Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2001-09-25
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S076000, C400S070000, C400S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape printing apparatus and method that is capable of performing a preview print which enables the user to gain prior information about a print image to be obtained as an ultimate result of printing.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, there have been widely used tape printing apparatuses of a type which has a “preview display” capability of displaying an image of an entered character string so as to allow the user to gain prior information about a print image of the character string to be obtained as an ultimate result of printing of the same. In a tape printing apparatus of this type, data similar to print data is formed for use in display, and then “preview display” is performed based on the data. In general, tape printing apparatuses have a small display area on a display screen, so that when a long character string is entered, or when a tape width is wide, not the whole of an image of the character string but only part of the same is displayed. Therefore, in order to check on the whole of the image, it is required to scroll the image manually by using cursor keys or the like, or automatically without using any cursor keys or the like, as shown in FIG.
5
. Further, some tape printing apparatuses have a capability of displaying an image of a character string by reducing the size of the image, dependent on its length or the like, as shown in
FIG. 6
, so as to allow the largest possible area of the print image to be viewed.
However, the above tape printing apparatuses suffers from the following problems: In the case of the
FIG. 5
example, only part of the print image can be displayed at a time, and hence it is required to scroll the print image, so that it takes time to check the whole of the image, and an overall image of the entered character string cannot be readily obtained by the user. Further, in the case of the
FIG. 6
example, although a relatively large area of the print image can be viewed at a glance because the size of the image is reduced, small fonts are inevitably defaced if the display is low in resolution, which makes fine portions of the character image difficult to read.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a tape printing apparatus and method that enables the user to quickly gain clear-cut prior information about a print image to be obtained as an ultimate result of printing.
To attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus that is capable of performing a normal print in which an entered character string is printed in a predetermined size on a tape as a print medium.
The tape printing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized by comprising:
tape width-detecting means for detecting a tape width of the tape;
reduction means for determining a reduced tape width by reducing the detected tape width at a predetermined reduction ratio and for forming a reduced character string by reducing the character string at the predetermined reduction ratio; and
preview print means for printing a pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape width and the reduced character string on the tape in a manner such that a positional relationship between the pair of parallel lines and the reduced character string agrees with a positional relationship between the tape and the character string in the normal print.
According to this tape printing apparatus, the tape width-detecting means detects a tape width of a tape, the reduction means calculates a reduced tape width by reducing the tape width at a predetermined reduction ratio and at the same time reduces a character string at the predetermined reduction ratio to thereby produce a reduced character string, and the preview print means prints a pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape width and the reduced character string on the tape in a manner such that a positional relationship between the pair of parallel lines and the reduced character string agrees with a positional relationship between the tape and the character string in the normal print. That is, in “preview print”, a character string to be printed in normal print and a tape width required for the normal print are reduced at an identical reduction ratio and printed on a tape, so that it is possible for the user to gain information of the whole of an image at a glance, which is as clear as possible and close to a final print image as an ultimate result of the normal print.
Preferably, the tape printing apparatus further comprises tape length-setting means for setting a tape length; and
the reduction means further determines a reduced tape length by reducing the tape length set by the tape length-setting means at the predetermined reduction ratio; and
the preview print means prints on the tape the pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape width as upper and lower sides of a rectangle enclosing the reduced character string and a pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape length as right and left sides of the rectangle.
According to this preferred embodiment, the tape length-setting means sets a tape length and further calculates a reduced tape length by reducing the tape length set by the tape length-setting means at the predetermined reduction ratio. Then, the preview print means prints on the tape the pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape width as upper and lower sides of a rectangle enclosing the reduced character string and a pair of parallel lines indicative of the reduced tape length as right and left sides of the rectangle. That is, through the “preview prints”, the two pairs of parallel lines indicative of the tape width and the tape length, which are drawn horizontally and vertically, respectively, are printed on the tape as a rectangle enclosing the reduced character string, so that it is possible for the user to gain clearer information of the final print image including the layout of the character string on the tape.
More preferably, the tape printing apparatus further comprises color-setting means for setting colors of the character string and a background thereof; and
when the normal print is to be performed in color based on settings by the color-setting means, the preview print is performed with a color arrangement identical to a color arrangement in the normal print.
According to this preferred embodiment, a preview print is performed with a color arrangement identical to a color arrangement in normal print, so that when the final print image is to be printed in color, the preview print is also performed in color, thereby enabling the user to gain information not only of the layout of the final print image, but also of the coloration of the same.
Alternatively, the tape printing apparatus further comprises color-setting means for setting colors of the character string and a background thereof; and
when the normal print is to be performed in color based on settings by the color-setting means, colors in the normal print are monochromatically printed in gray tones in the preview print.
According to this preferred embodiment, since colors in the normal print are monochromatically printed in gray tones in the preview print, consumption of color inks by the “preview print” can be reduced.
Preferably, the preview print is performed with a lower print density and at a higher printing speed than the normal print is.
According to this preferred embodiment, since the “preview print” is performed with a lower print density than the “normal print” is, consumption of energy can be reduced. Further, when an ink jet printing method is employed, consumption of ink can also be reduced. Moreover, since the preview print is performed at a high speed, it is possible for the user to quickly gain prior information about the final print image.
To attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of performing a preview print of an entered character string on a tape
Hilten John S.
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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