JPH0752496A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a printer abounding in variation in printing, by printing two or more characters made to overlap each other partially in accordance with a set way of overlapping of the characters. CONSTITUTION:When overlap code is read out, coordinates PX of a reference position for disposing dot pattern data on a character in a printing buffer are shifted by an amount KR of overlap (S82) and then the dot data on the character are disposed with the PX and PY of the printing buffer used as reference positions.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device such as a tape writer or a word processor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some printers such as tape writers and word processors have a character modification function. For example, characters are rotated by a predetermined angle for printing.
It is possible to decorate the characters on a character-by-character basis, such as printing at an angle and printing with a blank line. It is also possible to print by specifying the character size, line feed pitch, and space between characters on a line-by-line basis. With such a character modification function, it is possible to enrich the expression by characters and increase the variation of printing.

[0003]

However, in the designation of the character spacing, the character spacing can be widened or narrowed line by line, but some of the character spacing in one line is changed. I couldn't. Also, even if you try to set the space between characters to be extremely narrow in order to overlap each character in a line, that setting is invalid as a setting that cannot be printed, and it is possible to print each character in a line by overlapping. could not. That is, there is no device capable of printing by superimposing a part of two or more characters or setting the superimposing method, and an apparatus having the above-mentioned function is desired in order to further increase the variation of printing. Was there. The present invention meets the above-mentioned demands, and provides a printing device with a wide variety of printing by printing by superposing a part of two or more characters in accordance with a set method of overlapping characters. The purpose is to do.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 stores an input means for inputting characters, symbols and various commands, and document data input by this input means. Input data storage means, display means for displaying a document represented by the document data stored in the input data storage means, various messages, various options, and the like,
In a printing device including a printing unit that prints a document represented by the document data stored in the input data storage unit,
A superimposition printing mode setting means for setting a mode in which a part of two or more characters inputted by the input means are superposed and printed, and a superposition printing set by the superposition printing mode setting means. It is provided with a superimposing type setting means for setting a superimposing method and a print control means for superimposing and printing characters according to the setting of the superimposing type setting means. Further, the above-mentioned invention can also be provided with a superimposing amount setting means for setting a superimposing amount when performing superimposition printing set by the superimposing print mode setting means.

[0005]

According to the above-mentioned structure of the first aspect, the superimposition printing mode setting means inputs the input by the input means.
A mode is set in which a part of three or more characters are printed in a superposed manner, and the superposition type setting means sets the superposition method of superposition printing. Then, the printing is performed by the print control means in the set overlapping manner.
Further, if the superimposing amount setting means is provided, the superimposing amount in the case of superimposing printing can be appropriately set.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a Japanese tape printing device capable of printing a large number of characters such as Chinese characters, hiragana, alphabets, and symbols on a printing tape. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape printer according to this embodiment. A keyboard 3 is arranged in the front part of the main body frame 2 of the tape printer 1, and a printing mechanism PM is arranged in the main body frame 2 behind the keyboard 3. Further, on the rear side of the keyboard 3, a small liquid crystal display (LC) capable of displaying a few characters or symbols on the frame portion 2b curved upward.
D) 22 is provided.

The keyboard 3 includes character keys for inputting alphabets, hiragana, numbers, symbols, etc., a space key, a cursor key for scrolling the character string displayed on the display 22 to the right or left, and a non-conversion key. , A conversion key, an input mode switching key for switching and setting the character input mode, a format setting key for setting a printing format, a printing key for executing printing, and a tape feed key for feeding the printing tape 5 to a tape. A power key and the like for turning the power on and off are provided.

The printing mechanism PM has a thermal head 13 (see FIG. 2) in which a predetermined number of heating elements are arranged in the vertical direction, and the thermal head 13 has a predetermined width (for example, 12 mm) made of a transparent film. The printing tape 5 and the ink ribbon are supplied. Then, the heating elements of the thermal head 13 are energized to print characters or symbols on the printing tape 5 by a plurality of dot rows. After that, a double-sided tape is joined to the printed printing tape 5, the tape is fed, and is discharged from the body frame 2. The printing tape 5, the ink ribbon, and the double-sided tape are integrated in a rectangular tape storage cassette.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. Control device C
Is a CPU 29, an input / output interface 27, a CGR
It is composed of an OM 30, ROMs 31, 32, and a RAM 40, which are connected to each other via a bus 28. The controller C has an input / output interface 27.
Via keyboard 3, liquid crystal display (LCD)
A display controller (LCDC) 23 having a display RAM for outputting display data to 22, a drive circuit 25 for driving the thermal head 13, a plurality of spools around which a printing tape 5, an ink ribbon or a double-sided tape is wound. Drive circuit 26 for driving the tape feed motor 24 for rotating and driving various rollers and the warning buzzer 2
A drive circuit 21 for 0 is connected.

CGROM (pattern data memory) 30
In FIG. 5, dot pattern data for display is stored in association with code data for each of a large number of characters. ROM (outline data memory) 31
In order to print the character, the outline data (outline data) that defines the outline of the character for each of a large number of characters is a typeface (Gothic typeface,
It is classified according to Mincho typeface, etc.) and stored in association with code data.

The RAM 40 has areas of a text memory 41, a print format memory 42, a print buffer 43, a flag memory 44, and an overlay print control memory 45, and at least the text memory 41, the print format memory 42, The flag memory 44 and the overlay print control memory 45 are always backed up so that the stored contents do not volatilize. The text memory 41 stores code data of characters and symbols input from the keyboard 3 as document data. The print format memory 42 stores a plurality of print format information such as set character size data, typeface data, and printing direction (vertical writing direction or horizontal writing direction). The print buffer 43 stores dot pattern data of a plurality of characters and symbols that have been image-developed.

In the flag memory 44, a text input mode flag TMF which is set (data is "1") in the text input mode, a print setting mode flag IMF which is set in the print setting mode, and an overlap amount setting mode are set. Overlap amount setting mode flag R that is sometimes set
MF, a mode flag such as a superposition pattern setting mode flag PMF set in the superposition pattern setting mode, a normal printing flag TIF set in the normal printing, a superposition printing flag KIF set in the superposition printing Further, several kinds of flag data such as an overlay printing flag KASANE set when the overlay printing control code is read are stored. Of the four types of mode flags and the two types of printing flags, only one of them is always set, and no two or more flags are set at the same time.

In the overlay print control memory 45, an overlay amount memory for storing a variable KR indicating an overlay amount, an overlay pattern memory for storing a variable KP indicating an overlay pattern, and a position for reading data from the text memory 41. Text read pointer memory for storing TRP (text read pointer), coordinates P of reference position for arranging dot pattern data in the print buffer 43
Several types of memory are stored, such as a reference position memory for storing X and PY, a size memory for storing the dot number SX of characters in the x direction, and an inter-character memory for storing the dot number KX between characters.

The ROM 32 has a display drive control program for controlling the display controller 23 in accordance with code data of characters such as characters, numbers and symbols input from the keyboard 3, and the text memory 4 of the RAM 40.
RAM 4 after converting the outline data corresponding to each code data of 1 into dot pattern data for printing.
0 image development processing control program to be expanded in the print buffer 43, a print drive control program for sequentially reading the data in the print buffer 43 to drive the thermal head 13 and the tape feed motor 24, a tape printer control program described later, and the present invention. A control program for the characteristic print setting control is stored.

Next, the operation performed by the controller C of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. When the power is turned on for the first time by operating the power key, various initial settings are performed, and then the control of the tape printer is started to display the text content. In this initial setting, the normal print flag TIF and the text input mode flag TMF are set.
Is set, and the print setting mode flag IMF, the overlay amount setting mode flag RMF, the overlay pattern setting mode flag PMF, and the overlay printing flag KIF are reset. When turning on the power after the second time,
This initial setting is not performed, and the values of these flags are backed up, so the settings when the power is off are retained. In the following description, “set” means a flag value “1” and “reset” means a flag value “0”.

First, it is determined whether a key operation has been performed (S
1) If the key operation is not performed, the determination of S1 is repeated until the key operation is performed. If there is a key operation in S1, and that key is a “character key” (Y in S2
ES), based on the flag value of the text input mode flag TMF, it is determined whether the text input mode is set (S
3) In the text input mode, that is, when the text input mode flag TMF is set, the code data of the character input by the "character key" is stored in the text memory 41 (S4), and S1 is set. Return. If it is not in the text input mode in S3, that is, if the text input mode flag TMF is reset, the process directly returns to S1. In S1, if the input key is not the “character key” but the “print key” (NO in S2, YE in S5)
Similar to S) and S3, it is determined whether the text input mode is set (S6). If the text input mode is set, it is determined whether the text memory 41 is empty (S7). If the text memory 41 is empty in S7, S1 remains unchanged.
If the text memory 41 is not empty, print processing is performed (S8), and the process returns to S1. If it is not the text input mode in S6, the process directly returns to S1.

If the input key is neither the "character key" nor the "print key" but the "cursor key" (S2 returns N
O, NO in S5, YES in S9), cursor key processing is performed (S10), and the process returns to S1. If the entered key is neither a “character key”, a “print key” nor a “cursor key” and is a “selection key” (NO in S2, NO in S5,
(NO in S9, YES in S11), select key processing is performed (S12), and the process returns to S1. If the entered key is neither a “character key”, a “print key”, a “cursor key”, or a “selection key”, and is a “print setting key” (N in S2
O, NO in S5, NO in S9, NO in S11, YES in S13), print setting key processing is performed (S14), and the process returns to S1. "Print key" even if the entered key is "character key"
However, if it is not the "cursor key", "selection key", or "print setting key" (NO in S2, NO in S5, NO in S9, NO in S11, NO in S13), other processing is performed (S15), Return to S1. Other processes include a conversion process using the "conversion key" and a character input mode switching process using the "input mode switching key".

Next, the cursor key processing will be described with reference to FIG. First, based on the flag value of the print setting mode flag IMF, it is determined whether the print setting mode is set (S20). If the print setting mode is set, that is, if the print setting mode flag IMF is set, normal printing is performed. Based on the flag value of the flag TIF, it is determined whether the printing is normal printing (S21). If it is normal printing, that is, if the normal printing flag TIF is set, the normal printing flag TIF is reset, the overlay printing flag KIF is set (S22), and "overlay printing" is displayed (S).
23) and terminates the cursor key processing. In S21, if it is not normal printing, the overlay printing flag KIF
To reset the normal print flag TIF (S2
4), "Normal print" is displayed (S25), and the cursor key processing is terminated. By the processing of S20 to S25,
Normal printing and overlay printing are switched alternately.

In S20, if the print setting mode is not set, that is, if the print setting mode flag IMF is reset, it is determined whether the overlay setting mode is set based on the flag value of the overlay setting mode flag RMF. If it is determined (S26) that the overlap amount setting mode is set, that is, if the overlap amount setting mode flag RMF is set, 1 is added to the variable KR indicating the overlap amount (S27). Next, the variable KR is its maximum value KRmax.
Is exceeded (S28), and if the maximum value KRmax is exceeded, the minimum value KRmin is set in the variable KR (S29), the value of the variable KR indicating the overlay amount is displayed (S30), and the cursor is moved. The key processing ends. S28
If the maximum value KRmax is not exceeded, the process proceeds directly to S30. By the processes of S20 and S26 to S30, the variable KR indicating the amount of superposition is switched in the range from the minimum value KRmin to the maximum value KRmax. The variable K
The values of R, the minimum value KRmin, and the maximum value KRmax are set at the time of initial setting, and the variable KR is set to a value within the range of the minimum value KRmin to the maximum value KRmax.

In S26, if the overlap amount setting mode is not set, that is, the overlap amount setting mode flag RM.
If F has been reset, it is determined whether or not the superposition pattern setting mode is the superposition pattern setting mode based on the flag value of the superposition pattern setting mode flag PMF (S31). If the pattern setting mode flag PMF is set,
1 is added to the variable KP indicating the superposition pattern (S3
2). Next, it is determined whether the variable KP exceeds its maximum value KPmax (S33). If it exceeds the maximum value KPmax, the variable KP is set to its minimum value KPmin (S
34), the value of the variable KP indicating the overlay pattern is displayed (S35), and the cursor key processing ends. Also,
If it does not exceed the maximum value KPmax, the process directly proceeds to S35. By the processes of S20, S26, S31 to S35, the variable KP indicating the superposition pattern has the minimum value KPm.
Switching is performed in the range from in to the maximum value KPmax.
The variable KP, the minimum value KPmin, and the maximum value KPmax
The value of is set at the time of initial setting, and the variable KP is the minimum value KP.
It is set to a value within the range from min to the maximum value KPmax. In this embodiment, the minimum value KPmin is set to 1 and the maximum value KPmax is set to 3. S20, S26,
In S31, if neither the print setting mode, the overlay amount setting mode, nor the overlay pattern setting mode, that is, if each mode flag is reset,
Other processing is performed (S36), and the cursor key processing ends.

Next, the selection key process will be described with reference to FIG. First, similarly to S20, it is determined whether the print setting mode is set (S40).
Similar to S21, it is determined whether the printing is normal printing (S4
1) For normal printing, the print setting mode flag IMF
Is reset, the text input mode flag TMF is set (S42), the text is displayed (S43), and the selection key process ends. By the processes of S40 to S43, the print setting mode is shifted to the text input mode. If it is not normal printing in S41, the print setting mode flag IMF is reset, the overlay amount setting mode flag RMF is set (S44), the overlay amount is displayed (S45), and the selection key process is ended. This S
By the processes of 40 to S41 and S44 to S45, the print setting mode is changed to the overlay amount setting mode.

If the print setting mode is not set in S40, it is determined whether the print setting mode is the print setting mode (S46), and if the print setting mode is set, the print setting mode flag RMF is set. After resetting, the superposition pattern setting mode flag PMF is set (S47), and the superposition pattern is displayed (S4).
8) Then, the selection key process ends. This S40, S46-
By the process of S48, the overlay amount setting mode is shifted to the overlay pattern setting mode.

In S46, if it is not the superimposition amount setting mode, it is judged whether it is the superposition pattern setting mode as in S31 (S49). If it is the superposition pattern setting mode, the superposition pattern setting mode flag is set. The PMF is reset and the text input mode flag TMF is set (S50). Then, the control code indicating that the overlay printing is set is stored in the text memory 41 (S51), and the text is displayed (S5).
2) The selection key process ends. These S40, S46,
By the processing of S49 to S52, the superposition pattern setting mode is shifted to the text input mode. S40, S
In S46 and S49, if neither the print setting mode, the overlay amount setting mode, nor the overlay pattern setting mode, other processing is performed (S53), and the selection key processing ends.

Next, the print setting key process will be described with reference to FIG. First, similarly to S3, it is determined whether the mode is the text input mode (S60), and if it is the text input mode, the text input mode flag TMF is reset and the print setting mode flag IMF is set (S6).
Similar to 1) and S21, it is determined whether the printing is normal printing (S62). If it is normal print, "Normal print" is displayed (S63). If it is not normal print, "Overlay print" is displayed.
Is displayed (S64), and the print setting key process ends. S
In 60, if the mode is not the text input mode, the print setting key process is ended as it is. By the processes of S60 to S64, the text input mode is changed to the print setting mode.

Next, a standard key operation procedure for creating data for overlay printing will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described with reference to. When the print setting key is pressed in the text input mode, YES in S60 of FIG. 6 and S6
1. After passing YES in S62, proceed to S63, and "normal print"
Is displayed. In this state, if the cursor key is pressed, YES in S20, YES in S21, S22, and S23 in FIG. 4, the "overlay printing" is set and displayed.

When the selection key is pressed in this state, the result shown in FIG.
YES in S40, NO in S41, S45 through S44
Proceed to to display the overlay amount. In this state, if the cursor key is pressed, NO in S20 in FIG. 4, YES in S26, S27, S28, S29, S30
The overlay amount is changed, and the desired overlay amount is set and displayed by continuing to press the cursor key. Next, when the selection key is pressed, N in S40 of FIG.
O, YES in S46, S47, S48, and the overlay pattern is displayed. When the cursor key is pressed in this state, NO in S20, NO in S26,
After YES in S31 and S32, S33, S34, S3
At 5, the overlay pattern is changed and the desired overlay pattern is set and displayed by continuing to press the cursor key.

When the selection key is pressed after the overlay amount and overlay pattern are set by the above key operation, NO in S40, NO in S46 and YE in S49 in FIG.
After S, S50 and S51, the text is displayed in S52. In this state, by pressing the character keys such as "A, B, C", YES in S2 and YE in S3 in FIG.
After passing through S, the process proceeds to S4, and the code of the data “A, B, C” is stored in the text memory 41. After that, by pressing the print key, NO in S2 and YE in S5 of FIG.
After S, YES in S6, and NO in S7, the process proceeds to S8, and the data created above is printed.

Next, the printing process will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. First, the leading address TADRS of the text memory 41 is set in the text read pointer TRP, and the overlay print flag KASANE is reset (S70). Next, the print buffer 4 is placed on the coordinates PX and PY.
The coordinates PX0 and PY0 of the origin position of 3 are set (S7
1). It is judged whether all the characters stored in the text memory 41 are arranged in the print buffer 43 (S72), and if so, the contents of the print buffer 43 are printed (S7).
9) Then, the printing process ends. If the arrangement of all characters in the print buffer 43 is not completed in S72, the code is read from the address set in the text read pointer TRP (S73), and it is determined whether or not it is a control code (S74).

In S74, if it is a control code, it is judged whether it is a superposition code (S75), and if it is a superposition code, the print flag KASANE is set (S7).
6) If not an overlay code, print flag KAS
ANE is reset (S80). Next, the character size and the number of dots in the x direction between characters are calculated from the control code,
These are set in SX and KX (S77), 1 is added to the text read pointer TRP (S78), and the process returns to S72.

In S74, if it is not a control code,
Since it is a character code, the process proceeds to the process of arranging the dot data of the character in the print buffer 43 after S81. In S81, it is determined whether the print flag KASANE is set (S81), and if it is set, the coordinate PX of the reference position for arranging the dot pattern data in the print buffer 43 is moved by KR (S82). , Dot data of characters are arranged using PX and PY of the print buffer 43 as reference positions (S83). Next, the print flag KASA
It is determined whether NE is set (S84), and if it is set, the variable KP indicating the overlay pattern is set to 1
(S85). If the print flag KASANE is not set in S84, or if the variable KP is 1 in S85, the process directly proceeds to S78, 1 is added to the text read pointer TRP, and the process returns to S72.

If the variable KP is not 1 in S85, it is judged whether the variable KP is 2 (S86), and the variable K is determined.
If P is 2, the boundary between characters is blanked by performing a logical product of the data obtained by inverting the contour data of the previous character and the current character (S87). Next, the coordinate PX is updated (S88), the process proceeds to S78, 1 is added to the text read pointer TRP, and the process returns to S72. In S86,
If the variable KP is not 2, the boundary between characters is blanked out by performing a logical product between the data obtained by inverting the outline data of the current character and the previous character (S89), and the process proceeds to S88. The contour data is obtained by taking the exclusive OR of the character and the character obtained by shifting the character to the right by one dot.

FIG. 9 shows the printing results when the normal printing and the superposition printing are performed on the character string ABC stored in the text memory 41. (a) is normal printing, (b)- (D) is overlay printing. First, the case of performing the normal printing of FIG. 9A will be described. Since the code read from the address set in the text read pointer TRP in S73 of FIG. 7 is a character code, the process proceeds from S74 to S81 of FIG. , The overlay print flag KASANE is not set, so S81
Is NO, the process proceeds to S83. After the processing of arranging one character is performed in S83, similarly through NO in S84, S78 of FIG. 7 is processed, and then the process returns to S72. After that, the same process is repeated, and if the result of S72 is YES due to the completion of the arrangement of all the characters ABC, the process proceeds to S79 and printing is performed. As a result, FIG.
As shown in (a), the characters ABC are printed at a predetermined interval.

The case of performing the overlay printing of FIG. 9B will be described. In this case, since the variable KR indicating the amount of superposition and the control code indicating the variable KP = 1 indicating the superposition pattern are input before the character code, FIG.
At S73, the control code is read from the address set in the text read pointer TRP, and S74
After YES in S75 and YES in S75, the print flag KASANE is set in S76, the processes in S77 and S78 are performed, and then the process returns to S72. Since all character arrangement is not completed yet,
After NO in S72, the text read pointer T in S73
The character code is read from the address set in RP, and the process proceeds to S81 in FIG. 8 through NO in S74. Since the print flag KASANE is set, Y in S81.
After ES, the coordinate PX of the reference position for arranging the dot data in the print buffer 43 is moved by the overlay amount KR in S82, and one character is laid out in S83, and S8 is set.
After YES in 4, the process proceeds to S85. Here, the variable KP is 1
Therefore, after YES in S85, the process of S78 in FIG. 7 is performed, and then the process returns to S72. Hereafter, repeat the same process,
If the result of S72 is YES after the arrangement of all characters ABC is completed, the process proceeds to S79 and printing is performed. As a result, FIG.
As shown in, the character "ABC" is printed with the adjacent characters overlapping each other.

The case of performing the overlay printing of FIG. 9C will be described. In this case, a control code indicating a variable KR indicating the amount of superposition and a variable KP = 2 indicating the superposition pattern is input before the character code. The difference from the above case (b) is that the variable KP is 2 in the determination of S85 during the same process, so NO is obtained in S85, the process proceeds to S86, YES is obtained in S86, and S87 is obtained.
7 is performed, whitening processing is performed on the boundary data of the previous character, and further, after the processing of S88 is performed, the processing proceeds to S78 of FIG. As a result of such processing, as shown in FIG. 9C, the character "ABC" is printed with the adjacent characters overlapping each other and being blanked at the boundary data of the preceding character.

The case of performing the overlay printing of FIG. 9D will be described. In this case, a control code indicating a variable KR indicating the amount of superposition and a variable KP = 3 indicating the superposition pattern is input before the character code. The difference from the above case (c) is that the variable KP is 3 in the determination of S86 during the same process, so NO is obtained in S86, the process proceeds to S89, and the whiteout process is performed on the current character boundary data. The point is to go and proceed to S88. As a result of such processing, as shown in FIG. 9D, the character "ABC" is printed with the adjacent characters overlapping each other and being blanked at the boundary data of the current character.

As described above, a part of two or more characters can be printed by superimposing them, and the superimposing amount and the superimposing pattern can be set as the kind of the superimposing method. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the effect of increasing the variation of printing and increasing the degree of freedom in expressing characters.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the characters are input by the keyboard, but the characters may be input by the character selection dial. Further, although the present embodiment has been described with respect to the Japanese tape printer, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to various printers.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, a part of two or more characters can be superimposed and printed, and the type of the superimposition can be set. , The variation of printing is increased, and the degree of freedom of expressing characters is increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the tape printer according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation performed by a control device of the device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing cursor key processing of the same device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a selection key process of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a print setting key process of the apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a printing process of the apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a printing process of the apparatus.

9A and 9B show print results when normal printing and overlay printing are performed, and FIG. 9A shows an example of normal printing,
(B) to (d) are examples of overlay printing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape Printing Device 3 Keyboard 22 Liquid Crystal Display 29 CPU 32 ROM 40 RAM 41 Text Memory 45 Overlay Printing Control Memory C Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Input means for inputting characters, symbols and various commands, input data storage means for storing document data input by this input means, and document data stored in this input data storage means. In the printing device, the display device displays the document, various messages, various options, and the like, and the printing device prints the document represented by the document data stored in the input data storage device. And a superimposition printing mode setting means for setting a mode in which a part of two or more characters are overprinted, and a superimposition method for superimposition printing set by the superposition printing mode setting means are set. An overlay type setting unit and a print control unit for overlaying and printing characters according to the setting of the overlay type setting unit are provided. A printing device characterized in that 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an overlay amount setting unit that sets an overlay amount when performing overlay printing set by the overlay printing mode setting unit.