Editing Device Optimizing Tape Usage for Composite Labels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing systems using tape printers often result in waste due to overlay labels not spanning the entire label, leading to inefficient use of tape when the edited print data does not utilize the full label size.
Innovation Solution
An editing device with a controller that edits and displays print data to optimize tape usage by categorizing objects as base or overlay, determining the appropriate tape length and orientation, and selecting a print mode to minimize tape consumption, allowing for efficient creation of composite labels with multiple colors using a single-color ink ribbon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If overlay labels are created to span the entire label size, then the label coverage is improved, but tape waste increases when objects are spaced apart and do not utilize the full label
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the label creation process into two separate tape cassettes: one for the base label and another for overlay labels. This segmentation allows the overlay label to be precisely sized to match only the area needed for spaced-apart objects, rather than forcing it to span the entire label width. The controller separately manages the base label tape and overlay label tape, enabling efficient tape utilization by creating overlay labels that exactly cover the object areas without excessive tape consumption.
2Device complexity
If a single-color ink ribbon is used for printing, then the printer complexity is reduced, but the ability to create multicolored composite labels directly is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a base label with single-color printed objects and clear overlay labels with colored printed objects to create a composite multicolored label. The controller manages this merging process by coordinating printing on both the base label and overlay label from the same tape cassette, then combining them through lamination. This approach maintains the simplicity of a single-color ink ribbon while achieving multicolored label output through the composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The clear overlay label serves as an intermediary that enables color addition to the composite label. By printing colored objects on the transparent overlay label and then laminating it over the base label, the system effectively adds color to the final label without requiring a multicolor ink ribbon. The overlay label acts as a mediator that bridges the limitation of single-color printing with the need for multicolored output.
3Loss of substance
If the editing device optimizes tape length and orientation for each overlay object, then tape usage efficiency is improved, but the editing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts the tape length and orientation settings based on the specific characteristics of each overlay object being printed. Rather than using fixed predetermined dimensions, the system adaptively determines the optimal tape parameters for each object, allowing efficient tape utilization while accommodating variations in object size and position. This dynamic adjustment is managed through automated controller logic that processes object data and configures tape settings accordingly.
Data Source
AI summary
In an editing device, a controller is configured to perform: editing; and displaying. The editing edits print data for a composite label to be created by affixing at least one overlay label to a base label. A printer is configured to perform a single printing operation using an ink ribbon to print an object on a tape in a single printing color thereby creating a single label. The editing includes: determining a printing color of an object; categorizing the object to one of a base object and an overlay object; and setting a print mode to one of a shortest length mode in which a single overlay label is created for each overlay object and a fewest prints mode in which a single overlay label is created for all overlay objects having a same printing color. The displaying displays a composite label image based on the print data.