JP2023175323A - Image forming device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming device and an image forming system which can appropriately acquire a printed object without a frame even when a size designated by a user is less than a width of a medium.SOLUTION: First to fourth modes which perform printing without a frame are executed. In such modes, image forming operation is performed with respect to an image area and, at the same time, rolled paper Rp cut by a cutter 3 is delivered to a discharge tray. In first to third modes, both ends of an image formed on the rolled paper Rp are set on a user cutting position. Further, in fourth mode, a broken line marker which indicates the user cutting position is formed on the rolled paper Rp. Therefore, even in either mode, the user cutting position can be easily grasped. Furthermore, even in either mode, the delivered rolled paper Rp is cut on the user cutting position and, thereby, such a final printed object that the image is formed fully in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction of the rolled paper Rp is acquired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that form an image on a sheet-like medium.

In an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a long sheet-like medium, in normal image formation, the image is formed in an area slightly smaller than the medium size specified by the user. A blank space is formed around the image in the printed matter). On the other hand, there is a method (hereinafter referred to as "borderless printing") in which no blank space is formed around the image in the final printed matter, and the image forming area fills the entire width of the printed matter. Patent Document 1 relates to an example of an image forming apparatus capable of such borderless printing. The image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 forms an image on a sheet-like medium slightly larger than the width of the sheet-like medium, so that the image is formed over the entire width of the final printed matter.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-244027

When forming an image on a long sheet-like medium, the horizontal size indicated by the user-specified medium size may be smaller than the width of the sheet-like medium. This is an image forming method in which a user cuts an image-formed medium ejected from an image forming apparatus in its width direction to obtain a final printed matter of a desired size. In this way, when the horizontal size indicated by the user-specified medium size is smaller than the width of the sheet-like medium, when performing borderless printing, for example, by applying the method of Patent Document 1, the user-specified medium size is Suppose that an image is formed on a sheet-like medium that is slightly larger than the above. In this case, if the user cuts the image-formed medium ejected from the image forming apparatus into a user-specified medium size, a final printed matter of the desired size can be obtained. However, since the image formed on the sheet-like medium is larger than the medium size specified by the user, it is difficult to know at what position the medium should be cut to obtain a printed matter of the medium size specified by the user.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that can easily obtain borderless printed matter even if the size specified by the user is smaller than the width of the medium.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a medium accommodating section capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, and a sheet-like medium from the medium accommodating section along a predetermined conveyance direction. a medium transport section that transports a medium, an image forming section that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet medium transported by the medium transport section, and a sheet medium on which an image is formed by the image forming section. A designation indicating contents specified by the user regarding a cutting part that cuts in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and respective sizes of the sheet-like medium in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. an information acquisition unit that acquires size information and selection information indicating a user's selection of one of a plurality of options for modes related to image formation; a control unit that controls a conveying unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit, wherein the lateral size indicated by the specified size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium; The option is to form an image of a size indicated by the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction on a sheet-like medium, and to form a sheet at each end of the area where the image is formed in the vertical direction. A first mode in which the sheet-like medium is cut, and the sheet-like medium is cut in the longitudinal direction so that it has a size indicated by the specified size information after cutting, and the sheet-like medium after cutting in the longitudinal direction occupies. a second mode in which the image forming operation is performed on an area having the same size as the specified size information in the horizontal direction, and the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction; a third mode in which an image having a size indicated by is formed on the sheet-like medium and the sheet-like medium is cut outside the area in which the image is formed in the vertical direction, and the specified size information after cutting in the vertical direction; The sheet-like medium is cut to a size indicated by , and the sheet-like medium straddles the range that the cut sheet-like medium will occupy in the vertical direction and is larger than the size indicated by the specified size information in the horizontal direction. a fourth mode in which the image forming operation is performed and a marker indicating a cutting position corresponding to the size indicated by the specified size information is formed in the area where the image is formed in the horizontal direction; Contains the above.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention includes a medium storage section capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll, and a sheet-like medium from the medium storage section that is transported in a predetermined manner. a medium transport section that transports the medium along a direction; an image forming section that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet medium transported by the medium transport section; and a sheet medium on which an image is formed by the image forming section. A cutting section that cuts the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined transport direction, and a size of the sheet-like medium in a longitudinal direction corresponding to the predetermined transport direction and in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are specified by the user. an information acquisition unit that acquires specified size information indicating the content; and a control unit that controls the medium conveying unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the specified size information and a mode related to image formation; The size in the lateral direction indicated by the size information is smaller than the width in the lateral direction of the sheet-like medium, and the mode is one of the first mode to the fourth mode according to the first invention.

According to the image forming apparatus according to the first invention or the second invention, in the first mode and the second mode, if the medium ejected from the apparatus is cut at both ends of the image in the lateral direction, the desired size indicated by the designated size information is obtained. A borderless print of the same size is obtained. In the third mode, if the medium ejected from the apparatus is cut at both ends of the image in both the horizontal and vertical directions, a borderless print of the desired size is obtained. In the fourth mode, if the medium discharged from the apparatus is cut along the marker in the transverse direction, a borderless printed matter of a desired size is obtained. In this way, in any of the first to fourth modes, it is easy to understand at what position the medium should be cut to obtain a print of the medium size specified by the user.

On the other hand, each mode has its own characteristics. For example, in the first mode, the image is formed according to the specified size information, so the image forming area does not become larger than the desired size, but if the cutting position of the medium deviates from the image forming area, the final There is a possibility that blank spaces may appear at the edges of the resulting printed matter (hereinafter referred to as the final printed matter). In addition, in the second mode and the fourth mode, since the image forming operation is performed on an area larger than the size indicated by the specified size information, the possibility of blank spaces occurring after cutting the medium is suppressed, but If the image is cut off, the edges of the image may be cut off in the final printed product. In the third mode, since the image is formed according to the specified size information, the image forming area does not become larger than the desired size, but the user must cut the medium not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction.

In the first invention, the borderless printing mode can be selected from options including two or more of the first mode to the fourth mode having different characteristics as described above, so that the user's request can be appropriately met. Borderless printing can be performed.

1 is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3A shows an example of an image formed on a cut sheet by normal printing. FIG. 3(b) shows an example of an image formed on cut paper by borderless printing. An example of an image formed on roll paper by normal printing is shown. An example of an image formed on roll paper by borderless printing is shown. An example of an image formed on roll paper in a first mode related to borderless printing is shown. An example of an image formed on roll paper in a second mode related to borderless printing is shown. An example of an image formed on roll paper in a third mode related to borderless printing is shown. An example of an image formed on roll paper in a fourth mode related to borderless printing is shown. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer system according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7 illustrates an example of an image formed on roll paper in the 2' mode in borderless printing according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[First embodiment]
A printer 100 (corresponding to the "image forming apparatus" of the present invention) according to a first embodiment, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. Note that the up-down direction, front-back direction, and left-right direction shown in FIG. 1 are the up-down direction, front-back direction, and left-right direction of the printer 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 100 mainly includes a housing 100a, a feed tray 1, a transport mechanism 2, a cutter 3, a carriage 4, a head 5, a moving mechanism 6, a paper output tray 7, and a control section 9. We are preparing for

The feeding tray 1 (corresponding to the "medium accommodating section" of the present invention) is arranged below the head 5 in the housing 100a. The feeding tray 1 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a along the front-rear direction through an opening 10p formed in the front wall of the housing 100a.

The feed tray 1 can accommodate roll bodies R and cut sheets Kp. The feed tray 1 may be able to accommodate the roll body R and the cut paper Kp at the same time, or may be able to selectively accommodate either the roll body R or the cut paper Kp. The feed tray 1 has a roll body support part 11 that supports the roll body R, and a placement surface 12 on which the cut paper Kp is placed.

The roll body R is a long sheet of paper wound around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The cut paper Kp is a paper shorter than the long paper forming the roll body R, and is a standard size paper such as A4 size or B5 size, for example. The largest size of the cut sheets Kp that can be used in the printer 100 of this embodiment is A4 size paper. A plurality of cut sheets Kp are placed on the placement surface 12 in a stacked state.

The transport mechanism 2 transports the paper P along a transport path from the feed tray 1 via the head 5 to the paper output tray 7 (the path along the thick black line representing the paper P in FIG. 1). Hereinafter, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to upstream and downstream, respectively, with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P along the conveyance path by the conveyance mechanism 2. The conveyance mechanism 2 (corresponding to the "medium conveyance section" of the present invention) includes a feed roller 21 , a pair of intermediate rollers 22 , a pair of conveyance rollers 23 , a pair of discharge rollers 24 , and a guide member 25 . These rollers and roller pairs are arranged in the following order from upstream to downstream along the conveyance path: feed roller 21, intermediate roller pair 22, conveyance roller pair 23, and discharge roller pair 24.

The feeding roller 21 feeds the roll paper Rp unwound from the roll body R supported by the roll body supporting section 11 or the cut paper Kp placed on the placement surface 12 from the feeding tray 1 . In the following description, if roll paper Rp and cut paper Kp are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "paper P."

The feeding roller 21 is rotated by a feeding motor 21a (see FIG. 2). When the feeding motor 21a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the feeding roller 21 rotates, and a conveying force in a direction from the front to the rear is applied to the paper P that comes into contact with the feeding roller 21. . As a result, the paper P is sent out from the feed tray 1. Note that the rear wall 15 provided at the rear end of the feeding tray 1 is inclined such that the upper end is located further back than the lower end. Therefore, the paper P sent out from the feed tray 1 heads diagonally upward.

The intermediate roller pair 22 includes a drive roller that rotates by driving an intermediate motor 22a (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates together with the drive roller. When the intermediate motor 22a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the pair of intermediate rollers 22 rotates while holding the paper P and conveys the paper P. The intermediate roller pair 22 is located above the rear end of the feed tray 1 . The intermediate roller pair 22 conveys the paper P sent out from the feeding tray 1 by the feeding roller 21 and moving diagonally upward while holding it therebetween. The guide member 25 is located above the intermediate roller pair 22. The guide member 25 guides the sheet P, which is conveyed upward by the intermediate roller pair 22, forward.

The conveyance roller pair 23 includes a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a conveyance motor 23a (see FIG. 2), and a driven roller that rotates together with the drive roller. The paper discharge roller pair 24 includes a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a paper discharge motor 24a (see FIG. 2), and a driven roller that rotates together with the drive roller.

When the transport motor 23a and the paper ejection motor 24a are driven under the control of the control unit 9, the transport roller pair 23 and the paper ejection roller pair 24 rotate while holding the paper P, and move the paper forward in the transport direction. Transport P. The pair of transport rollers 23 is located behind the head 5, and the pair of discharge rollers 24 is located in front of the head 5. The conveyance roller pair 23 conveys the paper P guided forward by the guide member 25 further forward toward the sheet discharge roller pair 24 . The pair of paper ejecting rollers 24 further transports the paper P transported forward by the pair of transport rollers 23 while nipping the paper P, and ejects the paper to the paper ejection tray 7 .

A paper sensor 96 is provided slightly behind the pair of transport rollers 23 . When the paper sensor 96 detects the leading edge of the paper P, the paper sensor 96 outputs the detection result to the control unit 9 . The timing at which the paper sensor 96 detects the leading edge of the paper P is adjusted to coincide with, or almost coincide with, the timing at which the leading edge of the paper P reaches the pair of transport rollers 23 . Further, a rotary encoder 97 is installed on the driven roller of the transport roller pair 23. The rotary encoder 97 can detect the rotation amount of the conveyance roller pair 23 by detecting the rotation amount of the driven roller. The rotary encoder 97 outputs a signal indicating the amount of rotation of the transport roller pair 23 to the control section 9 . Based on the detection results of the paper sensor 96 and the rotary encoder 97, the control unit 9 obtains the number of rotations of the transport roller pair 23 after the leading edge of the paper P reaches the transport roller pair 23. Based on this number of rotations, the control unit 9 can calculate how far forward the leading edge of the paper P has reached from the pair of transport rollers 23 . Thereby, the control unit 9 can adjust the position of image formation on the paper P by the head 5 and the cutting position of the roll paper Rp by the cutter 3 with respect to the transport direction of the paper P.

The cutter 3 is disposed upstream of the pair of intermediate rollers 22 on the conveyance path, and at a position between the rear end of the feed tray 1 and the pair of intermediate rollers 22 . The cutter 3 includes, for example, a disc-shaped rotating blade and a driven blade. The cutter 3 has a rotary blade that rotates by driving a cutting motor 3a (see FIG. 2) and reciprocates along the left-right direction. The roll paper Rp unwound from the roll body R and transported is cut in the width direction of the roll paper Rp (direction perpendicular to the transport direction) by the cutter 3 by driving the cutting motor 3a under the control of the control unit 9. disconnected. As a result, the roll paper Rp on the side separated from the roll body R is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7 as individual sheets with the cut end being the rear end. On the other hand, the cut end of the roll paper Rp on the side connected to the roll body R becomes the leading edge of the paper used for the next image formation.

The head 5 (corresponding to the "image forming section" of the present invention) includes a plurality of nozzles formed on the lower surface and a driver IC 52 (see FIG. 2). When the driver IC 52 is driven under the control of the control unit 9, ink is ejected from the nozzle, and the ink adheres to the paper P to form dots. The head 5 is mounted on the carriage 4.

The moving mechanism 6 includes two guide rails 61 and 62 and a carriage motor 63 (see FIG. 2). The two guide rails 61 and 62 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and each extends in the left-right direction. The carriage 4 is arranged to straddle two guide rails 61 and 62. The carriage 4 is connected to a carriage motor 63 via a belt (not shown) or the like. When the carriage motor 63 is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the carriage 4 moves in the scanning direction (horizontal direction) along the guide rails 61 and 62. Thereby, the head 5 mounted on the carriage 4 is movable so as to straddle the paper P in the scanning direction.

A receiving portion 51 is arranged below the head 5. The receiving portion 51 is a flat plate member that extends so as to straddle the area where ink is ejected from the head 5 in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The receiving portion 51 receives ink ejected from the head 5 to a position outside the area where the paper P exists.

When the head 5 reciprocates in the scanning direction with the movement of the carriage 4 and the ejected ink reaches the paper P, dots are sequentially formed on the paper P along the scanning direction. Such rows of dots along the scanning direction are sequentially formed while the paper P is transported by the transport mechanism 2. In the image forming area on the paper P, dots are lined up in both the scanning direction and the conveyance direction, and an image formed by such an arrangement of dots appears. The image forming area is a rectangular area corresponding to the size of the image. The head 5 can also eject ink toward the outside of the paper P in the scanning direction. In this case, the ink reaches the upper surface of the receiving portion 51. The image forming area may not match the entire area where ink is ejected (image area, which will be described later).

The paper discharge tray 7 is arranged in front of the head 5 and above the feed tray 1 in the housing 100a. The paper discharge tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a along the front-rear direction through an opening 100q formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. The paper P on which the image has been recorded by the head 5 is received in the paper discharge tray 7.

When the paper P corresponds to roll paper Rp, the roll paper Rp discharged to the paper discharge tray 7 is either the final printed matter desired by the user, or is cut into an appropriate size by the user. This will be the final print. Cutting by the user is mainly performed along the longitudinal direction of the ejected roll paper Rp (direction corresponding to the transport direction of the roll paper Rp) (described later). Hereinafter, the printed matter finally obtained in this way will be referred to as the "final printed matter."

A cartridge mounting section is installed within the housing 100a. Four ink cartridges each storing ink of each color, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta, can be detachably attached to the cartridge attachment portion. Ink is supplied to the head 5 from an ink cartridge mounted in a cartridge mounting section via a tube or the like.

A touch panel display 95 is installed on the outside front of the housing 100a. The touch panel display 95 displays characters, images, etc. on the screen under the control of the control unit 9. Furthermore, when a finger or the like touches the screen, the touch panel display 95 detects the contact position and transmits the detection result to the control unit 9 .

The control unit 9 controls the printer 100 as a whole. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 9 includes a feed motor 21a, an intermediate motor 22a, a transport motor 23a, a paper ejection motor 24a, a cutting motor 3a, a driver IC 52, a carriage motor 63, a touch panel display 95, and a paper sensor 96. electrically connected.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 9 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 93, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 94, and the like. The ROM 92 stores programs and the like executed by the CPU 91 and ASIC 94. The RAM 93 temporarily stores data required when executing a program. This data includes image data transmitted from an external device such as a PC or read from a recording medium.

In addition, in the control unit 9, only the CPU 91 may perform various processes, only the ASIC 94 may perform various processes, or the CPU 91 and ASIC 94 may cooperate to perform various processes. It may be something. Moreover, the control unit 9 may be one in which one CPU 91 performs the processing alone, or may be one in which a plurality of CPUs 91 share the processing. Further, in the control unit 9, one ASIC 94 may perform the processing alone, or a plurality of ASICs 94 may share the processing.

The control unit 9 mainly executes an information input process in which the user inputs various information indicating an image forming method, and an image forming process in which an image is formed on the sheet P according to the information input in the information input process.

Various information input in the information input process includes the type of paper P used for image formation (cut paper Kp or roll paper Rp), the size of the final print if roll paper Rp is used, and whether it is normal printing or border printing. There is information indicating the selection result of borderless printing (described later) or borderless printing mode (first mode to fourth mode described later). In the information input process, the touch panel display 95 displays a screen including characters, images, etc. for inputting these items, and information is displayed based on the position where the user touches the touch panel display 95 with a finger or the like. Input is made. The size of the final printed matter is input in each of the directions corresponding to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the image to be formed. The vertical direction of the image is a direction along the conveyance direction of the paper P, and the horizontal direction of the image is a direction along the paper P and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the vertical and horizontal ratio (hereinafter referred to as aspect ratio) of the size of the final printed matter is the image indicated by the image data (an image that has not been enlarged or reduced from the original image data). ) matches the aspect ratio of Note that the function of the control unit 9 to execute information input processing corresponds to the function of the "information acquisition unit" of the present invention. Hereinafter, the size of the final printed matter input in the information input process will be referred to as the designated size. Information indicating the designated size corresponds to "designated size information" of the present invention. Furthermore, information indicating the selection result of the borderless printing mode corresponds to the "selection information" of the present invention.

The control unit 9 controls the transport mechanism 2, cutter 3, and head 5 as follows according to the information input in the information input process. Based on the image data stored in the RAM 93, the control unit 9 causes the transport mechanism 2 to perform a transport operation of transporting the paper P by a predetermined distance along the transport path, and causes the movement mechanism 6 to move the carriage 4 in the scanning direction. While reciprocating, the head 5 performs an image forming operation of ejecting ink onto the paper P from a plurality of nozzles, and this is alternately and repeatedly performed. At this time, the control unit 9 causes the transport mechanism 2 to transport the type of paper P indicated by the information input in the information input process. Further, the control unit 9 adjusts the image indicated by the image data to an appropriate size in both the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the image area set for the paper P (see FIG. 3, etc.). The head 5 is caused to eject ink according to the adjusted image.

When the paper P is a cut paper Kp, the cut paper Kp receives ink ejected from the head 5 while being transported by the transport mechanism 2 . Thereby, the cut paper Kp becomes a paper on which an image has been formed and is ejected to the paper ejection tray 7. When the information input in the information input process indicates normal printing, an image is formed on the ejected cut paper Kp with a blank area set around the image area, as shown in FIG. 3(a). . When the information input in the information input process indicates borderless printing, the image area is set to straddle the cut paper Kp in both the vertical and horizontal directions. As a result, an image is formed on the ejected cut paper Kp completely in the vertical and horizontal directions, as shown in FIG. 3(b). The image on the cut paper Kp in borderless printing is partially cut off at both ends in the vertical direction and at both ends in the horizontal direction.

When the paper P is a roll paper Rp, the roll paper Rp receives ink ejected from the head 5 while being transported by the transport mechanism 2 . The roll paper Rp is cut into a desired length by the cutting operation of the cutter 3 under the control of the control section 9. The roll paper Rp cut by the cutting operation of the cutter 3 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7 as a sheet of paper having a desired length and on which an image has been formed.

When the information input in the information input process indicates normal printing, as shown in FIG. It is cut along the lateral direction at the cutting position. The user specified area is an area corresponding to a specified size. In other words, the user-specified area is a rectangular area that has specified sizes in both the vertical and horizontal directions. In the vertical direction, the leading edge of the user designated area coincides with the leading edge of the roll paper Rp. Further, the user designated area includes an image area and a blank area set around the image area. The cutter cutting position is set so that the cut roll paper Rp matches the user-designated area in the vertical direction. According to this, the roll paper Rp that has been subjected to the conveying operation, image forming operation, and cutting operation is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7. The user obtains a final printed material by cutting the ejected roll paper Rp in the longitudinal direction along user cutting positions 1 and 2. User cutting position 1 and user cutting position 2 are positions at both ends of the user designated area in the horizontal direction.

If the information input in the information input process indicates borderless printing, the circumstances differ depending on whether the width of the user-designated area in the horizontal direction matches the width of the roll paper Rp. When the width of the user-specified area in the horizontal direction matches the width of the roll paper Rp, borderless printing is performed in the following manner similar to the borderless printing of cut paper Kp. As shown in FIG. 5, the user-designated area is set so that its vertical edge coincides with the edge of the roll paper Rp. The cutter cutting position is set so that the cut roll paper Rp matches the user-designated area in the vertical direction. The image area is set so as to straddle the user-specified area in both the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, the image area is set to span the cut roll paper Rp in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The image forming operation of the head 5 is performed on this image area. As a result, the roll paper Rp discharged to the paper discharge tray 7 becomes a final printed matter in which both the vertical and horizontal directions coincide with the user-designated area, and the image is completely formed in the vertical and horizontal directions. As shown in FIG. 5, the image may be partially cut off at both ends in the vertical direction and both ends in the horizontal direction.

On the other hand, when the width of the user-designated area in the horizontal direction is smaller than the width of the roll paper Rp, the following problem occurs when borderless printing is performed in the same manner as the cut paper Kp. The broken line in FIG. 4 indicates the outer edge of an elliptical figure included in the image if the image area is set to straddle the user-specified area in both the vertical and horizontal directions. When an image is formed on the roll paper Rp with respect to the image area set in this way, when the ejected roll paper Rp is cut by the user along the user cutting positions 1 and 2, the final printed product of borderless printing is obtained. However, the image on the roll paper Rp is larger than the user specified area in the horizontal direction. For this reason, when the user cuts the roll paper Rp, it is difficult to know which user cutting positions 1 and 2 are just by looking at the image.

Therefore, in the borderless printing of the roll paper Rp according to the present embodiment, the following first to fourth modes are used in consideration of the above.

In the first mode, as shown in FIG. 6, the user-designated area is set so that its vertical edge coincides with the edge of the roll paper Rp. The cutter cutting position is set so that the cut roll paper Rp matches the user-designated area in the vertical direction. The image area is set to completely match the user specified area. Therefore, the aspect ratio of the image area is equal to the aspect ratio of the image data. The image forming operation of the head 5 is performed on this image area. User cutting positions 1 and 2 are positions at both ends of the user designated area (=both ends of the image area) in the horizontal direction. According to this, the roll paper Rp that has been subjected to the conveying operation, image forming operation, and cutting operation is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7. The user obtains a final printed material by cutting the ejected roll paper Rp in the longitudinal direction along user cutting positions 1 and 2. In this mode, user cutting positions 1 and 2 are at both ends of the image area, ie, at both ends of the formed image. Therefore, it is easy for the user to determine the cutting positions 1 and 2 by looking at the image of the roll paper Rp. Further, an image is formed in an image area that matches the user-specified area, and the image is formed with the same aspect ratio as the aspect ratio in the image data. On the other hand, if the actual cutting position by the cutter 3 deviates from the original position, there is a risk that blanks will appear at the edges of the final printed matter.

In the second mode, as shown in FIG. 7, the user-designated area is set so that its vertical edge coincides with the edge of the roll paper Rp. The cutter cutting position is set so that the cut roll paper Rp matches the user-designated area in the vertical direction. The image area is set so as to straddle the user-specified area in the vertical direction (that is, the range that the rolled paper Rp will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction) and to coincide with the user-specified area in the horizontal direction. That is, the image area is set to include the user-specified area and the protrusion area 1 and the protrusion area 2 that protrude from both ends of the user-specified area in the vertical direction. The image forming operation of the head 5 is performed on this image area. As a result, the image is stretched in the vertical direction more than the original image data and is formed on the roll paper Rp. User cutting positions 1 and 2 are positions at both ends of the user designated area (=both ends of the image area) in the horizontal direction. According to this, the roll paper Rp that has been subjected to the conveying operation, image forming operation, and cutting operation is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7. The user obtains a final printed material by cutting the ejected roll paper Rp in the longitudinal direction along user cutting positions 1 and 2. In this mode, user cutting positions 1 and 2 are at both ends of the image area, ie, at both ends of the formed image. Therefore, it is easy for the user to understand the user cutting positions 1 and 2 by looking at the image of the roll paper Rp. Furthermore, since the image forming operation is performed on the image area that straddles the user-specified area in the vertical direction, blanks are less likely to occur on the cut roll paper Rp. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in the final printed matter, both ends of the image in the vertical direction may be cut off.

In the third mode, as shown in FIG. 8, the user-designated area is set so that its vertical tip is upstream from the tip of the roll paper Rp. The cutter cutting position is set upstream of the user-specified area, that is, outside the user-specified area. The image area is set to completely match the user specified area. Therefore, the aspect ratio of the image area is equal to the aspect ratio of the image data. The image forming operation of the head 5 is performed on this image area. User cutting positions 1 and 2 are positions at both ends of the user designated area (=both ends of the image area) in the horizontal direction. In addition to these, the positions of both ends of the user designated area (=both ends of the image area) in the vertical direction are user cutting positions 3 and 4. According to this, the roll paper Rp that has been subjected to the conveying operation, image forming operation, and cutting operation is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7. The user cuts the ejected roll paper Rp in the longitudinal direction along user cutting positions 1 and 2 and also cuts it in the horizontal direction along user cutting positions 3 and 4 to obtain a final printed matter. In this mode, user cutting positions 1 to 4 are the positions of both the vertical and horizontal ends of the image area, that is, the positions of both the vertical and horizontal ends of the formed image. Therefore, it is easy for the user to understand the user cutting positions 1 to 4 by looking at the image of the roll paper Rp. Further, an image is formed in an image area that matches the user-specified area, and the image is formed with the same aspect ratio as the aspect ratio in the image data. On the other hand, the user must cut the roll paper Rp not only at user cutting positions 1 and 2 but also at user cutting positions 3 and 4.

In the fourth mode, as shown in FIG. 9, the user-designated area is set so that its vertical edge coincides with the edge of the roll paper Rp. The cutter cutting position is set so that the cut roll paper Rp matches the user-designated area in the vertical direction. The image area straddles the user-specified area in both the vertical and horizontal directions (that is, the range that the rolled paper Rp will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction), and the aspect ratio of the image area is the same as the aspect ratio of the image data. is set equal to . In other words, the image area is set to include a user-specified area and a protruding area that protrudes from both ends of the user-specified area in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The image forming operation of the head 5 is performed on this image area. User cutting positions 1 and 2 are positions at both ends of the user designated area in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in the image forming operation, line segment-shaped broken line markers (corresponding to "markers" in the present invention) along the vertical direction are formed at user cutting positions 1 and 2 in the horizontal direction on the roll paper Rp. . Thereby, the broken line marker appropriately indicates to the user the cutting position corresponding to the width in the lateral direction of the user-designated area. According to this, the roll paper Rp that has been subjected to the conveying operation, image forming operation, and cutting operation is discharged to the paper discharge tray 7. The user obtains a final printed material by cutting the ejected roll paper Rp in the longitudinal direction along user cutting positions 1 and 2. In this mode, since there are broken line markers indicating the user cutting positions 1 and 2, it is easy to understand the user cutting positions 1 and 2 by looking at the roll paper Rp. Furthermore, since the image forming operation is performed on the image area that straddles the user-designated area in the vertical direction, blanks are less likely to occur on the cut roll paper Rp. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, in the final printed matter, both ends of the image in the vertical and horizontal directions may be cut off.

As described above, the first mode to the fourth mode each have their own characteristics, and have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the present embodiment is configured such that the user selects one from a plurality of options consisting of two or more of the first mode to the fourth mode. In the information input process, the touch panel display 95 displays a screen for selecting the mode to be used from the above options, and the mode is selected based on the position where the user touches the touch panel display 95 with a finger or the like. be exposed.

The contents of such multiple options may be adjusted depending on the type of image indicated by the image data. For example, if the image is related to a photograph, the first option group consisting of the second mode and the fourth mode is used as the options. In the second mode and the fourth mode, blanks are less likely to occur at the edges of the final printed matter. Therefore, it is suitable for forming photographic images where it is preferable that no blank spaces occur. Further, when the image relates to a design drawing, a second option group consisting of the first mode and the third mode is used as an option. In the first mode and the third mode, the aspect ratio of the image formed on the roll paper Rp is equal to the aspect ratio of the image data. Furthermore, the edges of the image are less likely to be cut off. Therefore, it is suitable for image formation of design drawings where it is preferable that the aspect ratio remains unchanged and the edges are not cut off. Further, when the image is related to a document, a third option group consisting of the first mode to the fourth mode is used as an option. Documents have little need for restrictions regarding white space, aspect ratio, and the like. Therefore, by selecting all of the first to fourth modes as options, the range of selection can be expanded.

Note that the selection from the first option group to the third option group may be made by the control section 9 based on the result of automatic determination of the type of image by the control section 9, or based on a user input indicating the type of image. The control unit 9 may perform this based on the result.

According to the present embodiment described above, in any of the first to fourth modes, the final printed matter can be obtained by cutting the ejected roll paper Rp at user cutting positions 1 and 2 or 1 to 4. can. All of the user cutting positions 1 to 4 are located at both ends of the image on the roll paper Rp or along the broken line marker. Therefore, it is easy for the user to understand where to cut to obtain the final printed matter. On the other hand, as mentioned above, each mode has its own characteristics. In this way, it is possible to select a borderless printing mode from options including two or more of the first to fourth modes having different characteristics, so borderless printing can be performed that appropriately meets the user's needs. be able to.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The second embodiment relates to a printer system including a PC 150 and a printer 200 as shown in FIG. The main difference between the printer 200 and the printer 100 according to the first embodiment is that a control section 209 is used instead of the control section 9, and the other configurations are the same between the first embodiment and the second embodiment. This is common to the embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the above-mentioned differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained, and the same reference numerals will be used for the same components as in the first embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The PC 150 includes a computer equipped with hardware such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and software such as programs stored in the ROM, RAM, and the like. The software causes the hardware to function to perform the following operations: The software includes driver software compatible with printer 200. The PC 150 and the printer 200 are communicably connected using various communication means.

In the second embodiment, in the second mode, the image indicated by the image data is stretched vertically so as to correspond to the image area, and the option group to be used is selected from the first option group to the third option group. is executed not on the printer 200 side but on the PC 150 side. Data indicating the image stretched vertically by the former process and data indicating the selection result by the latter process are transmitted to the printer 200. The control unit 209 differs from the control unit 9 according to the first embodiment in that the control unit 209 does not perform these processes itself, but uses data transmitted from the PC 150 instead. The other functions of the control section 209 are the same as those of the control section 9.

[Third embodiment]
Hereinafter, a third embodiment according to yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The main difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that the second mode shown in FIG. 11 is used instead of the second mode, and the other configurations are This is common to the second embodiment and the third embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the above-mentioned differences between the first and second embodiments will be mainly explained, and explanations regarding contents common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

In the 2' mode, the user designated area, the protruding areas 1 and 2, and the cutter cutting position are set in the same way as in the 2nd mode. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, an image forming operation regarding the entire image indicated by the image data (corresponding to the "first image portion" of the present invention) is performed on the user-designated area, and an image forming operation is performed on the protruding area 1. An image forming operation regarding an image having the same content as the end of the image on the downstream side of the user-specified area (corresponding to the "second image part" of the present invention) is performed, and the image forming operation is performed on the image on the upstream side of the user-specified area with respect to the protruding area 2. An image forming operation is performed regarding an image having the same content as the end portion of the image (corresponding to the "second image portion" of the present invention). According to this, the leading edge and trailing edge of the final printed matter coincide with both edges of the image indicated by the image data. Therefore, the edges of the image indicated by the image data are less likely to be cut off in the final printed matter. Furthermore, even if the actual cutting position by the cutter 3 deviates from the original position, blanks are unlikely to occur at the edges of the final printed matter. Furthermore, even if the image in the protruding area 1 or the protruding area 2 enters the final printed matter due to such a shift, the contents are the same as the edges of the image formed in the user-designated area. Therefore, since the same image content is continuous in the user-specified area and the protruding area 1 or 2, the user is less likely to feel uncomfortable.

[Fourth embodiment]
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment according to yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the printer according to the fourth embodiment has only one of the first to fourth modes, and the other configurations are the same as the first embodiment. This is common between the first embodiment and the third embodiment. In other words, the printer according to the second embodiment is realized as one of a printer with a first mode, a printer with a second mode, a printer with a third mode, and a printer with a fourth mode. Ru. As a result, a printer having the characteristics of each mode is realized.

<Modified example>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on the drawings, it should be understood that the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments described above, and includes all changes within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the aspect ratio of the image area is equal to the aspect ratio of the image data in the first mode, the third mode, and the fourth mode. On the other hand, the aspect ratio of the image area in these modes may change from the aspect ratio of the image data.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the head 5 is arranged downstream of the cutter 3. On the other hand, the head 5 may be arranged upstream of the cutter 3. In this case, the roll paper Rp will be cut downstream from the head 5. As a result, when an image forming operation is performed on an image area that straddles the user-specified area in the second mode and the fourth mode, an image is formed on the roll paper Rp in the entire range corresponding to the image area. Become.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the information input process is performed using the touch panel display 95 of the printer 100. On the other hand, the information input process may be executed in an external PC that is communicably connected to the printer 100. Then, information indicating the type of paper P input in the information input process, the size of the final printed matter, normal printing or borderless printing, the selection result of the borderless printing mode, etc. is sent from the PC to the printer 100, and the image is formed. May be used in processing. In this case, the function of the printer 100 to receive this information from the PC corresponds to the function of the "information acquisition section" of the present invention.

In addition, in each of the embodiments described above, the case where the present invention is applied to the printer 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention may be applied to other inkjet image forming apparatuses that eject ink from a head, such as multifunction peripherals and copy machines. Further, the present invention may be applied to a laser-type image forming apparatus that performs image recording processing by attaching toner to paper P instead of attaching ink to paper P using an inkjet method.

2 Transport mechanism 4 Carriage 5 Head 6 Movement mechanism 9,209 Control unit 10 Ink cartridge 95 Touch panel display 100,200 Printer 150 PC
P Paper Rp Roll paper Kp Cut paper

Claims (10)

a medium accommodating portion capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll;
a medium transport unit that transports the sheet-like medium from the medium storage unit along a predetermined transport direction;
an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit;
a cutting section that cuts the sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming section in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined conveyance direction;
Specified size information indicating the contents specified by the user regarding the size of the sheet-like medium in the vertical direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and a plurality of options for image forming modes. an information acquisition unit that acquires selection information indicating the content selected by the user;
a control unit that controls the medium transport unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the mode indicated by the specified size information and the selection information;
the lateral size indicated by the designated size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium;
The plurality of options are
An image having a size indicated by the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is formed on the sheet-like medium, and the sheet-like medium is cut at both ends of the area where the image is formed in the vertical direction. A first mode in which
The sheet-like medium is cut to the size indicated by the designated size information after cutting in the vertical direction, and the sheet-like medium is cut in the horizontal direction across the range that the sheet-like medium will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction. a second mode in which the image forming operation is performed on an area having the same size as specified size information;
An image having a size indicated by the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is formed on the sheet-like medium, and the sheet-like medium is cut outside the area where the image is formed in the vertical direction. 3 modes and
The sheet-like medium is cut to the size indicated by the specified size information after cutting in the vertical direction, and the specified size in the horizontal direction is cut across the range that the sheet-like medium will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction. The image forming operation is performed on an area larger than the size indicated by the information, and a marker indicating a cutting position corresponding to the size indicated by the specified size information is formed in the area where the image is formed in the horizontal direction. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus includes any two or more of a fourth mode and a fourth mode. At least one of the first mode, the third mode, and the fourth mode is such that the ratio of the size of the area in which the image forming operation is performed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is equal to the vertical direction in the original image data. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mode is the same as the direction and the ratio of the horizontal direction, and is included in the plurality of options. In any of the first mode, the third mode, and the fourth mode, the ratio of the size of the area in which the image forming operation is performed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is equal to the vertical direction in the original image data. and equal to the lateral ratio,
As the plurality of options,
a first option group including the second mode and the fourth mode; a second option group including the first mode and the third mode; and a third option group including the first mode to the fourth mode. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one of the options is selected depending on the type of image to be formed. An image forming system comprising the image forming apparatus according to claim 2 and a computer capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus,
In any of the first mode, the third mode, and the fourth mode, the ratio of the size of the area in which the image forming operation is performed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is equal to the vertical direction in the original image data. and equal to the lateral ratio,
As the plurality of options,
a first option group including the second mode and the fourth mode; a second option group including the first mode and the third mode; and a third option group including the first mode to the fourth mode. An image forming system characterized in that one of a group of options can be selected in at least one of the image forming apparatus and the computer depending on the type of image to be formed. The area where the image forming operation is performed in the second mode includes a portion where the image forming operation is performed regarding a first image portion having the same content as the original image data, and the end of the first image portion in the vertical direction. and a portion where the image forming operation regarding the second image portion that is continuous with the second image portion is performed;
the second image portion has the same content as the end of the first image portion;
Image formation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positions at which the sheet-like medium is cut in the second mode are positions at both ends of the first image portion in the longitudinal direction. Device. The image forming section
disposed downstream of the cutting unit with respect to the predetermined conveyance direction, and in the second mode and the fourth mode, performs the image forming operation on a region spanning the cut sheet-like medium in the longitudinal direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus performs the following. a medium accommodating portion capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll;
a medium transport unit that transports the sheet-like medium from the medium storage unit along a predetermined transport direction;
an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit;
a cutting section that cuts the sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming section in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined conveyance direction;
an information acquisition unit that acquires specified size information indicating contents specified by a user regarding each size of the sheet-like medium in a vertical direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
a control unit that controls the medium transport unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the specified size information and a mode related to image formation;
the lateral size indicated by the designated size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium;
The mode is
An image having a size indicated by the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is formed on the sheet-like medium, and the sheet-like medium is cut at both ends of the area where the image is formed in the vertical direction. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus is in an image forming mode. a medium accommodating portion capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll;
a medium transport unit that transports the sheet-like medium from the medium storage unit along a predetermined transport direction;
an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit;
a cutting section that cuts the sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming section in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined conveyance direction;
an information acquisition unit that acquires specified size information indicating contents specified by a user regarding each size of the sheet-like medium in a vertical direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
a control unit that controls the medium transport unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the specified size information and a mode related to image formation;
the lateral size indicated by the designated size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium;
The mode is
The sheet-like medium is cut to the size indicated by the designated size information after cutting in the vertical direction, and the sheet-like medium is cut in the horizontal direction across the range that the sheet-like medium will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus is in a mode in which the image forming operation is performed on an area having the same size as specified size information. a medium accommodating portion capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll;
a medium transport unit that transports the sheet-like medium from the medium storage unit along a predetermined transport direction;
an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit;
a cutting section that cuts the sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming section in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined conveyance direction;
an information acquisition unit that acquires specified size information indicating contents specified by a user regarding each size of the sheet-like medium in a vertical direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
a control unit that controls the medium transport unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the specified size information and a mode related to image formation;
the lateral size indicated by the designated size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium;
The mode is
A mode in which an image of a size indicated by the specified size information in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is formed on a sheet-like medium, and the sheet-like medium is cut outside the area in which the image is formed in the vertical direction. An image forming apparatus characterized by: a medium accommodating portion capable of accommodating a roll body in which a long sheet-like medium is wound into a roll;
a medium transport unit that transports the sheet-like medium from the medium storage unit along a predetermined transport direction;
an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation of forming an image on a sheet-like medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit;
a cutting section that cuts the sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming section in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined conveyance direction;
an information acquisition unit that acquires specified size information indicating contents specified by a user regarding each size of the sheet-like medium in a vertical direction corresponding to the predetermined conveyance direction and in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction;
a control unit that controls the medium transport unit, the image forming unit, and the cutting unit according to the specified size information and a mode related to image formation;
the lateral size indicated by the designated size information is smaller than the lateral width of the sheet-like medium;
The mode is
The sheet-like medium is cut to the size indicated by the specified size information after cutting in the vertical direction, and the specified size in the horizontal direction is cut across the range that the sheet-like medium will occupy after cutting in the vertical direction. The image forming operation is performed on an area larger than the size indicated by the information, and a marker indicating a cutting position corresponding to the size indicated by the specified size information is formed in the area where the image is formed in the horizontal direction. An image forming apparatus characterized by being in a mode in which:

Images