Printing apparatus and

Abstract

To speed up double-sided printing when a printing medium is cut.SOLUTION: A printing apparatus (1) includes a printer (3), a cutter (10), and a controller, and the controller executes a first image printing process of printing images of at least two pages on a first surface of a sheet (P), a reverse conveying process of switching back the sheet (P) from a first conveying path (R1) and moving the sheet (P) to a second conveying path (R2), a second image printing process of printing an image on a predetermined part of a second surface of the sheet (P), and a cut process of cutting the sheet (P).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to printing devices. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, some printing devices, such as image forming devices, have been equipped with a cutting unit that cuts print media. Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device that performs a printing process on a print medium, then cuts the print medium in a cutting unit to generate and discharge two print media that have each been printed on. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-186448 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the printing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not anticipate double-sided printing, which involves printing on both the front and back sides of a print medium. The present disclosure aims to speed up double-sided printing when the print medium is cut. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, a printing device of a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a transport unit that transports a print medium, a first transport path for transporting the print medium in a first transport direction, a printing unit provided on the first transport path that prints an image on the print medium, a cutting unit provided on the first transport path that cuts the print medium, and a control unit, wherein the control unit executes processes including: a first image printing process in which the printing unit prints at least two pages of images on a first side that is one side of the print medium; a reverse transport process in which, after the first image printing process, the transport unit switches back the print medium from the first transport path and moves it to a second transport path different from the first transport path, and transports the print medium in a second transport direction; a second image printing process in which, after the reverse transport process, the printing unit prints an image on a predetermined portion of a second side of the print medium that is opposite the first side; and a cutting process in which the cutting unit cuts the print medium after the second image printing process.

[0006] According to the above configuration, after printing of an image on the first side of the print medium is completed in the first image printing process, the print medium is switched back in the reverse transport process. Therefore, when performing double-sided printing on one sheet of print medium, the number of switchbacks can be reduced to one, thereby speeding up the double-sided printing process when the print medium is cut.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a printing device of the first aspect, wherein the control unit may perform a process including a continuous printing process in which, in the second image printing process, the printing unit prints an image on the front portion of the second surface of the printing medium as the specified portion, and after the cutting process, the printing unit prints an image on the rear portion of the second surface of the printing medium.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the print medium is cut after an image is printed on the front portion of the second side of the print medium. Therefore, when an image is also printed on the rear portion of the second side of the print medium, there is no need to transport the print medium in the reverse direction compared to when an image is printed across the entire print area of ​​the second side of the print medium before cutting the print medium. This allows for faster double-sided printing.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a printing device of the first or second aspect, wherein the cutting unit cuts the printing medium into a first part and a second part that are successive in the first transport direction, and the control unit, in the first image printing process, prints a first image in an area of ​​the first surface of the printing medium that is included in the first part, prints a third image in an area of ​​the first surface of the printing medium that is included in the second part, and in the second image printing process, prints a second image in an area of ​​the second surface of the printing medium that is included in the first part, the second image being an image of a page that is later than the page of the first image and an image of a page that is earlier than the page of the third image.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when the print medium is cut and ejected, the user can be provided with a print medium on which multiple pages have been image-printed in sequence, thereby improving user convenience.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a printing device of the first or second aspect, wherein the cutting unit cuts the printing medium into a first part and a second part that are successive in the first transport direction, and when the control unit performs the first image printing process and the second image printing process for print data that specifies printing of multiple copies, the control unit may, in the first image printing process, print a first image of a first copy of the multiple copies in an area of ​​the first side of the printing medium that is included in the first part, and print the first image of a second copy of the multiple copies in an area of ​​the first side of the printing medium that is included in the second part, and in the second image printing process, print a second image of the first copy of the multiple copies, which is an image of a page that comes after the page of the first image, in an area of ​​the second side of the printing medium that is included in the first part, and print the second image of the second copy of the multiple copies in an area of ​​the second side of the printing medium that is included in the second part.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the printing medium is cut and ejected, the user can be provided with multiple copies of the printing medium that have been subjected to image printing processing for each page, thereby improving user convenience.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the printing device of the first aspect, wherein the control unit, in the second image printing process, causes the printing unit to print an image as the specified portion over the entire printing area of ​​the second surface of the printing medium, and after the second image printing process, performs a process including a reverse transport process in which the transport unit transports the printing medium by a specified transport amount in a third transport direction that is opposite to the first transport direction, and performs the cutting process after the reverse transport process.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the print medium is cut after the image is printed over the entire print area of ​​the second side of the print medium, so that the cutting process can be performed without interrupting the image printing process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, double-sided printing can be performed at high speed when the print medium is cut. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance of a printing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printing device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of storing print data by the control unit shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the process shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the process shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a cut printing process performed by the control unit shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the control unit shown in FIG. 3 performs cutting and printing on a sheet. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the cut printing shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating cutting and printing performed by a control unit included in a printing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [Embodiment 1] <Printing device configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a printing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the printing device 1 shown in FIG. 1. The printing device 1 is an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) equipped with multiple functions, such as a print function, a scan function, a copy function, and a fax function. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the direction from the printing unit 3 toward the cutting unit 10 is defined as the X-axis direction, the direction from the feed tray 21 toward the printing unit 3 is defined as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is defined as the Y-axis direction.

[0018] The printing device 1 has an inkjet printing function that records print data specified by a print job on paper P, an example of a print medium, for example by ejecting ink droplets. The printing device 1 may be capable of color printing or may be dedicated to monochrome printing. Furthermore, the paper P is not limited to paper media, and may also be a resin medium such as an OHP (Over Head Projector) sheet.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 20 is formed on the front surface of the printing device 1 on the positive side of the X axis. A feed tray 21 and a discharge tray 22 are detachably arranged in the opening 20. The feed tray 21 is a tray for storing multiple sheets of paper P, and is open on the positive side of the Z axis. The feed tray 21 stores, for example, A4-sized paper P. As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 22 is arranged on the positive side of the Z axis of the feed tray 21. The discharge tray 22 is a tray for storing paper P, first paper P1, and second paper P2 discharged by the transport rollers 66, and is open on the positive side of the Z axis.

[0020] 1, a setting unit 122 having a display screen is provided on the front of the printing device 1. The setting unit 122 is, for example, a touch panel, and is configured so that a user can perform touch operations to configure various settings related to printing by the printing device 1. The setting unit 122 accepts settings for the size of the paper P and whether or not to perform cutting processing. The information set by the setting unit 122 is output to the control unit 100 shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] 2, the printing device 1 includes a feed roller 23, a printing unit 3, a first transport path R1, transport rollers 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68, a first flap 46, a second flap 48, a second transport path R2, and a cutting unit 10. Here, the transport rollers 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 are an example of a transport unit that transports paper P. Note that the number of rollers provided on the first transport path R1 and the second transport path R2 can be changed as appropriate; for example, the transport roller 66 may be omitted.

[0022] The feed roller 23 is a roller for feeding the paper P stored in the feed tray 21 to the transport start position V of the first transport path R1. The feed roller 23 is rotatably supported at the front end of the feed arm 24. The feed arm 24 is rotatably supported on a shaft 25 supported on the frame of the printing device 1. The feed roller 23 rotates forward when driven by the feed motor 107 shown in FIG. 3. As the feed roller 23 rotates forward, the paper P stored in the feed tray 21 is fed one sheet at a time to the transport start position V of the first transport path R1.

[0023] The first transport path R1 is a path for transporting the paper P in the first transport direction D1. Specifically, the first transport path R1 extends in the positive direction of the Z axis from the end of the feed tray 21 on the negative side of the X axis, and curves in an area defined by guide members 41 and 42. The first transport path R1 also extends linearly from the position of the printing unit 3 in an area defined by guide members 43, 44, and 45, and reaches the discharge tray 22.

[0024] The first transport direction D1 is the direction in which the paper P passes through the cutting position X1 when an image is being printed on the paper P by the printing unit 3, that is, the direction from the printing unit 3 toward the cutting position X1. The second conveying direction D2 is the direction from the cutting unit 10 toward the second conveying path R2. The third conveying direction D3 is the opposite direction to the first conveying direction D1.

[0025] A transport roller 60 is provided on the first transport path R1 upstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1. A pinch roller 61 is provided opposite the transport roller 60. The transport roller 60 is driven by a transport motor 108 shown in FIG. 3. The pinch roller 61 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 60. As the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 rotate forward, the paper P is sandwiched between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 and transported to the printing unit 3.

[0026] The printing unit 3 is provided in the first transport path R1 between the transport roller 60 and the transport roller 62, and prints an image on the paper P. The printing unit 3 has a carriage 31, a recording head 32, nozzles 33, and a platen 34. The recording head 32 is mounted on the carriage 31. A plurality of nozzles 33 are provided on the underside of the recording head 32 on the negative side of the Z axis. The recording head 32 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33.

[0027] The platen 34 is a rectangular plate-shaped member on which the paper P is placed. As the carriage 31 moves relative to the paper P supported by the platen 34, the nozzles 33 selectively eject ink droplets, thereby printing an image on the paper P. The driving force of the carriage motor 109 shown in FIG. 3 is transmitted to the carriage 31, which moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the first transport direction D1, i.e., in the width direction of the paper P.

[0028] The control unit 100 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33 while moving the carriage 31 in the width direction of the paper P while the transport of the paper P is stopped. The control unit 100 prints an image on the paper P by repeating a printing process in which an image for one line is printed on the paper P and a line feed process in which the transport rollers 60, 62 are driven to transport the paper P by a predetermined line feed amount.

[0029] Conveyance rollers 62 are provided on the first conveyance path R1 downstream of the printing unit 3 in the first conveyance direction D1. Spur rollers 63 are provided in a position opposite the conveyance rollers 62. The conveyance rollers 62 are driven by a conveyance motor 108. The spur rollers 63 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the conveyance rollers 62. As the conveyance rollers 62 and spur rollers 63 rotate forward, the paper P is sandwiched between the conveyance rollers 62 and spur rollers 63 and conveyed downstream in the first conveyance direction D1.

[0030] Further, a conveying roller 64 is provided on the first conveying path R1 downstream of the conveying roller 62 in the first conveying direction D1. A spur roller 65 is provided in a position opposite the conveying roller 64. The conveying roller 64 is driven by a conveying motor 108. The spur roller 65 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the conveying roller 64.

[0031] As the conveying roller 64 and the spur roller 65 rotate forward, the paper P is sandwiched between the conveying roller 64 and the spur roller 65 and conveyed toward the cutting unit 10. On the other hand, as the conveying roller 64 and the spur roller 65 rotate reversely, the paper P is sandwiched between the conveying roller 64 and the spur roller 65 and conveyed along the underside of the first flap 46 on the negative Z-axis direction side to the second conveying path R2.

[0032] A first flap 46 is provided on the first transport path R1 between the transport roller 62 and the transport roller 64. The first flap 46 is provided near the branch position Y1 facing the guide member 43. The first flap 46 is supported by the platen 34 so as to be rotatable between a first state and a second state.

[0033] 2, the first flap 46 comes into contact with the guide member 43 to block the first transport path R1. On the other hand, in a second state shown by a dotted line in Fig. 2, the first flap 46 is positioned lower than in the first state and is separated from the guide member 43 to allow the paper P transported in the first transport direction D1 to pass through.

[0034] The first flap 46 is also biased in the positive direction of the Z axis by a coil spring 47. One end of the coil spring 47 is connected to the first flap 46, and the other end of the coil spring 47 is connected to the platen 34. The first flap 46 is biased by the coil spring 47 to enter the first state, and the front end of the first flap 46 abuts against the guide member 43.

[0035] The cutting unit 10 is provided on the first conveying path R1 between the conveying roller 64 and the conveying roller 66. The cutting unit 10 is a well-known cutter mechanism that has a pair of upper and lower blades and a cutter carriage, and cuts the paper P with the upper and lower blades. Specifically, the cutting unit 10 cuts the paper P in the width direction at a predetermined position by moving the cutter carriage in the width direction of the paper P. Note that the cutting unit 10 may be configured to have only one of the upper and lower blades. Alternatively, the cutting unit 10 may be provided on the first conveying path R1 between the guide members 41, 42 and the conveying roller 60.

[0036] Conveyance rollers 66 are provided on the first conveyance path R1 downstream of the cutting unit 10 in the first conveyance direction D1. Spur rollers 67 are provided in a position opposite the conveyance rollers 66. The conveyance rollers 66 are driven by a conveyance motor 108. The spur rollers 67 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the conveyance rollers 66. As the conveyance rollers 66 and the spur rollers 67 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P, the first paper P1, and the second paper P2 are conveyed by the conveyance rollers 66 and discharged to the discharge tray 22.

[0037] At the joining position W of the first transport path R1 and the second transport path R2, a second flap 48 is rotatably provided on a guide member 71. Specifically, the second flap 48 is rotatable between a first state shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a second state shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2. When the second flap 48 is in the first state, the second flap 48 and the guide member 42 form a part of the second transport path R2. When the second flap 48 is in the second state, the second flap 48 and the guide member 41 form a part of the first transport path R1.

[0038] A registration sensor 120 is provided upstream of the transport rollers 60 on the first transport path R1. The registration sensor 120 is a sensor that detects when the leading edge or trailing edge of the paper P passes through a contact position with the transport rollers 60. The registration sensor 120 may be a sensor having an actuator that oscillates when the paper P comes into contact with it, or an optical sensor.

[0039] The registration sensor 120 outputs an ON signal when the paper sheet P passes the position of the registration sensor 120, and outputs an OFF signal when the paper sheet P does not pass the position of the registration sensor 120. In other words, the registration sensor 120 outputs an ON signal from the timing when the leading edge of the paper sheet P reaches the position of the registration sensor 120 until the trailing edge of the paper sheet P passes the position of the registration sensor 120, and outputs an OFF signal at other times. The detection signal by the registration sensor 120 is output to the control unit 100.

[0040] The conveying roller 60 is also provided with a rotary encoder 121 that detects the rotation of the conveying roller 60. The rotary encoder 121 outputs a pulse signal to the control unit 100 in accordance with the rotation of the conveying roller 60. The rotary encoder 121 is shown in FIG. 3. The rotary encoder 121 has an encoder disk and an optical sensor. The encoder disk rotates together with the rotation of the conveying roller 60. The optical sensor reads the rotating encoder disk to generate a pulse signal, and outputs the generated pulse signal to the control unit 100.

[0041] The second transport path R2 is a path different from the first transport path R1, and is a path for transporting the paper P in the second transport direction D2. Specifically, the second transport path R2 is a path defined by guide members 71, 72, and 73, the transport roller 68, the pinch roller 69, etc.

[0042] The second transport path R2 branches off from a branching position Y1 on the first transport path R1 upstream of the transport roller 64, and is connected to a merging position W on the first transport path R1 upstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1. This makes it possible to print images on both sides of the paper P in a double-sided printing process, which will be described later. The branching position Y1 may be located between the guide members 41 and 42 and the transport roller 60 on the first transport path R1.

[0043] <Electrical configuration of the printing device> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printing device 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the printing device 1 includes a feed motor 107, a transport motor 108, a carriage motor 109, a control unit 100, a USB interface 110, a LAN interface 111, a communication interface 112, a registration sensor 120, a rotary encoder 121, and a setting unit 122.

[0044] The control unit 100 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an EEPROM 104 (registered trademark), and an ASIC 105, which are connected by an internal bus 106. The ROM 102 stores programs and the like for the CPU 101 to control various operations.

[0045] The RAM 103 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used when the CPU 101 executes the above programs, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 104 stores setting information that should be retained even after the power is turned off. The control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107, the transport motor 108, the carriage motor 109, the recording head 32, the cutting unit 10, etc. based on the control program read from the ROM 102.

[0046] The ASIC 105 is connected to a feed motor 107, a conveying motor 108, a carriage motor 109, a recording head 32, a cutting unit 10, a USB interface 110, a LAN interface 111, a communication interface 112, a registration sensor 120, a rotary encoder 121, and a setting unit 122.

[0047] The ASIC 105 supplies drive currents to the feed motor 107, the carry motor 108, and the carriage motor 109. The control unit 100 controls the rotation of the feed motor 107, the carry motor 108, and the carriage motor 109, for example, by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The control unit 100 also applies a drive voltage to the vibration elements of the recording head 32, causing ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles 33. The control unit 100 detects the state of the printing device 1 based on signals output from a registration sensor 120 and a rotary encoder 121.

[0048] Specifically, the control unit 100 detects that the paper P has passed the contact position with the conveyance roller 60 based on a detection signal output from the registration sensor 120. The control unit 100 detects the amount of rotation of the conveyance roller 60 based on a pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 121. The control unit 100 also estimates the conveyance amount of the paper P on the first conveyance path R1 based on the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 121 after the registration sensor 120 outputs an ON signal.

[0049] A USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a USB cable is connected to the USB interface 110. A PC (Personal Computer) is connected to the LAN interface 111 via a LAN (Local Area Network) cable. When the control unit 100 receives a print job via the USB interface 110 or the LAN interface 111, it controls each unit of the printing device 1 to print the print data specified by the print job onto paper P.

[0050] <Cut printing processing by the control unit> Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the print data storage process by the control unit 100 shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the process shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the process shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the cut printing process by the control unit 100 shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state of cut printing on paper P by the control unit 100 shown in Fig. 3. The process described in Figs. 4 to 8 is a sort printing process in which the number of copies is printed consecutively in page order of the print job.

[0051] 4, the control unit 100 determines whether the size of the paper P specified by the received print job is the size of the paper to be cut and printed (S1). If the control unit 100 determines that the size of the paper P specified by the print job is not the size of the paper to be cut and printed (S1: NO), the control unit 100 executes a normal printing process without cutting the paper P (S2).

[0052] If the control unit 100 determines that the size of the paper P specified by the print job is the size of the paper to be cut and printed (S1: YES), the control unit 100 determines whether or not to perform double-sided printing based on the received print job (S3).If the control unit 100 determines that double-sided printing will not be performed (S3: NO), the control unit 100 performs single-sided printing (S4).

[0053] If the control unit 100 determines that double-sided printing processing is to be performed (S3: YES), the control unit 100 sets the values ​​of each parameter to an initial value (S5). Specifically, the control unit 100 sets CA, PG, and IN to 1. CA is the current number of copies to be printed, PG is the page number, and IN is a parameter used when executing the processing. After setting the values ​​of each parameter to their initial values, the control unit 100 determines whether IN=1 (S6).

[0054] If the control unit 100 determines that IN=1 (S6: YES), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the print data PPG for the PGth page is included in the received print job (S7). If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job includes print data PPG for the PGth page (S7: YES), the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in the storage area DA2 of the RAM 103 (S8).

[0055] Storage area DA2 is an area that stores print data of a first image PI1 to be printed in an area included in a first portion PR1 of a first surface SF1, which is one side of the paper P shown in Fig. 8. The first image PI1 is an image of the first page of the images of the pages to be printed on the paper P. After the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in the storage area DA2, it increments PG and IN by 1 (S9).Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0056] If the control unit 100 determines that the print data PPG for the PG page is not included in the received print job (S7: NO), the control unit 100 determines whether CB is greater than CA based on the received print job (S10). CB is the total number of copies included in the print job received by the control unit 100.

[0057] If the control unit 100 determines that CB is equal to or less than CA (S10: NO), the control unit 100 ends the print data storage process. If the control unit 100 determines that CB is greater than CA (S10: YES), the control unit 100 sets PG to 1 and increments CA by 1 (S11). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S7.

[0058] If the control unit 100 determines that IN is not 1 (S6: NO), as shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 100 determines whether IN is 2 (S12). If the control unit 100 determines that IN is 2 (S12: YES), the control unit 100 determines whether the received print job contains print data PPG for the PGth page (S13). If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job contains print data PPG for the PGth page (S13: YES), the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in storage area DA3 of RAM 103 (S14).

[0059] Storage area DA3 is an area for storing print data or blank data of a second image PI2 to be printed in an area included in the first portion PR1 of the second surface SF2 opposite the first surface SF1 of the paper P shown in Fig. 8. The second image PI2 is an image of the second page of the page images to be printed on the paper P, and is an image of a page after the page of the first image PI1. After the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in storage area DA3, it increments PG and IN by 1 (S15). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0060] If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job does not contain print data PPG for the PG page (S13: NO), the control unit 100 stores blank data in storage area DA3 (S16). After the control unit 100 stores the blank data in storage area DA3, it increments IN by 1 (S17). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0061] If the control unit 100 determines that IN is not 2 (S12: NO), the control unit 100 determines whether IN is 3 (S18). If the control unit 100 determines that IN is 3 (S18: YES), the control unit 100 determines whether the received print job contains print data PPG for the PGth page (S19). If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job contains print data PPG for the PGth page (S19: YES), the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in storage area DA1 of RAM 103 (S20).

[0062] Storage area DA1 is an area in which print data or blank data of a third image PI3 to be printed in an area included in second portion PR2 of first side SF1 of paper P shown in Fig. 8 is stored. The third image PI3 is the image of the third page of the page images to be printed on paper P, and is the image of a page after the page of second image PI2. After control unit 100 stores print data PPG in storage area DA1, it increments PG and IN by 1 (S21). Then, control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0063] If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job does not contain print data PPG for the PG page (S19: NO), the control unit 100 determines whether CB is greater than CA based on the received print job (S22). If the control unit 100 determines that CB is equal to or less than CA (S22: NO), the control unit 100 stores blank data in storage area DA1 (S24). After the control unit 100 stores the blank data in storage area DA1, it increments IN by 1 (S25). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0064] If the control unit 100 determines that CB is greater than CA (S22: YES), the control unit 100 sets PG to 1 and increments CA by 1 (S23). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S19.

[0065] If the control unit 100 determines that IN is not 3 (S18: NO), the control unit 100 determines whether the received print job includes print data PPG for the PGth page (S26), as shown in Fig. 6. If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job includes print data PPG for the PGth page (S26: YES), the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in storage area DA4 of RAM 103 (S27).

[0066] Storage area DA4 is an area that stores print data or blank data for a fourth image PI4 to be printed in an area included in the second portion PR2 of the second side SF2 of the paper P shown in Fig. 8. The fourth image PI4 is the image of the fourth page among the images of pages to be printed on the paper P, and is the image of a page that comes after the page of the third image PI3. The first image PI1 to the fourth image PI4 are each images of one page of print data included in the print job.

[0067] After the control unit 100 stores the print data PPG in storage area DA4, the control unit 100 outputs a cut and print instruction (S28). After outputting the cut and print instruction, the control unit 100 increments PG by 1 and sets IN to 1 (S29). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0068] If the control unit 100 determines that the received print job does not contain print data PPG for the PG page (S26: NO), the control unit 100 stores blank data in storage area DA4 (S30). After the control unit 100 stores the blank data in storage area DA4, the control unit 100 outputs a cut printing instruction (S31). After outputting the cut printing instruction, the control unit 100 sets IN to 1 (S32). Then, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S6.

[0069] Next, the cut printing process by the control unit 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the cut printing instruction output in step S28 or S31 has been received (S41). If the control unit 100 determines that the cut printing instruction has not been received (S41: NO), the control unit 100 enters a standby state.

[0070] When the control unit 100 determines that a cut printing instruction has been received (S41: YES), the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the third image PI3 of the print data stored in storage area DA1 in an area included in the second portion PR2 of the first side SF1 of the paper P (S42). The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the first image PI1 of the print data stored in storage area DA2 in an area included in the first portion PR1 of the first side SF1 of the paper P (S42). If blank data is stored in storage area DA1, the control unit 100 does not print an image in the area included in the second portion PR2 of the first side SF1 of the paper P.

[0071] The process of step S42 is an example of a first image printing process, in which the control unit 100 prints two pages of images on the first side SF1 of the paper P. Note that, as an example of the first image printing process, the control unit 100 may execute a process of printing three or more pages of images on the first side SF1 of the paper P. In other words, as an example of the first image printing process, the control unit 100 executes a process of printing at least two pages of images on the first side SF1 of the paper P.

[0072] After the process of step S42, the control unit 100 causes the conveying rollers 60, 62, 64, 66, and 68 to switch back the paper P from the first conveying path R1 to the second conveying path R2, and conveys the paper P in the second conveying direction D2 (S43). The process of step S43 is an example of a reverse conveying process.

[0073] 8, before the switchback SB in step S43 is performed, the first portion PR1 of the sheet P is located upstream in the first transport direction D1, and the second portion PR2 of the sheet P is located downstream in the first transport direction D1. After the switchback SB in step S43 is performed, the first portion PR1 of the sheet P is located downstream in the first transport direction D1, and the second portion PR2 of the sheet P is located upstream in the first transport direction D1.

[0074] After processing step S43, the control unit 100 determines whether the boundary between the first portion PR1 and the second portion PR2 of the paper P is at the cutting position X1 (S44). If the control unit 100 determines that the boundary of the paper P is not at the cutting position X1 (S44: NO), the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the second image PI2 of the print data stored in the storage area DA3 in the area of ​​the second side SF2 of the paper P that is included in the first portion PR1 (S45).

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the fourth image PI4 of the print data stored in the storage area DA4 in the area included in the second portion PR2 of the second surface SF2 of the paper P (S45). In step S45, the control unit 100 executes the printing process of the second image PI2 and the fourth image PI4 for each line of the second image PI2 and the fourth image PI4 while transporting the paper P with the transport rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66.

[0076] When blank data is stored in storage area DA3, control unit 100 does not print an image in the area included in first portion PR1 on second side SF2 of paper P. When blank data is stored in storage area DA4, control unit 100 does not print an image in the area included in second portion PR2 on second side SF2 of paper P.

[0077] Of the processes in step S45, the process in which the control unit 100 prints an image on the paper P before the paper P is cut by the cutting unit 10 is an example of a second image printing process, in which the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print an image on a predetermined portion of the second side SF2 of the paper P. In step S45, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print an image on the front portion FP of the second side SF2 of the paper P as the predetermined portion.

[0078] The front portion FP is a portion consisting of the area included in the first portion PR1 and part of the area included in the second portion PR2 on the second side SF2 of the paper P. In other words, the front portion FP is a portion consisting of the area on the second side SF2 of the paper P where the second image PI2 is printed and part of the area where the fourth image PI4 is printed.

[0079] Consider a case where the cutting unit 10 is provided on the first transport path R1 between the guide members 41, 42 and the transport roller 60. In this case, the front portion FP may be a portion of the area of ​​the second surface SF2 of the paper P that is included in the first portion PR1, that is, a portion of the area of ​​the second surface SF2 of the paper P where the second image PI2 is printed.

[0080] After the process of step S45, the control unit 100 determines whether the printing unit 3 has printed the final line of images of the second image PI2 and the fourth image PI4 (S46). If the control unit 100 determines that the printing unit 3 has printed the final line of images (S46: YES), the control unit 100 ends the cut printing process.

[0081] After completing the cut printing process, the control unit 100 discharges the first sheet P1 and the second sheet P2 produced by the process of step S47, which will be described later, onto the discharge tray 22 using the conveying rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66. If the control unit 100 determines that the printing unit 3 has not printed the image of the final line (S46: NO), the control unit 100 proceeds to step S44.

[0082] If the control unit 100 determines that the boundary of the paper sheet P is at the cutting position X1 (S44: YES), the control unit 100 causes the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper sheet P into a first portion PR1 and a second portion PR2 that are adjacent to each other in the first transport direction D1 (S47). After the second image printing process, the control unit 100 executes the process of step S47. The first paper sheet P1 is the first portion PR1 of the paper sheet P, and the second paper sheet P2 is the second portion PR2 of the paper sheet P. The process of step S47 is an example of a cutting process.

[0083] Therefore, after printing of an image on the first side SF1 of the paper P is completed in the process of step S42, the paper P is switched back in the process of step S43. Therefore, when performing double-sided printing on one sheet of paper P, the number of switchbacks can be reduced to one, thereby speeding up the double-sided printing process when the paper P is cut.

[0084] After processing in step S47, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S44 and determines that the paper P is not at the cutting position X1 (S44: NO). After the control unit 100 determines that the paper P is not at the cutting position X1, the control unit 100 executes processing in step S45 to print an image on the rear portion BP of the second side SF2 of the paper P shown in Figure 8 by the printing unit 3. This processing is an example of a continuous printing process.

[0085] As a result, the paper P is cut after an image is printed on the front portion FP. Therefore, when an image is also printed on the rear portion BP, there is no need to transport the paper P in the third transport direction D3, compared to when an image is printed across the entire print area of ​​the second side SF2 before the paper P is cut. This allows for faster double-sided printing.

[0086] In step S45, the control unit 100 may cause the printing unit 3 to print an image as the predetermined portion over the entire printing range of the second side SF2 of the paper P in the second image printing process. In this case, after the process of step S43, the control unit 100 executes the process of step S45 without executing the processes of steps S44 and S47. The entire printing range of the second side SF2 is the entire area of ​​the second side SF2 where the second image PI2 and the fourth image PI4 are printed.

[0087] If the answer is NO in step S46, the control unit 100 executes a process of transporting the paper P by a predetermined transport amount in the third transport direction D3 using the transport rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 so that the boundary between the first portion PR1 and the second portion PR2 of the paper P is at the cutting position X1. This process is an example of a reverse conveyance process. After the reverse conveyance process, the control unit 100 executes a cutting process in which the cutting unit 10 cuts the paper P.

[0088] As a result, the paper P is cut after the image is printed over the entire printing range on the second side SF2 of the paper P. This allows the printing device 1 to perform the cutting process without interrupting the image printing process.

[0089] <Cut and print processing of six pages of images by the control unit> Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the cut printing shown in Fig. 7. Reference symbol SG1 in Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing how one set of six-page images is cut and printed onto paper P, and reference symbol SG2 in Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing how two sets of six-page images are cut and printed onto paper P. The right arrow shown in Fig. 9 does not indicate the transport direction of paper P, but indicates that the next paper P has been fed. The process described in Fig. 9 is the sort printing process described above.

[0090] In SG1 of Fig. 9, the first sheet of paper P is referred to as paper P11, and the second sheet of paper P is referred to as paper P12. As shown by SG1 of Fig. 9, in step S42 described above for paper P11, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a third image IM3 in an area of ​​the first surface SF11 of the paper P11 that is included in the second portion PR12. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print a first image IM1 in an area of ​​the first surface SF11 that is included in the first portion PR11.

[0091] After printing the first image IM1 and the third image IM3 on the first side SF11, the control unit 100 executes a switchback SB1 in step S43. After executing the switchback SB1, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the second image IM2 in an area included in the first portion PR11 on the second side SF12 of the paper P11 in step S45. The second image IM2 is an image of a page that comes after the page of the first image IM1 and comes before the page of the third image IM3.

[0092] Furthermore, after printing the second image IM2 on the second side SF12, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a fourth image IM4 in an area of ​​the second side SF12 that is included in the second portion PR12 in step S45. The fourth image IM4 is an image of a page that comes after the page of the third image IM3. During the printing of the fourth image IM4, the control unit 100 causes the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P11 into the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 in step S47.

[0093] Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the conveying rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 to discharge the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 onto the discharge tray 22. After discharging the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 onto the discharge tray 22, the control unit 100 causes the feeding roller 23 to feed the paper P12.

[0094] After feeding the paper P12, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a fifth image IM5 in an area of ​​the first side SF13 of the paper P12 that is included in the first portion PR13 in step S42. The fifth image IM5 is an image of a page that follows the page of the fourth image IM4. The control unit 100 also does not print an image in an area of ​​the first side SF13 that is included in the second portion PR14.

[0095] After printing the fifth image IM5 on the first side SF13, the control unit 100 executes a switchback SB2 in step S43. After executing the switchback SB2, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a sixth image IM6 in an area of ​​the second side SF14 of the paper P12 that is included in the first portion PR13. The sixth image IM6 is an image of a page that follows the page of the fifth image IM5. Furthermore, the control unit 100 does not print an image in an area of ​​the second side SF14 that is included in the second portion PR14.

[0096] After printing the sixth image IM6 on the second surface SF14, in step S47, the control unit 100 cuts the paper P12 into a first portion PR13 and a second portion PR14 using the cutting unit 10. Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 to discharge the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 onto the discharge tray 22.

[0097] In addition, when the control unit 100 performs cut printing of one copy of five pages of images on the paper P, that is, even when the control unit 100 does not print the sixth image IM6 in the area of ​​the second surface SF14 included in the first part PR13, the control unit 100 performs switchback SB2.

[0098] As a result, when the paper P is cut and ejected, the user can be provided with a paper sheet on which multiple pages have been sequentially image-printed, improving user convenience.

[0099] Next, the cutting and printing of two copies of six-page images onto paper P will be described. In SG2 of FIG. 9, the first to third sheets of paper P are designated as papers P11 to P13, respectively. Here, the control unit 100 executes the sort printing process described above for print data for which printing of multiple copies is specified by a print job. The printing process of the first image IM1 to the fourth image IM4 of the first copy onto paper P11 by the control unit 100 is the same as in the case of SG1 of FIG. 9.

[0100] The following describes the processing of the control unit 100 after the control unit 100 discharges the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 of the sheet P11 onto the discharge tray 22 and feeds the sheet P12 using the feed roller 23. As indicated by reference symbol SG2 in Figure 9, in step S42 for the sheet P12, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the first image IL1 of the second copy in an area of ​​the first side SF13 of the sheet P12 that is included in the second portion PR14. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the fifth image IM5 of the first copy in an area of ​​the first side SF13 that is included in the first portion PR13.

[0101] After printing the fifth image IM5 of the first copy and the first image IL1 of the second copy on the first side SF13, the control unit 100 executes a switchback SB2 in step S43. After executing the switchback SB2, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the sixth image IM6 of the first copy in an area of ​​the second side SF14 of the paper P12 that is included in the first portion PR13 in step S45. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the second image IL2 of the second copy in an area of ​​the second side SF14 that is included in the second portion PR14.

[0102] In step S47, during printing of the second image IL2, the control unit 100 cuts the paper P12 into a first portion PR13 and a second portion PR14 using the cutting unit 10. Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 to discharge the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 onto the discharge tray 22.

[0103] After the control unit 100 discharges the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 of the sheet P12 onto the discharge tray 22, the control unit 100 causes the feed roller 23 to feed the sheet P13. After feeding the sheet P13, in step S42 for the sheet P13, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a fifth image IL5 of the second copy in an area of ​​the first side SF15 of the sheet P13 that is included in the second portion PR16. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print a third image IL3 of the second copy in an area of ​​the first side SF15 that is included in the first portion PR15.

[0104] After printing the third image IL3 and fifth image IL5 of the second copy on the first surface SF15, the control unit 100 executes a switchback SB3 in step S43. After executing the switchback SB3, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the fourth image IL4 of the second copy in an area of ​​the second surface SF16 of the paper P13 that is included in the first portion PR15 in step S45. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the sixth image IL6 of the second copy in an area of ​​the second surface SF16 that is included in the second portion PR16.

[0105] In step S47, during printing of the sixth image IL6 of the second set, the control unit 100 causes the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P13 into a first portion PR15 and a second portion PR16. Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 to discharge the first portion PR15 and the second portion PR16 onto the discharge tray 22. Note that the first image IL1 to the sixth image IL6 of the second set are arranged in page order, just like the first image IM1 to the sixth image IM6 of the first set.

[0106] As a result, when the paper P is cut and ejected, the first image IM1 to the sixth image IM6 of the first copy are printed in order, and then multiple sheets of paper on which the first image IL1 to the sixth image IL6 of the second copy are printed in order are ejected to the ejection tray 22.

[0107] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. For ease of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing cut printing by the control unit 100 provided in the printing device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. When the control unit 100 performs the first image printing process and the second image printing process for print data for which printing of multiple copies is specified by a print job, the control unit 100 performs the processes as shown in Fig. 10.

[0108] <Processing of cutting and printing two copies of six-page images by the control unit> 10 is a schematic diagram showing how two copies of a six-page image are cut and printed onto paper P. The right arrow shown in FIG. 10 does not indicate the transport direction of paper P, but indicates that the next paper P has been fed. The process described in FIG. 10 is a stack printing process in which the multiple copies of the image are formed one page at a time.

[0109] 10, as an example of the first image printing process, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a first image IL1 of the second of the multiple copies in an area included in the second portion PR12 of the first side SF11 of the paper P11. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print a first image IM1 of the first of the multiple copies in an area included in the first portion PR11 of the first side SF11.

[0110] After printing the first image IM1 of the first copy and the first image IL1 of the second copy on the first surface SF11, the control unit 100 executes the switchback SB1, similar to step S43. After executing the switchback SB1, the control unit 100 executes the following process.

[0111] Specifically, as an example of the second image printing process, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a second image IM2 of a first copy of the plurality of copies in an area included in the first portion PR11 of the second side SF12 of the paper P11. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print a second image IL2 of a second copy of the plurality of copies in an area included in the second portion PR12 of the second side SF12. The second image IM2 of the first copy is an image of a page subsequent to the page of the first image IM1 of the first copy, and the second image IL2 of the second copy is an image of a page subsequent to the page of the first image IL1 of the second copy.

[0112] Furthermore, in the middle of printing the second copy of the second image IL2, the control unit 100 causes the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P11 into a first portion PR11 and a second portion PR12, as in step S47. Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 to eject the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 onto the ejection tray 22. After ejecting the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 onto the ejection tray 22, the control unit 100 causes the feed roller 23 to feed the paper P12.

[0113] Similar to printing the first image IM1 of the first copy, the first image IL1 of the second copy, the second image IM2 of the first copy, and the second image IL2 of the second copy onto paper P11, the control unit 100 executes printing of images onto paper P12 and paper P13. Hereinafter, only the content of the processing of the control unit 100 that differs from the content explained with reference to symbol SG2 in FIG. 9 will be explained.

[0114] The control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the third image IM3 of the first copy and the third image IL3 of the second copy on the first side SF13 of the paper P12. Thereafter, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the fourth image IM4 of the first copy and the fourth image IL4 of the second copy on the second side SF14 of the paper P12.

[0115] Furthermore, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a fifth image IM5 of the first copy and a fifth image IL5 of the second copy on the first side SF15 of the paper P13. Furthermore, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print a sixth image IM6 of the first copy and a sixth image IL6 of the second copy on the second side SF16 of the paper P13.

[0116] As a result, when the paper is cut and ejected, the user can be provided with multiple copies of paper with images printed on each page in succession, thereby improving user convenience.

[0117] <Processing of cutting and printing three copies of three-page images by the control unit> 10 is a schematic diagram showing how three copies of three-page images are cut and printed onto paper P. In SG4 of Fig. 10, the printing process by the control unit 100 of the first image IM1 of the first copy, the second image IM2 of the first copy, the first image IL1 of the second copy, and the second image IL2 of the second copy onto paper P11 is the same as in the case of SG3 of Fig. 10.

[0118] The following describes the processing of the control unit 100 after the control unit 100 discharges the first portion PR11 and the second portion PR12 of the sheet P11 onto the discharge tray 22 and feeds the sheet P12 using the feed roller 23. As indicated by reference symbol SG4 in Figure 10, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the third image IM3 of the first copy in the area of ​​the first side SF13 of the sheet P12 that is included in the second portion PR14. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the first image IK1 of the third copy in the area of ​​the first side SF13 of the sheet P12 that is included in the first portion PR13.

[0119] After printing the third image IM3 of the first copy and the first image IK1 of the third copy on the first side SF13, the control unit 100 executes the switchback SB2, as in step S43. After executing the switchback SB2, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the second image IK2 of the third copy in the area included in the first portion PR13 on the second side SF14 of the paper P12.

[0120] Furthermore, after printing the second image IK2 of the third copy on the second surface SF14, the control unit 100 does not print an image in the area of ​​the second surface SF14 that is included in the second portion PR14. As in step S47, the control unit 100 cuts the paper P12 into the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 using the cutting unit 10. Thereafter, the control unit 100 discharges the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 onto the discharge tray 22 using the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66. After discharging the first portion PR13 and the second portion PR14 onto the discharge tray 22, the control unit 100 feeds the paper P13 using the feed roller 23.

[0121] After feeding the paper P13 using the feed roller 23, the control unit 100 causes the printing unit 3 to print the third image IK3 of the third copy in an area included in the second portion PR16 of the first side SF15 of the paper P13. The control unit 100 also causes the printing unit 3 to print the third image IL3 of the second copy in an area included in the first portion PR15 of the first side SF15.

[0122] After printing the third image IL3 of the second copy and the third image IK3 of the third copy on the first surface SF15, the control unit 100 executes switchback SB3, as in step S43. After executing switchback SB3, the control unit 100 does not print an image on the second surface SF16 of the sheet P13, and instead cuts the sheet P13 into a first portion PR15 and a second portion PR16 by the cutting unit 10, as in step S47. Thereafter, the control unit 100 ejects the first portion PR15 and the second portion PR16 onto the ejection tray 22 using the conveyance rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66.

[0123] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1 Printing device 3 Printing Department 10 Cut section 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 Conveyor rollers (conveyor section) 100 control section D1 First conveying direction D2 Second conveying direction D3 Third conveying direction IK1, IL1, IM1, PI1 First image IK2, IL2, IM2, PI2 Second image IK3, IL3, IM3, PI3 3rd image P, P11, P12, P13 Paper (print media) SF1, SF11, SF13, SF15 1st side SF2, SF12, SF14, SF16 Second Side PR1, PR11, PR13, PR15 Part 1 PR2, PR12, PR14, PR16 2nd part FP front part BP rear part R1 First transport path R2 Second transport path SB1, SB2, SB3 Switchback

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the printing medium, A first transport path for transporting the printing medium in a first transport direction, A printing unit is provided in the first transport path and prints an image onto the printing medium, A cutting section is provided in the first transport path for cutting the printing medium, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit, The printing unit performs a first image printing process in which it prints one page's worth of image on the first portion of the first surface, which is one side of the printing medium, on the rear side along the transport direction, and one page's worth of image on the second portion of the first surface, which is on the front side along the transport direction. After the first image printing process, the transport unit switches back the printing medium from the first transport path and moves it to a second transport path different from the first transport path, and performs a reverse transport process to transport the printing medium in the second transport direction. After the inversion transport process, the printing unit performs a second image printing process in which it prints an image on a predetermined portion of the second surface of the printing medium opposite to the first surface. After the second image printing process, if the boundary between the first part and the second part is at the position of the cutting portion, a cutting process is performed to cut the printing medium with the cutting portion. A printing apparatus characterized in that, when the last row of the second portion on the rear side along the transport direction in the second image printing process is printed, if the boundary is not at the position of the cutting portion, the apparatus performs a process that includes not cutting the printing medium.

2. The control unit, In the second image printing process, the printing unit prints an image on the front side portion of the second surface of the printing medium as the predetermined portion. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the cutting process, the printing unit performs a process including a continuous printing process in which an image is printed on the rear portion of the second surface of the printing medium.

3. The cutting section cuts the printing medium into a first portion and a second portion that move forward and backward in the first transport direction. The control unit, In the first image printing process, a first image is printed on the area included in the first portion of the first surface of the printing medium, and a third image is printed on the area included in the second portion of the first surface of the printing medium. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the second image printing process, a second image is printed on an area of ​​the second surface of the printing medium that is included in the first portion, and is an image of a page later than the page of the first image and earlier than the page of the third image.

4. The cutting section cuts the printing medium into a first portion and a second portion that move forward and backward in the first transport direction. The control unit, When the first image printing process and the second image printing process are performed on print data for which multiple copies are specified, In the first image printing process, the first image of the first copy of the multiple copies is printed in the area included in the first portion of the first surface of the printing medium, and the second image of the multiple copies is printed in the area included in the second portion of the first surface of the printing medium. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the second image printing process, the first copy of the second image of the multiple copies, which is an image of a page later than the page of the first image, is printed in an area included in the first portion of the second surface of the printing medium, and the second copy of the second image of the multiple copies is printed in an area included in the second portion of the second surface of the printing medium.

5. The control unit, In the second image printing process, the printing unit prints the image as the predetermined portion over the entire printing area of ​​the second surface of the printing medium. After the second image printing process, the transport unit performs a process that includes a reverse transport process in which it transports the printing medium by a predetermined amount in a third transport direction, which is opposite to the first transport direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting process is performed after the reverse conveying process.

Images