JPH1086448A - Dot matrix printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To print a string of characters inclined in an optional direction to a print direction in a simple method with good character distinguishability. SOLUTION: In the dot matrix-printing method, a print or ink is discharged on demand from a plurality of nozzles of a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus has a larger count of nozzles than a count of dots in a direction perpendicular to a print direction of a matrix. Font tables for a font in the direction perpendicular to the print direction, a font in an opposite direction to the perpendicular direction, a font in the print direction and a font in a direction opposite to the print direction are provided within a software of the printing apparatus. The font table is selected in accordance with a required direction of characters to be printed and the font is printed. Therefore, the font is not rotated even when characters in a direction not perpendicular to the print direction are to be printed. Characters can be printed in an optional direction with good distinguishability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-demand type dot matrix printing method for printing characters (including symbols) oriented in an arbitrary direction, and more particularly to printing management information on a steel plate, a strip or the like. And a dot matrix printing method suitable for:

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Before cutting a steel plate, a strip or the like, a member number and the like are recorded on the member number and used as information for member management after cutting. In particular, this is performed in managing members for large articles such as shipbuilding and bridges.

Heretofore, humans have used a marker pen to record character or symbol information on steel plates, strips, or the like while looking at the drawing. However, a recording error or a reading error due to a character habit has occurred. Was.

[0004] There is an apparatus for printing characters or symbols on a large part such as a steel plate in a dot matrix. Character and symbol information for member management usually extends over several lines, and not all printing directions are directed to a specific direction of the member.
It is necessary to record characters and symbols pointing in various directions on one member. In order to do this with a conventional dot matrix printing device, it is necessary to move the print head many times and in different recording directions, which increases the printing time,
Not in time for production.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, a printing apparatus is provided with a sufficient number of nozzles to cover one direction of a printing area, and all printing is completed by one scan. Can be considered. The white circle on the left side of FIG. 4 indicates a nozzle, and the entire nozzle covers the vertical direction of the print target area. (A) shows a character "A" oriented in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction (indicated by the mark →) printed in a 7 × 5 dot matrix. On the other hand, (b) shows a case where the character string "AAA" is printed in a direction inclined by 30 degrees with respect to the printing direction, and each character "A" is printed by being inclined by 30 degrees. ing. In order to improve the discrimination, it is necessary to narrow the interval between dots (that is, increase the number of dots per unit length), which increases the cost of the apparatus and the time required for printing.

[0006] The present invention provides a printing method that does not have this disadvantage.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of performing dot matrix printing by discharging paint or ink on demand from a nozzle of a printing apparatus having a plurality of nozzles. The number of nozzles should be greater than the number of dots in the direction perpendicular to the font, the font in the direction perpendicular to the print direction, the font in the opposite direction to the above direction, the font in the print direction, and the reverse of the print direction. Providing each font table in the printing device software for fonts oriented in the direction, selecting the font table according to the desired direction of the character to be printed, and printing the font, and thus in the printing direction. It is characterized by not rotating the font when printing characters facing in a direction other than the perpendicular direction. It is a dot matrix print method where you can identify good printing characters facing any direction Te.

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows each font [A] in four font tables [I] to [IV] used in the present invention. The font table [I] is used when printing a character string inclined at -45 to +45 degrees (region I in FIG. 1B) with respect to the printing direction. The phone tables [II], [III] and [IV] are 45 to 135 degrees, 135 to 225 degrees and 225 to -45 degrees with respect to the printing direction, respectively.
(= + 315) Used when printing a character string inclined at an angle. The selection of the font table is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. When expanding to the output buffer,
The amount of movement from the reference coordinates (X, Y) when printing the n-th character is (x, y), and the function for converting to an integer is i
When expressed as nt (), when using font table [I],

[0009]

## EQU1 ## Since (x, y) = (6 × n, int (n × tan θ)), the font is developed by moving from (X, Y) by (x, y) Font table [II] If you use

[0010]

(X, y) = (int (n / tan θ), 6 × n).

The character string [ABC] is set to 3
FIG. 3 shows an image printed in a direction inclined at 0 degrees. Character identification is clearly better than that of FIG.

One character is composed of, for example, 7 × 5 dots, the dot pitch is 2-3 mm, and the size of the character is therefore 14 × 10 mm to 21 × 15 mm. This size is a size that allows the operator to read characters on the member at the feet while standing. However, it is not limited to these dimensions.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the printing apparatus is provided with a sufficient number (or half thereof) of nozzles to cover the whole of the scheduled printing area of the object to be printed in the direction perpendicular to the printing direction. Then, by scanning the printing device once in the printing direction, characters in various directions can be printed at once. As the printing apparatus itself, a known apparatus can be used. For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 62-29094 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-311
No. 44. As the paint, for example, Tech Mark PSE75 (white) (trademark, Mark Tech Co., Ltd.) can be used.

A preferred object to be printed is a steel plate or a strip. For example, in order to print on a steel sheet having a width of 4.5 m and a length of 15 m, a printing apparatus provided with a sufficient number of nozzles (1,500 nozzles with a dot pitch of 3 mm) to cover the width direction is used. The printing device and the steel plate are relatively moved in the longitudinal direction of the steel plate while discharging paint or ink from a predetermined nozzle.

[0015]

According to the present invention, a character string inclined in an arbitrary direction with respect to the printing direction can be printed by a simple method with good character discrimination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a font used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of font selection.

FIG. 3 is a character string printed according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows characters printed according to a conventional method.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A method for performing dot matrix printing by discharging paint or ink on demand from a nozzle of a printing apparatus having a plurality of nozzles, the printing apparatus comprising: Having a greater number of nozzles, for fonts in the direction perpendicular to the printing direction, fonts oriented in the opposite direction, fonts oriented in the printing direction, and fonts oriented in the opposite direction to the printing direction. Provide each font table in the software of the printing device, select the font table according to the desired direction of the character to be printed, and print the font, and thus determine the direction that is not perpendicular to the printing direction. The feature is that the font is not rotated when printing the character facing the direction, so that the character facing the arbitrary direction is A dot matrix printing method that can print with good discrimination. 2. The printing apparatus has a sufficient number of nozzles to cover the entire area of the object to be printed on which printing is to be performed, in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction. 2. The dot matrix printing method according to claim 1, wherein characters in various arbitrary directions can be printed at a time. 3. The dot matrix printing method according to claim 1, wherein the object to be printed is a steel plate or a strip.