Printer and print system

Abstract

To reduce the work time for setting an adjustment value which is changed according to a type of a medium.SOLUTION: A printer 10 includes: a support stand 16 for supporting a medium 5; an ink head 22; and a control device 80. Before start of printing, a medium mark 6 in which a print medium ID 7 for specifying the medium 5 is recorded is printed at the medium 5 supported by the support stand 16. The printer 10 includes a sensor 30 which reads the medium mark 6. The control device 80 includes: a reading unit 83 which reads the medium mark 6 printed on the medium 5 supported by the support stand 16 with the sensor 30 after the medium 5 is supported by the support stand 16; an adjustment value acquisition unit 86 which acquires an adjustment value 115 of the printer 10 when printing is performed in the medium 5 specified by the print medium ID7 based on the print medium ID7 recorded in the medium mark 6 read by the reading unit 83; and an adjustment value setting unit 87 which sets the adjustment value 115 acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to printers and printing systems. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer that prints on a roll of roll media. This printer includes a platen that supports the unfolded roll media, a media supply device on which the roll media is placed and that supplies the roll media toward the platen, and an ink head.

[0003] The roll media supplied from the media supply device is supported by the platen in an unfolded state. An image is printed on the unfolded roll media by ejecting ink from the ink heads toward the roll media supported by the platen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-127397 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, adjustment values ​​are set for the printer, the values ​​of which change according to the type of roll media, such as the material and thickness. The adjustment values ​​include, for example, an adjustment value for the landing position of the ink when the ink head moves back and forth in bidirectional printing, and an adjustment value for the height position of the ink head. Conventionally, these adjustment values ​​were selected or input by the user when the roll media was installed in the printer. It is preferable to eliminate user setting of these adjustment values ​​as much as possible, in terms of reducing the hassle of the work.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide a printer and printing system that can reduce the work time required to set adjustment values ​​that change depending on the type of media. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A printer according to the present invention includes a support table that supports a medium, an ink head that ejects ink, and a control device. Before printing begins, a medium mark on which a print medium ID that identifies the medium is recorded is printed on the medium supported by the support table. The printer includes a sensor that reads the medium mark. The control device includes a reading unit, an adjustment value acquisition unit, and an adjustment value setting unit. After the reading unit has the support table support the medium, the sensor reads the medium mark printed on the medium supported by the support table. The adjustment value acquisition unit acquires adjustment values ​​for the printer when printing on the medium identified by the print medium ID, based on the print medium ID recorded in the medium mark read by the reading unit. The adjustment value setting unit sets the adjustment values ​​acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit.

[0008] According to the printer, when the medium supported by the support stand is replaced, the sensor reads the medium mark, and the adjustment values ​​for printing on the medium identified by the print medium ID recorded on the medium mark can be automatically obtained and set in the printer. Therefore, the user does not have to manually set the adjustment values. This reduces the user's work time in setting the adjustment values. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer and a printing system that can reduce the work time required to set adjustment values ​​that change depending on the type of medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a printing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the bottom surface of the carriage and the ink head. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates a media indicia printed on a medium. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for printing on a medium after a medium installed in the printer is replaced. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a RIP process. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the previous remaining amount, the used amount, and the used remaining amount. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described here is not intended to limit the present invention in particular. Also, the same reference numerals are used for members and parts that perform the same function, and duplicated descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a printing system 1 including a printer 10 according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes the printer 10, a terminal 150, and a medium management device 100. In the printing system 1, the medium management device 100 manages information about the medium 5 used in the printer 10 (in other words, the medium 5 installed in the printer 10). In the printing system 1 here, an adjustment value 115 (see FIG. 6) to be set in the printer 10 is obtained according to the type of material, thickness, etc. of the medium 5 installed in the printer 10, and the adjustment value 115 is automatically set in the printer 10. Here, setting the adjustment value 115 in the printer 10 means adjusting the operation of the printer 10 based on the adjustment value 115 to make it ready to print.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the number of printers 10 and terminals 150 included in the printing system 1 is two, and the number of medium management devices 100 is one. However, the number of printers 10, terminals 150, and medium management devices 100 is not particularly limited, and each may be one or more. For example, the number of printers 10 and terminals 150 included in the printing system 1 may be one, or three or more. The number of printers 10 and the number of terminals 150 may be the same or different. The number of medium management devices 100 included in the printing system 1 may be two or more. The printers 10, terminals 150, and medium management devices 100 will be described below in that order.

[0014] First, the printer 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 10 along the III-III cross section of FIG. 2. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings indicate the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction, and the symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. Here, the direction from one side (e.g., the right side) to the other side (e.g., the left side) in the main scanning direction Y is called the forward direction Y1. The direction from the other side to one side in the main scanning direction Y is called the return direction Y2. The sub-scanning direction X intersects (here, perpendicularly) with the main scanning direction Y in a plan view, and is, for example, the front-rear direction. Also, the symbol Z in the drawings indicates the height direction (in other words, the up-down direction). However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10, nor limit the present invention.

[0015] The printer 10 is an inkjet printer, or a so-called inkjet printer. However, the printing method of the printer 10 is not limited to the inkjet method, and may be, for example, a thermal printer or a laser printer. In this embodiment, the printer 10 is a roll-to-roll type printer that spreads the medium 5 on a support base 16 (see FIG. 3 ) described below and moves it in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0016] In this embodiment, the printer 10 prints on a roll-shaped medium 5. Here, printing on the medium 5 refers to printing on a portion of the roll-shaped medium 5 in a state where the medium 5 is unfolded. When the medium 5 is placed in the printer 10, the medium 5 is wound in a roll shape around a rotation axis A1 (see FIG. 3) extending in the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 has a shape that allows it to be wound on a winding roller 71 (see FIG. 3) of a winding device 70 described later. The medium 5 is printed by the printer 10 in a pulled-out state, that is, in a unfolded state. The type of material of the medium 5 is not particularly limited. For example, the medium 5 may be a sheet or film made of resin, a sheet made of cloth such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric, or a metal sheet made of aluminum or iron, in addition to paper such as plain paper or inkjet printing paper. The thickness of the medium 5 is also not particularly limited, and media 5 having various thicknesses can be used.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the printer 10 includes a printer body 10a and legs 11. As shown in Fig. 2, the printer body 10a has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in Fig. 3, the legs 11 support the printer body 10a. The legs 11 are provided on the bottom surface of the printer body 10a and extend downward from the printer body 10a. Note that the legs 11 are not shown in Fig. 2.

[0018] The printer 10 includes a support table 16. The support table 16 supports the medium 5 when printing on the medium 5. Here, the support table 16 supports the rolled medium 5 in an unfolded state. In the following description, the medium 5 includes the unfolded state of the medium 5. The rolled medium 5 is placed on the support table 16 in an unfolded state. Printing on the medium 5 is performed on the support table 16. The support table 16 is a so-called platen. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the support table 16 (more specifically, the upper surface of the central part of the support table 16 in the sub-scanning direction X) extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The upstream portion of the support table 16 (here, the rear portion) is formed in a cross section of a circular arc, and curves downward toward the rear. In addition, the downstream portion of the support table 16 (here, the front portion) is formed in a cross section of a circular arc, and curves downward toward the front.

[0019] The printer 10 includes a guide rail 17, a carriage 20, and an ink head 22. The guide rail 17 is disposed above a support base 16. As shown in Fig. 2, the guide rail 17 is disposed parallel to the upper surface of the support base 16 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. A carriage 20 is engaged with the guide rail 17. The carriage 20 is slidably provided on the guide rail 17, and configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 22 ejects ink. The ink head 22 is provided on the carriage 20. The ink head 22 is supported by the carriage 20 so that its bottom surface is exposed downward. The number of ink heads 22 is not particularly limited. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the carriage 20 and the bottom surface of the ink head 22. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the number of ink heads 22 is four. The four ink heads 22 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0021] Each ink head 22 has a nozzle surface 25. The nozzle surface 25 constitutes the bottom surface of the ink head 22. Nozzles 26 that eject ink are formed on each nozzle surface 25. A plurality of nozzles 26 are formed aligned in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, a row of a plurality of nozzles 26 aligned in the sub-scanning direction X is referred to as a nozzle row 28. The number of nozzle rows 28 for one ink head 22 is two. However, the number of nozzle rows 28 for one ink head 22 is not particularly limited, and may be one, or three or more.

[0022] The ink ejected from the ink head 22 (here, the nozzles 26) is, for example, a process color ink or a special color ink. Here, the process color ink includes, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, black ink, etc. The special color ink is an ink of a color other than the process color ink. The special color ink includes, for example, white ink, clear ink, gloss ink, primer ink, fluorescent ink, metallic ink, orange ink, red ink, violet ink, blue ink, green ink, etc. Here, one color of ink is ejected from one nozzle row 28. Note that there is no limitation on the material of the ink, and various materials that have been conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers and the like can be used. The ink may be, for example, a solvent-based pigment ink or a water-based pigment ink. Alternatively, the ink may be a water-based dye ink or an ultraviolet-curable ink that is cured by receiving ultraviolet light.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes a sensor 30 and a sheet cutter 32. The sensor 30 is a sensor that reads a medium mark 6 (see FIG. 9) that is printed on the medium 5 and will be described later. The sensor 30 is provided on the carriage 20. Here, the sensor 30 and the carriage 20 on which the ink head 22 is provided are the same. The sensor 30 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 17 together with the carriage 20. There are no particular limitations on the type of the sensor 30, and it may be any sensor that can read the medium mark 6. In this embodiment, the sensor 30 is an optical sensor, specifically an RGB sensor.

[0024] The sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5 (medium 5 in an unfolded state in this case) supported by the support base 16. Here, the sheet cutter 32 is used when cutting the medium 5 linearly along the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 cut by the sheet cutter 32 is divided into two parts, an upstream part (rear side in this case) in the sub-scanning direction X and a downstream part (front side in this case) in the sub-scanning direction X. In the following description, cutting the medium 5 linearly in the main scanning direction Y to divide the medium 5 into two parts is referred to as a "sheet cut." Note that the sensor 30 and the sheet cutter 32 are not shown in FIG. 4.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet cutter 32 is provided on the carriage 20. Therefore, the sheet cutter 32 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 17 together with the carriage 20 and the sensor 30. The sheet cutter 32 can perform sheet cutting on the medium 5 by moving in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 17. The sheet cutter 32 is also configured to be movable in the up-down direction Z relative to the carriage 20. For example, the sheet cutter 32 may be attached to a solenoid 32A (see FIG. 5) provided on the carriage 20, and configured to be moved in the up-down direction Z by turning the solenoid 32A ON or OFF.

[0026] 3, in this embodiment, a cutter groove 16A extending in the primary scanning direction Y is formed on the upper surface of the support base 16. In a plan view, the sheet cutter 32 is disposed at a position overlapping with the cutter groove 16A in the secondary scanning direction X. When the sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5, the sheet cutter 32 is configured to penetrate the medium 5 and enter the cutter groove 16A.

[0027] 2, the printer 10 includes a head moving mechanism 40, a medium moving mechanism 50, and an elevation mechanism 55. The head moving mechanism 40 is a mechanism that moves the carriage 20, the ink head 22, the sensor 30, and the sheet cutter 32 (hereinafter also referred to as the ink head 22, etc.) in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. Here, the head moving mechanism 40 moves the carriage 20, the ink head 22, the sensor 30, and the sheet cutter 32 in the main scanning direction Y. Note that the configuration of the head moving mechanism 40 is not particularly limited.

[0028] In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 40 includes left and right pulleys 41 and 42, an endless belt 43, and a scan motor 44. The pulley 41 is provided around the left end of the guide rail 17. The pulley 42 is provided around the right end of the guide rail 17. The belt 43 is wound around the pulleys 41 and 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the belt 43 is fixed to the upper part of the rear surface of the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the scan motor 44 is connected to the right pulley 42. However, the scan motor 44 may be connected to the left pulley 41. Here, the scan motor 44 is driven to rotate the pulley 42, and the belt 43 runs between the pulleys 41 and 42. As a result, the carriage 20, the ink head 22, the sensor 30, and the sheet cutter 32 move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0029] The medium moving mechanism 50 is a mechanism that moves the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X relatively to the ink head 22 etc. Here, the medium moving mechanism 50 moves the developed portion of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. Note that the configuration of the medium moving mechanism 50 is not particularly limited.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the medium moving mechanism 50 has a grit roller 51, a pinch roller 52, and a feed motor 53. The grit roller 51 is provided on the support base 16. Here, the grit roller 51 is embedded in the support base 16 so that at least a part of the grit roller 51 is exposed upward from the support base 16. The pinch roller 52 presses down the developed part of the medium 5 from above, and is disposed above the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 and the grit roller 51 sandwich the medium 5. The pinch roller 52 faces the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z. The installation positions and the number of the grit rollers 51 and the pinch rollers 52 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, seven grit rollers 51 and seven pinch rollers 52 are provided. The plurality of grit rollers 51 are arranged side by side in the primary scanning direction Y, and the plurality of pinch rollers 52 are arranged side by side in the primary scanning direction Y.

[0031] 3, the feed motor 53 is connected to the grit roller 51. When the feed motor 53 is driven to rotate the grit roller 51 while the medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 52, the developed portion of the medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0032] The lifting mechanism 55 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the ink head 22 relative to the support base 16. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 55 raises and lowers the ink head 22. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 55 raises and lowers the carriage 20, thereby raising and lowering the ink head 22, the sensor 30, and the sheet cutter 32 together with the carriage 20 (in other words, moving them in the vertical direction Z). The configuration of the lifting mechanism 55 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the lifting mechanism 55 includes a lifting motor 56 connected to the carriage 20. The lifting motor 56 is connected to the carriage 20 via a gear mechanism (not shown) or the like. The lifting motor 56 is driven to raise and lower the ink head 22, the sensor 30, and the sheet cutter 32 together with the carriage 20. Here, the ink head 22 is raised and lowered, thereby allowing the interval between the ink head 22 and the support base 16 to be adjusted.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes a supply device 60 having a supply roller 61. The supply device 60 is provided with a medium 5 wound in a roll shape so that it can be detached. The supply device 60 is a device that supplies the medium 5 in an unfolded state to the support table 16. The supply roller 61 is disposed behind and below the support table 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply roller 61 is formed in a tubular or cylindrical shape extending in the primary scanning direction Y. The medium 5 before printing is wound around the circumferential surface of the supply roller 61. The left end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a left guide plate 62L provided on the printer body 10a, and the right end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a right guide plate 62R provided on the printer body 10a. The unfolded medium 5 is transported downstream in the secondary scanning direction X by the medium moving mechanism 50, so that the unfolded portion of the medium 5 is sent from the supply roller 61 toward the support table 16. In this embodiment, a state in which the medium 5 is placed on the supply roller 61 of the supply device 60 and the unfolded portion of the medium 5 is supported by the support base 16 is referred to as a state in which the medium 5 is placed in the printer 10. Note that, although the printer 10 does not include a motor for rotating the supply roller 61 in this embodiment, it may include such a motor.

[0034] 3, the printer 10 includes a winding device 70 that winds up the unfolded medium 5 into a roll, the winding device 70 being supported by the support base 16. In this embodiment, the winding device 70 includes a winding roller 71 and a winding motor 75 (see FIG. 2).

[0035] The winding roller 71 winds up the unfolded medium 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the winding roller 71 is formed in a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the winding roller 71 is disposed below the support base 16 and below the supply roller 61. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a first left side wall 76L and a first right side wall 76R that rotatably support the winding roller 71. The first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R are provided on the printer body 10a. The winding roller 71 includes a support portion 71a supported by the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R, and a tube portion 71b that is provided on the circumferential surface of the support portion 71a and has a diameter larger than that of the support portion 71a. The medium 5 is wound up on the circumferential surface of the tube portion 71b. The support portion 71a and the tube portion 71b may be formed integrally or separately. The left end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported by the first left side wall 76L. The right end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported by the first right side wall 76R. The printer 10 includes a rail 74 that supports the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R. The rail 74 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0036] The winding motor 75 is connected to the winding roller 71 and rotates the winding roller 71. The winding motor 75 is indirectly connected to the winding roller 71 via a reduction gear (not shown) or the like. The winding roller 71 receives a driving force from the winding motor 75 and rotates.

[0037] In this embodiment, the printer 10 has an operation panel 45 provided on the right end of the printer body 10a, as shown in Fig. 2. The operation panel 45 has a display screen 46 that displays the status of the printer 10, and operation keys 47 that are operated by the user.

[0038] The printer 10 includes a control device 80. The control device 80 is a device that performs control related to printing. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited. The control device 80 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage device. The control device 80 is provided inside the printer body 10a. However, the control device 80 does not have to be provided inside the printer body 10a. For example, the control device 80 may be a computer or the like installed outside the printer body 10a. In this case, the control device 80 is connected to a control board (not shown) of the printer 10 via wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with it.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the printing system 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the control device 80 is communicatively connected to the ink head 22, the sensor 30, the solenoid 32A connected to the sheet cutter 32, the head moving mechanism 40 (more specifically, the scan motor 44), the medium moving mechanism 50 (more specifically, the feed motor 53), the lifting mechanism 55 (more specifically, the lifting motor 56), the operation panel 45, and the winding device 70 (more specifically, the winding motor 75). The control device 80 controls the ink head 22, the sensor 30, the solenoid 32A, the head moving mechanism 40, the medium moving mechanism 50, the lifting mechanism 55, the operation panel 45, and the winding device 70.

[0040] The printer 10 according to this embodiment has been described above. Next, the terminal 150 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The terminal 150 is used by a user. The terminal 150 may be, for example, for issuing a print instruction to the printer 10, or for operating the printer 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 150 is communicably connected to the control device 80 of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the terminal 150 may be communicably connected to the printer 10 via the Internet 200.

[0041] The terminal 150 is realized, for example, by a desktop or laptop personal computer used by a user. The terminal 150 may be realized by a computer dedicated to the printer 10, or may be realized by a general-purpose computer. The terminal 150 may also be a portable terminal such as a so-called smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0042] 5, the terminal 150 includes a display screen 151, an operation means 152, and a terminal control device 153. For example, information about the printer 10 communicably connected to the terminal 150 is displayed on the display screen 151. The operation means 152 is operated by a user. For example, the user operates the operation means 152 to select information on the display screen 151 or to switch the information displayed on the display screen 151. The operation means 152 is realized by a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the like.

[0043] The terminal control device 153 is, for example, a microcomputer. The terminal control device 153 includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. In this embodiment, a dedicated application for operating the printer 10 is installed in the terminal control device 153. The user starts the application via the operation means 152, and the application is displayed on the display screen 151. This makes it possible to use the terminal 150 to instruct the printer 10 to perform printing, etc.

[0044] Next, the medium management device 100 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. The medium management device 100 manages information about the medium 5 used by the printer 10, i.e., the medium 5 installed in the printer 10. Here, the medium 5 being installed in the printer 10 refers to a state in which the medium 5 is attached to the supply roller 61 of the supply device 60 of the printer 10, as described above.

[0045] For example, the printing system 1 is realized by a so-called cloud computing environment. In this case, the medium management device 100 is a cloud server provided in the cloud computing environment. However, the printing system 1 may be realized by a so-called client-server environment. In this case, the medium management device 100 is a server provided in the client-server environment. Also, the printing system 1 may be realized in a so-called stand-alone environment. In this case, the medium management device 100 is realized by a personal computer. The medium management device 100 may be realized by a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. Also, the medium management device 100 may be realized by a plurality of computers working together. As shown in FIG. 1, the medium management device 100 is communicably connected to the printer 10 (more specifically, the control device 80 (see FIG. 5)) and the terminal 150 (more specifically, the terminal control device 153 (see FIG. 5)). Here, the medium management device 100 is communicably connected to the printer 10 and the terminal 150 via the Internet 200.

[0046] 5, in order to manage the medium 5 installed in the printer 10, the medium management device 100 includes a management storage unit 101, an information acquisition unit 103, an information update unit 105, an acquisition unit 107, an extraction unit 108, and a management transmission unit 109. Each unit of the medium management device 100 may be realized by one or more processors, or may be realized by a circuit.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing medium information 110. The management storage unit 101 of FIG. 5 stores medium information 110 as shown in FIG. 6. The medium information 110 is information for managing the medium 5 installed in the printer 10, in other words, the medium 5 printed by the printer 10. In this embodiment, the medium information 110 includes at least a medium ID 112, a medium name 113, a remaining amount 114, and an adjustment value 115. The management storage unit 101 stores the medium ID 112, the medium name 113, the remaining amount 114, and the adjustment value 115 as the medium information 110 in association with each other. The management storage unit 101 stores the medium information 110 by a database. Here, associating the medium ID 112, the medium name 113, the remaining amount 114, and the adjustment value 115 means, for example, registering them in the same row (also referred to as a record here) in a database.

[0048] The medium ID 112 is an identifier for identifying the medium 5. From the medium ID 112, the type, model number, manufacturing number, lot number, and the like of the medium 5 can be uniquely acquired. In this embodiment, the medium ID 112 is an ID to which, for example, numbers, letters, symbols, and the like are attached. The medium ID 112 may be represented, for example, in hexadecimal numbers, or may be represented in binary numbers (for example, in N-ary numbers (N is an integer of 2 or more)). The medium name 113 is a name attached to the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 112. The medium name 113 may be given, for example, by a user, or may be automatically given according to a predetermined rule, and the like. The medium name 113 is composed of, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, and the like. The medium name 113 may be duplicated.

[0049] The remaining amount 114 refers to the remaining amount of medium 5 identified by the medium ID 112. As described above, the remaining amount 114 of medium 5 refers to the length of the medium 5 wound in a roll (here, the circumferential length, or the longitudinal length when unfolded), and refers to the length of medium 5 that can be printed by the printer 10. The remaining amount 114 is indicated in any unit of length, such as meters, and is expressed as a number.

[0050] The adjustment value 115 is set in the printer 10. The adjustment value 115 is a value that changes depending on the type of the medium 5 (e.g., the type of thickness, material, etc.) and is a value that is set in the printer 10 in advance when the printer 10 prints on the medium 5. The adjustment value 115 is a value that is determined for each medium ID 112. In this embodiment, the adjustment value 115 includes at least a bidirectional printing adjustment value 116, a medium movement amount adjustment value 117, and a head height adjustment value 118.

[0051] In this embodiment, the printer 10 is capable of bidirectional printing. Bidirectional printing refers to a printing method in which ink is ejected from the ink head 22 toward the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 both when the ink head 22 is moving in the forward direction Y1 of the main scanning direction Y and when the ink head 22 is moving in the return direction Y2 to perform printing. The bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 is a value for adjusting the ink ejection timing of bidirectional printing. Here, the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 is a value for adjusting the landing position of the ink ejected from the ink head 22 on the medium 5 when the ink head 22 moves in the forward direction Y1 during printing, and the landing position of the ink ejected from the ink head 22 on the medium 5 when the ink head 22 moves in the return direction Y2. In this way, by setting the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 in the printer 10, it is possible to make it difficult for the landing position of the ink in the forward direction Y1 to be misaligned with the landing position of the ink in the return direction Y2.

[0052] In the printer 10, the medium 5 is moved in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the support base 16 by the medium moving mechanism 50. At this time, friction occurs between the medium 5 and the support base 16, and the amount of movement of the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X (e.g., the amount of movement per unit time) may change depending on the material of the medium 5, etc. The medium movement amount adjustment value 117 is a value for adjusting the amount of movement of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. In this way, by setting the medium movement amount adjustment value 117 in the printer 10, it is possible to reduce the difference in the amount of movement of the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X even if the material of the medium 5, etc. changes.

[0053] In this embodiment, a constant distance is maintained between the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 and the ink head 22 (more specifically, the nozzle surface 25 (see FIG. 4)). Here, the thickness of the medium 5 may vary depending on the type. The head height adjustment value 118 is a value for adjusting the height of the ink head 22 from the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. The head height adjustment value 118 is a value for maintaining a constant distance between the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 and the ink head 22. Here, by setting the head height adjustment value 118 in the printer 10, the distance from the medium 5 to the ink head 22 (here, the distance in the vertical direction Z) can be maintained constant even if the thickness of the medium 5 changes.

[0054] In this embodiment, the medium information 110 stored in the management storage unit 101 is updated. For example, the remaining amount 114 of the medium information 110 is updated after the printer 10 prints on the medium 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing update information 120. Here, the information acquisition unit 103 of FIG. 5 acquires update information 120 (see FIG. 7) for updating the medium information 110 stored in the management storage unit 101. As shown in FIG. 7, the update information 120 includes an update medium ID 122 and an update remaining amount 124. The update medium ID 122 and the update remaining amount 124 correspond to the medium ID 112 and the update remaining amount 114 of the medium information 110 stored in the management storage unit 101, respectively. In this embodiment, the information acquisition unit 103 acquires the update information 120 from, for example, the control device 80 of the printer 10.

[0055] The information updating unit 105 in Fig. 5 uses the update information 120 (see Fig. 7) acquired by the information acquiring unit 103 to update the medium information 110 (see Fig. 6) stored in the management storage unit 101. The information updating unit 105 updates the remaining amount 114 of the medium ID 112 that is the same as the update medium ID 122 of the update information 120 to the update remaining amount 124. For a record in which the update medium ID 122 and the medium ID 112 are the same, the information updating unit 105 rewrites the remaining amount 114 of the record to the update remaining amount 124.

[0056] Specific control of the acquisition unit 107, extraction unit 108, and management transmission unit 109 included in the medium management device 100 in FIG. 5 will be described later.

[0057] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a medium mark 6 printed on a medium 5. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the medium 5 placed in the printer 10 may be replaced. For example, the medium 5 may be replaced with a medium 5 that has been used in previous printing and still has some remaining capacity. The medium mark 6 (see FIG. 8) is already printed on the replaced medium 5 placed in the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 8, the medium mark 6 has a print medium ID 7 recorded on it. The print medium ID 7 is information for identifying the medium 5 placed in the printer 10, and corresponds to the medium ID 112 (see FIG. 6) in the medium information 110.

[0058] The configuration of the medium sign 6 is not particularly limited. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the medium sign 6. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the medium sign 6 has a first end mark M1, a second end mark M2, and a main mark M3. Here, the first end mark M1, the second end mark M2, and the main mark M3 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The first end mark M1 is arranged at one end (here, the right end) of the medium sign 6 in the main scanning direction Y. The second end mark M2 is arranged at the other end (here, the left end) of the medium sign 6 in the main scanning direction Y. The main mark M3 is arranged between the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2.

[0059] The first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 are marks that indicate the ends of the medium mark 6 in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 have the same size and the same shape. In this embodiment, the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 are rectangular (more specifically, rectangular that is longer in the sub-scanning direction X than the main scanning direction Y). The first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 have the same length in the main scanning direction Y and the same length in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the length of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 in the main scanning direction Y is length D1. The length of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 in the sub-scanning direction X is length D10.

[0060] The main mark M3 is a mark on which the print medium ID7 is recorded. Here, the main mark M3 is separated from the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2. The distance in the main scanning direction Y from the first end mark M1 to the main mark M3 and the distance in the main scanning direction Y from the second end mark M2 to the main mark M3 are the same distance D2. In this embodiment, the distance D2 is longer than the length D1 of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2. However, the distance D2 may be shorter than the length D1.

[0061] In this embodiment, the main mark M3 has a plurality of sub-marks M4. The sub-marks M4 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. The sub-marks M4 are continuous.

[0062] Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the submark M4 is indicated by either a first color C1 or a second color C2 different from the first color C1. The specific colors of the first color C1 and the second color C2 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the first color C1 is the same color as the medium 5, for example, white. The second color C2 is black. One submark M4 indicates either a binary 0 or 1. Here, the first color C1 indicates a binary 0, and the second color C2 indicates a binary 1. The print medium ID7 is specified by the numerical value indicated by the multiple submarks M4. The number of submarks M4 is not particularly limited, and is determined according to the notation of the print medium ID7 (for example, the number of digits of the print medium ID7 when indicated in binary). In FIG. 9, the multiple submarks M4 are arranged so that the first color C1 and the second color C2 alternate with each other in consideration of ease of viewing, but in reality, the submarks M4 indicating the first color C1 may be continuous. Also, the sub-marks M4 showing the second color C2 may be consecutive. In this embodiment, the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 are shown in the second color C2 (here, black).

[0063] In this embodiment, the sub-marks M4 have the same size and shape. The sub-marks M4 are rectangular (more specifically, rectangular, longer in the sub-scanning direction X than the main scanning direction Y). The sub-marks M4 have the same length in the main scanning direction Y and the same length in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the sub-marks M4, the first end mark M1, and the second end mark M2 have the same length in the sub-scanning direction X, which is length D10. Here, the length of the sub-mark M4 in the main scanning direction Y is length D3. The length D3 is shorter than the length D1 of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2. However, the length D3 may be longer than the length D1.

[0064] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of medium marks 6 are arranged in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the medium marks 6 have a first medium mark 6a and a second medium mark 6b arranged in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the first medium mark 6a. The second medium mark 6b is arranged in front of the first medium mark 6a. In this embodiment, the number of medium marks 6 is two, the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b, but it may be one or three or more. When the number of medium marks 6 is more than one, the plurality of medium marks 6 may be arranged in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b are arranged at a distance from each other in the sub-scanning direction X. However, the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b may be arranged continuously, in other words, connected. When the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b are aligned in the sub-scanning direction X, there does not need to be a gap between the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b.

[0065] In this embodiment, a first end mark M1, a second end mark M2, and a main mark M3 (in other words, a plurality of sub-marks M4) are provided for each of the plurality of medium marks 6 (here, the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b). Here, one print medium ID 7 is recorded by the main mark M3 in the plurality of medium marks 6. That is, one print medium ID 7 is identified by reading the main mark M3 of the first medium mark 6a and the main mark M3 of the second medium mark 6b.

[0066] Conventionally, a plurality of specific values ​​were prepared in advance for the adjustment values ​​115 (for example, bidirectional printing adjustment value 116, medium movement amount adjustment value 117, and head height adjustment value 118) shown in FIG. 6 for the printer 10. Every time the user replaces the medium 5 installed in the printer 10, the user selects the adjustment value 115 suitable for the type of medium 5 (here, material or thickness) after replacement and sets it in the printer 10. However, in this embodiment, when the medium 5 installed in the printer 10 is replaced, the sensor 30 (see FIG. 2) reads the medium mark 6 printed in advance on the medium 5, and the adjustment value 115 is automatically acquired from the medium management device 100 based on the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium mark 6 read by the sensor 30. Then, the automatically acquired adjustment value 115 is automatically set in the printer 10, so that the user can omit the task of selecting the appropriate adjustment value 115.

[0067] In this embodiment, in order to automatically set the adjustment value 115 after replacing the medium 5 installed in the printer 10, as shown in Fig. 5, the control device 80 of the printer 10 includes a storage unit 81, a reading unit 83, a determination unit 84, an error notification unit 85, an adjustment value acquisition unit 86, an adjustment value setting unit 87, a data receiving unit 89, a print control unit 91, a remaining amount calculation unit 93, an update information transmission unit 95, a sheet cutting control unit 97, and a medium mark printing unit 99. Each unit of the control device 80 may be realized by one or more processors, or may be realized by a circuit.

[0068] Next, the control procedure for printing on the medium 5 after replacing the medium 5 installed in the printer 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10. In this embodiment, when the medium 5 installed in the printer 10 is replaced, a medium mark 6 as shown in Fig. 9 has already been printed on the replaced medium 5, for example, during the previous printing.

[0069] First, in step S101 of Fig. 10, the reading unit 83 of Fig. 5 supports the medium 5 on the support stand 16, and then uses the sensor 30 to read the medium mark 6 already printed on the medium 5 supported by the support stand 16. The reading unit 83 controls the head moving mechanism 40 and the medium moving mechanism 50 so that the sensor 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y over the medium mark 6 printed on the medium 5. Then, when the sensor 30 scans over the medium mark 6, the reading unit 83 can read the print medium ID 7 recorded on the medium mark 6 by sequentially reading multiple submarks M4 of the main mark M3 of the medium mark 6.

[0070] Specifically, the reading unit 83 first adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor 30. Here, the reading unit 83 adjusts the first detection voltage of the sensor 30 in a portion of the medium 5 where the medium mark 6 is not printed (e.g., the first color C1). For example, the current value to the sensor 30 is gradually reduced so that the first detection voltage of the sensor 30 becomes a predetermined voltage (e.g., 0.5 V) or higher. Next, the second detection voltage of the sensor 30 for the first end mark M1 of the medium mark 6 (i.e., the second color C2 (here, black)) is obtained. Then, the average of the first detection voltage and the second detection voltage (here, the value of (first detection voltage + second detection voltage) / 2) is set as the threshold value.

[0071] After that, the reading unit 83 moves the sensor 30 along the main scanning direction Y on the medium mark 6 to detect the positions of the first end mark M1, the main mark M3, and the second end mark M2 of the medium mark 6. At this time, it is possible to detect whether the position of the first end mark M1, the position of the second end mark M2, and each sub-mark M4 of the main mark M3 indicates a binary 1 or 0, depending on the position of the sensor 30 in the main scanning direction Y when the detection voltage smaller than the threshold value becomes larger than the threshold value (here, the position of the first boundary where the first color C1 changes to the second color C2) and the position of the sensor 30 in the main scanning direction Y when the detection voltage larger than the threshold value becomes smaller than the threshold value (here, the position of the second boundary where the second color C2 changes to the first color C1). Here, by comparing the distance from the first boundary to the second boundary of multiple submarks M4 with the length D3 of submark M4 (see FIG. 9), it is possible to detect whether each submark M4 indicates a binary 1 or 0. For example, by calculating approximately how many times the distance from the first boundary to the second boundary is as long as the length D3 of submark M4, it is possible to detect the number of submarks M4 with successive 1s or the number of submarks M4 with successive 0s. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether each submark M4 indicates a binary 1 or 0, and the print medium ID 7 of the medium indicator 6 can be read.

[0072] In this embodiment, the reading unit 83 reads the medium mark 6 when the sensor 30 is moved in the forward direction Y1 for one medium mark 6, and also reads the medium mark 6 when the sensor 30 is moved in the return direction Y2. Here, the reading unit 83 acquires a first reading result R1 which is the result of the print medium ID 7 of the medium mark 6 read when the sensor 30 is moved in the forward direction Y1, and also acquires a second reading result R2 which is the result of the print medium ID 7 of the medium mark 6 read when the sensor 30 is moved in the return direction Y2. Here, the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 for the first medium mark 6a, and the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 for the second medium mark 6b are acquired by the reading unit 83.

[0073] Next, in step S103 of FIG. 10, the determination unit 84 of FIG. 5 determines whether the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 in the medium mark 6 match. In this embodiment, the determination unit 84 determines whether the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 in the first medium mark 6a match, and whether the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 in the second medium mark 6b match. Here, when the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 match, it means that the print medium ID7 obtained by reading the main mark M3 in the forward direction Y1 matches the print medium ID7 obtained by reading the main mark M3 in the return direction Y2. Here, when the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 in the medium mark 6 do not match, it means that the print medium ID7 obtained in the forward direction Y1 does not match the print medium ID7 obtained in the return direction Y2. That is, if the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 in the first medium mark 6a do not match, or if the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 in the second medium mark 6b do not match, the determination unit 84 determines that the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 in the medium mark 6 do not match. In this case, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0074] In step S104, the error notification unit 85 in Fig. 5 notifies the user that the medium mark 6 could not be properly read. Here, the notification that the medium mark 6 could not be properly read is referred to as an error notification. There are no particular limitations on the method by which the error notification unit 85 issues the error notification. In this embodiment, the error notification unit 85 displays a message indicating the error notification on the display screen 151 of the terminal 150 (see Fig. 5) or the display screen 46 of the operation panel 45 of the printer 10 (see Fig. 2).

[0075] In this case, the error notification unit 85 notifies the user of an error when the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 do not match. However, the error notification unit 85 may notify the user of an error when, for example, the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 on the medium label 6 (here, the first medium label 6a and the second medium label 6b) cannot be read by the reading unit 83. When at least one of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 cannot be read, the medium 5 is considered to be disposed at an angle to the support base 16. When the medium 5 is disposed at an angle to the support base 16 and moves in the sub-scanning direction X, the medium 5 may be wrinkled or twisted, resulting in a deterioration in quality. In this case, for example, the determination unit 84 in FIG. 5 determines whether the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 on the medium label 6 have been read by the reading unit 83. When the judgment unit 84 determines that at least one of the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 of the medium label 6 has not been read, the error notification unit 85 issues an error notification to the user indicating that the medium 5 is placed at an angle to the support base 16.

[0076] On the other hand, in step S103 of FIG. 10, if the determination unit 84 determines that the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 in the medium mark 6 match, it is determined that the print medium ID 7 has been properly acquired. In this case, step S105 of FIG. 10 is then executed. In step S105, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 of FIG. 5 acquires the adjustment value 115 of the printer 10. Here, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 acquires the adjustment value 115 of the printer 10 when printing on the medium 5 specified by the print medium ID 7 (more specifically, the bidirectional print adjustment value 116, the medium movement amount adjustment value 117, and the head height adjustment value 118 (see FIG. 6)) based on the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium mark 6 read by the reading unit 83. In this embodiment, the print medium ID 7 read by the reading unit 83 is represented in binary.

[0077] In this embodiment, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 acquires the adjustment value 115 of the printer 10 from the medium management device 100. Here, for example, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 transmits the print medium ID 7 to the medium management device 100. Note that the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 may convert the print medium ID 7 indicated in binary and then transmit the converted print medium ID 7 to the medium management device 100. In this embodiment, the adjustment value 115 stored in the management storage unit 101 of the medium management device 100 is indicated in hexadecimal. Therefore, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 may transmit the print medium ID 7 converted into hexadecimal to the medium management device 100.

[0078] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 107 of the medium management device 100 shown in FIG. 5 acquires the print medium ID 7 transmitted by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86. Here, the acquisition unit 107 acquires the print medium ID 7 converted into a hexadecimal number. Then, the extraction unit 108 of the medium management device 100 shown in FIG. 5 extracts the adjustment values ​​115 (more specifically, the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116, the medium movement amount adjustment value 117, and the head height adjustment value 118) associated with the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7. Here, the extraction unit 108 extracts a record (or row) of the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7 from the medium information 110 (see FIG. 6) stored in the management storage unit 101. Then, the extraction unit 108 extracts the adjustment value 115 from the record.

[0079] In this embodiment, the extraction unit 108 extracts the medium name 113 and the remaining amount 114 associated with the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7, along with the adjustment value 115. Here, the extraction unit 108 extracts a record of the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7, and extracts the medium name 113 and the remaining amount 114 from the extracted record.

[0080] 5 transmits the adjustment value 115, the medium name 113, and the remaining amount 114. This allows the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 to acquire the adjustment value 115, the medium name 113, and the remaining amount 114 of the printer 10. The information relating to the adjustment value 115, the medium name 113, and the remaining amount 114 acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 is stored in the storage unit 81 in FIG.

[0081] Next, in step S107 of FIG. 10, the adjustment value setting unit 87 of FIG. 5 sets the adjustment value 115 acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 to the printer 10. In this embodiment, the adjustment value setting unit 87 sets a bidirectional printing adjustment value 116, a medium movement amount adjustment value 117, and a head height adjustment value 118 to the printer 10 as the adjustment value 115. Here, by setting the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 to the printer 10, the ink landing position in the forward direction Y1 and the ink landing position in the return direction Y2 can be adjusted based on the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 in bidirectional printing. By setting the medium movement amount adjustment value 117 to the printer 10, the movement amount of the medium 5 (e.g., the movement amount per unit time) when the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 moves in the sub-scanning direction X by the medium movement mechanism 50 can be adjusted based on the medium movement amount adjustment value 117. Furthermore, by setting the head height adjustment value 118 in the printer 10, the height of the ink head 22 from the support base 16 can be adjusted based on the head height adjustment value 118 when printing on the medium 5.

[0082] After the adjustment values ​​115 are set in the printer 10 in this manner, printing by the printer 10 is started, and the steps from step S109 onwards in Fig. 10 are executed in sequence. Here, printing is started, for example, when the user operates the operation means 152 of the terminal 150 to press a print start button (not shown) displayed on the display screen 151.

[0083] After printing starts, in step S109 of FIG. 10, the data receiving unit 89 of FIG. 5 receives the print data DT1. In this embodiment, the data receiving unit 89 receives the print data DT1 from the terminal 150. The print data DT1 is data used when the printer 10 prints on the medium 5. The print data DT1 is data that can be read and analyzed by the printer 10, and the printer 10 prints on the medium 5 based on the print data DT1. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining RIP processing. As shown in FIG. 11, the print data DT1 is raster data or bitmap data obtained by performing RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing on a print image DT2 to be printed on the medium 5.

[0084] The print image DT2 is created by, for example, a computer on which an image creation application is installed. The print image DT2 is created in, for example, a PDF (Portable Document Format) format. The print image DT2 includes, for example, images such as photographs, as well as figures, symbols, characters, and the like, or combinations thereof.

[0085] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the print image DT2 is stored in the terminal 150 (more specifically, the terminal control device 153). The terminal control device 153 of the terminal 150 performs RIP processing on the print image DT2 to create print data DT1. At this time, the terminal 150 transmits the created print data DT1 to the printer 10. The data receiving unit 89 receives the print data DT1 created by the terminal 150. The print data DT1 received by the data receiving unit 89 is stored in the storage unit 81 of Fig. 5.

[0086] Next, in step S111 of FIG. 10, the print control unit 91 of FIG. 5 prints a print image DT2 on the medium 5 supported by the support table 16 based on the print data DT1. Here, the print control unit 91 controls the head moving mechanism 40 and the medium moving mechanism 50 so that the relative positional relationship between the ink head 22 and the medium 5 supported by the support table 16 in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X is changed based on the print data DT1. Then, for example, when the ink head 22 is moving in the main scanning direction Y, the print control unit 91 can print the print image DT2 on the medium 5 by appropriately discharging ink from the ink head 22 based on the print data DT1. Here, the print control unit 91 prints the print image DT2 on the medium 5 supported by the support table 16 by discharging ink from the ink head 22 in the print area AR1 (see FIG. 8) of the medium 5 supported by the support table 16.

[0087] Next, in step S113 of FIG. 10, the remaining amount calculation unit 93 of FIG. 5 calculates the remaining amount 8b of the medium 5 after printing by the print control unit 91. Here, the previous remaining amount 9a of the medium 5 before printing (before printing by the print control unit 91) is stored in the storage unit 81 of FIG. 5. This previous remaining amount 9a is the remaining amount 8b of the medium 5 calculated at the time of the previous printing. This previous remaining amount 9a may be the remaining amount 114 (see FIG. 6) acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between the previous remaining amount, the usage amount, and the remaining amount of the medium 5 used in printing based on the print data DT1. Based on the print data DT1, the remaining amount calculation unit 93 can calculate the usage amount 9b (see FIG. 12) of the medium 5 used in printing based on the print data DT1. Therefore, the remaining amount calculation unit 93 calculates the remaining amount of the medium 5 used in printing based on the print data DT1, for example, by dividing the usage amount 9b from the previous remaining amount 9a, as shown in FIG. 12. The remaining amount of use 8b calculated by the remaining amount calculation unit 93 is stored in the storage unit 81 of FIG.

[0088] Next, in step S115 of FIG. 10, the update information transmission unit 95 of FIG. 5 creates the update information 120 as shown in FIG. 7, and transmits the update information 120 to the medium management device 100. Here, the update information transmission unit 95 transmits the update information 120 to the medium management device 100 after printing on the medium 5 based on the print data DT1 is completed. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the update information 120 has an update medium ID 122 and an update remaining amount 124 as described above. In this embodiment, when the medium 5 installed in the printer 10 is replaced, the storage unit 81 stores a used medium ID 8a for identifying the replaced medium 5. The update information transmission unit 95 transmits the update information 120 to the medium management device 100, with the update medium ID 122 and the update remaining amount 124 of the update information 120 being the used medium ID 8a stored in the storage unit 81 and the used remaining amount 8b calculated by the remaining amount calculation unit 93, respectively. In the medium management device 100, the information acquisition unit 103 in Fig. 5 receives the update information 120 transmitted by the update information transmission unit 95. Then, the information update unit 105 in Fig. 5 uses the update information 120 acquired by the information acquisition unit 103 to update the medium information 110 stored in the management storage unit 101.

[0089] Next, in step S117 in FIG. 10, the sheet cut control unit 97 in FIG. 5 performs sheet cutting on the medium 5 supported by the support table 16. After the print image DT2 is printed in the print area AR1 (see FIG. 8) of the medium 5, the sheet cut control unit 97 performs sheet cutting on the medium 5. Here, the sheet cut is performed in a portion of the medium 5 upstream in the sub-scanning direction X from the print area AR1 where the print image DT2 is printed (for example, position P1 (see FIG. 8) in the sub-scanning direction X). Position P1 is a position in the sub-scanning direction X between the print area AR1 and the medium mark 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the sheet cut control unit 97 moves the sheet cutter 32 downward so that the tip of the sheet cutter 32 enters the cutter groove 16A. This causes the sheet cutter 32 to penetrate the medium 5. Thereafter, the sheet cut control unit 97 controls the head moving mechanism 40 so that the carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y. As a result, the sheet cutter 32 moves in the main scanning direction Y together with the carriage 20, and the medium 5 is cut at position P1 (see FIG. 8) by the sheet cutter 32. As a result, the printing area AR1 is cut off. Note that, if a medium mark 6 is printed on the medium 5, it is preferable that the sheet be cut between the printing area AR1 and the medium mark 6.

[0090] Next, in step S119 in FIG. 10, the medium mark printing unit 99 in FIG. 5 prints the medium mark 6 (see FIG. 9) in which the print medium ID 7 is stored on the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. The position of the medium 5 on which the medium mark 6 is printed is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the print area AR1 of the medium 5 is moved downstream in the sub-scanning direction X by the medium moving mechanism 50 during printing, and is disposed downstream (here, forward) in the sub-scanning direction X from the support base 16. Therefore, the medium mark printing unit 99 prints the medium mark 6 at a position outside the print area AR1, for example, upstream in the sub-scanning direction X from the print area AR1 (for example, the sheet cut end portion cut at the above-mentioned position P1). The position at which the medium mark 6 is printed with respect to the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 may be the center part, the left part, or the right part in the main scanning direction Y.

[0091] In this embodiment, the medium mark printing unit 99 controls the head moving mechanism 40 so that the ink head 22 moves in the main scanning direction Y. Then, the medium mark printing unit 99 prints the medium mark 6 by ejecting ink from the ink head 22 to print the first end mark M1, the second end mark M2, and the main mark M3 of the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b, respectively, on the medium 5.

[0092] In this embodiment, the medium label printing unit 99 may print the medium name 113 (see FIG. 6) acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 and the remaining amount 8b calculated by the remaining amount calculation unit 93 together with the medium label 6 on the medium 5 supported by the support stand 16. In this case, the position of the medium name 113 and the position of the remaining amount 8b relative to the medium label 6 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the medium label printing unit 99 prints the medium name 113 and the remaining amount 8b on a portion of the medium 5 downstream of the medium label 6 in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the printing of the medium label 6 in step S119 is performed after the sheet cutting in step S117. However, step S119 may be performed before step S117. In other words, the printing of the medium label 6 may be performed before the sheet cutting. In this manner, a series of controls are performed.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes the printer 10 and the medium management device 100 that manages the medium 5 installed in the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes the support base 16 that supports the medium 5, the ink head 22 (see FIG. 4) that ejects ink, and the control device 80. Before printing starts, the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 is printed with a medium label 6 on which a print medium ID 7 that identifies the medium 5 is recorded, as shown in FIG. 8. The printer 10 includes a sensor 30 (see FIG. 3) that reads the medium label 6. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 80 includes a reading unit 83, an adjustment value acquisition unit 86, and an adjustment value setting unit 87. After the medium 5 is supported by the support base 16, the reading unit 83 reads the medium label 6 printed on the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 with the sensor 30 as in step S101 of FIG. 10. The adjustment value acquisition unit 86 acquires the adjustment value 115 (see FIG. 6) of the printer 10 when printing on the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7 based on the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium mark 6 read by the reading unit 83, as in step S105 of FIG. 10. The adjustment value setting unit 87 sets the adjustment value 115 acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit 86, as in step S107 of FIG. 10. In this way, when the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 is replaced, the adjustment value 115 when printing on the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium mark 6 can be automatically acquired and set in the printer 10 by reading the medium mark 6 with the sensor 30. Therefore, the user does not have to manually set the adjustment value 115. Therefore, the user's work time for setting the adjustment value 115 can be reduced.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 5, the medium management device 100 includes a management storage unit 101. The management storage unit 101 stores medium information 110 (see FIG. 6) in which a medium ID 112 that identifies the medium 5 installed in the printer 10 is associated with an adjustment value 115. The adjustment value acquisition unit 86 acquires, from the medium management device 100, the adjustment value 115 of the printer 10 when printing on the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium label 6. In this way, the adjustment value 115 for the medium ID 112 is managed by the medium management device 100. Therefore, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 can easily acquire the adjustment value 115 by acquiring the adjustment value 115 from the medium management device 100 based on the print medium ID 7.

[0095] The adjustment value acquisition unit 86 transmits the print medium ID 7 to the medium management device 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the medium management device 100 includes an acquisition unit 107, an extraction unit 108, and a management transmission unit 109. The acquisition unit 107 acquires the print medium ID 7. The extraction unit 108 extracts the adjustment value 115 (see FIG. 6) associated with the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7. The management transmission unit 109 transmits the adjustment value 115 extracted by the extraction unit 108 to the printer 10. The adjustment value acquisition unit 86 acquires the adjustment value 115 transmitted by the management transmission unit 109. In this way, the print medium ID 7 is transmitted to the medium management device 100, so that the adjustment value 115 associated with the medium ID 112 that matches the print medium ID 7 can be extracted from the medium information 110. Therefore, the adjustment value 115 appropriate for the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7 can be acquired.

[0096] In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a head moving mechanism 40 (see FIG. 2) that moves the ink head 22 and the sensor 30 in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. The adjustment value 115 includes a bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 (see FIG. 6) that adjusts the landing position of the ink ejected from the ink head 22 on the medium 5 when the ink head 22 moves in the forward direction Y1 from one side to the other side of the main scanning direction Y during printing, and the landing position of the ink ejected from the ink head 22 on the medium 5 when the ink head 22 moves in the return direction Y2 from the other side to one side of the main scanning direction Y. For example, the material and thickness of the medium 5 may change depending on the type of the medium 5. In this case, the landing position of the ink may deviate between the forward direction Y1 and the return direction Y2 in bidirectional printing depending on the type of the medium 5. However, in this embodiment, the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 suitable for the type of medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7 can be acquired. Therefore, the ink landing positions in the forward direction Y1 and the return direction Y2 during bidirectional printing can be adjusted based on the bidirectional printing adjustment value 116 depending on the type of medium 5.

[0097] In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a medium moving mechanism 50 (see FIG. 3) that moves the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 22. The adjustment value 115 has a medium movement amount adjustment value 117 (see FIG. 6) that adjusts the movement amount (e.g., the movement amount per unit time) of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. For example, the material may change depending on the type of the medium 5. Furthermore, the movement amount (e.g., the movement amount per unit time) of the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X may change depending on the material of the medium 5. However, in this embodiment, the medium movement amount adjustment value 117 can be acquired depending on the type of the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7. Therefore, the movement amount of the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X can be adjusted based on the medium movement amount adjustment value 117 depending on the material of the medium 5.

[0098] In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a lifting mechanism 55 (see FIG. 3) that raises and lowers the ink head 22 relative to the support base 16. The adjustment value 115 includes a head height adjustment value 118 (see FIG. 6) that adjusts the height of the ink head 22 from the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. For example, in the printer 10, a constant distance is maintained between the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 and the ink head 22 (more specifically, the nozzle surface 25 (see FIG. 4)). Here, the thickness of the medium 5 may differ depending on the type. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the height of the ink head 22 depending on the type of the medium 5. In this embodiment, the head height adjustment value 118 can be acquired depending on the type of the medium 5 identified by the print medium ID 7. Therefore, the distance between the medium 5 and the ink head 22 can be kept constant by adjusting the height of the ink head 22 from the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 based on the head height adjustment value 118 depending on the thickness of the medium 5.

[0099] In this embodiment, in step S101 of FIG. 10, the reading unit 83 of FIG. 5 reads the medium mark 6 when the sensor 30 moves in the forward direction Y1 from one side to the other side of the main scanning direction Y, and reads the medium mark 6 when the sensor 30 moves in the return direction Y2 from the other side to one side of the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 80 includes a determination unit 84. As in step S103 of FIG. 10, the determination unit 84 determines whether or not a first reading result R1, which is a result of the print medium ID7 of the medium mark 6 read in the forward direction Y1, matches with a second reading result R2, which is a result of the print medium ID7 of the medium mark 6 read in the return direction Y2. When the determination unit 84 determines that the first reading result R1 and the second reading result R2 match, the adjustment value acquisition unit 86 of FIG. 5 acquires an adjustment value 115 of the printer 10 when printing on the medium 5 specified by the print medium ID 7. In this way, by determining whether the first read result R1 and the second read result R2 match, it is possible to prevent erroneous reading of the print medium ID 7. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the adjustment value 115 suitable for the medium 5 supported by the support base 16.

[0100] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the medium mark 6 has a first end mark M1 located at one end (here, the right end) of the medium mark 6 in the main scanning direction Y, a second end mark M2 located at the other end (here, the left end) of the medium mark 6 in the main scanning direction Y, and a main mark M3 located between the first end mark M1 and the second end mark M2 and recording a print medium ID 7. The reading unit 83 in FIG. 5 reads the medium mark 6 with the sensor 30 by scanning the medium mark 6 printed on the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y with the sensor 30. In this way, by arranging the first end mark M1, the main mark M3, and the second end mark M2 side by side in the main scanning direction Y, the medium mark 6 can be read by moving the sensor 30 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0101] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, the main mark M3 has multiple sub-marks M4 aligned in the main scanning direction Y. The sub-marks M4 are indicated by either a first color C1 indicating 0 or a second color C2 indicating 1. The print medium ID7 is identified by a binary number based on the multiple sub-marks M4. This makes it possible to properly obtain the print medium ID7 by reading the multiple sub-marks M4 in order in the main scanning direction Y.

[0102] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the medium mark 6 has a first medium mark 6a and a second medium mark 6b arranged next to the first medium mark 6a in the sub-scanning direction X. A first end mark M1, a second end mark M2, and a main mark M3 are provided for each of the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b. The print medium ID7 is identified by reading the main mark M3 of the first medium mark 6a and the main mark M3 of the second medium mark 6b. In this way, even if the number of digits indicating the print medium ID7 is large, the first medium mark 6a and the second medium mark 6b are arranged next to each other in the sub-scanning direction X, so that the medium mark 6 is less likely to spread in the main scanning direction Y.

[0103] In this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a sheet cutter 32 that cuts the medium 5 supported by the support table 16, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 80 includes a print control unit 91, a medium label printing unit 99, and a sheet cutting control unit 97. The print control unit 91 prints the print area AR1 (see FIG. 8) of the medium 5 supported by the support table 16 based on the print data DT1 (see FIG. 11) obtained by RIP processing the print image DT2, as in step S111 of FIG. 10. After printing by the print control unit 91, the medium label printing unit 99 prints the medium label 6, on which the print medium ID 7 of the medium 5 is recorded, on the medium 5 supported by the support table 16, as in step S119 of FIG. 10. The sheet cutting control unit 97 cuts the medium 5 supported by the support table 16 so as to cut off the print area AR1, as in step S117 of FIG. 10. This allows the medium 5 to have the medium mark 6 printed on it when the medium 5 is removed from the printer 10. Therefore, when the medium 5 that was once removed is placed back into the printer 10, the medium 5 can have the medium mark 6 printed on it.

[0104] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the control device 80 includes a remaining amount calculation unit 93. The remaining amount calculation unit 93 calculates a remaining amount 8b of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 after printing by the print control unit 91, as in step S113 of Fig. 10. The medium mark printing unit 99 prints the remaining amount 8b of the medium 5 supported by the support base 16 together with the medium mark 6 in step S119 of Fig. 10. This allows the user to grasp the remaining amount of the medium 5 by looking at the remaining amount 8b of the medium 5 printed on the medium 5.

[0105] In this embodiment, the replaced medium 5 is a used medium 5 on which printing has already been performed. If the replaced medium 5 is new, the management storage unit 101 of the medium management device 100 does not store medium information 110 for the new medium 5 (e.g., medium name 113, adjustment value 115 (more specifically, bidirectional printing adjustment value 116, medium movement amount adjustment value 117, head height adjustment value 118), etc.). Therefore, when a new medium 5 is installed in the printer 10, the user inputs medium information 110 for the new medium 5, for example, by operating the operation panel 45 or terminal 150. The input medium information 110 is then transmitted to the medium management device 100 and stored in the management storage unit 101. As a result, even if a new medium 5 is used and once removed from the printer 10, the next time it is installed in the printer 10, the adjustment value 115 can be automatically obtained based on the print medium ID 7 recorded in the medium mark 6 by reading the medium mark 6, and the adjustment value 115 can be automatically set in the printer 10.

[0106] In this embodiment, sheet cutting is performed by the sheet cutter 32 that cuts the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y. However, the cutter according to the present invention is not limited to the sheet cutter 32. The cutter according to the present invention may be a cutter that cuts the medium 5 based on so-called cutting data, or cuts the medium 5 in a curved shape or in a straight line along the sub-scanning direction X. This cutter may perform sheet cutting on the medium 5.

[0107] The printer 10 may be a printer with a cutter that cuts the medium 5 based on the cutting data. In this case, a cutting carriage equipped with a cutter may be provided so as to be connectable to the carriage 20.

[0108] In this embodiment, the sensor 30 is an optical sensor. However, the sensor 30 may be, for example, a camera. In this case, the medium indicator 6 may be a barcode (for example, a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode) in which the print medium ID 7 is recorded. Even in this case, the print medium ID 7 can be obtained by reading the barcode, which is an example of the medium indicator 6, with a camera, which is an example of the sensor 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1 Printing System 5 Medium 6 Media indicator 6a 1st medium indicator 6b Second media indicator 7 Print media ID 10 Printers 16 Support stand 22 Ink head 30 Sensors 32 Sheet cutter (cutter) 40 Head movement mechanism 50 Media movement mechanism 55 Lifting mechanism 80 Control device 83 Reading unit 84 Judgment section 86 Adjustment value acquisition unit 87 Adjustment value setting section 91 Printing control unit 93 Remaining amount calculation section 97 Sheet cutting control section 99 Media label printing department 100 Media management device 101 Management storage unit 107 Acquisition Department 108 Extraction part 109 Management Transmission Department 110 Media information 115 Adjustment value 116 Bidirectional Print Adjustment Value 117 Media movement adjustment value 118 Head height adjustment value M1 First end mark M2 2nd end mark M3 Main Mark M4 Submark

Claims

1. A support base for supporting the medium; An ink head that ejects ink; A control device; Equipped with Before printing starts, a medium mark having a print medium ID that identifies the medium is printed on the medium supported by the support stand, a sensor for reading the media indicia; The control device includes: a reading unit that reads the medium mark printed on the medium supported by the support stand using the sensor after the medium is supported by the support stand; an adjustment value acquisition unit that acquires printer adjustment values ​​for printing on the medium identified by the print medium ID based on the print medium ID recorded in the medium mark read by the reading unit; an adjustment value setting unit that sets the adjustment value acquired by the adjustment value acquisition unit; A printer equipped with

2. a head moving mechanism that moves the ink head in a main scanning direction relative to the medium supported by the support base; 2. The printer described in claim 1, wherein the adjustment values ​​include bidirectional printing adjustment values ​​that adjust the landing position of ink ejected from the ink head onto the medium when the ink head moves in a forward direction from one side of the main scanning direction to the other side during printing, and the landing position of ink ejected from the ink head onto the medium when the ink head moves in a return direction from the other side of the main scanning direction to one side.

3. a medium moving mechanism that moves the medium supported by the support table in a sub-scanning direction relative to the ink head; 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment value includes a medium movement amount adjustment value that adjusts the amount of movement of the medium supported by the support table in the sub-scanning direction.

4. a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the ink head relative to the support base, 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment value includes a head height adjustment value for adjusting a height of the ink head from the medium supported by the support base.

5. a head moving mechanism that moves the ink head and the sensor in a main scanning direction relative to the medium supported by the support base; the reading unit reads the medium mark when the sensor moves in a forward direction from one side to the other side of the main scanning direction, and reads the medium mark when the sensor moves in a return direction from the other side to one side of the main scanning direction, The control device includes a determination unit that determines whether a first reading result, which is a result of the print medium ID of the medium mark read in the forward direction, and a second reading result, which is a result of the print medium ID of the medium mark read in the return direction, match each other, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment value acquisition unit acquires the adjustment value of the printer when printing on the medium identified by the print medium ID when the determination unit determines that the first reading result and the second reading result match.

6. a head moving mechanism that moves the ink head and the sensor in a main scanning direction relative to the medium supported by the support base; The media sign is a first end mark located at one end of the medium mark in the main scanning direction; a second end mark located at the other end of the medium mark in the main scanning direction; a main mark disposed between the first end mark and the second end mark, the main mark having the print medium ID recorded thereon; having 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the reading section reads the medium mark with the sensor by scanning the sensor in the main scanning direction over the medium mark printed on the medium.

7. the main mark has a plurality of sub-marks aligned in the main scanning direction, the sub-mark is represented by either a first color representing 0 or a second color representing 1; 7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein the print medium ID is specified by a binary number based on a plurality of the submarks.

8. The media sign is A first media indicator; A second medium mark arranged next to the first medium mark in the sub-scanning direction; having the first end mark, the second end mark, and the main mark are provided for each of the first medium mark and the second medium mark; The printer of claim 6 , wherein the print media ID is determined by reading the main mark of the first media mark and the main mark of the second media mark.

9. a cutter that cuts the medium supported by the support base into sheets, The control device includes: a print control unit that performs printing on a print area of ​​the medium supported by the support table based on print data obtained by RIP processing of a print image; a medium marking printing unit that prints the medium mark, on which the print medium ID of the medium is recorded, on the medium supported by the support base after printing by the print control unit; a sheet cutting control unit that performs sheet cutting on the medium supported by the support table so as to cut off the printing area; The printer of claim 1 , comprising:

10. the control device includes a remaining amount calculation unit that calculates a remaining amount of the medium supported by the support table after printing by the print control unit, The printer according to claim 9 , wherein the medium marking printing unit prints the remaining amount of use along with the medium mark on the medium supported by the support table.

11. A printer according to any one of claims 1 to 10; a medium management device that manages the medium installed in the printer; A printing system comprising:

12. the medium management device includes a management storage unit that stores medium information in which a medium ID that identifies the medium installed in the printer and the adjustment value are associated with each other; The printing system according to claim 11 , wherein the adjustment value acquisition unit acquires, from the medium management device, the adjustment values ​​of the printer when printing on the medium identified by the print medium ID recorded in the medium mark.

13. The adjustment value acquisition unit transmits the print medium ID to the medium management device, The media management device includes: An acquisition unit that acquires the print medium ID; an extraction unit that extracts the adjustment value associated with the medium ID that matches the print medium ID; a management transmission unit that transmits the adjustment value extracted by the extraction unit to the printer; Equipped with The printing system according to claim 12 , wherein the adjustment value acquisition unit acquires the adjustment value transmitted by the management transmission unit.

Images