PRINTER, PRINTER CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM
A printer performs printing on a label by a printing unit while conveying a label continuous body in which labels are arranged at a predetermined spacing, measures, by a second detection unit, an arrangement length of the label on which the printing is performed, sets a reference print start position of the label upstream of the printing unit based on the measured arrangement length, and corrects the reference print start position using the arrangement length and an inter-unit distance between the printing unit and a first detection unit.
1 .- 9 . (canceled)
10 . A printer for printing on a label continuous body in which labels are releasably attached to a long liner sheet at a predetermined spacing, the printer comprising:
a conveyance unit configured to convey the label continuous body;
a printing unit configured to print on each of the labels;
a first detection unit disposed upstream of the printing unit in a conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels;
a second detection unit disposed downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels; and
a controller configured to control the printing on the label and the conveyance of the label continuous body based on detection results of the first detection unit and the second detection unit, wherein:
the controller is configured to:
perform the printing on the label by the printing unit while conveying the label continuous body, and measure, by the second detection unit, an arrangement length which is a spacing between a downstream end portion of the label on which the printing is performed and a downstream end portion of the label adjacent to the label on which the printing is performed,
set a reference print start position of the label upstream of the printing unit based on the arrangement length, and
correct the reference print start position using the arrangement length and an inter-unit distance between the printing unit and the first detection unit.
11 . The printer according to claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is configured to, in the measurement of the arrangement length, detect, by the second detection unit, a downstream end portion of a first label on which the printing is performed and detect a downstream end portion of a second label by the second detection unit, and
the controller is configured to:
detect a downstream end portion of an n-th label by the first detection unit,
set, based on the arrangement length, a reference print start position of each label from a label on which the printing is not performed to an (n−1)-th label located downstream of the n-th label,
calculate a conveyance distance conveyed from when the downstream end portion of the n-th label is detected by the first detection unit to when the downstream end portion of the second label is detected by the second detection unit, and
correct, based on the inter-unit distance, the arrangement length, and the conveyance distance, the reference print start position of at least one of the labels from the label on which the printing is not performed to the (n−1)-th label.
12 . The printer according to claim 11 , wherein
the controller is configured to:
further convey the label continuous body after the printing on the first label is completed, and
convey, when the downstream end portion of the second label is detected by the second detection unit, the label continuous body in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction such that a print start position on the second label corresponds to the printing unit for printing on the second label.
13 . The printer according to claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
calculate an integer X such that an absolute value of a value is smallest, the value being obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the arrangement length by the integer X from a specific length from a downstream end portion of the label on which the printing is not performed to the downstream end portion of the n-th label,
set the calculated integer X as a specific coefficient, and
set the specific coefficient as the number of labels existing between the first label and the n-th label.
14 . The printer according to claim 13 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
set the reference print start position by using, as the arrangement length of each of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label, a quotient obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient, and
correct the reference print start position by using a remainder as a correction value.
15 . The printer according to claim 14 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
set the correction value to be 0 when a remainder obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient is 0, and
add the remainder to the arrangement length of any of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label.
16 . The printer according to claim 14 , wherein:
the controller is configured to distribute a remainder obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient to each of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label and add the remainder to the arrangement length of each of the labels.
17 . The printer according to claim 12 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
calculate an integer X such that an absolute value of a value is smallest, the value being obtained by subtracting a value obtained by multiplying the arrangement length by the integer X from a specific length from a downstream end portion of the label on which the printing is not performed to the downstream end portion of the n-th label,
set the calculated integer X as a specific coefficient, and
set the specific coefficient as the number of labels existing between the first label and the n-th label.
18 . The printer according to claim 17 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
set the reference print start position by using, as the arrangement length of each of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label, a quotient obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient, and
correct the reference print start position by using a remainder as a correction value.
19 . The printer according to claim 18 , wherein:
the controller is configured to:
set the correction value to be 0 when a remainder obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient is 0, and
add the remainder to the arrangement length of any of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label.
20 . The printer according to claim 18 , wherein:
the controller is configured to distribute a remainder obtained by dividing the specific length by the specific coefficient to each of the labels existing between the first label and the n-th label and add the remainder to the arrangement length of each of the labels.
21 . A printer control method for controlling a printer that comprises a printing unit configured to print on a label continuous body in which labels are releasably attached to a long liner sheet at a predetermined spacing, a conveyance unit configured to convey the label continuous body, a first detection unit disposed upstream of the printing unit in a conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels, and a second detection unit disposed downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels, the printer control method being for controlling the printing on the label and the conveyance of the label continuous body based on detection results of the first detection unit and the second detection unit, the printer control method comprising:
performing the printing on the label by the printing unit while conveying the label continuous body, and measuring, by the second detection unit, an arrangement length which is an spacing between a downstream end portion of the label on which the printing is performed and a downstream end portion of the label adjacent to the label on which the printing is performed;
setting a reference print start position of the label upstream of the printing unit based on the arrangement length; and
correcting the reference print start position using the arrangement length and an inter-unit distance between the printing unit and the first detection unit.
22 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a program configured to cause a computer of a printer that comprises a printing unit configured to print on a label continuous body in which labels are releasably attached to a long liner sheet at a predetermined spacing, a conveyance unit configured to convey the label continuous body,
a first detection unit disposed upstream of the printing unit in a conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels, and a second detection unit disposed downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction and configured to detect each of the labels, the program being for controlling the printing on the label and the conveyance of the label continuous body based on detection results of the first detection unit and the second detection unit, the program causing the computer to:
perform the printing on the label by the printing unit while conveying the label continuous body, and measure, by the second detection unit, an arrangement length which is an spacing between a downstream end portion of the label on which the printing is performed and a downstream end portion of the label adjacent to the label on which the printing is performed;
set a reference print start position of the label upstream of the printing unit based on the arrangement length; and
correct the reference print start position using the arrangement length and an inter-unit distance between the printing unit and the first detection unit.