate the technical features that can be employed by the present invention. That is, the structure and control of the apparatus shown in the drawings are not intended to be limited thereto, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the printing device 1 is a thermal transfer printer capable of printing characters (text, symbols, numbers, and graphics, etc.) onto a printing object F, and uses ink tape 48 (refer to...) Figure 2 An image is formed by thermal transfer onto the printing object F. The printing object F is not limited to a specific medium, but may be, for example, a sheet or strip; in this embodiment, it is a strip-shaped medium housed in the tape cassette 30. The printing apparatus 1 functions as a print data editing device for editing print data.

[0035] The printing device 1 includes a housing 2, an input unit 3, a communication unit 4, a cutting unit 11, and a display unit 12. Figure 2 The conveying unit 5 and print head 6 are shown. The housing 2 is box-shaped and includes a main body 21, a cover 22, and an assembly part 23. The housing 2 houses the conveying unit 5, the print head 6, and the cutting part 11. The housing 2 will... Figure 2 The power supply 10 shown is housed in a detachable manner. The power supply 10 supplies power to the printing device 1. The cover 22 is rotatably supported on the upper rear part of the main body 21. The mounting part 23 allows for the detachable assembly of the tape cassette 30, described later. Figure 2 As shown, the tape cassette 30 is equipped with a first tape roll 41, a second tape roll 42, an ink tape roll 43, an ink tape take-up spool 44, and a pressure roller 45. The first tape roll 41 is a roll wound with a film 46. The second tape roll 42 is a roll wound with a double-sided adhesive tape 47. The ink tape roll 43 is a roll wound with an ink tape 48. The ink tape 48 is mounted on the ink tape roll 43 and the ink tape take-up spool 44. The ink tape take-up spool 44 takes up the ink tape 48 after printing. The pressure roller 45 protrudes from the tape cassette 30 to the outside.

[0036] Input unit 3 and display unit 12 are provided on the upper surface of main body 21. Input unit 3 includes multiple buttons. Communication unit 4 is a USB port provided on the right side of housing 2. Display unit 12 is an LCD. Communication unit 4 is a connector for connecting a USB cable. Cutting unit 11 is provided near the discharge port for discharging the printed object F. Cutting unit 11 cuts the printed object F at a predetermined position.

[0037] The transport unit 5 is equipped with an electric motor 51 and Figure 2The rotating bodies 52 to 54 are shown. Each of the rotating bodies 52 to 54 is capable of rotating about an axis extending in the vertical direction. When the tape cartridge 30 is assembled with the assembly part 23, the rotating body 52 engages with the pressing roller 45. The rotating bodies 53 and 54 are rollers. The motor 51 rotates the rotating bodies 52 to 54. The rotating body 52 rotates the pressing roller 45. The transport part 5 uses the rotation of the rotating bodies 52 to 54 to transport the printing object F in the transport direction TR, thereby moving the printing object F relative to the print head 6. The transport direction TR is a direction orthogonal to the left and right direction, and in this embodiment, it extends obliquely upward and obliquely downward. Hereinafter, the obliquely upward direction in the transport direction TR will be referred to as the upstream side, and the obliquely downward direction will be referred to as the downstream side.

[0038] The printhead 6 is located at the rear of the rotating body 53. The printhead 6 is a linear head, comprising multiple elements 61 and... Figure 2 The driver IC 62 is shown. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of elements 61 is a heating element that heats up when energized. Printing is performed on the printing object F by the plurality of elements 61 contacting and heating the printing object F pressed rearward by the rotating body 53. The driver IC 62 is configured to selectively energize the plurality of elements 61 to heat them up.

[0039] Reference Figure 2 This section describes the electrical structure of the printing device 1. The printing device 1 includes a CPU 7, RAM 8, storage unit 9, communication unit 4, input unit 3, transport unit 5, print head 6, cutting unit 11, and display unit 12. The transport unit 5 includes a motor 51 and rotating bodies 52-54. The print head 6 includes a driver IC 62 and multiple components 61. The CPU 7 controls the printing device 1. The CPU 7 is electrically connected to the RAM 8, storage unit 9, communication unit 4, input unit 3, motor 51, driver IC 62, cutting unit 11, and display unit 12. The RAM 8 stores various variables and other temporary data. The storage unit 9 stores the program executed by the CPU 7 to control the printing device 1, print data, and various setting information. The communication unit 4 is a controller for communicating with an external device W via a USB cable. The external device W is, for example, a known information processing device such as a PC, tablet PC, or smartphone.

[0040] The printing operation of printing apparatus 1 is explained. In printing apparatus 1, a film 46 is pulled out from the first tape roll 41 by rotating the rotating bodies 52-54. Characters are printed by transferring ink from the ink tape 48 to the pulled-out film 46 by the print head 6. More specifically, multiple elements 61 of the print head 6 are selectively energized according to the printing data. Heat energy is applied to the portions of the printable object F that are in contact with the energized elements 61. Thus, printing apparatus 1 forms a pixel column arranged in the main scanning direction X corresponding to the arrangement of the multiple elements 61. Printing apparatus 1 intermittently performs multiple energizations relative to the multiple elements 61 while rotating the rotating bodies 52-54 using the motor 51 to transport the printable object downstream in the transport direction TR. As a result, multiple rows are formed for the printable object F in a direction orthogonal to the direction of pixel arrangement in a single-line image. The multiple rows, by the presence or absence of each pixel, create varying shades of color on the printable object F, forming a printed image. Double-sided adhesive tape 47 is pulled out from the second roll 42. The printed film 46 is pressed onto the pulled-out double-sided adhesive tape 47 by the pressing roller 45 to form the printed object F. The printed object F is cut by the cutting part 11 to become a label. The above actions are called the "printing action".

[0041] In the following description, the direction in which the multiple elements 61 are arranged is called the "main scan direction X," and the printing unit corresponding to a column of pixels arranged in the main scan direction X is called a "row." The direction in which the multiple rows are arranged is called the "sub-scan direction Y." The sub-scan direction Y is defined by the transport direction TR. The printing unit corresponding to each of the multiple elements 61 is called a "pixel" or "dot." The printing unit obtained by dividing a "dot" into multiple sub-dots in the sub-scan direction Y is called a "sub-dot." The printing unit corresponding to a column of sub-dots arranged in the main scan direction X is called a "sub-row."

[0042] Reference Figures 3 to 18 The printing process of printing device 1 is used for printing. Figure 4 The specific example of the input image G shown will illustrate this. For example... Figure 4As shown, the input image G is the image to be printed onto the printing object F. The left-right direction of the input image G corresponds to the main scanning direction X, and the up-down direction of the input image G corresponds to the sub-scanning direction Y. The left direction of the input image G corresponds to one side X1 of the main scanning direction, and the right direction of the input image G corresponds to the other side X2 of the main scanning direction. The top of the input image G corresponds to the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction, and the bottom of the input image G corresponds to the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction. The input image G includes a rectangular frame G1 and a text portion G2. The text portion G2 includes the Latin letters ABCDEF written in two segments. Within the printing area defined by the printing data, the portion consisting of sub-dots where the printing data is open is called the "printed portion," and the portion consisting of sub-dots where the printing data is closed is also called the "non-printed portion." In this embodiment, the portion outside the printing area is also included in the non-printed portion.

[0043] The user selects the input image G to be printed, and after specifying at least one of the characteristic portion, target portion, and non-target portion as needed, inputs a start instruction via the input unit 3. The characteristic portion is a portion of the input image G that is distinctive, such as a barcode, and is not preferably subject to the editing and transformation processing described later. The target portion is a portion of the input image G that the user has indicated will be subject to editing and transformation processing; for example, portions P1 and P2 extending from the frame line G1 in the main scanning direction X are specified. The non-target portion is a portion of the input image G that the user has indicated will not be subject to editing and transformation processing; for example, portion P3 containing text portion G2 is designated as a non-target portion.

[0044] When the CPU7 detects a start instruction, it reads the print data editing program for performing print processing from the storage unit 9 into the RAM 8. The CPU7 then executes the print processing, which includes the following steps, according to the instructions contained in the read print data editing program. Various data obtained during the print processing are appropriately stored in the storage unit 9. Hereinafter, these steps will be abbreviated as S. Figure 5 , Figures 10-12 and Figures 16-18 In the diagram, a portion of multiple sub-dots corresponding to the printed data are shown as a matrix. Sub-dots with the printed data enabled are shown with a dotted background, while sub-dots with the printed data disabled are shown in white. The left-right and up-down directions correspond to the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y, respectively. The column names, represented by numbers, indicate the identification numbers assigned sequentially to each of the multiple elements 61 starting from one side X1 of the main scanning direction. The row names, represented by numbers, indicate the identification numbers of the rows printed by the elements 61. The printing device 1 forms an image on the printing object F in ascending order of row numbers.

[0045] like Figure 3As shown, CPU 7 acquires image data representing the input image G (S1). The image data corresponds to the multiple elements 61 arranged in the main scanning direction X. For example, CPU 7 acquires image data generated by external device W with a resolution higher than the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y defined by the multiple elements 61 via communication unit 4. CPU 7 can also acquire image data generated by external device W with a resolution lower than the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y defined by the multiple elements 61, image data stored in storage unit 9, and image data edited by operation input unit 3.

[0046] CPU7 determines whether to perform high-resolution processing (S2). High-resolution processing is the process of increasing the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y by dividing the image data representing the input image G obtained in S1 into rows. For example, if the image data obtained in S1 is image data generated by an external device W with a resolution higher than the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y defined by the multiple elements 61, CPU7 does not perform high-resolution processing. For example, if the image data obtained in S1 is image data with a resolution lower than the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y defined by the multiple elements 61, CPU7 performs high-resolution processing.

[0047] When performing high-resolution processing (S2: Yes), CPU7 performs high-resolution processing on the image data by segmenting each row in the sub-scanning direction Y, thereby increasing the resolution in the sub-scanning direction Y (S3). For example... Figure 5 As shown, CPU7 divides each row into three equal parts along the sub-scanning direction Y. The number of divisions for each row can be changed appropriately. By equally dividing each row along the sub-scanning direction Y, the start timing of each sub-point is set to an equal period. Three consecutive sub-points along the sub-scanning direction Y correspond to one point. CPU7 sets all sub-points generated by dividing the points of the printed portion as the printed portion. CPU7 sets all sub-points generated by dividing the one point of the non-printed portion as the non-printed portion. If no high-resolution processing is performed (S2: No), CPU7 does not perform any processing on the input image G obtained in S1 (S4).

[0048] Following S3 or S4, CPU7 determines whether the input image G obtained in S1 has a feature portion (S5). If the input image G has a feature portion (S5: Yes), CPU7 sets a non-feature portion for the object image that is to be edited (S6). The non-feature portion is the portion after removing the feature portion from the high-resolution image of S3 or the input image G of S4. Through the processing of S6, if the input image G contains a specific pattern, the object image is set in a way that editing processing is not performed on that specific pattern.

[0049] If no feature portion is set (S5: No), CPU7 determines whether the input image G obtained in S1 has an object portion set (S7). If the input image G has object portions P1 and P2 set (S7: Yes), such as Figure 6 As shown, CPU7 sets object portions P1 and P2 on the object image (S8). Through the processing of S8, when the input image G has object portions P1 and P2 set, the object image is set in a way that the object portions P1 and P2 are edited, but the non-object portions other than the object portions P1 and P2 are not edited.

[0050] If the input image G has a non-object portion P3 (S7: Yes), then... Figure 6 As shown, CPU7 sets the object image as the portion H obtained by removing the non-object portion P3 from the high-resolution image of S3 or the input image G of S4 (S8). Through the processing of S8, if the input image G has a non-object portion P3, the object image is set in a manner that editing processing is not performed on the non-object portion P3, but on the object portion H other than the non-object portion P3. If the input image G does not have an object portion set (S7: No), CPU7 sets the object image as the high-resolution image of S3 or the input image G of S4 (S9).

[0051] Following S6, S8, or S9, CPU7 performs a comparison condition acquisition process (S10). This comparison condition acquisition process acquires the conditions used in determining whether to perform editing processing. In this embodiment, CPU7 acquires the printing speed when editing processing is performed and the printing speed when editing processing is not performed as conditions used in determining whether to perform editing processing. Editing processing is a process performed to reduce the peak value of the number of energized elements 61 (hereinafter referred to as "effective number of dots") by dispersing multiple sub-dots on the same row to multiple rows according to a predetermined rule in the sub-scanning direction Y.

[0052] like Figure 7 As shown, in the comparison condition acquisition process, CPU7 obtains the printing speed without editing (S31). If there is a row with more valid dots than a threshold, CPU7 divides the multiple elements 61 into multiple blocks for that row. The printing device 1 prints an image of one row by energizing the multiple elements 61 multiple times for each of the divided blocks. Printing in this manner is called "segmented printing." The printing speed is slower than without segmented printing, depending on the number of rows and blocks printed in segmented printing. CPU7 considers the number of rows and blocks printed in segmented printing to obtain the printing speed without editing.

[0053] CPU7 acquires the editing method to be used in the current editing process from among multiple editing methods (S32). The editing method can be specified by the user, or it can be selected by CPU7 according to the type, size, etc. of the input image G. The printing device 1 of this embodiment can select one of six editing methods. See reference. Figure 8 The six editing methods will be explained using the application of an input image G as an example. The first to fourth editing methods each edit the print data by dividing the object image into multiple partial images in column units and sliding each of the divided partial images in the sub-scanning direction Y by a predetermined amount corresponding to the partial image. More specifically, the CPU7 divides the object image into J rectangles (J is a natural number) in a rectangular shape along the sub-scanning direction Y. Relative to the initial position shown by the dashed line PM, each rectangle is moved as a partial image along the sub-scanning direction Y within a range satisfying the following three conditions. J can be set appropriately; in this embodiment, it is 10. If a grid portion extending along the sub-scanning direction Y, such as the frame line G1 of the input image G, is included in the object image, the CPU7 can also adjust the length of the rectangle's main scan direction X so that the grid portion extending along the sub-scanning direction Y is not positioned at the rectangle's boundary. The lengths of the rectangles in the sub-scanning direction Y can be the same or different.

[0054] The first condition is as follows: When comparing part or all of the object image and the printed image between the upstream end DE of the upstream side Y2 and the downstream end UE of the downstream side Y1 in the sub-scanning direction Y, using multiple points (column units) arranged continuously in the sub-scanning direction Y, the consistency is maximized when the image contained in the column of the printed image is at the same position as the image represented by the column of the object image or has slid by a specified amount in the sub-scanning direction Y, and the maximum value among the absolute values ​​of the multiple specified amounts of the multiple columns is 1 or more. The second condition is as follows: The absolute value of the difference between the specified amounts of any two adjacent columns in the main scanning direction X is 1 or less. The multiple specified amounts of the multiple columns are the specified amounts of each column. The consistency is the number of sub-points with consistent on / off values ​​in the column containing sub-points at the same position in the main scanning direction X, divided by the number of sub-points contained in that column. The consistency is a number between 0 and 1. In this embodiment, the specified amount for sliding downstream Y1 in the sub-scanning direction is represented by a positive value, and the specified amount for sliding upstream Y2 in the sub-scanning direction is represented by a negative value. The third condition is as follows: the absolute value of one or more of the absolute values ​​of the differences between the specified amounts of any two columns is a value less than 1, represented by sub-points obtained by dividing the point into multiple sub-points in the sub-scanning direction Y.

[0055] For example, the on / off values ​​of sub-points contained in columns with the same position in the main scan direction X are related to... Figure 18When comparing each column of the input image J1 and the printed image J2, if columns 1 to 7 each slide by -3 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -1 sub-points, -1 sub-points, 0 sub-points, and 0 sub-points respectively in the sub-scanning direction Y, the consistency becomes the maximum value of 1. In a specific example, 3 sub-points are equivalent to 1 point, so the input image J1 and the printed image J2 satisfy the first condition. If the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent columns in the main scanning direction X is 1 sub-point or 0 sub-point, the input image J1 and the printed image J2 satisfy the second and third conditions. On the other hand, when comparing columns 1 to 7 sequentially from the main scanning direction X1 in the printed image J4 where the input image J1 and the printed data of a portion of the printed portion, after undergoing editing processing and subsequent change processing, are changed from open to closed, the specified amounts are the same, but the consistency with the elements 61 corresponding to identification numbers 2 to 6 is 14 / 15, which is less than 1. The specified values ​​of each column when comparing input image J1 and printed image J4 are the same as those when comparing input image J1 and printed image J2. Therefore, input image J1 and printed image J4 satisfy the first, second, and third conditions. The length of point I in the sub-scanning direction Y varies depending on the resolution of the printed image. Although the length of point I in the sub-scanning direction Y depends on the resolution of element 61, it is approximately in the range of 20μm to 170μm. Therefore, the second condition can also be that the absolute value of the difference between the specified values ​​of any two adjacent columns in the main scanning direction X is 150μm or less. In this embodiment, CPU7 further edits the object image in a manner that minimizes the absolute value of the specified value at the center of the main scanning direction X. The portion corresponding to the continuous printed portion in input image J1 is also continuous in printed images J2 and J4.

[0056] The first editing method is as follows: When a predetermined amount is set to a negative value when sliding upstream in the sub-scanning direction (Y2) and a predetermined amount is set to a positive value when sliding downstream in the sub-scanning direction (Y1), the object image is edited such that the predetermined amount in the main scanning direction (X) becomes larger the closer it is to the direction of a 90-degree clockwise rotation from the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction (Y1), i.e., the other side of the main scanning direction (X2). More specifically, as... Figure 8As shown, when the CPU7 applies the first editing method to the object image G, it sets the specified values ​​E1 to E10 of the first to ten rectangular partial images, starting from the main scanning direction X1, to -5 sub-points, -4 sub-points, -3 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -1 sub-points, 0 sub-points, 1 sub-point, 2 sub-points, 3 sub-points, and 4 sub-points respectively, generating the edited image H1. In the first editing method, the difference between the specified values ​​of any two adjacent columns is 0 sub-points or 1 sub-point, which is a value less than 1 point, represented by sub-points obtained by dividing the point into multiple sub-points in the sub-scanning direction Y. The maximum absolute value of the specified value is 5 sub-points, which is greater than 1 point.

[0057] Similarly, the second editing method is as follows: when the specified amount is set to a negative value when sliding upstream of the sub-scanning direction Y2 and the specified amount is set to a positive value when sliding downstream of the sub-scanning direction Y1, the object image is edited in such a way that the specified amount in the main scanning direction X becomes smaller the closer it is to the direction of clockwise rotation of 90 degrees from the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y. More specifically, when the CPU7 applies the second editing method to the object image G, it sets the specified amounts E1 to E10 of the first to ten rectangular partial images, starting from the main scanning direction X1, to 5 sub-points, 4 sub-points, 3 sub-points, 2 sub-points, 1 sub-point, 0 sub-point, -1 sub-point, -2 sub-point, -3 sub-point, and -4 sub-points respectively, and generates the edited image H2.

[0058] The third editing method is a method of editing the object image in such a way that the extreme value of a specified quantity in the main scanning direction X is one. More specifically, when the CPU7 applies the third editing method to the object image G, it sets the specified quantities E1 to E10 of the first to ten rectangular partial images, starting from the main scanning direction X1, to -4 sub-points, -3 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -1 sub-points, 0 sub-points, -1 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -3 sub-points, -4 sub-points, and -5 sub-points respectively, generating the edited image H3. The extreme value in the third editing method is the 0 sub-point corresponding to the fifth partial image from the left.

[0059] The fourth editing method is a method of editing an object image in a way that makes the extreme values ​​of a specified quantity in the main scanning direction X more than two. More specifically, when the CPU7 applies the fourth editing method to the object image H, it sets the specified quantities of the first to ten rectangular partial images, starting from one side X1 of the main scanning direction, to -3 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -1 sub-points, 0 sub-points, 0 sub-points, -1 sub-points, -2 sub-points, -3 sub-points, -2 sub-points, and -1 sub-points respectively, generating an edited image H4. The extreme values ​​in the fourth editing method are the 0 sub-points corresponding to the fourth and fifth partial images from the left and the -3 sub-points corresponding to the eighth partial image from the left.

[0060] The fifth editing method is an editing method that rotates the object image clockwise by a predetermined angle with a reference center. The sixth editing method is an editing method that rotates the object image counterclockwise by a predetermined angle with a reference center. In this embodiment, the reference is set to minimize the absolute value of a predetermined amount at the center of the main scanning direction X, for example, the center of the object image. The predetermined angle can be appropriately set according to the size of the printed object F and the object image, etc. The predetermined angle is, for example, a value between 0 degrees and 10 degrees, preferably a value of 1 degree or less, and more preferably a value of 0.5 degrees or less. When the CPU7 applies the fifth editing method to the object image G with the predetermined angle set to 1 degree, it generates an edited image H5. When the CPU7 applies the sixth editing method to the object image G with the predetermined angle set to 1 degree, it generates an edited image H6. In the edited image H5 where the fifth editing method was applied and the edited image H6 where the sixth editing method was applied, when comparing the specified amounts E1 to E10 of each portion image in the case where the object image is divided into J rectangular portion images of length in the sub-scanning direction Y, similar to the first to fourth editing methods, the conditions of the first, second, and third conditions are satisfied. When the fifth or sixth editing method is applied, the condition is satisfied that the consistency with the printed image is maximized when the object image is rotated by a specified angle around the reference, and the amount of movement of the portion furthest from the reference is greater than point 1.

[0061] CPU7 generates an edited image obtained by editing the object image using the editing method obtained in S32 (S33). CPU7 obtains the printing speed when printing the edited image generated in S33 (S34). CPU7 considers the number of rows and blocks to be divided for printing to obtain the printing speed during editing processing. CPU7 then ends the comparison condition processing and returns to the previous state. Figure 3 Printing process.

[0062] Following S10, CPU7 determines whether to perform editing processing on the object image (S11). The criteria for determining whether to perform editing processing on the object image can be appropriately set. A criterion selected by the user from multiple criterions can be used, or the CPU7 can select one based on the type and size of the input image G. For example, CPU7 can determine to perform editing processing if the object image contains a specified number or more grid lines extending at least a specified length in the main scanning direction X. The specified length and specified number can be appropriately set. In this case, the portions P1 and P2 extending in the main scanning direction X of the frame line G1 can be considered as grid lines. For example, if the specified length is set to half the length of the main scanning direction X of the object image and the specified number is 3, then in the object image G, only portions P1 and P2 are grid lines longer than half the length of the main scanning direction X of the object image; therefore, it is determined that editing processing will not be performed. In other examples, CPU7 may also perform editing processing (S12) if there are rows in the image data where the peak current required by the print head 6 is greater than the threshold relative to the maximum current that the power supply 10 can output (S11: Yes). In other examples, CPU7 may also perform editing processing (S12) if printing based on the edited print data results in a faster printing speed compared to not using editing processing. That is, CPU7 may also perform editing processing if the printing speed obtained in S24 is faster than the printing speed obtained in S31. Sometimes, the printing speed obtained in S34 is faster than the printing speed obtained in S31 when the peak value of the effective number of points in the edited image is reduced compared to the object image.

[0063] When performing editing processing (S11: Yes), CPU7 performs editing processing on the object image using the editing method obtained in S32 (S12). For example... Figure 8 As shown, for example, when the first editing method is applied to the object image H, the CPU7 edits the print data in a manner that represents the edited image H1. When editing processing is performed on the object image set in S9, the CPU7 performs editing processing on the entire input image G or the entire high-resolution image. When editing processing is performed on the object image set in S6 or S8, the CPU7 performs editing processing on a portion of the input image G or a portion of the high-resolution image. When object portions P1 to P3 are set as the object image in S8, the CPU7 performs editing processing only on a portion of the sub-scanning direction Y in the input image G or the high-resolution image. When no editing processing is performed (S11: No), the CPU7 does not perform editing processing on the object image and generates print data based on the image data (S13).

[0064] Following S12 or S13, CPU7 determines whether to perform change processing (S14). Change processing modifies the printed data by reducing the number of valid dots in a line. The criteria for determining whether to perform change processing can be preset by the user, or CPU7 can automatically determine it based on the type, size, printing speed, printing quality, number of valid dots, etc. If no change processing is performed (S14: No), CPU7 does not perform change processing on the object image in S12 or S13 (S16). If change processing is performed (S14: Yes), CPU7 performs change processing on the object image in S12 or S13 (S15). In the change processing, CPU7 defines a printing unit as a sub-point by dividing the points specified by multiple elements 61 into M (M is an integer greater than 2) in the sub-scanning direction Y, defines multiple sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction X as sub-rows, defines sub-points with printed data as printing parts, defines sub-points with printed data as non-printing parts, or defines sub-points with printed data as non-printing parts and parts outside the printing area as non-printing parts, and in all sub-rows of at least one row in the printing part, changes the image data or printing data of at least one or more change sub-points as sub-points from open to closed.

[0065] Use change processing Figures 10-12 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of a portion of a printed image, represented by print data. For example... Figure 9 As shown, during the change processing, CPU7 obtains the contour conditions (S40). The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can specify whether to change the print data of the contour portion of the print section composed of sub-dots where the print data is enabled. Specifically, CPU7 defines the range of the contour portion that is not subject to change processing using variables U, D, L, and R. Variable U is a variable that sets the range of the contour portion downstream of the sub-scanning direction Y1 of a continuous print section. Variable D is a variable that sets the range of the contour portion upstream of the sub-scanning direction Y2 of a continuous print section. Variable L is a variable that sets the range of the contour portion on one side X1 of the main scanning direction of a continuous print section. Variable R is a variable that sets the range of the contour portion on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction of a continuous print section. Variables U, D, L, and R can each be an integer of 0 or higher, and can be the same or different values. Variables U, D, L, and R can be set by the user or automatically set according to the type of object image, etc. In this implementation, the variables U, D, L, and R are 2, 1, 1, and 1, respectively.

[0066] CPU7 acquires one of the multiple sub-points contained in the print data as the sub-point of interest (S41). CPU7 acquires the sub-point of interest, for example, in an order from left to right and from top to bottom of the object image. CPU7 determines whether the sub-point of interest is part of the print data based on the print data of the sub-point of interest acquired in S41 (S42). If the print data corresponding to the sub-point of interest is closed (S42: No), CPU7 keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest closed (S47), and CPU7 determines whether all sub-points contained in the print data were acquired as sub-points of interest in the processing of S41 (S48). If there are sub-points that were not acquired in the processing of S41 (S48: No), CPU7 returns the processing to S41 and acquires the next sub-point of interest in the acquisition order (S41).

[0067] like Figure 10 As shown, since the print data corresponding to the sub-point of interest TS1, which is shown with a diagonal background, is enabled (S42: Yes), the CPU7 determines whether the downstream reference portion is a non-printable portion (S43). The downstream reference portion is one or more sub-points located downstream of the sub-point of interest in the sub-scanning direction Y1. In this embodiment, the downstream reference portion is the U-th sub-point located downstream of the sub-point of interest in the sub-scanning direction Y1. The downstream reference portion relative to the sub-point of interest TS1 is the sub-point UR1, which is shown with a diagonal grid background, and the print data of sub-point UR1 is disabled (S43: Yes). In this case, the CPU7 sets the sub-point of interest TS1 as the contour sub-point constituting the contour portion, keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest TS1 enabled (S46), and performs the processing in S48. Thus, when the sub-point of interest, which is one of multiple sub-points, is a printed portion (S42: Yes), the CPU7 sets the U-th sub-point (U is any integer greater than 0) located downstream of the sub-point of interest TS1 in the sub-scanning direction as a reference sub-point. When the reference sub-point is a non-printed portion (S43: Yes), the CPU7 sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, keeping the image data or print data of the contour sub-point enabled (S46).

[0068] If the sub-point of interest TS2, indicated by a diagonal background, is obtained (S41, S42: Yes), the downstream reference portion relative to the sub-point of interest TS2, which is indicated by a diagonal grid background, is sub-point UR2, and the printing data for sub-point UR2 is enabled (S43: No). In this case, the CPU7 determines whether at least one of the surrounding reference portions is a non-printable portion (S44). The surrounding reference portion is one or more sub-points located around the sub-point of interest. The surrounding reference portion includes, for example, the sub-point located at the Lth position relative to the sub-point of interest on one side X1 of the main scanning direction, the sub-point located at the Rth position relative to the sub-point of interest on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction, and the sub-point located at the Dth position relative to the sub-point of interest on the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction. If at least one of the surrounding reference portions is a non-printable portion (S44: Yes), the CPU7 performs the processing in S46. Thus, when the sub-point of interest, which is one of multiple sub-points, is a printing portion (S42: Yes), the CPU7 sets the sub-point of interest to a non-printing portion if at least any one of the sub-points configured at the Uth sub-point on the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point configured at the Dth sub-point on the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point configured at the Lth sub-point on one side X1 of the main scanning direction X, and the sub-point configured at the Rth sub-point on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction X is a non-printing portion (S43: Yes, S44: Yes), and keeps the image data or printing data of the contour sub-point on (S46).

[0069] The reference portion surrounding the sub-point TS2 is shown with a diagonal grid pattern, and the print data for sub-points CR1 to CR3 is enabled (S44: No). In this case, CPU7 stores the sub-point TS2 as a candidate sub-point for change (S45) and performs the processing in S48. Through the processing in S41 to S48, Figure 10 A portion of the printed portion R1 in the partial image B1 shown is designated as an outline sub-point, similar to the portion R3 shown with a dark background in the partial image B2, while the remaining portion R4 is designated as a change candidate sub-point. Thus, when the sub-point of interest, as one of multiple sub-points, is a printed portion (S42: Yes), and when each of the following sub-points is a printed portion: the sub-point located at the Uth position on the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point located at the Dth position on the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point located at the Lth position on one side X1 of the main scanning direction X, and the sub-point located at the Rth position on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction X (S43: No, S44: No), the CPU7 designates this sub-point of interest as a change candidate sub-point (S45). CPU7 performs the following processing steps S49 to S53, changing the print data of at least one or more change candidate sub-points from "on" to "off" in all sub-rows of at least one row of all change candidate sub-points in the image data (S51, S52).

[0070] If all sub-points are obtained as points of interest in the processing of S41 (S48: Yes), the CPU7 obtains a change method for one or more candidate sub-points stored in S45 (S49). The change method can be specified by the user or selected by the CPU7 according to the type, size, printing speed, printing quality, etc. of the input image G. The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can select one of four change methods.

[0071] Reference Figure 11 The four modification methods will be explained using the application of a partial image V as an example. The partial image V is an image with five points in the main scanning direction X and seven points in the sub-scanning direction Y. Among the sub-points constituting the partial image V, the sub-points shown with dark shading are set as contour sub-points, and the sub-points shown with light shading are set as modification candidate sub-points.

[0072] The first modification method involves changing the printed data of the candidate sub-points from on to off by a ratio of B / C (where B and C are natural numbers) in both the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y. B / C should be appropriately set to a value greater than 0 and less than 1, preferably below 0.5. For example, B / C could be 1 / 5. Figure 11 In cases like partial image V, where the first modification method is applied and there are instances of tails in the candidate sub-points for modification in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y, the first modification method can be applied only to the areas where it can be applied, as in partial image V1, while other methods are applied to other areas. Considering the situation where the first modification method is applied and there are instances of tails in the candidate sub-points for modification in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y, the CPU7 can also set B / C as the target value and set the number of candidate sub-points for modification from on to off in a manner closest to the target value.

[0073] The second modification method is as follows: when the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and the sub-point adjacent to the sub-point of interest on the upstream side Y2 or downstream side Y1 in the sub-scanning direction Y is a modified sub-point, the print data of that sub-point of interest is still enabled. In other words, the second modification method is as follows: Figure 11 The method is similar to that used in image V2, which makes the change sub-points from on to off discontinuous in the sub-scanning direction Y.

[0074] The third modification method ensures that the print data of the sub-point of interest remains enabled when the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the sub-points adjacent to the sub-point of interest in the main scanning direction X is a modified sub-point. In other words, the third modification method is as follows: Figure 11The method, similar to that in V3, makes the change sub-points from on to off discontinuous in the main scan direction X.

[0075] The fourth change method ensures that the print data of the sub-point of interest remains enabled when the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the eight surrounding sub-points is a changed sub-point. In other words, the fourth change method is as follows: Figure 11 The method used in image V4 to make the sub-points changing from on to off discontinuous in the octagon. Figure 11 The focus is on the top, upper right, right, lower right, lower, lower left, left, and upper left sides of the sub-point. In the second to fourth modification methods, the ratio of the modified sub-points in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y to the modified candidate sub-points can be set appropriately.

[0076] CPU7 acquires a sub-line, i.e., a change candidate sub-line, formed by one or more change candidate sub-points stored in S45, in a predetermined order (S50). In this embodiment, CPU7 acquires change candidate sub-lines sequentially starting from the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction. For example, CPU7 acquires the change candidate sub-line CL closest to the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction in part R4. Among the change candidate sub-points of the change candidate sub-lines acquired in S50, CPU7 sets change sub-points according to the change method acquired in S49 (S51). For example, CPU7 changes sub-point CS1 contained in change candidate sub-line CL to a change sub-point. CPU7 changes the print data of the sub-points that were changed to change sub-points in S51 from on to off (S52). CPU7 determines whether all change candidate sub-lines have been acquired in the process of S50 (S53). If there are sub-lines that were not acquired in the process of S50 (S53: No), CPU7 returns the process to S50. If all candidate change sub-lines have been retrieved during the processing in S50 (S53: Yes), CPU7 ends the change processing and returns to the previous state. Figure 3 Printing processing. In the process of... Figure 10 When the fourth modification method is applied to a portion of image B2, such as in a portion of image B3, the print data of sub-points CS1 to CS5 is changed from "on" to "off". On the other hand, as... Figure 12 As shown, if the fourth modification method is applied to the portion of image C1 that was edited in S12 in S12, for example, as with the portion of image C2, the print data is modified. Figure 13As shown, when editing is performed using the second editing method under the condition that the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent portions of the image in the main scanning direction X is 150 μm at a resolution of 165 dpi, and when editing and modification processing are performed on grid lines extending in the main scanning direction X with thicknesses of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 16 points, it is possible to reduce the effective number of pixels while tilting them to a degree imperceptible to the naked eye. More specifically, Figure 13 The printed image with the conditions shown Figure 20 Compared to the printed image processed using the second editing method under the conditions of a comparative example where the absolute value of the difference between any two adjacent portions of the image at a resolution of 165 dpi is 300 μm, the edited area is less noticeable to the naked eye. It should be noted that the length of a single point in the sub-scanning direction Y at a resolution of 165 dpi is approximately 154 μm. Figure 13 and Figure 20 This refers to the case where the change processing was performed using the third change method, which satisfies the conditions that U and D are 3 (equivalent to 1 point) and B / C is 1 / 2.

[0077] Following S15 or S16, CPU7 determines whether the object image is the input image G or a high-resolution image (S17). If the object image is the input image G or a high-resolution image (S17: Yes), CPU7 does not process the composite image (S19). If the object image is the object image H and the object image has been edited using the sixth editing method (S17: No), then... Figure 14 As shown, CPU7 edits the printing data to become the data for the composite image G8. The composite image G8 is an image obtained by compositing the edited image H7 (edited in S12) which will be the object of processing in S11 to S16, and the non-object portion P3 which is not the object of processing in S11 to S16 (S18). The non-object portion P3 of the composite image G8 is not subject to editing or modification processing, and therefore is completely consistent with the non-object portion P3 of the input image G or the high-resolution image. The parts of the composite image G8 other than the non-object portion P3 are subject to editing and modification processing, and therefore have parts that are inconsistent with the parts of the input image G or the high-resolution image other than the feature portion P4.

[0078] If the object image is object parts P1 and P2 and has been edited using the fourth editing method with three M-shaped extreme values ​​(S17: No), such as Figure 15As shown, CPU7 edits the print data to become the data for the composite image G9. The composite image G9 is an image obtained by compositing the object portions P1 and P2, which are the objects of processing in S11 to S16 and were edited in S12, and the non-object portions J, which are not the objects of processing in S11 to S16 (S18). CPU7 sets the predetermined amount of the rectangles (partial images) containing the two ends of the frame line G1 in the main scanning direction X of the object portions P1 and P2 to 0, so that the portion of the frame line G1 extending in the sub-scanning direction Y in the composite image G9 is continuously connected. The portion of the composite image G9 other than the object portions P1 and P2 is not subject to editing and modification processing, so it is completely consistent with the portion of the input image G or the high-resolution image other than the object portions P1 and P2. The portion of the composite image G9 other than the object portions P1 and P2 is subject to editing and modification processing, so it has portions that are inconsistent with the portion of the input image G or the high-resolution image other than the object portions P1 and P2. In the synthesized image G9, when multiple points constituting the input image G and multiple points constituting the printed image printed according to the printing data are compared in terms of multiple points arranged continuously in the sub-scanning direction Y, i.e., column units, in the portion of the object portion P1 between the upstream end DE of the upstream side Y2 and the downstream end UE of the downstream side Y1 in the sub-scanning direction Y, the conditions of the first, second, and third conditions are satisfied. Similarly, the conditions of the first, second, and third conditions are also satisfied with the object portion P2.

[0079] Following S18 or S19, CPU7 determines whether to perform split printing (S20). Split printing is performed by dividing multiple elements 61 into N blocks (N is an integer greater than 2) in such a way that the peak current of the print head 6 required for printing one line based on the print data is suppressed to below the maximum value of the current supplied from the power supply 10 to the print head 6. The N blocks are then driven sequentially at different timings to print one line of the print data extending in the main scanning direction X. The criterion for determining whether to perform split printing can be appropriately determined. For example, CPU7 can determine whether to perform split printing based on the number of valid dots in each line. If split printing is performed (S20: Yes), CPU7 edits the print data in such a way that at least a portion of the lines contained in the print data are divided into N parts in the sub-scanning direction Y (S21). The splitting method can be appropriately determined. In this embodiment, CPU7 divides the printing cycle of one line into multiple sub-printing cycles of equal length, each containing the same printing cycle and start time. CPU7 can also set the splitting method according to the editing method in S12.

[0080] In the editing process of S12, such as Figure 16In the case where the print data is edited in such a way as shown in image M1, such that the difference between any two adjacent columns in the main scan direction X increases from one side X1 of the main scan direction X towards the other side X2 and towards the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scan direction, the CPU7, as shown in image M1, can handle this situation. Figure 16 As shown in image M2, in the segmented printing process, the printing data of multiple elements 61 of N blocks are edited in a manner where each element is driven in a sequence from one side X1 to the other side X2 in the main scanning direction X, under different timings. The row of identification number 1 in image M1 is bisected in image M2 into a row of identification number 1 and a row of identification number 1'. Similarly, the row of identification number 2 in image M1 is bisected in image M2 into a row of identification number 2 and a row of identification number 2'. In the editing process of S12, as... Figure 17 As shown in image M3, if the print data is edited in such a way that the difference between any two adjacent columns in the main scan direction X increases from the other side X2 of the main scan direction X towards one side X1 and towards the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scan direction, then CPU7, as shown in image M3, will... Figure 17 As shown in image M4, in the segmented printing process, the printing data of multiple elements 61 of N blocks are edited in a manner where each element is driven in a sequence from one side X2 to the other side X1 of the main scanning direction X, under different timings. The row of identification number 1 in image M3 is divided into a row of identification number 1 and a row of identification number 1' in image M4. Similarly, the row of identification number 2 in image M3 is divided into a row of identification number 2 and a row of identification number 2' in image M4. CPU 7 sets the start timing of each sub-point in an equal-periodic manner.

[0081] CPU7 performs segmented printing based on the print data edited in S21 (S23). CPU7 performs segmented printing by driving multiple elements 61 for each of multiple sub-print cycles. If no segmentation processing is performed (S20: No), CPU7 performs printing processing based on the print data in S18 or S19 (S22). According to the print data, CPU7 sets the heat generation of the candidate sub-points to be larger than that of the contour sub-points, and in S22 or S23, CPU7 performs printing processing to form an image on the print object F by heating the multiple elements 61 (S22, S23). Following S23 or S22, CPU7 ends the printing process.

[0082] Reference Figure 19 The modification process for the variant examples is explained. Figure 19 In China, regarding Figure 9 The modified embodiments shown are processed in the same way, and the same reference numerals are assigned to them. For example... Figure 19 As shown, the modification process of the variant differs from the one in that it does not execute the processing of S44. Figure 9The modification processes for the different implementations are different. In the modification process of the variant example, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of a plurality of sub-points, is a printing portion (S42: Yes), the CPU7 sets the U-th sub-point (U is any integer greater than 0) located downstream of the sub-point of interest in the sub-scanning direction Y1 as a reference sub-point. If this reference sub-point is a printing portion (S43: No), this reference sub-point is set as a candidate sub-point for modification (S45). Other processes are the same as... Figure 9 The processing is the same, so the explanation is omitted.

[0083] In the above embodiments, the printing device 1 is an example of the printing device and print data editing device of the present invention. The plurality of components 61, print head 6, transport unit 5, CPU 7, and communication unit 4 are each an example of the plurality of components, print head, transport unit, control unit, and communication unit of the present invention. The processing in S1 is an example of the image data acquisition processing of the present invention. The processing in S12 is an example of the editing processing of the present invention. The processing in S15 is an example of the modification processing of the present invention. The processing in S23 is an example of the segmented printing processing of the present invention. The processing in S22 and S23 is an example of the printing processing of the present invention.

[0084] The printing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment includes a printhead 6, a transport unit 5, and a CPU 7. The printing apparatus 1 has a plurality of elements 61 arranged linearly in the main scanning direction X. The transport unit 5 moves the print head 6 relative to the print object F in a sub-scanning direction Y, which intersects the main scanning direction X. The printing apparatus 1 edits print data used in the printing apparatus 1, and drives the plurality of elements 61 to form an image on the print object F for each row corresponding to the plurality of elements 61 arranged in the main scanning direction X, while moving the printhead 6 relative to the print object F in the sub-scanning direction Y according to the print data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of elements 61. The CPU 7 acquires image data corresponding to the plurality of elements 61 arranged in the main scanning direction X (S1). CPU7 performs the following modification process (S15): When a print unit obtained by dividing the point defined by multiple heating elements 61 into M units (M is an integer greater than 2) in the sub-scanning direction Y is defined as a sub-point, multiple sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction X are defined as sub-rows, sub-points with on print data are defined as print portions, and sub-points with off print data are defined as non-print portions, or sub-points with off print data and portions outside the print area are defined as non-print portions, at least one or more sub-points in all sub-rows of at least one row in the print portion are changed from on to off print data. By performing the modification process S15, printing device 1 can maintain print quality while reducing the possibility that the peak current supplied to print head 6 exceeds the maximum current that can be supplied from power supply 10 compared to the past. By reducing the number of on heating elements 61 in a row, printing device 1 can increase the possibility of accelerating printing speed compared to the past when no modification process was performed. Printing apparatus 1 forms an image by thermally transferring ink ribbon 48 to the object to be printed. Therefore, unlike printing on a thermal recording medium, the cohesive force of the ink ribbon 48 functions as a printing-related factor. Consequently, by setting a short period of non-heating within a range that does not affect the thermal transfer, printing apparatus 1 can edit print data that maintains the thermal transferability of the ink ribbon 48. Thus, printing apparatus 1 can edit print data that improves both print quality and print speed compared to previous methods.

[0085] In the change processing of S15, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of multiple sub-points, is a printing portion, the U-th sub-point (U is any integer greater than 0) located downstream of the sub-scanning direction Y1 relative to the sub-point of interest is set as a reference sub-point. If this reference sub-point is a non-printing portion (S43: Yes), this sub-point of interest is set as a contour sub-point, and the image data or print data of the contour sub-point remains enabled (S46). Therefore, the printing device 1 can edit print data that is less prone to whitening at the printing start point.

[0086] In the change processing of S15, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of multiple sub-points, is a printing portion, and at least one of the sub-points configured at the Uth position (U is any integer greater than 0) on the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the Dth position (D is any integer greater than 0) on the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the Lth position (L is any integer greater than 0) on one side X1 of the main scanning direction X, and the Rth position (R is any integer greater than 0) on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction X is a non-printing portion (S43: Yes, S44: Yes), the sub-point of interest is set as a contour sub-point, and the image data or print data of the contour sub-point remains active (S46). The printing device 1 is able to edit print data that is less prone to whitening at the contour of the image formed on the printing object F.

[0087] In the modification example of the printing apparatus 1, during the change processing in S15, when the reference sub-point of the sub-point of interest is a printing section (S42: Yes), the sub-point of interest is set as a change candidate sub-point (S45). In at least one row of all change candidate sub-points in the image data, the image data or print data of at least one change candidate sub-point is changed from on to off in all sub-rows (S51, S52). The printing apparatus 1 can reduce the number of on sub-points in the printing section that are less prone to whitening compared to the printing start point.

[0088] In the change processing of S15, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of multiple sub-points, is a printing part (S42: Yes), if the sub-point of interest is configured at the Uth (U is any integer greater than 0) on the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point of interest is configured at the Dth (D is any integer greater than 0) on the upstream side Y2 of the sub-scanning direction Y, the sub-point of interest is configured at the Lth (L is any integer greater than 0) on one side X1 of the main scanning direction X, and the sub-point of interest is configured at the Rth (R is any integer greater than 0) on the other side X2 of the main scanning direction X, the sub-point of interest is set as a change candidate sub-point (S45), and in all sub-rows of at least one row of all change candidate sub-points in the image data, the printing data of at least one change candidate sub-point is changed from on to off (S51, S52). The printing device 1 can reduce the number of open sub-dots in the printing section where it is less likely to produce fly-by compared to the outline section.

[0089] During the change processing, CPU7 changes the print data of the candidate sub-points from "on" to "off" in both the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y at a ratio of B / C (B and C are natural numbers) (S51, S52). Printing device 1 can uniformly change sub-points from "on" to "off" in both the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y at a ratio of B / C. Compared to cases where the ratio of candidate sub-points changing from "on" to "off" is uneven, printing device 1 can edit print data where the changed sub-points are not easily noticeable.

[0090] In the change processing, if the CPU7 keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest on (S51, S52) when the print data of the sub-point of interest is on and the sub-point adjacent to the sub-point of interest on the downstream side Y1 of the sub-scanning direction Y is a changed sub-point, the printing device 1 can reliably prevent consecutive sub-points in the sub-scanning direction Y from being changed from on to off. Compared with the case where consecutive sub-points in the sub-scanning direction Y become changed sub-points, the printing device 1 can more easily use the cohesive force of the ink ribbon 48 to thermally transfer the ink ribbon 48 of the changed sub-point to the printing object.

[0091] In the change processing, if the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the sub-points adjacent to the sub-point of interest in the main scanning direction X is a changed sub-point, the CPU7 keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest enabled (S51, S52). The printing device 1 can reliably prevent consecutive sub-points in the main scanning direction X from being changed from enabled to disabled due to being changed as changed sub-points. Compared with the case where consecutive sub-points in the main scanning direction X become changed sub-points, the printing device 1 can more easily use the cohesive force of the ink ribbon 48 to thermally transfer the ink ribbon 48 of the changed sub-points to the printing object.

[0092] In the change processing, if the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the eight surrounding sub-points is a changed sub-point, the CPU7 keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest enabled (S51, S52). The printing device 1 can reliably prevent the eight surrounding sub-points from being changed from enabled to disabled due to being changed as changed sub-points. Compared with the case where two or more adjacent sub-points become changed sub-points, the printing device 1 can more easily use the cohesive force of the ink ribbon 48 to thermally transfer the ink ribbon 48 of the changed sub-point to the printing object.

[0093] CPU7 edits the print data corresponding to the image data (S12). Based on the image data, CPU7 edits the print data as follows: when comparing at least a portion of the multiple points constituting the input image represented by the image data and the multiple points constituting the print image printed by the print data between the upstream end DE of the upstream side Y2 and the downstream end UE of the downstream side Y1 in the sub-scanning direction Y in column units, the consistency between the image contained in the column of the print image and the image represented by the column of the input image is at the same position or has slid by a predetermined amount in the sub-scanning direction becomes the maximum, and the maximum value among the absolute values ​​of the multiple predetermined amounts of the multiple columns is one or more. By performing the editing process, the printing device 1 is able to edit the print data that suppresses the peak current of the print head 6 required for printing one line. By performing a change process in addition to the editing process, the printing device 1 is able to maintain print quality while further reducing the possibility that the peak current supplied to the print head 6 exceeds the maximum value of the current that can be supplied from the power supply 10.

[0094] The print data editing apparatus, print data editing method, and print data editing program of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications can also be appropriately made. The present invention can be implemented in various ways, for example, it can be implemented in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a print data editing program. The structure of the printing apparatus 1 can be appropriately modified. The transport unit 5 can also change the relative position of the print head 6 and the printing object by moving the print head 6. The communication unit 4 can be any structure that can communicate with an external device W wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0095] Includes for making Figure 2 The program containing the instructions for processing and execution can be stored in the storage device of the printing unit 1 before the CPU 7 executes the corresponding program. Therefore, the method of obtaining the program, the acquisition path, and the device for storing the program can be appropriately changed. The program executed by each printing unit 1 can also be received from other devices via cable or wireless communication and stored in a storage device such as a storage unit. Other devices include, for example, PCs and servers connected via a network.

[0096] The steps of the printing process are not limited to the example executed by CPU7; they can also be executed partially or entirely by other electronic devices (e.g., ASICs). The steps of the printing process can also be processed distributed among multiple electronic devices (e.g., multiple CPUs). The order of the steps in the printing process can be changed, steps can be omitted, or steps can be added as needed. The following modifications can also be appropriately applied to the printing process.

[0097] The processing steps S10 to S13 can be modified or omitted as appropriate. The types and number of editing methods that CPU7 can execute can also be modified as appropriate. For example, CPU7 may only be able to execute one of the first to sixth editing methods. CPU7 may also perform editing processing on the high-resolution image of S3 or the input image of S4 without accepting the specification of at least one of the feature portion, object portion, and non-object portion. When multiple object portions P1 and P2 are set, CPU7 may apply the same editing method to each object portion or apply different editing methods to each object portion. CPU7 may also perform editing processing without determining whether to perform editing processing in S11. When a feature portion or a non-object portion is specified, CPU7 may also perform editing processing by setting a specified amount of the range containing the specified portion in the main scanning direction X to 0. CPU7 may also perform editing processing without satisfying the second condition. The second and third conditions in the editing conditions can each be omitted as appropriate.

[0098] CPU7 can also perform change processing without determining whether to perform change processing in S14. The types and number of change methods that CPU7 can execute can also be appropriately changed. For example, CPU7 may only be able to execute one of the first to fourth change methods. CPU7 can also perform change processing using methods other than the first to fourth change methods. Figure 18 As shown, CPU7 can modify the print data of print image J2 based on the image data of input image J1 to become print image J4, or modify the print data of input image J1 to become print image J3, and then modify the print data to become print image J4. In the modification process, CPU7 changes the image data or print data of at least one or more sub-points (sub-points) from "on" to "off" in all sub-rows of at least one row in the print section. CPU7 can also set the heat generation of the candidate sub-points for modification to be higher than that of the outline sub-points in S22 or S23. CPU7 can also omit the processes in S40 to S48 and modify all sub-points constituting the print section by setting them as candidate sub-points for modification. CPU7 can also change the number of candidate sub-points to be modified based on the number of candidate sub-points in the candidate sub-rows obtained in S50.

[0099] The processes in S21 and S23 can also be omitted appropriately. CPU7 can also execute the processes in S21 and S23 without determining whether to perform row splitting in S20. When performing split printing, CPU7 can also determine the driving order of the components 61 of multiple blocks without relying on the editing method in S12. The processes in S2 to S4 can also be modified appropriately. The above variations can also be appropriately combined within the scope of no contradiction.

[0100] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0101] 1: Printing unit, 4: Communication unit, 5: Transport unit, 6: Print head, 7: CPU, 8: RAM, 9: Storage unit.

Claims

1. A print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing device. The printing device includes: The printhead has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The printed data editing device is characterized in that... Equipped with a control unit, The control unit is capable of performing: Image data acquisition processing, acquiring image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and In the change processing, when the print unit obtained by dividing the points defined by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction is defined as a sub-point, the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction are defined as sub-rows, the print data of the enabled sub-points is set as the print portion, and the print data of the disabled sub-points is defined as the non-print portion, or the print data of the disabled sub-points and the portion outside the print area is defined as the non-print portion, at least one of the modified sub-points in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the print portion is changed from enabled to disabled print data, wherein... M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printed portion, the control unit sets the U-th sub-point configured downstream of the sub-scanning direction relative to the sub-point of interest as a reference sub-point. If the reference sub-point is the non-printed portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, where U is any integer greater than or equal to 0.

2. A print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing device. The printing device includes: The printhead has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The printed data editing device is characterized in that... Equipped with a control unit, The control unit is capable of performing: Image data acquisition processing, acquiring image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and In the change processing, when the print unit obtained by dividing the points defined by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction is defined as a sub-point, the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction are defined as sub-rows, the print data of the enabled sub-points is set as the print portion, and the print data of the disabled sub-points is defined as the non-print portion, or the print data of the disabled sub-points and the portion outside the print area is defined as the non-print portion, at least one of the modified sub-points in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the print portion is changed from enabled to disabled print data, wherein... M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printing portion, and if at least any one of the sub-points located downstream of the sub-scanning direction (the U-th sub-point), upstream of the sub-scanning direction (the D-th sub-point), on one side of the main scanning direction (the L-th sub-point), and on the other side of the main scanning direction (the R-th sub-point) is the non-printing portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, wherein U, D, L, and R are any integers greater than or equal to 0.

3. The print data editing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the change processing, when the reference sub-point of the sub-point of interest is the printing portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a candidate sub-point for change, and changes the printing data of at least one of the candidate sub-points for change from "on" to "off" in all the sub-rows of at least one of the candidate sub-points for change in the image data.

4. The print data editing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest is the printing part, and if the sub-point of interest is located at the Uth position downstream of the sub-scanning direction, the sub-point of interest is located at the Dth position upstream of the sub-scanning direction, the sub-point of interest is located at the Lth position on one side of the main scanning direction, and the sub-point of interest is located at the Rth position on the other side of the main scanning direction, then the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a change candidate sub-point, and changes the printing data of at least one of the change candidate sub-points from "on" to "off" in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows of all the change candidate sub-points in the image data, wherein U, D, L, and R are any integers greater than or equal to 0.

5. The print data editing device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, In the change processing, the control unit changes the print data of the candidate sub-point from "on" to "off" in the main scanning direction and in the sub-scanning direction at the same ratio of B / C, where B and C are natural numbers.

6. The print data editing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the change processing, if the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and the sub-point adjacent to the sub-point of interest on the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction is the changed sub-point, the control unit keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest enabled.

7. The print data editing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the change processing, if the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the sub-points adjacent to the sub-point of interest in the main scanning direction is the changed sub-point, the control unit keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest enabled.

8. The print data editing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the change processing, if the print data of the sub-point of interest is enabled and at least one of the eight sub-points surrounding the sub-point of interest is the changed sub-point, the control unit keeps the print data of the sub-point of interest enabled.

9. The print data editing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The control unit also performs editing processing of the print data corresponding to the image data. In the editing processing, based on the image data, the print data is edited as follows: when comparing at least a portion of the multiple points constituting the input image represented by the image data and the multiple points constituting the print image printed by the print data between the upstream end of the upstream side and the downstream end of the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction in multiple points arranged continuously in the sub-scanning direction, i.e., column units, the consistency between the image contained in the column of the print image and the image represented by the column of the input image at the same position or sliding by a predetermined amount in the sub-scanning direction becomes the maximum, and the maximum value among the absolute values ​​of the multiple predetermined amounts of the multiple columns is one or more.

10. A method for editing print data, executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing device includes: Printhead: has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The printed data editing method is characterized by including: Image data acquisition and processing are performed to acquire image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and The change processing involves defining a printing unit obtained by dividing the points specified by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-point, defining the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as a sub-row, defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "on" sub-points as a printing portion, and defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "off" sub-points as a non-printing portion, or defining the printing data as the "off" sub-points and the portion outside the printing area as a non-printing portion, generating at least one changed sub-point in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the printing portion, changing at least one of the sub-points from "on" to "off" printing data, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printed portion, the control unit sets the U-th sub-point configured downstream of the sub-scanning direction relative to the sub-point of interest as a reference sub-point. If the reference sub-point is the non-printed portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, where U is any integer greater than or equal to 0.

11. A storage medium storing a print data editing program executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing device includes: The printhead has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. Its features are, The print data editing program includes instructions for the control unit to perform the following processes: Image data acquisition and processing are performed to acquire image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and The change processing involves defining a printing unit obtained by dividing the points specified by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-point, defining the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as a sub-row, defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "on" sub-points as a printing portion, and defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "off" sub-points as a non-printing portion, or defining the printing data as the "off" sub-points and the portion outside the printing area as a non-printing portion, generating at least one changed sub-point in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the printing portion, changing at least one of the sub-points from "on" to "off" printing data, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printed portion, the control unit sets the U-th sub-point configured downstream of the sub-scanning direction relative to the sub-point of interest as a reference sub-point. If the reference sub-point is the non-printed portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, where U is any integer greater than or equal to 0.

12. A method for editing print data, executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing device includes: Printhead: has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. The printed data editing method is characterized by including: Image data acquisition and processing are performed to acquire image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and The change processing involves defining a printing unit obtained by dividing the points specified by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-point, defining the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as a sub-row, defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "on" sub-points as a printing portion, and defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "off" sub-points as a non-printing portion, or defining the printing data as the "off" sub-points and the portion outside the printing area as a non-printing portion, generating at least one changed sub-point in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the printing portion, changing at least one of the sub-points from "on" to "off" printing data, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printing portion, and if at least any one of the sub-points located downstream of the sub-scanning direction (the U-th sub-point), upstream of the sub-scanning direction (the D-th sub-point), on one side of the main scanning direction (the L-th sub-point), and on the other side of the main scanning direction (the R-th sub-point) is the non-printing portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, wherein U, D, L, and R are any integers greater than or equal to 0.

13. A storage medium storing a print data editing program executed by a control unit of a print data editing device for editing print data used in a printing apparatus. The printing device includes: The printhead has multiple heating elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction; and The transport unit moves the printing object and the print head relative to each other in a secondary scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction. The printing apparatus heats the plurality of heating elements while moving the print head relative to the printable object in the sub-scanning direction according to the printing data containing data indicating the on / off state of each of the plurality of heating elements, and thermally transfers ink ribbons to the printable object for each row corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction to form an image. Its features are, The print data editing program includes instructions for the control unit to perform the following processes: Image data acquisition and processing are performed to acquire image data corresponding to the plurality of heating elements arranged in the main scanning direction; and The change processing involves defining a printing unit obtained by dividing the points specified by the plurality of heating elements into M units in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-point, defining the plurality of sub-points arranged in the main scanning direction as a sub-row, defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "on" sub-points as a printing portion, and defining the sub-points whose printing data is the "off" sub-points as a non-printing portion, or defining the printing data as the "off" sub-points and the portion outside the printing area as a non-printing portion, generating at least one changed sub-point in all the sub-rows of at least one of the rows in the printing portion, changing at least one of the sub-points from "on" to "off" printing data, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the change processing, if the sub-point of interest, which is one of the plurality of sub-points, is the printing portion, and if at least any one of the sub-points located downstream of the sub-scanning direction (the U-th sub-point), upstream of the sub-scanning direction (the D-th sub-point), on one side of the main scanning direction (the L-th sub-point), and on the other side of the main scanning direction (the R-th sub-point) is the non-printing portion, the control unit sets the sub-point of interest as a contour sub-point, so that the printing data of the contour sub-point remains enabled, wherein U, D, L, and R are any integers greater than or equal to 0.

Images