JP2021142678A - Job data creation device for creating job data for photocurable printer with cutting head, computer program, and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a job data creation device for creating job data capable of improving cutting workability of a photocurable printer with a cutting head.SOLUTION: A job data creation device 200 includes: a reception part 210 for receiving printing image data and cut line data; a printing data creation part 220 for creating printing data on the basis of the printing image data; a first cut data creation part 241 for creating a plurality of cut data including pre-cut data indicating a cut line for cutting a recording medium and after-cut data indicating a cut line for cutting a printing layer on the basis of the cut line data; and a job data creation part 250 for rearranging the cut data and the printing data in an execution order, and creating the job data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a job data creation device and a computer program for creating job data for a photocurable printer with a cutting head, and a printing system.

Conventionally, an inkjet printer with a cutting head including an ink head for ejecting ink to a recording medium and a cutting head having a cutter for cutting the recording medium has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that an inkjet printer with a cutting head is used to form a print layer on a recording medium, and then the recording medium on which the print layer is formed is cut.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-012163

By the way, some printers are of a photocurable type, which includes an ink head for ejecting photocurable ink and a light irradiation device for irradiating the ink on a recording medium with light. In a photocurable printer, the thickness of the print layer is relatively thicker than in the case of printing using non-photocurable inks such as solvent-based inks (solvent-based inks) and water-based inks. In particular, in multi-layer printing in which two or more ink layers constituting the print layer are used, the overall thickness of the print layer becomes thick. In addition, when clear ink is used for the purpose of protecting the surface of printed matter and improving the design, it is possible to make the clear ink layer thicker or to express a three-dimensional unevenness with the clear ink layer. be.

According to the study of the present inventor, in such a case, when the printing layer is cut with a cutter after printing, the pressing force (cutting pressure) applied by the cutter to the printing layer and the recording medium is insufficient to clean the printing layer. Sometimes I couldn't cut it. On the other hand, if the cutting pressure is set too high in order to cut the print layer cleanly, the recording medium may be pulled by the cutting pressure and bent. For this reason, defects may occur in the printed matter and the yield may deteriorate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is a job data creation device and a computer program for creating job data capable of improving the cutting workability of a photocurable printer with a cutting head, and printing. To provide a system.

According to the present invention, an ink head that ejects ink to a recording medium, a light irradiation unit that irradiates the ink on the recording medium with light to form a print layer, and a cutter that cuts the recording medium and the print layer. A job data creation device for creating job data for a photocurable printer with a cutting head and a cutting head having the cutting head is provided. This job data creation device has a receiving unit that receives print image data representing the print layer formed on the recording medium and cut line data representing a cut line that cuts the recording medium, and the receiving unit. A print data creation unit that creates print data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head based on the print image data received by the printer, and a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head. The cut data, based on the cut line data received by the receiving unit, represents pre-cut data representing a cut line that cuts the recording medium before forming the print layer, and the cut data after forming the print layer. In a photocurable printer with a cutting head, a first cut data creation unit that creates a plurality of the cut data including after-cut data representing a cut line that cuts a print layer, and the cut data and the print data are combined. It is provided with a job data creation unit that sorts the processing operations in the execution order and creates job data.

According to the present invention, an ink head that ejects ink to a recording medium, a light irradiation unit that irradiates the ink on the recording medium with light to form a print layer, and a cutter that cuts the recording medium and the print layer. In a photocurable printer with a cutting head, the computer is subjected to print image data representing the print layer formed on the recording medium and a cut line representing the cut line for cutting the recording medium. A receiving unit that receives data, a print data creating unit that creates print data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head based on the printed image data received by the receiving unit, and the above. Cut data in a format that can be read by a photocurable printer with a cutting head, and cut lines that cut the recording medium before forming the print layer based on the cut line data received by the receiver. A first cut data creation unit that creates a plurality of the cut data including the pre-cut data to be represented and the after-cut data representing the cut line that cuts the print layer after forming the print layer, the cut data, and the cut data. A computer program is provided that is configured to function as a job data creation unit that rearranges print data in the execution order of processing operations in the photocurable printer with a cutting head and creates job data.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention provides a printing system including the job data creation device and the photocurable printer with a cutting head.

In the job data creating apparatus and computer program of the present invention, and the printing system, job data including pre-cut data for cutting a recording medium and after-cut data for cutting a print layer is created. As a result, the recording medium and the print layer can be cut separately. Therefore, for example, even when the print layer is thick, the cutting workability of the photocurable printer with a cutting head can be improved, and the deterioration of the yield can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a job data creation device and a computer program for creating job data capable of improving the cutting workability of a photocurable printer with a cutting head, and a printing system.

It is a front view of the photocurable printer with a cutting head provided in the printing system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the sealing medium which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the state which the inkjet head and the cutting head are connected. It is a front view which shows the state which the connection between the inkjet head and the cutting head is released. It is a functional block diagram of a control device. It is a functional block diagram of the job data creation apparatus provided in the printing system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the control procedure which creates job data. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the sealing medium at the time of a precut operation. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the sealing medium after a printing operation. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the sealing medium at the time of the after-cut operation.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to particularly limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts that perform the same action are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes a photocurable printer with a cutting head (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “printer”) 10 and a job data creating device 200. The job data creation device 200 and the computer program according to the present embodiment create job data used in the printer 10. The printer 10 and the job data creation device 200 are connected to each other by a network so that data communication can be performed with each other. The network is, for example, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or the like. The network may be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

In the present specification, the term "photocurable printer" means that the ink on a recording medium is cured by irradiating an electromagnetic wave (light in a broad sense) including ultraviolet rays, X-rays, visible rays, infrared rays, etc. from a light source. Refers to all printing devices that form a printing layer. Further, in the present specification, the "inkjet printer" refers to a printing method by a conventionally known inkjet technique, for example, a continuous method such as a binary deflection method or a continuous deflection method, a thermal method, a piezoelectric element method, or the like. Refers to all printing devices that use the demand method.

First, the printer 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 is a printing and cutting machine capable of printing and cutting on the recording medium 5. In the following description, the terms left, right, top, and bottom mean left, right, top, and bottom as seen from the user (user of the printer 10) in front of the printer 10. Further, the side closer to the user from the printer 10 is the front side, and the side away from the printer 10 is the rear side. The symbols L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. Further, the symbols Y and Z in the drawing represent the main scanning direction (horizontal direction) and the vertical direction, respectively, and the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction (front-back direction) is referred to as a sub-scanning direction. However, these are merely directions for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation form of the printer 10 at all.

The configuration and material of the recording medium 5 are not particularly limited. The recording medium 5 may have a single-layer structure, or may have a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of layers having different materials are laminated in the thickness direction, for example, a two-layer structure or a three-layer or more structure. The recording medium may be rolled in a roll shape or may be in a sheet shape. The material of the recording medium 5 is not only paper such as plain paper and printing paper for inkjet, but also, for example, polyvinyl chloride, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer and the like. Resins, fabrics such as woven fabrics and non-woven fabrics, leather, metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, carbon, pottery, ceramics, glass, rubber and the like may be used.

Further, the recording medium 5 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a sealing medium 5c including a base material 5a as a base and a peeling medium 5b arranged on the base material 5a and removable from the base material 5a. May be good. The peeling medium 5b typically includes a tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (not shown) on the surface facing the base material 5a. The base material 5a and the release medium 5b are integrally held via the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The materials of the base material 5a and the release medium 5b of the sealing medium 5c are not particularly limited. The base material 5a may be a mount made of paper such as plain paper. The release medium 5b may be a release paper made of a resin such as polyvinyl chloride. The base material 5a and the release medium 5b may be made of different materials from each other. Further, the sealing medium 5c may have a two-layer structure or a laminated structure of three or more layers.

In the present specification, "cut" refers to the case of cutting the entire recording medium 5 in the thickness direction, for example, the case of cutting both the base material 5a and the peeling medium 5b of the sealing medium 5c, and the case of the recording medium 5. When cutting a part in the thickness direction, for example, when cutting the entire thickness direction of the peeling medium 5b of the sealing medium 5c and cutting a part of the base material 5a in the thickness direction or not cutting the base material 5a. Is included.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes an operation panel 12, a platen 16, an inkjet head 20, a cutting head 30, a head moving mechanism 40, a medium moving mechanism 45, and a control device 50. There is. The operation panel 12 is provided on the front surface on the right side of the printer 10. However, the position of the operation panel 12 is not particularly limited. Although not shown, the operation panel 12 includes, for example, a display unit on which setting information and status of the printer 10 are displayed, and an input unit for the user to input information.

The platen 16 supports the recording medium 5 when printing on the recording medium 5 and when cutting the recording medium 5 and / or the printing layer 6 (see FIG. 7B). The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 16. The platen 16 is an example of a mounting table for the recording medium 5. The formation of the print layer 6 on the recording medium 5 and the cutting of the recording medium 5 and / or the print layer 6 are performed on the platen 16. The platen 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y. A guide rail 15 extending in the main scanning direction Y is arranged above the platen 16. At least a part of the guide rail 15 is arranged parallel to the platen 16.

3A and 3B are front views of the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30. Although details will be described later, FIG. 3A shows a state in which the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 are connected, and FIG. 3B shows a state in which the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 are disconnected.

The inkjet head 20 is for printing on the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 16. As shown in FIG. 3A, the inkjet head 20 includes a carriage 21 that can move in the main scanning direction Y, a plurality of ink heads 22 having nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink, and a plurality of light irradiation units 23. , Is equipped. The carriage 21 is supported by the guide rail 15. The carriage 21 is movably engaged with the guide rail 15 in the main scanning direction Y. The ink head 22 and the light irradiation unit 23 are slidably engaged with the guide rail 15 via the carriage 21.

In this embodiment, five ink heads 22 are mounted on the carriage 21. The ink head 22 ejects ink to the recording medium 5. The ink head 22 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1), and the control device 50 controls the ejection of ink from the nozzles. The five ink heads 22 eject inks having different color tones and the like. Each ink head 22 includes process color inks such as cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, black ink, light cyan ink, light magenta ink, light yellow ink, and light black ink, white ink, and metallic ink (silver ink). And other color inks and clear inks (including gloss inks and primer inks) are ejected. The color ink is an ink containing a coloring material (a component that absorbs light having a wavelength in the visible light region). However, the color tone of the ink ejected by the ink head 22 is not limited at all. Further, the number of ink heads 22 is not limited to five.

The clear ink does not contain a coloring material or contains a coloring material to the extent that it is not intended for coloring (for example, the coloring material is approximately 0.1% by mass or less of the entire ink, and further 0.01% by mass or less). Ink. The clear ink is typically a highly transparent clear ink layer 6d for the purpose of applying a glossiness or coating to the surface of a color ink printing layer (for example, color ink layers 6a to 6c (see FIG. 7B)). An ink used to form (see FIG. 7B).

Each ink ejected from the ink head 22 is a photocurable ink having a property of being cured by being irradiated with light. The photocurable ink typically contains a photopolymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator and an organic solvent, and if necessary, various other additives such as colorants such as pigments and dyes, and photosensitizers. It may include agents, polymerization inhibitors, UV absorbers, antioxidants, plasticizers, surfactants, leveling agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, preservatives and the like. The photocurable ink is an ultraviolet curable ink (UV ink) having a property of being cured by being irradiated with ultraviolet rays (wavelength: 10 to 400 nm).

The light irradiation unit 23 irradiates light toward the ink ejected on the recording medium 5. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation unit 23 is configured to irradiate light having an ultraviolet wavelength capable of curing the photocurable ink. The light irradiation unit 23 may be, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a fluorescent lamp (low-pressure mercury lamp) system, or a high-pressure mercury lamp system. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation unit 23 is mounted on the same carriage 21 as the ink head 22. However, the light irradiation unit 23 may be mounted on a carriage different from the carriage 21, for example, or may be fixed to a wall surface or the like above the platen 16. The light irradiation unit 23 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1), and the control device 50 controls lighting (ON) and extinguishing (OFF).

The cutting head 30 is for cutting the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 16 and the printing layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) formed on the recording medium 5. As shown in FIG. 3A, the cutting head 30 includes a carriage 31 that can move in the main scanning direction Y, a cutter solenoid 32, and a cutter 33. The cutting head 30 is arranged on the left side of the inkjet head 20. However, the relative positional relationship between the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 is not particularly limited. The carriage 31 is supported by the guide rail 15. The carriage 31 is movably engaged with the guide rail 15 in the main scanning direction Y. The cutter 33 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 15 via the carriage 21.

The cutter 33 is a tool for cutting the recording medium 5 and the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B). The cutter 33 is attached to the carriage 31 via a cutter solenoid 32. The cutter solenoid 32 controls the movement of the cutter 33. The cutter solenoid 32 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1), and the control device 50 controls drive (ON) and stop (OFF). When the cutter solenoid 32 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 33 moves in the vertical direction and comes into contact with or separates from the recording medium 5. The pressing force (cutting pressure) of the cutter 33 is adjusted by changing the current value of the solenoid 32 for the cutter. That is, the larger the current value supplied to the cutter solenoid 32, the larger the driving force and the higher the cutting pressure of the cutter 33. The correspondence between the current value of the cutter solenoid 32 and the cutting pressure of the cutter 33 is stored in advance in the control device 50.

The head moving mechanism 40 is a mechanism for moving the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30, specifically, the ink head 22 and the cutter 33 relative to the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 16. In this embodiment, the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 are moved in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 1, the head moving mechanism 40 includes a pulley 41 provided on the left end side of the guide rail 15, a pulley 42 provided on the right end side of the guide rail 15, an endless belt 43, and a carriage motor. 44 and.

The belt 43 is wound around the pulley 41 and the pulley 42. The belt 43 is fixed to the upper part of the back surface of the carriages 21 and 31, respectively. A carriage motor 44 is connected to the pulley 42. However, the carriage motor 44 may be connected to the pulley 41. The carriage motor 44 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1) and is controlled by the control device 50. Here, when the carriage motor 44 is driven, the pulley 42 rotates and the belt 43 travels. As a result, the carriages 21 and 31 move along the guide rail 15 in the main scanning direction Y. However, the mechanism described here is only an example, and the configuration of the head moving mechanism 40 is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a connecting member 24 composed of magnets is provided on the left side portion of the carriage 21. A connecting member 34 composed of magnets is fixed to the right side portion of the carriage 31. The connecting member 24 is detachably connected to the connecting member 34 of the cutting head 30. In the present embodiment, the connecting member 24 and the connecting member 34 utilize magnetic force. However, the connecting member 24 and the connecting member 34 are not limited to those utilizing magnetic force, and may have other configurations such as an engaging member. On the right side of the carriage 21, an L-shaped receiving metal fitting 25 is provided.

A left side frame 7L and a right side frame 7R are arranged on the left side and the right side of the platen 16, respectively. The guide rail 15 is supported by the left side frame 7L and the right side frame 7R. The right side frame 7R is provided with a locking device 35 for locking the inkjet head 20 to the standby position. The locking device 35 is a locking solenoid 37 (see FIG. 4) that moves the receiving metal fitting 36 hooked on the receiving metal fitting 25 and the receiving metal fitting 36 between the locked position (see FIG. 3B) and the unlocked position (see FIG. 3A). ) And. The locking solenoid 37 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1) and is controlled by the control device 50.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when printing is performed on the recording medium 5 by the ink head 22, the receiving metal fitting 36 is set to the unlocked position. When the carriage 31 of the cutting head 30 moves to the right and the connecting member 34 and the connecting member 24 come into contact with each other, the carriage 21 and the carriage 31 are connected. As a result, the inkjet head 20 can move in the left-right direction together with the cutting head 30. That is, the inkjet head 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y together with the cutting head 30 at the time of printing.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the recording medium 5 and / or the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) is cut by the cutter 33, the inkjet head 20 is positioned in the standby position, and the metal fitting 36 of the lock device 35 is positioned. Is set to the lock position. This prevents the inkjet head 20 from moving. When the carriage 31 moves to the left, the connecting member 34 and the connecting member 24 are separated from each other, and the connection between the carriage 31 and the carriage 21 is released. As a result, the cutting head 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y while the inkjet head 20 is waiting at the standby position. That is, the inkjet head 20 is located in the standby position away from the cutting head 30 at the time of cutting.

The medium moving mechanism 45 is a mechanism for moving the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 16 relative to the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 (specifically, to the ink head 22 and the cutter 33). In the present embodiment, it is a mechanism for moving the recording medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the medium moving mechanism 45 includes a pinch roller 46, a grit roller 47, and a feed motor 48 (see FIG. 4). The pinch roller 46 presses the recording medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 46 is provided above the platen 16.

A grit roller 47 is provided at a position of the platen 16 facing the pinch roller 46. The grit roller 47 is embedded in the platen 16 with the upper surface exposed. The grit roller 47 is driven by a feed motor 48. The grit roller 47 is configured to be rotatable by the driving force of the feed motor 48. The feed motor 48 is electrically connected to the control device 50 (see FIG. 1) and is controlled by the control device 50. When the grit roller 47 rotates with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 46 and the grit roller 47, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. However, the mechanism described here is only an example, and the configuration of the transport mechanism is not particularly limited.

The control device 50 is a device that controls the formation of the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) on the recording medium 5 and the cutting of the recording medium 5 and / or the print layer 6. The configuration of the control device 50 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the control device 50 is a microcomputer provided inside the printer 10. However, the control device 50 does not have to be provided inside the printer 10. For example, the control device 50 may be a computer or the like that is installed outside the printer 10 and is communicably connected to the printer 10 via a wire or wirelessly.

The hardware configuration of the control device 50 is not particularly limited, but for example, an interface (I / F) for receiving job data and setting information of the printer 10 from an external device such as a job data creation device 200, and a control program instruction. A central processing unit (CPU) that executes data, a ROM (read only memory) that stores programs executed by the CPU, and a RAM (random access memory) that is used as a working area for deploying programs. It is equipped with a storage device such as a memory for storing programs and various data.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control device 50. The control device 50 can communicate with the ink head 22, the light irradiation unit 23, the solenoid 32 for the cutter, the carriage motor 44 of the head moving mechanism 40, the solenoid 37 for locking, and the feed motor 48 of the medium moving mechanism 45. They are connected and configured to be controllable. The control device 50 includes a receiving unit 51, a printing control unit 52, a cutting control unit 53, and a storage unit 54. Each part of the control device 50 may be composed of software or hardware. Each part may be realized by a processor or a circuit. When each part is realized by a processor, it may be realized by one processor or may be realized by a plurality of processors.

The receiving unit 51 is a control unit that receives the job data created by the job data creating device 200 and the setting information of the printer 10. The job data is described in a predetermined computer language (for example, PJL (Printer Job Language)). The job data and / or setting information received by the receiving unit 51 may be stored in the storage unit 54. The job data is data that specifies the processing operation of the printer 10 in printing, cutting, and the like. The job data includes at least one of print data used for printing and cut data used for cutting. The print data includes data in which the amount of ink ejected from the ink head 22 and the movement path (path) of the ink head 22 in the main scanning direction Y are specified. The cut data includes data in which the movement path (path) of the cutter 33 is specified.

The setting information is information set in the printer 10. The setting information includes, for example, information (size and material) of the recording medium 5, print setting information, and cut setting information. The print setting information is information related to the setting at the time of printing, and includes, for example, information on the type of ink to be used, print resolution, moving speed of the ink head 22, transport speed of the recording medium 5, and the like. The print setting information is associated with the print data. The cut setting information is information related to the setting at the time of cutting, and includes, for example, information such as the moving speed S1 of the cutter 33, the cutting pressure P1, the cutting depth D1, and the type of the cutting line. The cut setting information is associated with the cut data.

The print control unit 52 is a control unit that executes an operation of printing an image on the recording medium 5 (formation of the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B)) based on the print data received by the reception unit 51. The print control unit 52 controls the drive of the feed motor 48 to control the rotation of the grit roller 47. This controls the movement of the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction. The print control unit 52 controls the drive of the locking solenoid 37 to control the connection and disconnection of the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30. The print control unit 52 controls the movement of the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30 in the main scanning direction Y by controlling the drive of the carriage motor 44. The print control unit 52 controls the ink head 22 to control the timing at which the ink head 22 ejects ink, the amount of ink ejected, and the like.

The cutting control unit 53 is a control unit that executes a cutting operation on the recording medium 5 and / or the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) based on the cut data received by the receiving unit 51. The cutting control unit 53 controls the drive of the feed motor 48 to control the rotation of the grit roller 47. This controls the movement of the recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 16 in the sub-scanning direction. The cutting control unit 53 controls the drive of the locking solenoid 37 to control the connection and disconnection of the inkjet head 20 and the cutting head 30. The cutting control unit 53 controls the movement of the cutting head 30 in the main scanning direction Y by controlling the drive of the carriage motor 44. The cutting control unit 53 controls the vertical movement of the cutter 33 and the pressure of the cutter 33 by controlling the solenoid 32 for the cutter.

Next, the job data creation device 200 for creating data for the printer 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the job data creation device 200 is a computer provided outside the printer 10. This computer may be a dedicated computer for the printer 10 or a general-purpose computer. However, the job data creation device 200 may be provided inside the printer 10. For example, a computer program that realizes the functions of the job data creation device 200 may be installed in the control device 50 of the printer 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the printer 10 is directly connected to the job data creation device 200. However, the printer 10 may be indirectly connected to the job data creation device 200 via another computer that is communicably connected via wire or wireless.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the job data creation device 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the operation unit 200a and the display screen 200b are connected to the job data creation device 200. The operation unit 200a provides data representing an image to be printed on the recording medium 5 (in other words, print image data representing the print layer 6 formed on the recording medium 5) and a cut line for cutting the recording medium 5. The cut line data to be represented and the setting information of the printer 10 are input or specified. The specific type of the operation unit 200a is not particularly limited. The operation unit 200a is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The operation unit 200a may be, for example, an input unit of the operation panel 12. The setting information of the printer 10, print image data, and cut line data are displayed on the display screen 200b. The specific type of the display screen 200b is not particularly limited. The display screen 200b is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display screen 200b may be, for example, a display unit of the operation panel 12.

The job data creation device 200 includes a reception unit 210, a print data creation unit 220, a cut data creation unit 230, a determination unit 240, a job data creation unit 250, a cut setting change unit 260, and a storage unit 270. It includes a transmission unit 280. Each part of the job data creation device 200 may be configured by software or hardware. Each part may be realized by a processor or a circuit. When each part is realized by a processor, it may be realized by one processor or may be realized by a plurality of processors.

The receiving unit 210 is a control unit that receives print image data and / or cut line data, and setting information of the printer 10 including print setting information and / or cut setting information. The print image data and the cut line data may be combined as one original image data. The printed image data and / or cut line data is, for example, JPEG format or bitmap format data. At least a part of the print image data, the cut line data, and the setting information of the printer 10 received by the receiving unit 210 may be stored in the storage unit 270.

The print data creation unit 220 is a control unit that creates print data in a format that can be read by the printer 10 based on the print image data received by the reception unit 210. The print data is represented by, for example, position coordinates with respect to the print origin. The print data is described in a predetermined computer language (for example, RTL (Raster Transfer Language)). The print data creation unit 220 uses a computer program such as a raster image processor to convert the print image data into a format that can be read by the printer 10. As a result, print data is automatically created. The created print data may be stored in the storage unit 270. If the print image data received by the receiving unit 210 is in a format that can be read by the printer 10, the above conversion is not necessary.

In this embodiment, print data is created for each type of ink used. That is, as many print data as the number of ink layers formed on the recording medium 5 are created. In multi-layer printing in which two or more ink layers are formed, two or more print data are created for each ink layer to be formed. For example, when a print layer composed of color ink layers 6a to 6c (see FIG. 7B) having a three-layer structure is formed by multi-layer printing, three print data are created. For example, by multi-layer printing, a four-layer structure printing layer 6 composed of three layers of color ink layers 6a to 6c using color ink and one layer of clear ink layer 6d using clear ink (see FIG. 7B). When forming (see FIG. 7B), a total of four print data are created. When a plurality of print data are created, the print data of each ink layer is arranged in the order of execution in the printer 10 and combined into one file.

The cut data creation unit 230 is a control unit that creates cut data in a format that can be read by the printer 10 based on the cut line data received by the reception unit 210. The cut data is represented by, for example, position coordinates with respect to the print origin. The cut data is described in a predetermined computer language (for example, RTL (Raster Transfer Language)). In the present embodiment, the cut data creation unit 230 includes a multi-cut data creation unit 241 that creates a plurality of cut data and a monocut data creation unit 242 that creates one cut data.

The multi-cut data creation unit 241 includes a plurality of (typically) pre-cut data representing a cut line that cuts at least a part of the recording medium 5 and after-cut data that represents a cut line that cuts at least a print layer 6. It is a control unit that creates the cut data of 2). The precut data is cut data (for precutting) for cutting the recording medium 5 before forming the printing layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) on the recording medium 5 (before printing). The precut data is data representing the position coordinates for cutting the recording medium 5. The after-cut data is cut data (for after-cutting) for cutting the print layer 6 after forming the print layer 6 on the recording medium 5 (after printing). The aftercut data is data representing the position coordinates for cutting the print layer 6.

The multi-cut data creation unit 241 first converts the cut line data into a format that can be read by the printer 10 by a computer program such as a raster image processor. As a result, precut data is automatically created. The precut data may be stored in the storage unit 270. The created precut data is associated with the print data created by the print data creation unit 220.

Next, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 creates after-cut data by using the pre-cut data and the like. The aftercut data may be stored in the storage unit 270. The created after-cut data is associated with the print data created by the print data creation unit 220 and the pre-cut data. The multi-cut data creation unit 241 may be configured so that the user can arbitrarily edit the after-cut data by using the pre-cut data or the like while referring to the display screen 200b. The multi-cut data creation unit 241 may be configured to automatically create after-cut data.

The cut line of the after-cut data may be the same as or different from the cut line of the pre-cut data. That is, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 may copy the pre-cut data stored in the storage unit 270 and use it as the after-cut data as it is, for example. Alternatively, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 may create after-cut data having a cut line different from that of the pre-cut data by changing a part of the cut line of the pre-cut data. In other words, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 may be configured to change the pre-cut data so that the cut data is suitable for cutting the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B). As a result, it is possible to preferably prevent the print layer 6 from being pulled by the cutting pressure of the cutter 33 and sinking or being distorted during cutting.

As an example, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 sets a predetermined cut line when the cut line of the pre-cut data is defined by a contour set around at least a part of the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B). After-cut data of the cut line different from the pre-cut data may be created by shifting the contour to the outside or the inside by the offset distance.

For example, when the cut line has a portion bent at an acute angle (0 ° <θ <90 °), the multi-cut data creation unit 241 sets the cut line of the precut data by a predetermined offset distance at least for the bent portion. Aftercut data may be created by expanding it to the outside of the contour. In this case, the cut line of the after-cut data has a shape similar to the cut line of the pre-cut data and larger than the cut line of the pre-cut data. As a result, the release medium 5b and the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) can be removed cleanly from the seal medium 5c.

Alternatively, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 cuts the precut data when, for example, the number of print data created by the print data creation unit 220 is three or more, four or more, five or more, or even ten or more. Aftercut data may be created by narrowing the line inside the contour by a predetermined offset distance. In this case, the cut line of the after-cut data has a shape similar to the cut line of the pre-cut data and smaller than the cut line of the pre-cut data. As a result, the release medium 5b and the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) can be removed cleanly from the seal medium 5c.

The monocut data creation unit 242 controls to create monocut data for cutting the recording medium 5 and the print layer 6 together after forming the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) on the recording medium 5 (after printing). It is a department. The monocut data is cut data representing the position coordinates for cutting the recording medium 5 and the print layer 6. The monocut data creation unit 242 can create monocut data in the same manner as when the multicut data creation unit 241 creates precut data, for example. The monocut data may be stored in the storage unit 270. The created monocut data is associated with the print data created by the print data creation unit 220. The monocut data creation unit 242 is not essential and may be omitted in other embodiments. In this case, a plurality of cut data may be uniquely created by the multi-cut data creation unit 241.

The determination unit 240 is a control unit that determines whether or not to create a plurality of cut data including precut data and aftercut data based on the print data created by the print data creation unit 220. The correspondence between the print data and whether or not to create a plurality of cut data including the pre-cut data and the after-cut data is stored in the storage unit 270 in advance. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 sets the number of cut data created by the cut data creation unit 230 to a plurality (for example, two) including the precut data and the aftercut data, or only the monocut data (for example, two). 1) is determined.

In one example, the storage unit 270 stores a correspondence table between the number of print data created by the print data creation unit 220 and the number of cut data. The determination unit 240 determines that the number of cut data is a plurality (for example, two) and prints, for example, when performing multi-layer printing in which the number of print data is two or more, that is, the ink layer is two or more layers. When the number of data is one, the number of cut data may be determined to be one. Alternatively, the determination unit 240 determines that the number of cut data is a plurality (for example, two) when the number of print data is three or more, and determines the number of cut data when the number of print data is one or two. It may be determined as one.

In another example, the storage unit 270 stores a correspondence table between the thickness of the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) expected from the print data created by the print data creation unit 220 and the number of cut data. There is. The determination unit 240 first calculates the maximum thickness of the ink layer from the amount of ink ejected for one or more print data created by the print data creation unit 220. The correspondence between the ink ejection amount and the maximum thickness of the ink layer is stored in advance in the storage unit 270. Next, the determination unit 240 totals the maximum thicknesses of the ink layers to calculate the total thickness of the print layer 6. Then, the determination unit 240 determines that the number of cut data is a plurality (for example, two) when the total thickness of the print layer 6 is equal to or more than a predetermined value, and when the total thickness of the print layer 6 is less than the predetermined value, The number of cut data may be determined to be one. The predetermined value is stored in the storage unit 270 in advance. The predetermined value may be, for example, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, or the like.

In another example, the storage unit 270 stores a correspondence table of whether or not the print data creation unit 220 has created clear ink print data and the number of cut data. For example, when the print data creation unit 220 creates clear ink print data, the determination unit 240 determines that the number of cut data is a plurality (for example, two), and the clear ink print data is not created. The number of cut data may be determined to be one. Although it may differ depending on the ink composition, according to the knowledge of the present inventor, the clear ink layer 6d (see FIG. 7B) is used for thickening or three-dimensionally expressing unevenness. It is relatively harder than the color ink layers 6a to 6c (see FIG. 7B). By separating the cut data of the clear ink layer 6d from the cut data of the recording medium 5, the clear ink layer 6d can be cut stably and with high quality as compared with the case of using, for example, monocut data.

In another example, the storage unit 270 stores a correspondence table of whether or not the print data creation unit 220 has created print data of color ink and clear ink, and the number of cut data. The determination unit 240 determines, for example, that the number of cut data is a plurality (for example, two) when both the print data of the color ink and the clear ink are created by the print data creation unit 220, and the color ink or the clear ink When the print data is not created, the number of cut data may be determined to be one. Alternatively, the storage unit 270 stores a correspondence table of whether or not the print data creation unit 220 has created print data of the process color ink, the clear ink and / or the white ink, and the number of cut data. There is. The determination unit 240 sets the number of cut data to a plurality (for example, two) when, for example, the print data creation unit 220 creates print data of process color ink, clear ink, and / or white ink. It may be determined that the number of cut data is one when the print data of the process color ink or the clear ink and / or the white ink is not created. As a result, the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) can be stably cut with high quality.

The job data creation unit 250 creates job data by rearranging the print data created by the print data creation unit 220 and the cut data created by the cut data creation unit 230 in the order of execution of processing operations in the printer 10. It is a control unit to print. In the present embodiment, the job data creation unit 250 uniquely creates job data based on the cut data. The job data creation unit 250 prints the precut data when the print data created by the print data creation unit 220 is associated with the precut data and the aftercut data created by the multicut data creation unit 241. Create job data by arranging the data and aftercut data in this order. The job data creation unit 250 converts the print data and the monocut data when the print data created by the print data creation unit 220 is associated with the monocut data created by the monocut data creation unit 242. Arrange in this order and create job data. The created job data is transmitted to the control device 50 of the printer 10 via the transmission unit 280.

The cut setting changing unit 260 is a control unit that changes the cut setting information received by the receiving unit 210 with respect to the cut data. The cut setting changing unit 260 is, for example, a control unit that changes the cut setting information of the aftercut data to make the cut setting information of the precut data and the aftercut data different. The changed setting information is transmitted to the control device 50 of the printer 10 via the transmission unit 280 and the transmission unit 280. The cut setting changing unit 260 is not essential and may be omitted in other embodiments.

The cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured so that the user can arbitrarily change the cut setting information of the cut data while referring to the display screen 200b. The cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to automatically change the cut setting information. The cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to change at least one of the above-mentioned moving speed S1 of the cutter 33, the cutting pressure P1, the cutting depth D1, and the type of the cutting line.

In one example, the cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to change the cut pressure P2 in the aftercut data from the cut pressure P1 (in other words, the cut pressure of the precut data) received by the receiving unit 51. For example, the cut pressure P2 of the aftercut data may be changed to a value smaller than the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51. That is, the cutting pressure is changed so that the current value of the cutter solenoid 32 when cutting the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) is smaller than the current value of the cutter solenoid 32 when cutting the recording medium 5. You may. Thereby, the load on the recording medium 5 at the time of after-cutting can be reduced. However, the cut setting changing unit 260 may change the cut pressure P2 of the aftercut data to a value larger than the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51.

The cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to change the cut pressure P2 in the aftercut data based on the material of the recording medium 5. In this case, the cut setting changing unit 260 first refers to, for example, the material of the recording medium 5 included in the setting information received by the receiving unit 51. Next, when the material of the recording medium 5 is hard, for example, when resins such as polyvinyl chloride are contained, the cut pressure P2 of the aftercut data is set to a value smaller than the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51. change. The material determined to be hard is stored in the storage unit 270 in advance. When the recording medium 5 is hard, the cutting pressure when cutting the print layer 6 is usually smaller than the cutting pressure when cutting the recording medium 5.

In another example, the cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to change the cut pressure P2 in the aftercut data from the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51 based on the number of print data. In this case, the cut setting changing unit 260 first refers to, for example, the number of print data. Next, when the number of print data is 5, 6, or more, 7, or more, the cut pressure P2 of the aftercut data is higher than the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51. Change to a value. As a result, even a thick print layer can be cut stably.

In another example, the cut setting changing unit 260 sets the cut depth D2 in the aftercut data to the cut depth D1 received by the receiving unit 51 (in other words, the cut depth of the precut data) based on the number of print data. ) May be configured to change. In this case, the cut setting changing unit 260 first refers to, for example, the number of print data. Next, the cut depth D2 of the aftercut data is changed according to the number of print data. The correspondence between the number of print data and the cut depth D2 is stored in advance in the control device 50. The number of print data and the cut depth D2 may be expressed by a directly proportional relational expression. As a result, the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B) can be stably cut according to the thickness. For example, the cutting depth can be adjusted so that the cutting edge of the cutter 33 penetrates the printing layer 6 and does not completely cut the recording medium 5. However, the cut setting changing unit 260 may change the cut depth D2 of the aftercut data to a value smaller than the cut depth D1 received by the receiving unit 51, or may change it to a larger value.

In another example, the cut setting changing unit 260 changes the moving speed S2 of the cutter 33 in the aftercut data from the moving speed S1 of the cutter 33 received by the receiving unit 51 (in other words, the moving speed of the precut data). It may be configured in. For example, the moving speed S2 of the aftercut data may be changed to a value larger than the moving speed S1 received by the receiving unit 51. In other words, when cutting the print layer 6 (see FIG. 7B), the moving speed of the cutter 33 may be relatively faster than when cutting the recording medium 5. However, the cut setting changing unit 260 may change the moving speed S2 of the aftercut data to a value smaller than the moving speed S1 received by the receiving unit 51.

In another example, the cut setting changing unit 260 sets the type of the cut line of the precut data and / or the aftercut data from the type of the cut line received by the receiving unit 51 (in other words, the type of the cut line of the precut data). It may be configured to change. The type of the cut line may be configured so that the user can arbitrarily select it from, for example, a solid line shape, a dotted line shape, a broken line shape (perforated line shape, a one-dot chain line shape, a two-dot chain line shape), and the like.

The cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured to automatically change the type of cut line of the aftercut data. In this case, the cut setting changing unit 260 first refers to, for example, the type of cut line included in the cut setting information received by the receiving unit 51. When the type of the cut line is a dotted line or a broken line, the cut setting changing unit 260 sets the cut line of the aftercut data so as to shift the position of the point or line displayed at regular intervals when expressing the line. You may change the type. For example, when the type of cut line received by the receiving unit 51 is perforated, the position of the point may be changed to a different (second) perforation, or the solid line, dotted line, one-dot chain line, or two points may be changed. It may be changed to a chain line or the like.

Next, a control procedure for creating job data with the job data creation device 200 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure for creating job data. This control procedure includes a reception process (step S1), a print data creation process (step S2), a cut data number determination process (step S3), a multi-cut data creation process (step S4), and a job data creation process (step S4). It includes steps S5 and S9), a cut setting change process (step S6), a transmission process (steps S7 and S10), and a monocut data creation process (step S8). However, in other embodiments, some of them may be omitted. In addition, other processes can be included at any stage.

In step S1, the user activates the job data creation device 200 of the printing system 1 and inputs necessary information via the operation unit 200a. The user inputs, for example, the original image data including the print image data and the cut line data, and the setting information of the printer 10 including the print setting information and the cut setting information. The input original image data and setting information are received from the receiving unit 210. The receiving unit 210 is configured or programmed to execute the receiving process. Then, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, a print data creation process for creating print data is executed based on the original image data received by the receiving unit 210. The print data creation unit 220 is configured or programmed to execute the print data creation process. The print data creation unit 220 creates print data for each type of ink used. For example, when forming a print layer 6 having a four-layer structure composed of ink layers 6a to 6d as shown in FIG. 7B, a total of four print data are created. The print data creation unit 220 identifies, extracts, and rasterizes the print image data for forming each ink layer 6a to 6d from the original image data by, for example, a raster image processor. As a result, print data in raster image format is created. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, a cut data number determination process for determining the number of cut data is executed based on the print data created by the print data creation unit 220. The determination unit 240 is configured or programmed to execute the cut data number determination process. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 determines the number of cut data based on whether or not the print data creation unit 220 has created print data for color ink and clear ink. The storage unit 270 determines that the number of cut data is two when both the print data of the color ink and the clear ink are created, and the cut data when the print data of the color ink or the clear ink is not created. A correspondence table for determining the number of is one is stored. If the print data creation unit 220 has created print data for both color ink and clear ink, it is determined that step S3 is YES, and the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, a multi-cut data creation process for creating precut data and aftercut data is executed based on the original image data received by the receiving unit 210. The multi-cut data creation unit 241 is configured or programmed to execute the multi-cut data creation process. In the present embodiment, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 first identifies, extracts, and rasterizes the cut line data from the original image data with a raster image processor. This creates precut data in raster image format. Next, after-cut data is created based on the pre-cut data. Then, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the job data creation process of rearranging the print data and the cut data in the execution order of the processing operations in the printer 10 to create the job data is executed. The job data creation unit 250 is configured or programmed to execute the job data creation process. The job data creation unit 250 creates job data by arranging precut data, print data, and aftercut data in this order. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, a cut setting change process for changing the cut setting information of the aftercut data is executed. The cut setting change unit 260 is configured or programmed to execute the cut setting change process of the aftercut data. The cut setting changing unit 260 changes, for example, the cut pressure P2 in the aftercut data to a value smaller than the cut pressure P1 received by the receiving unit 51. The cut setting changing unit 260 changes the cut depth D2 from the cut depth D1 received by the receiving unit 51, for example, according to the number of print data. That is, when the number of print data is M (however, M is a natural number of 1 or more), the cut depth is changed to the first, and the number of print data is N (however, N is a natural number satisfying M <N). ), The second cut depth is changed to be larger than the first cut depth. For example, the cut setting changing unit 260 changes the moving speed S2 of the cutter 33 in the aftercut data to a value larger than the moving speed S1 of the cutter 33 received by the receiving unit 51. Then, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, a transmission process of transmitting job data and setting information of the printer 10 from the transmission unit 280 to the printer 10 is executed. The receiving unit 51 of the printer 10 is configured to be able to receive job data and setting information of the printer 10. Then, the control is terminated.

On the other hand, if the print data does not include the print data of the color ink or the clear ink in step S3, it is determined that step S3 is NO, and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, a monocut data creation process for creating monocut data is executed based on the original image data received by the receiving unit 210. The monocut data creation unit 242 is configured or programmed to execute the monocut data creation process. In the present embodiment, the monocut data creation unit 242 creates the monocut data in the same manner as when the multicut data creation unit 241 creates the precut data. Then, the process proceeds to step S9.

In step S9, the job data creation process is executed. The job data creation unit 250 creates job data by arranging print data and monocut data in this order. Then, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the transmission process is executed in the same manner as in step S7. Then, the control is terminated.

The printer 10 that has received the job data and the setting information controls the print control unit 52 and the cutting control unit 53 to print and cut the recording medium 5. That is, the recording medium 5 is mounted on the platen 16 of the printer 10. For example, a sealing medium 5c as shown in FIG. 2 is placed. Here, when the job data including the precut data, the print data, and the aftercut data is transmitted to the printer 10 in this order, the precut operation, the print operation, and the aftercut operation are performed on the seal medium 5c. It is executed in this order.

That is, first, the precut operation is executed on the sealing medium 5c. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the sealing medium 5c during the precut operation. The cutting control unit 53 executes a cutting operation on the sealing medium 5c based on the precut data included in the job data received by the receiving unit 51. Here, the sealing medium 5c is cut to a depth such that the cutting edge of the cutter 33 penetrates the peeling medium 5b and slightly cuts the base material 5a. A notch C is formed in the peeling medium 5b.

Next, a printing operation is executed on the sealing medium 5c. Here, it is assumed that the printing layer 6 having a four-layer structure as shown in FIG. 7B is formed on the sealing medium 5c. That is, the print data included in the job data received by the receiving unit 51 includes the print data of three color inks and the print data of one clear ink. The print control unit 52 executes a printing operation on the sticker medium 5c based on the print data. As a result, a print layer 6 composed of three layers of color ink layers 6a to 6c and one layer of clear ink layer 6d is formed on the seal medium 5c.

Next, an aftercut operation is executed on the sealing medium 5c. FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the sealing medium 5c during the aftercut operation. The cutting control unit 53 executes a cutting operation on the sealing medium 5c based on the aftercut data included in the job data received by the receiving unit 51. Here, the cut is made directly above the notch C. Further, the sealing medium 5c is cut to a depth such that the cutting edge of the cutter 33 penetrates the printing layer 6 and does not cut the base material 5a.

As described above, according to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the recording medium 5 and the print layer 6 can be cut separately. This makes it possible to set cut lines and cut setting information, for example, according to the thickness and properties of the print layer 6, the type of the recording medium 5, and the like. Therefore, the cutting workability of the photocurable printer with a cutting head can be improved. For example, even when the print layer 6 is thick or hard, it can be cut cleanly. Further, for example, even when the cut portion has an acute angle or is fine, the release medium 5b and the print layer 6 can be removed cleanly from the seal medium 5c. As a result, deterioration of the yield can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the print data creation unit 220 creates print data for each type of ink used. The printer 10 further includes a determination unit 240 that determines whether or not to create a plurality of cut data including precut data and aftercut data based on the print data. When creating a plurality of cut data, the printer 10 performs the cut processing operation a plurality of times. Therefore, the cutting processing time becomes long. By providing the determination unit 240, it is possible to balance the quality and processing time of the cutting process in the printer 10.

In the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 determines that when two or more print data are created by the print data creation unit 220, the determination unit 240 creates a plurality of the cut data including the precut data and the aftercut data. As a result, the print layer 6 can be stably cut with high quality.

In the present embodiment, the determination unit 240 precuts when the print data creation unit 220 creates print data of at least one process color ink and print data of at least one of clear ink and white ink. It is determined that a plurality of the above-mentioned cut data including the data and the after-cut data are created. As a result, the print layer 6 can be stably cut with high quality.

In the present embodiment, the cut line of the precut data and the cut line of the aftercut data are different from each other. By creating the precut data so as to be suitable for cutting the recording medium 5, for example, according to the type of the recording medium 5, the recording medium 5 is pulled by the cutting pressure and bent at the time of cutting. It can be suppressed suitably. In addition, after-cut data is created so as to be suitable for cutting the print layer 6 according to, for example, the thickness and properties of the print layer 6, so that the print layer 6 cuts the pressure of the cutter 33 at the time of cutting. It is possible to preferably suppress the sinking or distortion caused by being pulled by the printer. Further, the load on the recording medium 5 at the time of after-cutting can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the cut lines of the precut data are defined by contours set around at least a part of the print layer 6. When the multi-cut data creation unit (first cut data creation unit) 241 has a portion where the contour is bent at an acute angle, at least the cut line of the bent portion is widened to the outside of the contour to create after-cut data. .. As a result, the release medium 5b and the print layer 6 can be cleanly peeled off from the seal medium 5c.

In the present embodiment, the receiving unit 210 is associated with the cut data and receives cut setting information regarding the setting of the printer 10 when cutting the recording medium 5. The printer 10 further includes a cut setting changing unit 260 that changes the cut setting information of the aftercut data from the cut setting information received by the receiving unit 210. By changing the cut setting information of the after-cut data so as to be suitable for cutting the print layer 6 according to, for example, the thickness and properties of the print layer 6, the print layer 6 cuts the cutter 33 at the time of cutting. It is possible to preferably suppress sinking or distortion due to being pulled by pressure. Further, the load on the recording medium 5 at the time of after-cutting can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the cut setting information includes information on the pressing force (cut pressure) applied by the cutter 33 to the recording medium 5 and the printing layer 6. The cut setting changing unit 260 changes the cut setting information so that the pressing force of the aftercut data is smaller than the pressing force received by the receiving unit 210. Thereby, the load on the recording medium 5 at the time of after-cutting can be reduced.

The printer 10 of the present embodiment is a monocut data creation unit 242 (second cut data creation unit) that creates cut data representing cut lines that cut the recording medium 5 and the print layer 6 after the print layer 6 is formed. Further prepare. As a result, the quality of the cutting process and the processing time of the printer 10 can be balanced.

In the present embodiment, the recording medium 5 is a sealing medium 5c including a base material 5a as a base and a peeling medium 5b arranged on the base material 5a and removable from the base material 5a. In the sealing medium 5c, the cut portion may have an acute angle or a finer portion. In such cases, the techniques disclosed herein are particularly effective.

The printer 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above. However, the printer 10 is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms. The present invention can be carried out based on the contents disclosed in the present specification and common general technical knowledge in the art. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the embodiments illustrated above. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the above-described embodiment with another modification, and it is also possible to add another modification to the above-described embodiment. Further, the above-described embodiment and the following modified modes can be appropriately combined. Further, if the technical feature is not explained as essential, it can be deleted as appropriate.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the multi-cut data creation unit 241 is configured to create a total of two cut data including one pre-cut data and one after-cut data, but the present invention is limited to this. Not done. The multi-cut data creation unit 241 may create two or more (first and second) pre-cut data in the same manner as when creating after-cut data using, for example, pre-cut data. One or more (first and second) aftercut data may be created. Further, in this case, the cut setting changing unit 260 may be configured so that the cut setting information is different from each other in the first precut data and the second precut data, or the first aftercut data and the second precut data. The second after-cut data may be configured so that the cut setting information is different from each other.

In the control procedure of FIG. 6 described above, the cut setting change process (step S6) is executed after the job data creation process (step S5), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the job data creation process is prior to the job data creation process. The cut setting change process may be executed.

In the above-described embodiment, the so-called shuttle type (serial type) printer 10 in which the ink head 22 is mounted on the carriage 21 and the printing operation is performed while reciprocating (shuttle movement) in the main scanning direction Y has been described. It is not limited to this. The technique disclosed herein can be similarly applied to a so-called line type printer having a line head and performing a printing operation with the line head fixed.

In the above-described embodiment, the carriage 21 and the carriage 31 of the printer 10 are configured to move in the main scanning direction Y, and the recording medium 5 is configured to move in the sub-scanning direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The movements of the carriages 21 and 31 and the recording medium 5 are relative, and either of them may move in the main scanning direction Y or the sub-scanning direction. Further, for example, the carriages 21 and 31 may be arranged so as not to be movable, and the recording medium 5 may be configured to be movable in both the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction.

5 Recording medium 10 Printer (photo-curable printer with cutting head)
22 Ink head 23 Light irradiation unit 33 Cutter 200 Job data creation device 210 Reception unit 220 Print data creation unit 230 Judgment unit 240 Cut data creation unit 241 Multi-cut data creation unit (first cut data creation unit)
242 Monocut data creation unit (second cut data creation unit)
250 Job data creation unit 260 Cut setting change unit

Claims (12)

An ink head that ejects ink to a recording medium, a light irradiation unit that irradiates the ink on the recording medium with light to form a print layer, and a cutting head having a cutter that cuts the recording medium and the print layer. A job data creation device that creates job data for a photocurable printer with a cutting head.
A receiving unit that receives print image data representing the print layer formed on the recording medium and cut line data representing the cut line that cuts the recording medium.
A print data creation unit that creates print data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head based on the print image data received by the receiver.
Cut data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head, and cut lines that cut the recording medium before forming the print layer based on the cut line data received by the receiver. A first cut data creation unit that creates a plurality of the cut data including the pre-cut data representing the above, the after-cut data representing the cut line that cuts the print layer after forming the print layer, and the like.
A job data creation unit that creates job data by rearranging the cut data and the print data in the order of execution of processing operations in the photocurable printer with a cutting head.
A job data creation device. The print data creation unit creates the print data for each type of ink to be used.
A determination unit for determining whether or not to create a plurality of the cut data including the precut data and the aftercut data based on the print data is further provided.
The job data creation device according to claim 1. The determination unit determines that when two or more print data are created by the print data creation unit, a plurality of the cut data including the precut data and the aftercut data are created.
The job data creation device according to claim 2. When the print data creation unit creates the print data of at least one process color ink and the print data of at least one of the clear ink and the white ink, the determination unit obtains the precut data. It is determined that a plurality of the cut data including the after-cut data will be created.
The job data creation device according to claim 2. The cut line of the precut data and the cut line of the aftercut data are different from each other.
The job data creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The cut lines of the precut data are defined by contours set around at least a part of the print layer.
When the contour has an acute-angled portion, the first cut data creating unit creates the after-cut data by expanding at least the cut line of the bent portion to the outside of the contour.
The job data creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The receiving unit is associated with the cut data, receives cut setting information regarding the setting of the photocurable printer with a cutting head when cutting the recording medium, and receives the cut setting information.
A cut setting changing unit that changes the cut setting information of the aftercut data from the cut setting information received by the receiving unit is further provided.
The job data creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The cut setting information includes information on the pressing force applied by the cutter to the recording medium and the printing layer.
The cut setting changing unit changes the cut setting information so that the pressing force of the aftercut data is smaller than the pressing force received by the receiving unit.
The job data creation device according to claim 7. A second cut data creation unit that creates the cut data representing the cut line that cuts the recording medium and the print layer after the print layer is formed is further provided.
The job data creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The recording medium is a sealing medium including a base material and a peeling medium arranged on the base material and removable from the base material.
The job data creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. An ink head that ejects ink to a recording medium, a light irradiation unit that irradiates the ink on the recording medium with light to form a print layer, and a cutting head having a cutter that cuts the recording medium and the print layer. In a photocurable printer with a cutting head, equipped with a computer,
A receiving unit that receives print image data representing the print layer formed on the recording medium and cut line data representing the cut line that cuts the recording medium.
A print data creation unit that creates print data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head based on the print image data received by the receiver.
Cut data in a format that can be read by the photocurable printer with a cutting head, and cut lines that cut the recording medium before forming the print layer based on the cut line data received by the receiver. A first cut data creation unit that creates a plurality of the cut data including the pre-cut data representing the above, the after-cut data representing the cut line that cuts the print layer after forming the print layer, and the like.
A job data creation unit that creates job data by rearranging the cut data and the print data in the order of execution of processing operations in the photocurable printer with a cutting head.
A computer program that is configured to work. A printing system comprising the job data creating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and the photocurable printer with a cutting head.

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