JPS61215082A - Color printing control system of serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the use of a color ribbon to which color inks are repeatedly applied entriely and to attain to reduce running cost, by changing the printing output order of colors corresponding to the front or back side set state of a ribbon cassette. CONSTITUTION:When a ribbon cassette is set onto a carriage in a state directing the front side thereof upwardly, it is judged whether there is printing by magenta M and, when there is printing, the ink surface of magenta M is matched with a printing position to perform the printing of magenta M. After the completion of printing by magenta M, the carriage is again returned and, at last, it is judged whether there is printing by cyan C and, when there is printing, the ink surface of cyan C is matched with the printing position to perform the printing of cyan C. When the ribbon cassette is set on the carriage in a state directing the back side thereof upwardly, contrarily, it is judged whether there is printing by cyan C and, when there is printing, the printing of cyan C is performed and, at last, it is judged whether there is printing by magenta M and, when there is printing, the printing of magenta M is performed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, for example, which is equipped with a color ribbon of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and uses the ribbon to sequentially print on paper set on a platen.
It can be applied to serial color printers such as wire dot printers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a color printing control method for such a printer.

Conventional technology Conventionally, for example, in a serial thermal transfer printer, printing is first performed using either the upper or lower ribbon, and after printing is completed, the ribbon cassette is turned over and the remaining ribbon is then used to print. There is something.

However, when using color ribbons of yellow, magenta, and cyan in this type of printer, reversing the ribbon cassette changes the color order as the ribbon is fed.

For this reason, in conventional color printers of this type, the ribbon is divided into upper and lower rows, for example, as shown in Figure 3, so that even if the ribbon cassette is reversed, the color order remains the same: yellow, magenta, cyan. There was something that applied ink.

Therefore, the cost of conventional color ribbons is high, and this type of conventional serial printer has the problem of high running costs.

By obtaining a new color printing control method for serial printers that use reversing prints, we have developed an inexpensive color ribbon that is repeatedly coated with color ink in the order of yellow, magenta, and cyan, without having to divide it into lower rows. The purpose is to reduce running costs by enabling the use of

Therefore, in the color printing control method of the serial printer according to the present invention, the carriage returns after printing with yellow (Y), and then prints magenta (M) as appropriate based on the judgment result of whether the ribbon force set 1- is front or back. or cyan (C), and then the carriage returns again to perform printing with the other one.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a color ribbon used in the color printing control system according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, color ink is repeatedly applied to the entire color ribbon in the order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) without dividing it into upper and lower stages.

Then, it is stored in a ribbon cassette and mounted on the printer's carriage. At this time, when the ribbon cassette is attached with the front side facing upward, the ribbon is fed in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the ink surface is fed in the order of YMC. However, when the ribbon cassette is installed with its back side facing up, the ribbon is fed in the opposite direction to the arrow shown, and the ink surfaces are now fed in the YCM order.

In the color printing control system according to the present invention, printing is performed using the color ribbon shown in FIG. 2, for example, as shown in FIG.

That is, first, it is determined whether or not there is yellow (Y) printing, and if there is, the yellow (Y) ink surface is aligned with the printing position and the printing is performed.After printing with yellow (Y) is completed, the carriage Then, it is determined whether the ribbon cassette is placed on the carriage with the front side facing up, and then it is determined whether there is magenta (M) printing. However, in some cases, the magenta (M) ink surface is aligned with the printing position and the printing is performed.After printing with magenta (M) is completed, the carriage is returned again, and finally there is printing with cyan (C). In some cases, the cyan (C) ink surface is aligned with the print position and the print is performed.On the other hand, when the ribbon cassette is set on the carriage with the back side facing up, the cyan (C) ink side (
C), and if so, print it.Finally, it determines whether there is magenta (M) printing, and if so, print it. .

And, of course, yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (
By synthesizing C), printing in orange, purple, green, and black can be obtained in addition to these colors.

By repeating this process, it is possible to obtain print output in seven colors on paper.

Effects Therefore, according to the present invention, in a serial color printer that uses a ribbon cassette inverted, the color printout order is changed depending on whether the ribbon cassette is set on the front or back, so the order of yellow, magenta, and cyan is changed. This makes it possible to use an inexpensive color ribbon in which color ink is repeatedly applied to the entire ribbon without distinguishing between the upper and lower tiers, making it possible to reduce running costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a printing flowchart based on the color printing control method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a color ribbon used in the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional color ribbon.

Claims (1)

[Claims] After printing in yellow, the carriage returns and then prints in either magenta or cyan as appropriate based on the judgment result of whether the ribbon cassette is on the front or back side, and then the carriage returns again and prints on the other. Printer color printing control method.