Printer and program

Abstract

To provide a printer and a program which can further save used amounts of an ink ribbon.SOLUTION: The printer comprises: a printing head that performs printing on a medium being conveyed; moving means that moves the printing head between a printing position and a retreating position; ink ribbon conveying means that conveys an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium and stops the conveying; a memorizing part that memorizes a plurality of conveying speeds of the medium and non-printing areas with a length enough to save an ink ribbon where the medium is conveyed at the conveying speed and the conveying of the ink ribbon is stopped, for each conveying speed, while associating the speed with the areas; non-printing area determining means that determines one or a plurality of blank areas where printing is not performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas memorized in the memorizing part, on the basis of printing data which are printed on the medium; and first medium conveying means that when it is determined that the blank areas correspond to any of the non-printing areas, saves the ink ribbon while conveying the medium at conveying speed corresponding to the determined non-printing area, in the non-printing area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a printer and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there are printers that print and issue media such as labels and receipt paper. Printers are mainly installed in the backroom of stores and print product information (product name, product price, expiration date, etc.) on the media.

[0003] Some such printers print by transferring ink from an ink ribbon onto a medium, but the medium transport speed is set in advance and the ink ribbon is transported at the same speed.As a result, if the non-printing area in the transport direction is longer than a predetermined length, ribbon saving is possible, which stops the transport of the ink ribbon.However, if the non-printing area is shorter than the predetermined length, ribbon saving is difficult, resulting in the problem of wasting the ink ribbon. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer and a program that can further reduce the amount of ink ribbon used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printer of the embodiment comprises a print head that prints on the transported medium, a movement means that moves the print head between a printing position and a retracted position, an ink ribbon transport means that transports and stops the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium, a memory unit that stores, in association with each other, multiple transport speeds of the medium and, for each transport speed, a non-printed area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the medium at that transport speed and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon, a non-printed area determination means that determines, based on print data to be printed on the medium, whether one or more blank areas on the medium where no printing is to be performed correspond to any of the non-printed areas stored in the memory unit, and a first medium transport means that, when it is determined that the blank area corresponds to any of the non-printed areas, performs the ribbon saving while transporting the medium in the non-printed area at the transport speed that corresponds to the determined non-printed area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a label printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of the label printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the label printer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of image data to be printed on a label. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the non-print area. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the mode information section. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the non-printed information section. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of print areas and non-print areas in image data stored in the non-print information section. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the printer. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing relating to printer mode setting. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing related to printing by the printer. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing an example of ink ribbon control and label transport control in the print area and non-print area. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of another control process related to printing by the printer. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a timing chart showing another example of ink ribbon control and label transport control in the print area and non-print area. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of still another control process related to printing by the printer. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a timing chart showing yet another example of ink ribbon control and label transport control in the print area and non-print area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following describes an embodiment. In the embodiment, a label printer is described as an example of a printer. A label is described as an example of a medium. The labels may be labels attached to a backing sheet in multiple sheets that can be peeled off, or linerless labels that do not have a backing sheet. However, in the embodiment, a label attached to a backing sheet is used. Note that the embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer 1 according to an embodiment. The printer 1 according to this embodiment is a label printer that issues labels. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing of the printer 1 is formed by a main body 2 and a cover 3. Inside the main body 2, a power supply unit, a circuit board (none of which are shown), a paper setting unit 9 for setting paper (see FIG. 2), a platen 33 and a conveying roller 26 (both of which are shown in FIG. 2) that serve as a conveying unit for conveying labels, and the like are provided. The cover 3 is connected to the main body 2 via a hinge 5. The cover 3 is attached to the main body 2 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction relative to the main body 2, with the hinge 5 as a pivot point. When the cover 3 is rotated upward relative to the main body 2, it opens the interior, and when rotated downward, it closes the interior of the printer 1.

[0009] The cover 3 is provided with a print head 32 and an ink ribbon 23 (see Figure 2 for both). The cover 3 is also provided with an operation unit 47 and a display unit 48. The main body 2 or the cover 3 is also provided with a power switch 6 that turns the printer 1 on and off. When the cover 3 is closed to the main body 2, a paper discharge outlet 8 is formed. The paper discharge outlet 8 discharges (issues) the printed label L (see Figure 2) to the outside.

[0010] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration and positional relationship of each part when the lid 3 is closed on the main body 2. As shown in Figure 2, the main body 2 is provided with a paper setting unit 9, in which is set a roll of paper having a plurality of labels L aligned and affixed to a long backing sheet P. The main body 2 also has a platen 33 rotated by a platen motor 31 and a transport roller 26.

[0011] On the other hand, a print head 32 is attached to the cover 3. The print head 32 is, for example, a thermal head in which heating elements that print by applying heat are arranged in a line. The cover 3 also has a ribbon mounting shaft 21 to which a wound ink ribbon 23 is attached, and a ribbon take-up shaft 22 that takes up the ink ribbon 23 attached to the ribbon mounting shaft 21. The ink ribbon 23 pulled out from the ribbon mounting shaft 21 passes between the print head 32 and the label L via a guide 25, and is then taken up by the ribbon take-up shaft 22 via a guide 24. The ink ribbon 23 is coated with, for example, heat-fusible ink, and when heat is applied to the ink ribbon 23 by the print head 32, the melted ink is transferred to the label L.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows the state in which a label L attached to a liner P is pulled from the roll paper loaded in the paper loading unit 9 and the lid 3 is closed on the main body 2. When the lid 3 is closed on the main body 2, the print head 32 is positioned in the printing position (head down), so it faces the platen 33 and is pressed against the platen 33. As a result, the liner P, label L, and ink ribbon 23 are sandwiched between the platen 33 and the print head 32. The print head 32 can rotate (move) between the printing position shown by the solid line and the retracted position shown by the dotted line, but is positioned in the normal printing position when the lid 3 is closed. The printing position is the position in which the print head 32 is pressed against the platen 33 (a position where it can print on the label L), and the retracted position is the position in which the print head 32 is separated from the platen 33 and can stop feeding the ink ribbon 23. The printer 1 saves the ink ribbon 23 by moving the print head 32 to a retracted position and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon 23. In addition, downstream of the platen 33 in the transport direction of the label L, a transport roller 26 is provided that transports the label L printed by the print head 32 and the backing paper P in the direction of arrow Yb.

[0013] When the platen motor 31 is driven in this state, the platen 33 rotates in the direction of arrow Yc. Driving the platen motor 31 also rotates the transport roller 26. This rotates the roll paper in the direction of arrow Ya, and the liner P with the label L affixed thereto is pulled out. The pulled-out label L and liner P are transported in the direction of arrow Yb. At the same time, the ribbon transport motor 59 is driven to rotate the ribbon take-up shaft 22, and the ink ribbon 23 is transported in the direction of arrow Yd. The label L transported in the direction of arrow Yb is sandwiched together with the ink ribbon 23 between the print head 32 and the platen 33, and the heat generated by the print head 32 causes the ink applied to the ink ribbon 23 to be transferred to the label L, printing characters and figures on the surface (printing surface) of the label L. The printed label L is transported by the transport roller 26 and discharged to the outside through the paper discharge port 8. The ink ribbon 23 and the label L sandwiched between the print head 32 and the platen 33 are transported in the same direction at approximately the same speed.

[0014] The print head 32 moves to the retracted position (head-up) when ribbon saving of the ink ribbon 23, which will be described later, is performed. This stops the transport (winding) of the ink ribbon 23 by the ribbon take-up shaft 22, and transport of the ink ribbon 23 stops. Meanwhile, the label L and backing paper P continue to be transported in the direction of arrow Yb by the rotation of the transport roller 26. In this way, ribbon saving is performed in the non-printing area of ​​the label L, where the label L continues to be transported but the transport of the ink ribbon 23 is stopped.

[0015] Next, the hardware of the printer 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, which is an example of a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, a memory unit 44, and the like. The CPU 41 is the main controller. The ROM 42 stores various programs. The RAM 43 loads programs and various data. The memory unit 44 stores various programs. The CPU 41, ROM 42, RAM 43, and memory unit 44 are connected to one another via a bus 45. The CPU 41, ROM 42, and RAM 43 constitute a control unit 400. That is, the control unit 400 executes the control processing of the printer 1, which will be described later, by the CPU 41 operating in accordance with the control programs stored in the ROM 42 and memory unit 44 and loaded in the RAM 43.

[0016] The RAM 43 comprises a print buffer 431, a no-print information section 432, a setting mode section 433, and a switching information section 434. The print buffer 431 stores image data, which is created based on print data received from an information processing device such as a PC (personal computer), and is a dot image (bitmap image) of characters and images to be printed on the label L. An example of the image data stored in the print buffer 431 (i.e., the image data to be printed on one label L) is shown in Figure 4.

[0017] In the print buffer 431, image data is created in which the characters "ABCD" are printed in four places on the label L, as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Each "ABCD" is image data that is printed with a different interval between each character. The "ABCD" characters are the print area, and the spaces where no printing is performed are the blank areas. Of these blank areas, blank areas that are longer than a predetermined length in the conveyance direction of the label L (arrow Y direction) are called non-print areas. The non-print information unit 432 stores information on the non-print area for one label L, created based on the image data created in the print buffer 431. The non-print information unit 432 will be described later with reference to FIG. 7. The set mode unit 433 stores mode information for the (set) mode to be used by the printer 1, from among the mode information stored in the mode information unit 443 (described later) that indicates the conveyance speeds of multiple types of labels L in the non-print area. When a switchable mode is selected from the mode information stored in the mode information unit 443, the switching information unit 434 stores the mode information of the switched mode. In Fig. 4, the direction of arrow Y is the transport direction of the label L, and the label L is printed from left to right in Fig. 4. The direction of arrow X is the line direction, and the label L is printed line by line along the arrow X in the direction of arrow Y.

[0018] The memory unit 44 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) or flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 44 has a control program unit 441, a non-printing area unit 442, a mode information unit 443, and a set speed unit 444. The control program unit 441 stores a control program for controlling the printer 1. The non-printing area unit 442 (storage unit) stores the lengths of multiple non-printing areas and the feed speed at which the label L is fed in each non-printing area, in association with each other. The non-printing area unit 442 will be described later in FIG. 5. The mode information unit 443 stores mode information for modes determined according to the feed speed of the label L in the non-printing area. The mode information unit 443 will be described later in FIG. 6. The set speed unit 444 stores the determined feed speed when a mode in which the label L is fed at a predetermined speed (constant speed) is set.

[0019] The control unit 400 is also connected to the operation unit 47, display unit 48, print head 32, platen motor 31, label detection unit 27, solenoid 58, and ribbon feed motor 59 via a bus 45 and a controller 46. The operation unit 47 is a set of keys for operating the printer 1, and includes a mode selection key 471, a changeover key 472, and numeric keypad keys 473. The mode selection key 471 is a key for setting a mode (one of the modes stored in the setting mode unit 433) indicating the feed mode of the labels L. When the mode selection key 471 is operated, the feed mode of the labels L in the printer 1 can be changed. The changeover key 472 is a key for switching the feed mode of the labels L in the set mode. When the changeover key 472 is operated, the feed mode of the labels L in the set mode can be switched. The numeric keypad keys 473 are numeric keys ranging from "0" to "9." The display unit 48 displays information such as the set mode and the changed feed speed to the operator operating the printer 1.

[0020] The print head 32 generates heat and applies it to the ink ribbon 23 to melt the applied ink. That is, the print head 32 uses the ink ribbon 23 to print characters and figures on the surface of the label L. The platen motor 31 is driven to rotate the platen 33 and the transport roller 26. The label detection unit 27 is, for example, an optical transmission sensor that detects the label L affixed to the backing sheet P and the leading position of the label L based on the amount of light that passes through it. The solenoid 58 moves the print head 32 to the printing position and the retracted position. For example, when the solenoid 58 is energized, the solenoid 58 operates to move the print head 32 to the retracted position (moving the print head 32 head-up). When the solenoid 58 is de-energized, the operation of the solenoid 58 is released, and the print head 32 is moved to the printing position (moving the print head 32 head-down). The ribbon transport motor 59 rotates the ribbon take-up shaft 22 to wind up the ink ribbon 23. As the ink ribbon 23 is wound up, the ink ribbon 23 is supplied from the ribbon attachment shaft 21 and transported in the direction of the arrow Yd.

[0021] The controller 46 receives instructions from the control unit 400 and controls the operation unit 47, display unit 48, print head 32, platen motor 31, label detection unit 27, solenoid 58, and ribbon conveyance motor 59. For convenience of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that the control performed by the controller 46 is performed by the control unit 400.

[0022] The control unit 400 is also connected to a communication unit 49 via a bus 45. The communication unit 49 is communicably connected to an information processing device that transmits print information via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0023] Next, the non-printing area section 442 will be described. Fig. 5 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the non-printing area section 442. As shown in Fig. 5, the non-printing area section 442 has a region length section 4421 and a conveying speed section 4422. The region length section 4421 stores the length of the non-printing area (the length in the direction of arrow Y in Fig. 4). The conveying speed section 4422 stores the conveying speed of the label L conveyed through the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y, in association with the length of the non-printing area stored in the region length section 4421.

[0024] In the example of FIG. 5, 4 ips (inches per second) is stored in the transport speed field 4422 in association with the 20 mm non-print area stored in the area length field 4421. This indicates that if the length of the non-print area in the direction of arrow Y is 20 mm or more, the transport speed of the label L is 4 ips. In other words, if the non-print area in the direction of arrow Y is 20 mm or more, and the transport speed of the label L is 4 ips, it is possible to perform ribbon save, which moves the print head 32 up to the label (moves it to the retracted position) and stops the transport of the ink ribbon 23. Conversely, if the blank area in the direction of arrow Y is less than 20 mm (if it is less than 20 mm, it is not considered a non-print area), it is difficult in time to perform ribbon save, which moves the print head 32 up to stop the transport of the ink ribbon 23, with a transport speed of the label L of 4 ips.

[0025] 5, 6 ips is stored in the conveying speed field 4422 in association with the 30 mm non-printing area stored in the area length field 4421. This indicates that when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 30 mm or more, the conveying speed of the label L is 6 ips. In other words, when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 30 mm or more, if the conveying speed of the label L is 6 ips, it is possible to perform ribbon saving by lifting the print head 32 and stopping the conveyance of the ink ribbon 23. Conversely, when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 20 mm to less than 30 mm, it is difficult in time to perform ribbon saving by lifting the print head 32 and stopping the conveyance of the ink ribbon 23 at a label L conveying speed of 6 ips.

[0026] 5, 8 ips is stored in the conveying speed field 4422 in association with the 40 mm non-printing area stored in the area length field 4421. This indicates that when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 40 mm or more, the conveying speed of the label L is 8 ips. In other words, when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 40 mm or more, if the conveying speed of the label L is 8 ips, it is possible to perform ribbon saving by lifting the print head 32 and stopping the conveyance of the ink ribbon 23. Conversely, when the non-printing area in the direction of arrow Y is 20 mm to less than 40 mm, it is difficult in time to perform ribbon saving by lifting the print head 32 and stopping the conveyance of the ink ribbon 23 with a label L conveying speed of 8 ips.

[0027] In other words, when the unprinted area in the direction of arrow Y is 20 mm or more but less than 30 mm, ribbon saving can be performed at a label L conveying speed of 4 ips; when the unprinted area in the direction of arrow Y is 30 mm or more but less than 40 mm, ribbon saving can be performed at a label L conveying speed of 6 ips; and when the unprinted area in the direction of arrow Y is 40 mm or more, ribbon saving can be performed at a label L conveying speed of 8 ips.

[0028] Next, the mode information section 443 will be described. FIG. 6 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the mode information section 443. As shown in FIG. 6, the mode information section 443 has a mode section 4431 and a conveying speed section 4432. The mode section 4431 stores the types of modes that can be set in the printer 1 (that can be stored in the set mode section 433). In the example of FIG. 6, the mode section 4431 stores mode information indicating six types of modes, mode 1 to mode 6. The conveying speed section 4432 stores the conveying speed of the label L in each mode, in association with each mode stored in the mode section 4431.

[0029] In the example of FIG. 6, a "specified conveying speed" is stored in association with mode 1. That is, when mode 1 is selected, the control unit 400 controls the conveying of the label L at the conveying speed stored in the set speed unit 444 (that is, in the case of mode 1, the processing of FIG. 15, which will be described later, is performed). Also, a "conveying speed according to the length of the non-printing area" is stored in association with mode 2. That is, when mode 2 is selected, the control unit 400 performs the processing of FIG. 12, which will be described later. That is, the control unit 400 refers to the non-printing area unit 442 and conveys the label L at a conveying speed according to the length of the non-printing area in the arrow Y direction. For example, when the length in the arrow Y direction is 22 mm, which is equal to or greater than 20 mm but less than 30 mm, the control unit 400 refers to the non-printing area unit 442 and conveys the label L at a conveying speed of 4 ips for that non-printing area. For example, if the length in the direction of arrow Y is 32 mm, the label L is conveyed at a conveying speed of 6 ips for that unprinted area, referring to the unprinted area section 442, because it is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than 40 mm. For example, if the length in the direction of arrow Y is 45 mm, the label L is conveyed at a conveying speed of 8 ips for that unprinted area, referring to the unprinted area section 442. Note that if the length in the direction of arrow Y is less than 20 mm (i.e., if it is a blank area that is less than the length of the unprinted area), ribbon saving is not performed by slowing the label L conveying speed below 4 ips (i.e., ribbon saving is not performed). This is to prevent the printing speed on the label L from becoming slower than necessary.

[0030] Furthermore, a "conveying speed of the shortest unprinted area" is stored in association with mode 3. That is, when mode 3 is selected, the control unit 400 performs the processing shown in FIG. 13, which will be described later. That is, if there are three types of unprinted areas, for example, a 22 mm unprinted area, a 32 mm unprinted area, and a 45 mm unprinted area, the control unit 400 references the unprinted area section 442 and conveys the label L at 4 ips, which is associated with the shortest unprinted area of ​​20 mm, for all of the unprinted areas. Also, if there are two types of unprinted areas, for example, a 32 mm unprinted area and a 45 mm unprinted area, the control unit 400 references the unprinted area section 442 and conveys the label L at 6 ips, which is associated with the shortest unprinted area of ​​30 mm, for all of the unprinted areas.

[0031] Furthermore, "switching between mode 1 and mode 2" is stored in association with mode 4. That is, when mode 4 is selected, the control unit 400 executes the selected mode from mode 1 and mode 2. Furthermore, "switching between mode 1 and mode 3" is stored in association with mode 5. That is, when mode 5 is selected, the control unit 400 executes the selected mode from mode 1 and mode 3. Furthermore, "switching between mode 1, mode 2, and mode 3" is stored in association with mode 6. That is, when mode 6 is selected, the control unit 400 executes the selected mode from mode 1, mode 2, and mode 3. Note that the mode is selected, for example, by operating the mode selection key 471 and inputting a mode number using the numeric key 473. For example, when mode 1 is selected, it is selected by operating the mode selection key 471 and the numeric key 473 for "1." Note that when selecting a mode, the mode may be selected by the number of times the mode selection key 471 is operated (for example, operating the mode selection key 471 twice selects mode 2), instead of operating the numeric key 473.

[0032] Switching between modes 4 to 6 is performed by operating switch key 472 after selecting a mode. For example, when mode 4 is selected, each operation of switch key 472 switches between mode 1 and mode 2. Also, when mode 6 is selected, each operation of switch key 472 switches between mode 1, mode 2, and mode 3 in that order. Note that mode information for the mode selected by mode selection key 471 is stored in setting mode section 433, and mode information for the mode switched to by operating switch key 472 is stored in switching information section 434.

[0033] Next, the non-print information unit 432 will be described. The non-print information unit 432 stores information about the non-print area (a blank area of ​​20 mm or more in this embodiment is referred to as a non-print area) on one label L, created based on the image data created in the print buffer 431. When the image data shown in FIG. 4 is created, the control unit 400 determines whether the image data contains print data for one line in the arrangement direction of the heating elements in the print head 32 (the direction of the arrow X). In FIG. 4, the control unit 400 first determines whether print data is included in the image data for the leftmost line. If it is determined that print data of one dot or more is included, the line is considered to be a print area, and if it does not contain a single dot of print data, the line is considered to be a blank area. After making a determination on the image data for the leftmost line in FIG. 4, the control unit 400 then makes a similar determination on the image data for the line to the right, and makes a similar determination for each line in the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 4. Control unit 400 makes the same determination line by line for all image data stored in print buffer 431 (i.e., determines whether each line is a print area or a blank area). Hereinafter, this process will be referred to as scanning. The image data stored in print buffer 431 is scanned, and whether each line is a print area or a blank area is determined. Then, whether each line is a print area or a blank area is determined.

[0034] Figure 8 shows the results of scanning the image data stored in print buffer 431. Note that in Figure 8, the scanned range is from coordinate ta to coordinate tn in the direction of the arrow Y. In Figure 8, the area from coordinate ta to coordinate tb in the direction of the arrow Y is print area A, the area from coordinate tb to coordinate te is blank area A, the area from coordinate te to coordinate tf is print area B, the area from coordinate tf to coordinate ti is blank area B, the area from coordinate ti to coordinate tj is print area C, the area from coordinate tj to coordinate tm is blank area C, and the area from coordinate tm to coordinate tn is print area D. Since the length of one line of image data in the direction of the arrow Y is known, the distance between the coordinates (i.e., the length of the blank area) can be calculated based on the number of consecutive lines of image data in the blank area. In the case of Figure 8, the distance from coordinate tb to coordinate te (length of blank area A) is 45 mm, the distance from coordinate tf to coordinate ti (length of blank area B) is 32 mm, and the distance from coordinate tj to coordinate tm (length of blank area C) is 22 mm. As a result of scanning print buffer 431 in this way, blank area A, blank area B, and blank area C are all 20 mm or more, and therefore are non-printable areas (non-printable area A, non-printable area B, non-printable area C).

[0035] The non-print information section 432 stores information related to blank areas determined to be non-print areas as a result of scanning the print buffer 431. FIG. 7 is a memory map showing the memory configuration of the non-print information section 432. The non-print information section 432 has a non-print area section 4321, a length information section 4322, a conveying speed section 4323, and a coordinate information section 4324. The non-print area section 4321 stores information specifying blank areas determined to be non-print areas. The length information section 4322 stores the length of each non-print area (length in the direction of arrow Y) in association with the specifying information stored in the non-print area section 4321. The conveying speed section 4323 stores the conveying speed of the label L conveyed through each non-print area in association with the specifying information stored in the non-print area section 4321. The conveying speed is determined based on the conveying speed stored in the non-printing area section 442 in correspondence with the length of the non-printing area stored in the length information section 4322. The coordinates of the start position and the end position of each non-printing area are stored in the coordinate information section 4324. The control section 400 recognizes the start position and the end position of each non-printing area based on the coordinate information stored in the coordinate information section 4324.

[0036] FIG. 7 shows the non-print information section 432 created based on the scan results of FIG. 8. In FIG. 7, the non-print area A is 45 mm long (longer than 40 mm). Therefore, a conveying speed of 8 ips corresponding to a length of 40 mm from the non-print area section 442 shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the conveying speed section 4323, and the start coordinate tb and end coordinate te of the non-print area A are stored in the coordinate information section 4324. Furthermore, the non-print area B is 32 mm long (longer than 30 mm but shorter than 40 mm). Therefore, a conveying speed of 6 ips corresponding to a length of 30 mm from the non-print area section 442 shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the conveying speed section 4323, and the start coordinate tf and end coordinate ti of the non-print area B are stored in the coordinate information section 4324. Furthermore, the non-print area C is 22 mm long (longer than 20 mm but shorter than 30 mm). Therefore, a conveying speed of 4 ips corresponding to a length of 20 mm from the non-printing area portion 442 shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the conveying speed portion 4323, and the start coordinate tj and end coordinate tm of the non-printing area C are stored in the coordinate information portion 4324.

[0037] Next, we will explain the functional configuration of printer 1. Figure 9 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of printer 1. Control unit 400 of printer 1 functions as moving means 401, ink ribbon transport means 402, non-printing area determination means 403, first medium transport means 404, image data creation means 405, scanning means 406, second medium transport means 407, and selection means 408 by following the control programs stored in ROM 42 or control program section 441 of memory unit 44.

[0038] The moving means 401 moves the print head 32 between the print position and the retracted position. Specifically, the moving means 401 drives the solenoid 58 to move the print head 32 between the print position and the retracted position. For example, in this embodiment, the moving means 401 energizes the solenoid 58 to raise the print head 32 to the retracted position, and cuts off the power to the solenoid 58 to lower the print head 32 to the print position.

[0039] The ink ribbon transport means 402 transports and stops the transport of the ink ribbon 23 that transfers ink to the label L. Specifically, the ink ribbon transport means 402 drives the ribbon transport motor 59 to rotate and stop the ribbon take-up shaft 22, thereby transporting and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon 23 that transfers ink to the label L.

[0040] The non-printing area determination means 403 determines, based on the print data to be printed on the label L, whether one or more blank areas on the label L that will not be printed correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the non-printing area section 442. Specifically, the non-printing area determination means 403 determines, based on the print data to be printed on the label L, the length of consecutive blank areas on the label L that will not be printed, and determines whether the blank area corresponds to any of the non-printing areas stored in the non-printing area section 442. In this embodiment, the non-printing area determination means 403 determines that a blank area that is 22 mm long corresponds to a 20 mm non-printing area because it is between 20 mm and 30 mm long; a blank area that is 32 mm long corresponds to a 30 mm non-printing area because it is between 30 mm and 40 mm long; and a blank area that is 45 mm long corresponds to a 40 mm non-printing area because it is 40 mm or longer.

[0041] When the first medium transport means 404 determines that the area corresponds to one of the non-printing areas, it performs ribbon saving while transporting the label L in the non-printing area at a transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printing area. Specifically, when the first medium transport means 404 determines that the area corresponds to one of the non-printing areas, it performs ribbon saving by moving the print head 32 to the retracted position (head up) using the moving means 401 and stopping transport of the ink ribbon 23 using the ink ribbon transport means 402 while transporting the label L in the non-printing area at a transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printing area.

[0042] When the second medium transport means 407 determines that the area corresponds to one of the non-printing areas, it performs ribbon saving while transporting the label L at a transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding non-printing area in all of the non-printing areas. Specifically, when the second medium transport means 407 determines that the area corresponds to one of the non-printing areas, it performs ribbon saving by moving the print head 32 to the retracted position (head up) using the moving means 401 and stopping transport of the ink ribbon 23 using the ink ribbon transport means 402 while transporting the label L at a transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding non-printing area in all of the non-printing areas.

[0043] The selection unit 408 selectively executes either the first medium transport unit 404 or the second medium transport unit 407. Specifically, the selection unit 408 selectively executes either the first medium transport unit 404 or the second medium transport unit 407 by operating a mode selection key 471 and a switching key 472.

[0044] The image data creation means 405 creates image data (bitmap data) to be printed on the label L by the print head 32 based on the print data to be printed on the label L.

[0045] The scanning means 406 scans the image data created by the image data creation means 405 to determine whether or not there is print data for each line. Specifically, the scanning means 406 scans the image data created by the image data creation means 405 to determine whether or not there is print data for each line in the direction of arrow X (the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the label L, i.e., the arrangement direction of the heating elements) toward the direction of arrow Y in Fig. 8.

[0046] The non-printing area determination means 403 determines the length of one or more blank areas on the label L where no printing is to be performed based on the scan by the scanning means 406, and determines whether the blank area corresponds to one of the non-printing areas stored in the non-printing area section 442.

[0047] Next, the control of the printer 1 will be described. First, the mode setting process for the printer 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the control process related to the mode setting of the printer 1. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 400 of the printer 1 determines whether the mode selection key 471 has been operated (S11). If it is determined that the mode selection key 471 has been operated (Yes in S11), the control unit 400 then determines whether a number has been entered using the number-entering keys 473 (S12). The control unit 400 waits until a number has been entered (No in S12), and if it is determined that a number has been entered (Yes in S12), the control unit 400 refers to the mode information unit 443 and sets a mode corresponding to the entered number in the setting mode unit 433 (i.e., selects a mode). In this embodiment, one of modes 1 to 6 shown in FIG. 6 is set. Then, the control unit 400 ends the process and returns to S11. Although not shown in FIG. 6, there may be a mode that switches between mode 2 and mode 3 as a mode stored in setting mode section 433 in response to operation of mode selection key 471.

[0048] Furthermore, if it is determined that the operation was not the operation of the mode selection key 471 (No in S11), the control unit 400 determines whether the switching key 472 has been operated (S14). If it is determined that the switching key 472 has been operated (Yes in S14), the control unit 400 then determines whether any one of mode 4, mode 5, and mode 6 is stored in the setting mode unit 433 (S15). If it is determined that any one of mode 4, mode 5, and mode 6 is stored (Yes in S15), the control unit 400 executes a switching process (changing the mode stored in the switching information unit 434) based on the mode stored in the setting mode unit 433. For example, if mode 4 is stored in the setting mode unit 433, the mode stored in the setting mode unit 433 is changed to either mode 1 or mode 2 each time the switching key 472 is operated. For example, if mode 5 is stored in setting mode section 433, each time switching key 472 is operated, the mode stored in setting mode section 433 is changed to either mode 1 or mode 3. For example, if mode 6 is stored in setting mode section 433, each time switching key 472 is operated, the mode stored in setting mode section 433 is changed from mode 1 to mode 2, from mode 2 to mode 3, or from mode 3 to mode 1.

[0049] If it is determined in S15 that none of Mode 4, Mode 5, or Mode 6 is stored (i.e., any of Mode 1, Mode 2, or Mode 3 is stored) (No in S15), the control unit 400 ends the process and returns to S11. If it is determined that the operation is not the operation of the switch key 472 (No in S14), the control unit 400 ends the process and returns to S11. The processes of S11 to S16 correspond to the selection means 408.

[0050] Next, the process by which the printer 1 prints on a label L based on print data received from an information processing device such as a PC will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing related to printing by the printer 1 when mode 2 has been stored in the set mode unit 433 by the processing of S13, or when mode 2 has been stored in the switching information unit 434 by the processing of S16. Fig. 12 is a timing chart showing the operation of each unit in chronological order during the process of printing on a label L based on image data stored in the print buffer 431, as part of the processing of Fig. 11.

[0051] 11, when the image data creation means 405 receives print data from an information processing device such as a PC, it creates bitmap image data to be printed on the label L based on the print data (S21).The control unit 400 then stores the created image data in the print buffer 431 (S22).

[0052] Next, the scanning means 406 scans the image data stored in the print buffer 431 and determines whether each line is a print area or a blank area (S23). The non-print area determination means 403 then references the non-print area information stored in the non-print area section 442 to determine whether the continuous blank areas determined by the scanning means 406 correspond to one of the non-print areas (S24). If it is determined that the blank area corresponds to one of the non-print areas (Yes in S24), the control unit 400 stores the information about the non-print area in the non-print information section 432 (S25). The control unit 400 then stores length information about the non-print area, label L feed speed information, and coordinate information indicating the position of the non-print area in the non-print information section 432 (S26). In an embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, information on the length of the label L in the conveying direction, which relates to unprinted area A, unprinted area B, and unprinted area C on one label L, is stored in the length information section 4322, conveying speed information of the label L is stored in the conveying speed section 4323, and coordinate information is stored in the coordinate information section 4324.

[0053] The following description will be made with reference to Figure 12. In Figure 12, "head up" indicates that the print head 32 has moved to the retracted position, and "head down" indicates that the print head 32 has moved to the printing position. Also, "ribbon transport" indicates that the ink ribbon 23 is being transported, and "ribbon stopped" indicates that transport of the ink ribbon 23 has stopped. Also, "transport speed (8 ips)" indicates that the label L is being transported at 8 ips, "transport speed (6 ips)" indicates that the label L is being transported at 6 ips, and "transport speed (4 ips)" indicates that the label L is being transported at 4 ips. Also, ta, tb, tc, td, te, tf, tg, th, ti, tj, tk, tl, tm, and tn are coordinates indicating the distance in the direction of arrow Y from a reference position (for example, coordinate ta) in the print buffer 431.

[0054] Next, the control unit 400 starts conveying the label L (S27). Then, the moving unit 401 moves the print head 32 to the printing position (head down) (S28). Then, the control unit 400 rotates the ribbon take-up shaft 22 to convey the ink ribbon 23 (S29). Next, the control unit 400 prints one line in the direction of the arrow X located at the coordinate ta (S30). The printing in S30 includes printing of one line containing print data and printing of one line not containing print data (printing of a one-line space). Next, the control unit 400 determines whether the next line and subsequent lines are non-printable areas (blank areas of a predetermined length or more) based on the coordinate information stored in the non-printing information unit 432 (more specifically, the coordinate information unit 4324) (S31). If it is determined that the next line is not a non-printable area (No in S31), the control unit 400 determines whether printing of one label L has been completed (i.e., whether coordinate tn has been reached) (S41). If it is determined that printing for one label L has not been completed (No in S41), the control unit 400 returns to S30 and performs printing on the next line for which it was determined No in S31 (S30).

[0055] When the process of S30 to S41 (printing in the print area A) is repeated and the coordinate tb is reached, the control unit 400 determines that the next line up to the coordinate te is a non-print area based on the coordinate information stored in the coordinate information unit 4324 (Yes in S31). At this point, the control unit 400 recognizes from the information stored in the non-print information unit 432 that the 45 mm from this point will be the non-print area A. Therefore, the moving unit 401 moves the print head 32 to the retracted position (head up). It takes some time for the print head 32 to head up, and the label L is still being transported. Therefore, the label L is transported from the coordinate tb to the coordinate tc while the print head 32 heads up. Then, the ink ribbon transport unit 402 stops transporting the ink ribbon 23. In FIG. 12, transport of the ink ribbon 23 is stopped at the coordinate tc, but transport of the ink ribbon 23 may be stopped at any time between the coordinate tb and the coordinate tc.

[0056] The first medium transport means 404 then transports the label L between coordinate tb and coordinate te at the transport speed stored in the no-print information unit 432 in association with the no-print area A (S34). In the example of Figure 7, a transport speed of 8 ips is stored in association with the no-print area A, so the first medium transport means 404 transports the label L at a transport speed of 8 ips between coordinate tb and coordinate te (S34). In this way, the control unit 400 saves ribbon in the no-print area A.

[0057] The control unit 400 then determines whether the position has reached coordinate td, which is close to the next printing area (printing area B) (S35). Because it takes some time for the print head 32 to lower and the ink ribbon 23 to be transported, the ink ribbon transport means 402 starts transporting the ink ribbon 23 at coordinate td (S36), and the moving means 401 starts lowering the head at coordinate td (S37). Note that the start of transport of the ink ribbon 23 in S36 may occur at any time between coordinates td and te. The control unit 400 then determines whether the position has reached the next printing area (coordinate te, which is the start position of printing area B) (S38). The control unit 400 waits (transports the label L at the transport speed set in S34) until the next printing position is reached (No in S38), and if it determines that the next printing position has been reached (coordinate te has been reached) (Yes in S38), the control unit 400 returns to S30 and repeats steps S30 to S41 (No) to print the printing area B.

[0058] While printing in the print area B, the control unit 400 gradually reduces the label L feed speed from 8 ips to 6 ips. This process is performed to feed the label L at 6 ips in the non-print area B based on the feed speed (6 ips) corresponding to the non-print area B stored in the non-print information unit 432. In FIG. 12, the feed speed of the label L is gradually reduced to 6 ips from coordinate te to coordinate tf. However, it is also possible to feed the label L at 8 ips from coordinate te to halfway through the print area B, and then reduce the feed speed to 6 ips from that point toward coordinate tf. Note that when the feed speed of the label L is gradually reduced, the print density of the label L can be kept constant by using known methods such as gradually reducing the voltage applied to the heating elements or gradually increasing the interval at which the voltage is applied.

[0059] When the coordinate tf is reached, the control unit 400 performs head-up processing of the print head 32 from coordinate tf to coordinate tg in S32, processing to stop transport of the ink ribbon 23 at coordinate tg in S33, and processing to transport the label L for 6 ips between coordinate tf and coordinate ti by referring to the coordinate information unit 4324 in S34. In this way, the control unit 400 saves ribbon in the non-printing area B. Then, when the position of coordinate th is reached, transport of the ink ribbon 23 is started in S36, and processing to lower the print head 32 head in S37 is performed, and printing in the printing area C is performed.

[0060] Then, the control unit 400 performs processing to gradually decrease the conveying speed of the label L from 6 ips to 4 ips (from coordinate ti to coordinate tj) while printing in the print area C.

[0061] When coordinate tj is reached, in S32, the print head 32 is moved up from coordinate tj to coordinate tk, in S33 the transport of the ink ribbon 23 is stopped at coordinate tk, and in S34 the label L is transported for 4 ips between coordinate tj and coordinate tm. In this way, the control unit 400 saves the ribbon in the non-printing area C. Then, when the position of coordinate tl is reached, in S36 the transport of the ink ribbon 23 is started, and in S37 the print head 32 is moved down, and printing is performed in the printing area D.

[0062] In this way, the coordinate tn is reached when the transport and printing process of the label L in the print areas A to D and the transport of the label L in the non-print areas A to C are completed. In this case, the determination in S41 is Yes, so the printing process of one label L is completed.

[0063] If there are no unprinted areas in S24 (i.e., all blank areas are less than 20 mm) (No in S24), the processes in S27 and onward are carried out without carrying out the processes in S25 and S26. In this case, S31 is always judged as No. In other words, if all blank areas are less than 20 mm, the control unit 400 does not carry out ribbon save processing.

[0064] In this way, when mode 2 is stored in the set mode section 433 or the switching information section 434, the label L is conveyed at a conveying speed corresponding to the non-printing area stored in the non-printing information section 432, and ribbon saving is performed in each non-printing area. This makes it possible to further conserve the amount of ink ribbon 23 used.

[0065] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing related to printing by the printer 1 when mode 3 has been stored in the set mode unit 433 by the processing of S13, or when mode 3 has been stored in the switching information unit 434 by the processing of S16. Figure 14 is a timing chart showing the operation of each unit in chronological order during the process of printing on a label L related to the processing of Figure 13, based on image data stored in the print buffer 431. In the following explanation of the processing of Figure 13 and Figure 14, the same components and processing as those in Figures 11 and 12 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0066] In the example of Figure 11, in the process of S34, the first medium transport means 404 refers to the non-printing information section 432 created in the process of S25, and transports the label L in the non-printing area A at 8 ips, the label L in the non-printing area B at 6 ips, and the label L in the non-printing area C at 4 ips.

[0067] 13 (mode 3), in the process of S51, the second medium transport means 407 refers to the non-printing information section 432 created in the process of S25, and transports the label L in the non-printing area A, non-printing area B, and non-printing area C at 4 ips. That is, the non-printing information section 432 in Fig. 7 stores 8 ips corresponding to the non-printing area A, 6 ips corresponding to the non-printing area B, and 4 ips corresponding to the non-printing area C, and the second medium transport means 407 transports the non-printing area A, non-printing area B, and non-printing area C using the transport speed of the label L (i.e., 4 ips) stored corresponding to the non-printing area with the shortest length among these (i.e., non-printing area C) (S51). Furthermore, in the non-printing areas A, B, and C, the moving means 401 raises the print head 32, and the ink ribbon transport means 402 stops transporting the ink ribbon 23. In this way, the second medium transport means 407 performs ribbon saving in the non-printing areas A, B, and C.

[0068] 14, the label L is transported at a transport speed of 4 ips between coordinate tb and coordinate te, which is non-printing area A, at a transport speed of 4 ips between coordinate tf and coordinate ti, which is non-printing area B, and at a transport speed of 4 ips between coordinate tj and coordinate tm, which is non-printing area C. Note that in Fig. 14, the label L is also transported at 4 ips in printing area A, printing area B, printing area C, and printing area D, but the transport speed of the label L in printing area A, printing area B, printing area C, and printing area D may be set appropriately depending on the length of each printing area.

[0069] In this way, when mode 3 is stored in the set mode section 433 or the switching information section 434, the label L is conveyed through each non-printing area at a conveying speed corresponding to the shortest non-printing area stored in the non-printing information section 432, and ribbon saving is performed in each non-printing area. This makes it possible to further conserve the amount of ink ribbon 23 used.

[0070] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing related to printing by the printer 1 when mode 1 has been stored in the set mode unit 433 by the processing of S13, or when mode 1 has been stored in the switching information unit 434 by the processing of S16. Figure 16 is a timing chart showing the chronological operation of each unit in the process of printing on a label L related to the processing of Figure 15, based on image data stored in the print buffer 431. In the following explanation of Figures 15 and 16, the same configurations and processing as those in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0071] In Figure 15 (mode 1), the control unit 400, in the processing of S52, transports the label L at the transport speed that is preset in the set speed section 444. Then, referring to the non-print information section 432, ribbon saving is performed for the non-print areas where ribbon saving is possible when the label L is transported at that transport speed. For example, a transport speed of "8 ips" for the label L is set in the set speed section 444. The control unit 400 transports the label L at 8 ips for the non-print area A, non-print area B, and non-print area C. Then, referring to the non-print information section 432, the control unit 400 determines that ribbon saving is possible for the non-print area A because the corresponding transport speed is 8 ips, and so raises the print head 32 and stops transport of the ink ribbon 23. For non-printing area B and non-printing area C, the non-printing information section 432 stores 6 ips and 4 ips (both transport speeds slower than 8 ips), so the control section 400 does not raise the print head 32 or stop transport of the ink ribbon 23 for non-printing area B and non-printing area C. In other words, ribbon saving is not performed for non-printing area B and non-printing area C.

[0072] 16, for non-printing area A, ribbon saving is performed by raising the print head 32 between coordinate tb and coordinate te, and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon 23 between coordinate tc and coordinate td. However, for non-printing area B, the print head 32 is not raised between coordinate tf and coordinate ti, and the transport of the ink ribbon 23 is not stopped between coordinate tg and coordinate th. Similarly, for non-printing area C, the print head 32 is not raised between coordinate tj and coordinate tm, and the transport of the ink ribbon 23 is not stopped between coordinate tk and coordinate tl.

[0073] As described above, the printer 1 of the embodiment comprises the print head 32 that prints on the label L being transported, a moving means 401 that moves the print head 32 between the printing position and the retracted position, an ink ribbon transport means 402 that transports and stops the transport of the ink ribbon 23 that transfers ink to the label L, a non-printing area unit 442 that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of transport speeds of the label L and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the label L at that transport speed and stopping transport of the ink ribbon 23 for that transport speed, a non-printing area determination means 403 that determines, based on print data to be printed on the label L, whether one or more blank areas on the label L where no printing is to be performed correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the non-printing area unit 442, and a first medium transport means 404 that, when it is determined that the blank area corresponds to any of the non-printing areas, performs ribbon saving in the non-printing area while transporting the label L at the transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printing area.

[0074] According to the printer 1 of this embodiment, the label L is conveyed in the non-printing area at a conveying speed corresponding to the non-printing area, thereby saving ribbon energy. Therefore, it is possible to further conserve the amount of ink ribbon 23 used.

[0075] The printer 1 of the embodiment also includes a print head 32 that prints on the label L being transported, a moving means 401 that moves the print head 32 between a printing position and a retracted position, an ink ribbon transport means 402 that transports and stops the transport of the ink ribbon 23 that transfers ink to the label L, a non-printing area unit 442 that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of transport speeds for the label L and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the label L at that transport speed and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon 23 for that transport speed, a non-printing area determination means 403 that determines, based on the print data to be printed on the label L, whether one or more blank areas on the label L where no printing is to be performed correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the non-printing area unit 442, and a second medium transport means 407 that, when it is determined that the blank area corresponds to any of the non-printing areas, performs ribbon saving in all of the non-printing areas while transporting the label L at the transport speed that corresponds to the corresponding non-printing area of ​​the shortest length.

[0076] According to the printer 1 of this embodiment, the label L is conveyed at a conveying speed corresponding to the shortest unprinted area in all unprinted areas, thereby saving ribbon energy. This makes it possible to further conserve the amount of ink ribbon 23 used.

[0077] The printer 1 of the embodiment also includes a print head 32 that prints on the label L being fed, a moving means 401 that moves the print head 32 between a printing position and a retracted position, an ink ribbon feeding means 402 that feeds and stops the feeding of the ink ribbon 23 that transfers ink to the label L, a non-printing area unit 442 that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of conveying speeds of the label L and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by conveying the label L at the conveying speed and stopping the conveying of the ink ribbon 23, and one or more blank areas where no printing is to be performed on the label L based on the print data to be printed on the label L. a first medium transport means 404 that, if it is determined that the label L falls within one of the unprinted areas, performs ribbon saving while transporting the label L in the unprinted area at a transport speed corresponding to the determined unprinted area; a second medium transport means 407 that, if it is determined that the label L falls within one of the unprinted areas, performs ribbon saving while transporting the label L in all of the unprinted areas at a transport speed corresponding to the unprinted area of ​​the shortest length; and a selection means 408 that selectively executes either the first medium transport means 404 or the second medium transport means 407.

[0078] According to the printer 1 of this embodiment, ribbon saving is performed by transporting the label L by a medium transport means selected from the first medium transport means 404 and the second medium transport means 407. This makes it possible to further conserve the amount of ink ribbon 23 used.

[0079] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0080] For example, in the embodiment, the memory unit 44 has the set speed unit 444. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the set speed unit 444 is not an essential component.

[0081] In addition, in the embodiment, the non-print area determination means 403 scans the image data stored in the print buffer 431 to determine whether it corresponds to any of the non-print areas. However, this is not limited to this, and it may also be possible to determine whether it corresponds to any of the non-print areas based on non-print area information included in the print data received from the information processing device. In this case, the configuration for scanning the image data stored in the print buffer 431 is not necessary.

[0082] In the embodiment, the control of printer 1 has been described as follows: the process of control unit 400 when mode 2 is stored in setting mode unit 433 or switching information unit 434 (processing in FIG. 11 ); the process of control unit 400 when mode 3 is stored in setting mode unit 433 or switching information unit 434 (processing in FIG. 13 ); and the process of control unit 400 when mode 1 is stored in setting mode unit 433 or switching information unit 434 (processing in FIG. 15 ). However, printer 1 is not limited to this, and it may be any device that can perform processing related to mode 2, or a device that can perform processing related to mode 3, or a device that can switch between processing related to mode 2 and processing related to mode 3, and processing related to mode 1 is not essential.

[0083] In the embodiment, a blank area of ​​20 mm or more is defined as a non-printing area, but the size of the blank area is not limited to this and may be determined appropriately depending on the performance of the printer 1, etc.

[0084] In addition, in the embodiment, a label L has been described as an example of a medium. However, the medium is not limited to this. The medium may be any paper, such as receipt paper, as long as the bitmap data rendered in the print buffer 431 is scanned to identify non-printed areas, and the non-printed areas are printed using ribbon saving. When printing on receipt paper, the printer 1 is a receipt printer.

[0085] The programs executed by the printer 1 in the embodiment and variant examples are provided as files in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0086] The programs executed by the printer 1 of the embodiment and the modified examples may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.The programs executed by the printer 1 of the embodiment and the modified examples may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0087] Furthermore, the programs executed by the printer 1 of the embodiment and the modified example may be configured to be provided in advance by being stored in a ROM or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Printer 22 Ribbon winding shaft 23 Ink ribbon 26 Conveyor roller 31 Platen motor 32 print head 33 Platen 41 CPU 58 Solenoid 59 Ribbon transport motor 400 control section 401 Transportation 402 Ink ribbon transport means 403 Non-print area determination means 404 First medium transport means 405 Image data creation method 406 Scanning Methods 407 Second medium transport means 408 Selection Method 431 Print Buffer 432 Unprinted information section 433 Setting mode section 434 Switching information section 442 No-print area 443 Mode Information Section 444 Setting speed section 471 Mode selection key 472 Switching key 473 Numeric keys 4321 No-print area 4322 Length information section 4323 Conveying speed section 4324 Coordinate Information Section 4421 Area length part 4422 Conveying speed section 4431 Mode section 4432 Conveying speed section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0089] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-28670

Claims

1. a print head that prints on the transported medium; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a storage unit that stores a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and, for each transport speed, a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the medium at the transport speed and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a first medium transport means that, when it is determined that the non-printed area corresponds to one of the non-printed areas, performs the ribbon saving while transporting the medium in the non-printed area at the transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printed area; A printer equipped with

2. a print head that prints on the transported medium; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a storage unit that stores a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and, for each transport speed, a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the medium at the transport speed and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a second medium transport means for transporting the medium at the transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding unprinted area in all the unprinted areas when it is determined that the unprinted area corresponds to any of the unprinted areas; and A printer equipped with

3. a print head that prints on the transported medium; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a storage unit that stores a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and, for each transport speed, a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by transporting the medium at the transport speed and stopping the transport of the ink ribbon; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a first medium transport means that, when it is determined that the non-printed area corresponds to one of the non-printed areas, performs the ribbon saving while transporting the medium in the non-printed area at the transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printed area; a second medium transport means for transporting the medium at the transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding unprinted area in all the unprinted areas when it is determined that the unprinted area corresponds to any of the unprinted areas; and a selection means for selectively operating either the first medium transport means or the second medium transport means; A printer equipped with

4. an image data creating means for creating image data to be printed on the medium by the print head based on print data to be printed on the medium; a scanning means for scanning the created image data for each line to determine whether or not print data exists; the non-printing area determining means determines whether the continuous blank areas included in the image data correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit.

4. The printer according to claim 1.

5. the medium is a label; The printer according to claim 4.

6. a printer including a print head that prints on a transported medium, and a storage unit that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium while transporting the medium at the transport speed; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a first medium transport means that, when it is determined that the non-printed area corresponds to one of the non-printed areas, performs the ribbon saving while transporting the medium in the non-printed area at the transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printed area; A program that can function as a

7. a printer including a print head that prints on a transported medium, and a storage unit that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium while transporting the medium at the transport speed; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a second medium transport means for transporting the medium at the transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding unprinted area in all the unprinted areas when it is determined that the unprinted area corresponds to any of the unprinted areas; and A program that can function as a

8. a printer including a print head that prints on a transported medium, and a storage unit that stores, in association with each other, a plurality of transport speeds of the medium and a non-printing area of ​​a length that allows ribbon saving by stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium while transporting the medium at the transport speed; a moving means for moving the print head between a printing position and a retracted position; an ink ribbon transport means for transporting and stopping the transport of an ink ribbon that transfers ink to the medium; a non-printing area determining means for determining whether one or more blank areas in which no printing is to be performed on the medium correspond to any of the non-printing areas stored in the storage unit, based on print data to be printed on the medium; a first medium transport means that, when it is determined that the non-printed area corresponds to one of the non-printed areas, performs the ribbon saving while transporting the medium in the non-printed area at the transport speed corresponding to the determined non-printed area; a second medium transport means for transporting the medium at the transport speed corresponding to the shortest length of the corresponding unprinted area in all the unprinted areas when it is determined that the unprinted area corresponds to any of the unprinted areas; and a selection means for selectively operating either the first medium transport means or the second medium transport means; A program that can function as a

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