Printing apparatus

Abstract

To allow a printer to recognize an adjusted font size before printing when the font size is automatically adjusted.SOLUTION: A control circuit 21 displays, when displaying a print content editing screen, in addition to a text, information corresponding to a setting content, which is information designating a set print size, and in a case of a size automatic adjustment mode, in addition to a symbol 26b corresponding to the size automatic adjustment mode, displays a point number 26a of a print size Pn in respect to a current print size in the print content editing screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints a character string edited on an editing screen onto a printing tape.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in Patent Document 1, based on the number of lines and the length of text data, the number of dots of characters that can be printed on the tape width and the set tape length is obtained, and printing is performed on the printing tape using the character size selected based on that number of dots.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Even when there is a function to automatically adjust the character size as in the above conventional technology, in a model without a mode in which the character size is reflected in the display of the editing screen, the characters on the editing screen are displayed in the same size regardless of the character size in points. Therefore, it is difficult to get an image of the current character size, and it may happen that the character size when actually printed becomes smaller than what the user expected.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of recognizing the adjusted character size before printing when the character size is automatically adjusted.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a printing device comprising a display unit, an input unit, a printing unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit performs a display process to display a string input via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, and a printing process to print the string displayed on the editing screen onto a printing tape using the printing unit, wherein the setting contents include character size specification information for the string to be printed by the printing unit, the character size specification information includes an automatically specified size which is a character size that is variably determined according to printing conditions so that the printed string fits within the size of the printing tape, and in the display process, the control unit displays on the editing screen information corresponding to the setting contents, including the set character size specification information, in addition to the string, and if the set character size specification information is the automatically specified size, it displays on the editing screen information indicating that it is the automatically specified size, as well as information regarding the current character size.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a printing device comprising a display unit, an input unit, a printing unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit performs a display process to display a string input via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, and a printing process to print the string displayed on the editing screen onto a printing tape using the printing unit, in accordance with the settings stored in the storage unit, wherein the settings include a first setting value set as a fixed value selected as desired from among a plurality of fixed values ​​with respect to a predetermined setting item, and a second setting value set as a variable value that changes according to the printing conditions, wherein when the first setting value is set, the control unit displays first information indicating that it is a fixed value and the first setting value which is the fixed value on the editing screen in the display process, and when the second setting value is set, the control unit displays second information indicating that it is a variable value and the current second setting value set according to the current conditions on the editing screen in the display process.

[0008] This allows users to see the current settings of automatically adjusted font sizes and variable values ​​in the editing screen before printing.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to printing devices, but can be appropriately applied to, for example, editing methods performed by printing devices, printing processing systems, printing control devices, printing control systems, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the user can be made aware of the current status of the automatically adjusted font size and its fluctuation values ​​before printing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram showing the overall functional configuration of a label printer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of how the print content editing screen changes due to the automatic print size adjustment function, and an example of how the printed label looks. [Figure 3] This figure shows a comparison between the display method in the comparative example of the print content editing screen and the display method in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the display of the print content editing screen and an example of the printed label in the embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the control procedure for the print content editing process performed by the control circuit. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of the print content editing screen when applying a reduction ratio or other indicators to determine whether printing is disabled, and an example of the printed label. [Figure 7] This diagram shows a table of printability indicators that illustrates the correlation between multiple printability indicators. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <Outline configuration of a label printer> Figure 1 shows the configuration of a label printer, which is an example of a printing device according to this embodiment. In Figure 1, the label printer 2 includes, as shown in the figure, a control circuit 21, a cartridge holder 22 on which a cartridge 101 can be attached and detached, a cartridge sensor 23, a print head 24, a large-capacity storage device 25, a display unit 26, and an input unit 27.

[0014] The large-capacity storage device 25 stores information such as settings selected and configured in advance via various programs, including a print content editing processing program described later, and the input unit 27 (for example, print size and tape length). The control circuit 21 performs various processes in the label printer 2 according to the programs pre-stored in the ROM and the large-capacity storage device 25, while utilizing the temporary storage function of the RAM.

[0015] The display unit 26 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display that displays various information to the user, and in this embodiment, in particular, the print content being edited by the user is displayed on the print content editing screen described later. The input unit 27 is composed of, for example, a hard switch that can be operated manually by the user, and in this embodiment, various editing operations can be performed on the print content displayed on the print content editing screen described later. Note that the display unit 26 and the input unit 27 may each be composed of a touch panel that integrates a liquid crystal display and a touch pad.

[0016] The cartridge holder 22 is configured to allow the cartridge 101 to be attached and detached, and the cartridge sensor 23 is a sensor that reads cartridge information recorded on the attached cartridge 101 itself by mechanical or electrical means. The cartridge 101, although not specifically shown, comprises a strip-shaped base tape of a specific tape width, a strip-shaped cover film of the same tape width as the base tape, and an ink ribbon of a specific color.

[0017] The control circuit 21 reads the specification information of the cartridge 101 being installed via the cartridge sensor 23, and obtains information on the tape width of the base material tape included in the cartridge 101 from the read specification information. Then, the control circuit 21 forms printing on the cover film based on predetermined print data with the color of the ink ribbon as the printing color by performing mechanical control on the drive mechanism including a motor not particularly shown and electrical control on the print head 24. The cover film is adhered to the base material tape and cut to an appropriate length to create the printed label L. The above print data in the example of this embodiment is generated based on the print content edited by the editing operation on the print content editing screen described above.

[0018] Note that the control circuit 21 in the above is an example of the control unit, the print head 24 is an example of the printing unit, the mass storage device 25 is an example of the storage unit, the process in which the control circuit 21 displays the print content editing screen on the display unit 26 is an example of the display process, and the base material tape and the cover film are examples of the printing tape.

[0019] <Regarding the automatic print size adjustment function> In the example of this embodiment, regarding the print content to be printed on the printed label L, the user visually recognizes the print content at that time on the print content editing screen displayed on the display unit 26 of the label printer 2, and edits the print content by performing a predetermined editing operation via the input unit 27. FIG. 2 shows an example of the display of the print content editing screen when the user edits only text (character string) as the print content in this way, and an example of the printing when the edited print content is actually printed on the printed label L.

[0020] The left column in Figure 2 shows examples of the print content editing screen in the display unit 26. In the example shown, the top row shows the display when the text "ABCD" (4 characters) is initially entered and edited as the print content. The rows below show the display examples for each case where the text is edited by sequentially adding each character from "E" to "J" in alphabetical order. The right column in Figure 2 shows, in the same row, an example of how the print content in each row of the left column would look when actually printed on the print label L.

[0021] In this embodiment, the label printer 2 has an automatic print size adjustment function that automatically adjusts the print size (specifically, the number of points representing the font size) of each character in the text edited and entered as print content, according to predetermined printing conditions. Specifically, the printing conditions include the tape width of the base tape provided in the cartridge 101 installed in the cartridge holder 22, and the tape length which is fixed in advance for the print label L that is to be ultimately created. The above print size is an example of character size.

[0022] For example, when printing text edited in a horizontal, single-line layout as shown in the diagram, along the length of the tape, the print height of each character in the text must be set to be less than or equal to the tape width. Furthermore, the total print length of the text in the line direction must also fit within the print area along the length of the tape, excluding the margins at the upstream end (left end in the diagram) and downstream end (right end in the diagram) of the print label L.

[0023] In this case, if there is no restriction on the tape length of the print label L as a printing condition, any print size can be used to print any number of characters. However, if the tape length of the print label L to be created is fixed to a predetermined length, the number of characters that can be printed may be limited depending on the print size in order to fit within the limited print area.

[0024] In contrast, the automatic print size adjustment function of this embodiment is a function that dynamically adjusts the print size of all characters so that the total print length of the text fits within the print area. The large-capacity storage device 25 stores in advance the tape width of the base tape of the cartridge 101 that can be installed and the maximum print size that fits within this tape width. The control circuit 21 sets the maximum print size corresponding to the tape width of the base tape of the cartridge 101 installed in the cartridge holder 22 as the default print size. Then, it automatically changes the print size from the default print size so that the text entered by the user fits within the print area that can be printed with the tape length of the print label L set by the user. Note that this default print size setting may be arbitrarily set by the user in advance, provided that it is limited to a size that fits within the tape width. The user selects and sets either a size-fixed mode that fixes the print size to a desired size, or an automatic size adjustment mode that uses the automatic print size adjustment function, through appropriate operations on the input unit 27.

[0025] When the automatic size adjustment mode is selected, as the number of characters in the text increases due to editing operations, the print size of all characters is automatically reduced by one step when the total print length of the text no longer fits within the print area. In the illustrated example, the print size is reduced by one step for each change in the number of characters: 4 to 5, 5 to 6, 6 to 7, and 9 to 10. Note that the print size for each step is not necessarily limited to size values ​​that decrease arithmetically or geometrically; in this embodiment, it is set to one of several size values ​​predetermined as specifications for the label printer 2 (see Figure 7 below).

[0026] With the automatic print size adjustment function described above, even if the number of characters to be printed increases with a fixed tape length, the print size of the characters is automatically reduced and adjusted so that the total print length of the text fits within the print area. However, the display unit 26 installed in the label printer 2 is generally a simple configuration, and its resolution and display processing capabilities are limited. Therefore, each character of the text displayed on the print content editing screen is always displayed at the same predetermined size, and the internal reduction in print size adjustment by the automatic print size adjustment function is not reflected in the display on the print content editing screen. As a result, even if the user looks at the print content editing screen during the editing process, they cannot concretely imagine how much the print size has been reduced by the automatic print size adjustment function, and the print size of the printed label L that is actually created may differ significantly from what the user expected.

[0027] <Regarding the display of the print content editing screen> In contrast to the above, this embodiment ensures that the user is always aware of the current internal print size when viewing the content displayed on the print content editing screen. Furthermore, this embodiment also allows for limiting the step size range in which the print size can be automatically reduced.

[0028] For example, in the print content editing screen of the comparative example shown in Figure 3(a), some of the displayed content on the print content editing screen is switched depending on whether it is in size-fixed mode, where the print size is fixed, or size-adjustable mode, where the print size is automatically adjusted. In the illustrated example, at a predetermined position on the upper console, in size-fixed mode, only the print size point number 26a ("36pt" in the figure) is displayed as is, while in size-adjustable mode, a corresponding specific symbol 26b is displayed.

[0029] In the same comparative example, some of the displayed content on the print content editing screen is switched depending on whether it is in variable tape mode (where the tape length is variable) or fixed tape mode (where the tape length is fixed). This selection of the tape length mode is also performed by the user through appropriate operations on the input unit 27. In the illustrated example, at a predetermined position on the upper console, in variable tape mode, only the appropriate tape length 26c ("60mm" in the figure) corresponding to the editing content at that time is displayed as is, and in fixed tape mode, the set fixed tape length 26c ("60mm" in the figure) and the symbol 26d (lock mark in the figure) representing the fixed tape mode are displayed side by side.

[0030] However, in the comparative examples shown above, while the user can recognize the size value itself when the print size point count 26a is displayed, they cannot distinguish whether the device is in fixed size mode or automatic size adjustment mode. Also, while the user can distinguish that the device is in automatic size adjustment mode when only the specific symbol 26b is displayed, they cannot recognize the internal print size value at that time. Furthermore, while the user can visually confirm the tape length itself when only the tape length 26c is displayed, they cannot distinguish whether the device is in variable tape mode or fixed tape mode. Also, while the user can recognize that the device is in fixed tape mode and recognize the tape length itself when both the fixed tape length 26c and the fixed tape mode symbol 26d are displayed, this alone does not allow the user to recognize whether the print size has been reduced or adjusted beyond their expectations.

[0031] In contrast, in the print content editing screen of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(b), in the fixed-size mode, the default print size point count 26a ("36pt" in the figure) and the symbol 26d (lock mark in the figure) representing the fixed-size mode are displayed side by side. In the automatic-size adjustment mode, the print size point count 26a ("36pt" in the figure) that has been adjusted at that time is displayed side by side with a corresponding specific symbol 26b. As a result, regardless of whether the print size is in fixed-size mode or automatic-size adjustment mode, the planned print size at that time is always displayed and can be recognized, and furthermore, the difference between the displayed symbols 26b and 26d makes it clear which mode is being used.

[0032] In this embodiment, in addition to the variable tape mode and fixed tape mode described above, a print-unavailable mode is added, which is used when printing is not possible because the print size reduction adjustment stage exceeds the allowable range. These modes switch some of the displayed content on the print content editing screen. In the illustrated example, in variable tape mode, the appropriate tape length 26c ("60mm" in the figure) corresponding to the editing content at that time and the symbol 26e ("AT" in the figure) representing the variable tape mode are displayed side by side. In fixed tape mode, the set fixed tape length 26c ("60mm" in the figure) and the symbol 26d (lock mark in the figure) representing the fixed tape mode are displayed side by side. Furthermore, in the case of print-unavailable mode, the symbol "---" 26f, which overwrites the display of the tape length 26c, and the symbol 26d (lock mark in the figure) representing the fixed tape mode are displayed side by side.

[0033] This allows for clear identification of whether the tape length 26c is variable or fixed based on the difference between the displayed symbols 26d and 26e. In variable tape mode, the tape length 26c of the print label L to be created at that time can always be identified. In fixed tape mode, the symbol 26f clearly indicates whether printing has become impossible due to excessive reduction in print size.

[0034] In this embodiment, by displaying each mode on the print content editing screen as described above, the user can clearly understand the status at each point in time, even with the stepwise adjustments made by the automatic print size adjustment function shown in the example in Figure 2. That is, as shown in Figure 4, no matter how much the print size is reduced, the specific value of the print size is always clearly displayed in points in the print size mode display (see the enlarged view on the right side of the print content editing screen).

[0035] Furthermore, the user can set an arbitrary print tolerance step width through a separate operation on the input unit 27, and in tape-fixed mode, it is clearly indicated by the presence or absence of the tape length number display in the tape length mode display whether or not printing is impossible due to excessive reduction in print size (see the enlarged view on the right side of the print content editing screen). In the example shown, the print tolerance step width is set to 2 steps, and it is displayed as printable while the print size is reduced by 2 steps from the default size, and as printable when reduced by 3 steps or more.

[0036] <Control Procedure> To realize the above method in this embodiment, an example of the control procedure for the print content editing process executed by the control circuit 21 of the label printer 2 is explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. When an appropriate start operation is performed by the user via the input unit 27, the print content editing screen is displayed on the display unit 26, and then the following procedure is started.

[0037] First, in S105, the user selects whether to set the print size to fixed size mode or automatic size adjustment mode via the input unit 27. If the user selects a predetermined print size, the fixed size mode and the selected predetermined print size are set as the fixed print size Pd. In this case, the point size 26a of the fixed print size Pd selected by the user and the symbol 26d indicating the fixed size mode are displayed on the print content editing screen. On the other hand, if the user selects the automatic size adjustment mode, the largest print size that fits within the previously acquired tape width is automatically set as the default print size Pn, and its point size 26a and the symbol 26b indicating the automatic size adjustment mode are displayed on the print content editing screen. If the automatic size adjustment mode is selected, the user further sets the print tolerance step width D via the input unit 27.

[0038] Next, in S115, the tape length mode is selected based on user input via the input unit 27, and in the following S120, it is determined whether the tape fixed mode has been selected. If it is determined in S120 that the tape variable mode has been selected, the result is NO, and in S125, the symbol "---" 26f and the tape variable mode symbol 26e are displayed, and the program proceeds to the next S145. On the other hand, if it is determined in S120 that the tape fixed mode has been selected, the result is YES, and in the following S135, the tape length 26c, which is the fixed tape length Ld entered by the user via the input unit 27, and the tape fixed mode symbol 26d are displayed, and the program proceeds to the next S145.

[0039] In the next step, S145, the system performs an input operation from the user via the input unit 27 to edit a single character for printing, and displays the entire edited text. In the following step, S150, the system calculates the total print length of the text, reflecting the current print size. In the next step, S155, it determines whether the total print length of the text fits within the print area, which reflects the current tape length, and is printable.

[0040] If it is determined in S155 that printing is possible, the result will be YES, and the process will proceed to S160.

[0041] On the other hand, if it is determined in S155 that printing is not possible, the result is NO, and in S165, it is determined whether the tape fixed mode is selected. If it is determined in S165 that the tape variable mode is selected, the result is NO, and in S170, the tape length Ln is extended to a length that allows the total print length of the text to fit within the print area that reflects the current tape length. Specifically, the tape length Ln is extended by an amount equivalent to one character at the current print size, and then the process proceeds to S160.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in S165 that the tape-fixed mode is selected, the result is YES and the process moves to S172. In S172, it is determined whether the automatic size adjustment mode is selected. If the fixed size mode is selected, the result is NO and the process moves to S190. Even if the automatic size adjustment mode is selected, if the current print size Pn is the minimum print size and it cannot be reduced any further, the process also moves to S190. If it is determined in S172 that the automatic size adjustment mode is selected, the process moves to S175. In S175, the print size Pn is reduced by one step and it is determined whether the print length of the entire text fits within the print area and can be printed with the reduced print size Pn. If it cannot be printed, the size is reduced one step at a time until it can be printed. Then, the point size 26a displayed on the print content editing screen is changed to the point size of the changed print size Pn that can now be printed. In the next step, S180, it is determined whether the step difference from the default print size Pn is less than or equal to the printable step width D. If the step difference in S180 is less than or equal to the printable step width D, the result is YES, and the process moves to S160. On the other hand, if the step difference in S180 is greater than the printable step width D, the result is NO, and the process moves to S190. In S190, the symbol 26f for print-disabled mode is displayed instead of the tape length display. Then, the process moves to S160.

[0043] In S160, it is determined whether a print operation has been performed by the user via the input unit 27. If it is determined in S160 that a print operation has been performed, the result is YES, and the process proceeds to S195. If no print operation has been performed in S160, the result is NO, and the process returns to S145. In S195, it is determined whether the print length of the entire text fits within the print area reflecting the tape length at that time and is printable. This determination process in S195 is the same as in S155. If it is determined in this determination process that printing is possible, the entire text displayed on the print content editing screen is printed in S200, and this flow ends. If it is determined that printing is not possible, the process proceeds to S205, an error message indicating that printing is not possible is displayed, and this flow ends.

[0044] In the above flow, the symbol 26f for the print-unavailable mode changed in S190 is an example of information regarding print restrictions; the symbol 26b displayed in response to the automatic size adjustment mode is an example of information indicating that the size is automatically specified and is an example of second information; the number of points displayed as the print size is an example of information regarding the current character size and is an example of first information; the print size Pn is an example of information regarding the current character size; the tape length Ld is an example of information regarding the length of the print tape; the fixed print size Pd is an example of the first setting value; the print size Pn is an example of the automatic size specified and is an example of second setting value; the fixed character size Pd and the automatic size adjustment mode are examples of character size specification information and predetermined setting items; and the procedure in S200 is an example of the printing process.

[0045] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in the label printer 2 of this embodiment, the user can edit text on the print content editing screen. The label printer 2 is equipped with an automatic print size adjustment function. When the automatic size adjustment mode included in the settings is set, the default print size Pn is set. Then, according to the entered string, the print size of the text is automatically set to be variable so that the printed text fits within the size of the base tape. In the process in which the control circuit 21 executes printing with the print head 24, the text is printed on the base tape with a fixed print size Pd or a print size Pn adjusted by the automatic print size adjustment function, according to the settings stored in the mass storage device 25.

[0046] In the print content editing screen displayed on the display unit 26 by the control circuit 21, in addition to the above text, the symbol 26b corresponding to the automatic size adjustment mode and the print size Pn that is currently automatically adjusted are also displayed. This allows the user to easily understand the current print size after automatic adjustment before printing on the print content editing screen.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the print size Pn is a print size that is variably determined according to the number of characters in the text entered by the input unit 27, relative to the tape length. This allows the user to easily see how large the print size is after it has been reduced according to the number of characters entered, on the print content editing screen.

[0048] Note that the automatic print size adjustment function shown in Figure 5 above only adjusts the print size Pn to decrease if the total print length of the text does not fit within the print area. Alternatively, the print size Pn may be adjusted to increase when the number of characters in the text is edited to decrease (not specifically shown).

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the information regarding the current print size displayed on the print content editing screen is the number of points representing the font size of the current print size. This allows the user to clearly recognize the current print size after automatic adjustment in a specific number of points on the print content editing screen.

[0050] Furthermore, when the fixed size mode is selected, the user can easily see the current print size, which is set as a fixed value by the user's specification, before printing on the print content editing screen. In S105 above, the fixed print size Pd was set to be specified by a desired fixed value via the user input unit 27, but for example, the maximum size corresponding to the acquired tape width may be automatically set as the fixed print size Pd. In this case, the fixed print size Pd is also an example of a fixed specified size.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the settings include the print tolerance step width D that is input when the automatic size adjustment mode is enabled.

[0052] As described above, when the automatic print size adjustment function expands or contracts the print size of text, if, for example, the print size is reduced to an infinitesimally small size as the number of characters increases, the actual printed output may be visually too small and unusable. In this embodiment, when the print size is variably determined by the automatic print size adjustment function, printing on the base tape is restricted according to the determined print size according to the procedure in S190. According to this embodiment, for example, if the print size expanded or contracted by the automatic print size adjustment function becomes smaller than a certain size, printing is restricted so that printing is not performed, thereby preventing the wasteful creation of print labels L that are not useful in practice.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the settings include information about the tape length, and the set tape length is displayed on the print content editing screen. This allows the user to easily see how long the print label L is in the current editing results before printing on the print content editing screen.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the procedure in S190 is executed, the display of the tape length information shown on the print content editing screen is changed to the display of the symbol 26f indicating the print-disabled mode. As a result, the user can recognize before printing that there are no printing restrictions when the tape length information before the change is displayed, and that there are printing restrictions when the symbol 26f indicating the print-disabled mode is displayed, due to the change in the display of the tape length information on the print content editing screen.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of size stages are pre-set for the variable print size, and the procedure in S130 sets the number of stages among the plurality of size stages for which print restrictions will be performed.

[0056] In this embodiment, when the print size is variably determined by the automatic print size adjustment function, printing is restricted depending on how many size steps from the default print size Pn are involved in the change. According to this embodiment, for example, if the size step change caused by the expansion or contraction of the print size by the automatic print size adjustment function exceeds a predetermined step, printing is restricted so that printing is not performed, thereby preventing the wasteful creation of print labels L that are not useful in practice.

[0057] <Variation> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical concept.

[0058] <When applying reduction ratio or other criteria as indicators for determining print-disabled mode> In the above embodiment, the print tolerance step width D, which is the amount by which the print size Pn has been reduced from the default print size Pn, was applied as an indicator for deciding whether or not to enter print-disable mode. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, the reduction ratio of the print size Pn adjusted from the default print size Pn may also be applied as an indicator for deciding whether or not to enter print-disable mode.

[0059] In the illustrated example, the print size is set to six levels: 42pt, 36pt, 24pt, 18pt, 12pt, and 9pt. The reduction ratios shown above represent the percentage of points for each print size Pn relative to the default print size Pd, which is set to 42pt. In this example, setting the print tolerance level to 1 results in a print tolerance reduction ratio of 70%, setting it to 2 results in a print tolerance reduction ratio of 50%, and setting it to 3 results in a print tolerance reduction ratio of 3 results in a print tolerance reduction ratio of 30%. For example, if the reduction ratio is set to 50%, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to print up to "ABCDEF" with a print size Pn of 24pt, but "ABCDEFG" cannot be printed. Depending on the default print size Pn, which is the maximum size corresponding to the acquired tape width, the criteria for determining the number of levels and reduction ratio will differ, resulting in a different range of printability. For example, as shown in Figure 7, if the reduction ratio is 50%, and the default print size Pn is 48pt, then printing will be reduced up to three levels. However, if the default print size Pn is 36pt, then printing will only be reduced up to two levels.

[0060] These multiple decision indicators can be arbitrarily selected and set by the user to determine which decision indicators to use to restrict printing. In other words, multiple application criteria for applying print restrictions, including the number of steps for multiple size stages, may be predetermined, and print restrictions may be executed based on one criterion corresponding to the input result via the input unit 27. This setting may be configured in advance in a process different from the print content editing process, where the user is allowed to select which decision indicators to set on a setting screen, etc., and this is stored in the mass storage device 25. Then, when the tape fixing mode is selected in S120, the input settings in S130 may be made based on the information stored in the mass storage device 25. Alternatively, instead of the input settings in S130, the print tolerance step width D, such as the number of steps and reduction ratio, which have been set in advance in a process different from the print content editing process, may be stored in the mass storage device 25. Then, during the decision processing in S180, the decision processing in S180 may be performed according to the settings stored in the mass storage device 25.

[0061] The relationship between the print tolerance step width, print tolerance reduction rate, and the number of points for each size step can be summarized in a printability judgment index table as shown in Figure 7, and conversions between each index can be easily performed by referring to this table. In the example printability judgment index table shown, the print size steps are set to eight levels: 48pt, 42pt, 36pt, 24pt, 18pt, 12pt, 9pt, and 6pt. For each print size, the reduction rate when reduced from one step to five steps, and whether that reduction rate corresponds to 70% or more, 50% or more but less than 70%, 30% or more but less than 50%, or less than 30% are defined for each print size. For example, if 12pt is the default print size Pn, there are print sizes that can be reduced up to two steps. Therefore, if the print tolerance step width D is not set, it is possible to reduce it up to two steps. Also, if the print tolerance step width D is set to 70% or more, it is possible to reduce it up to one step, and if it is set to 50% or more but less than 70%, it is possible to reduce it up to two steps. However, if the image cannot fit within the tape length without reducing it by three or more steps, or beyond the setting of print tolerance step D, the system will enter print-unavailable mode because there is no corresponding size. In this way, the size steps and tolerance range of the print-unavailable indicator are limited by the default print size Pn.

[0062] The illustrated example is applicable to a standard label printer 2 model that allows setting the number of points in multiple stages. However, some lower-end label printer models 2 may only allow setting the number of points in stages based on tape width (large, medium, and small). In such cases, a printability judgment index table may be prepared to set the number of points in stages based on these tape width categories.

[0063] As described above, in this modified example, multiple types of criteria are provided as indicators for determining the print-unavailable mode associated with automatic adjustment of print size, and the user can select one of these multiple types of criteria by inputting information in the input unit 27.

[0064] According to this modified version, users can appropriately select the application criteria for the restrictions, thereby enabling fine-grained printing restrictions and reliably preventing the creation of unnecessary printed labels L.

[0065] Furthermore, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 does not limit the present invention to the procedures shown in the flowchart above, and additional or deleted procedures or changes in order are permitted without departing from the spirit and technical idea of ​​the invention.

[0066] Furthermore, methods based on the above embodiments and their variations may be combined as appropriate. For example, the display layout shown on the print content editing screen is just one example and can be changed as needed. The area for editing the print content and the area for displaying the settings do not have to be on the same screen; the setting of the automatic size adjustment mode and the illumination of the LED corresponding to the current point size may be used to indicate that the setting is enabled. For example, the point size 26a displayed on the print content editing screen is not limited to the point size; it may also be other information that identifies the print size, such as large, medium, or small, or it may display information indicating how many steps it has been reduced from the default print size Pn (e.g., "-1", "-2"). The symbol 26f representing the print-unavailable mode displayed on the print content editing screen is not limited to this; for example, an error message indicating that printing is not possible may be displayed overlaid on the print content editing screen. The symbols 26b, 26d, and 26e are not limited to those shown in Figure 3; any distinguishable information should be displayed.

[0067] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 2. Label printer (an example of a printer) 21 Control circuit (an example of a control unit) 24. Print head (an example of the printing area) 25. High-capacity storage device (an example of a storage unit) 26 Display section 27 Input section 101 Cartridges L Printed Label

Claims

1. Display unit and Input section, The printing area and, Memory unit and, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, A display process that displays the string entered via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, A printing process is performed in which the string displayed on the editing screen is printed onto a printing tape by the printing unit according to the settings stored in the memory unit, A printing device that performs the following: The above settings are: The printing unit includes information specifying the character size of the string to be printed, The aforementioned font size specification information is, The system includes an automatically specified size, which is a character size that is variably determined according to the printing conditions so that the printed string fits within the size of the printing tape. The control unit, In the display process described above, the editing screen displays the string at a predetermined size regardless of the character size specification information, and in addition to the string, displays information corresponding to the setting content, including the set character size specification information. If the specified font size information is the automatically specified size, then in addition to the information indicating that it is the automatically specified size, information regarding the current font size will be displayed on the editing screen. Printing device.

2. A display unit and Input section, The printing area and, Memory unit and, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, A display process that displays the string entered via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, A printing process is performed in which the string displayed on the editing screen is printed onto a printing tape by the printing unit according to the settings stored in the memory unit, A printing device that performs the following: The above settings are: The printing unit includes information specifying the character size of the string to be printed, The aforementioned font size specification information is, The system includes an automatically specified size, which is a character size that is variably determined according to the printing conditions so that the printed string fits within the size of the printing tape. The control unit, In the display process described above, the editing screen displays information corresponding to the setting content, including the set character size specification information, in addition to the string. If the set font size specification information is the automatically specified size, then in addition to the information indicating that it is the automatically specified size, information regarding the current font size will be displayed on the editing screen. The aforementioned font size specification information is, Includes a fixed specified size which is specified as a fixed value of a desired value based on the input result via the input unit, The control unit, If the set font size specification information is a fixed size, the display process displays the fixed value related to the fixed size on the editing screen. Printing device.

3. A display unit and Input section, The printing area and, Memory unit and, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, A display process that displays the string entered via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, A printing process is performed in which the string displayed on the editing screen is printed onto a printing tape by the printing unit according to the settings stored in the memory unit, A printing device that performs the following: The above settings are: The printing unit includes information specifying the character size of the string to be printed, The aforementioned font size specification information is, The system includes an automatically specified size, which is a character size that is variably determined according to the printing conditions so that the printed string fits within the size of the printing tape. The control unit, In the display process described above, the editing screen displays information corresponding to the setting content, including the set character size specification information, in addition to the string. If the set font size specification information is the automatically specified size, then in addition to the information indicating that it is the automatically specified size, information regarding the current font size will be displayed on the editing screen. The control unit further, If the set character size specification information is the automatically specified size, a print restriction process is executed to restrict printing on the print tape according to the variablely determined character size. The settings stored in the storage unit include information regarding the print restriction to be performed in the print restriction process, Printing device.

4. The aforementioned automatically specified size is The character size is determined variably according to the number of characters in the string input by the input unit, with respect to the tape length of the printing tape. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. In the aforementioned display process, the information regarding the current character size displayed on the editing screen is the number of points representing the font size of the current character size. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 4.

6. The settings stored in the memory unit include information about the length of the printed tape, The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the display process, the length information of the set printing tape is further displayed on the editing screen.

7. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if the print restriction process is performed, the display mode of the length information displayed on the editing screen is changed.

8. Multiple size levels are pre-set for the variable character size, The control unit, The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 3, 6, or 7, wherein in the printing restriction process, printing restrictions are performed according to the number of size stages that are switched in response to the scaling of the character size among the plurality of size stages.

9. Multiple application criteria for the application of printing restrictions, including the number of stages in the aforementioned multiple size stages, are predetermined. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the printing restriction process, printing restriction is performed based on one criterion corresponding to the input result via the input unit.

10. Display unit and Input section, The printing area and, Memory unit and, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit, A display process that displays the string entered via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, A printing process is performed in which the string displayed on the editing screen is printed onto a printing tape by the printing unit according to the settings stored in the memory unit, A printing device that performs the following: The control unit, In the display process described above, the string is displayed on the editing screen at a predetermined size, regardless of the character size specification information for the string to be printed by the printing unit. The above settings are: Regarding a predetermined setting item, it includes a first setting value which is set as a fixed value selected as desired from among multiple fixed values, and a second setting value which is set as a variable value that changes according to the printing conditions. If the first setting value is set, the control unit displays the first information indicating that it is a fixed value and the first setting value which is the fixed value on the editing screen during the display process. If the second setting value is set, the control unit displays the second information indicating that it is a variable value and the current second setting value set according to the current conditions on the editing screen during the display process. Printing device.

11. A display unit and, Input section, The printing area and, Memory unit and, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit, A display process that displays the string entered via the input unit on the editing screen of the display unit, A printing process is performed in which the string displayed on the editing screen is printed onto a printing tape by the printing unit according to the settings stored in the memory unit, A printing device that performs the following: The above settings are: The printing unit includes information specifying the character size of the string to be printed, The aforementioned font size specification information is, The system includes an automatically specified size, which is a character size that is variably determined according to the printing conditions so that the printed string fits within the size of the printing tape. and, The above settings are: Regarding a predetermined setting item, it includes a first setting value which is set as a fixed value selected as desired from among multiple fixed values, and a second setting value which is set as a variable value that changes according to the printing conditions. If the first setting value is set, the control unit displays the first information indicating that it is a fixed value and the first setting value which is the fixed value on the editing screen during the display process. If the second setting value is set, the control unit displays the second information indicating that it is a variable value and the current second setting value set according to the current conditions on the editing screen during the display process. The control unit further, If the set character size specification information is the automatically specified size, a print restriction process is executed to restrict printing on the print tape according to the variablely determined character size. The settings stored in the storage unit include information regarding the print restriction to be performed in the print restriction process, Printing device.

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