JP2022152979A - PRINTING DEVICE, PRINTING PREPARATION METHOD, AND PRINTING PREPARATION PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a printing device, a printing preparation method, and a printing preparation program that can shorten the time until printing starts compared to conventional methods. [Solution] The printing device includes a supply unit, a printing unit, a transport unit, a tension applying unit, a transport drive unit, a control unit, and a medium detection unit. The supply unit supplies a long medium. The printing unit prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit. The transport unit transports the medium in a transport direction from the supply unit toward the printing unit, and in a return direction opposite to the transport direction. The control unit controls the transport drive unit to transport the medium in the transport direction, and then performs a skew correction process in which tension is applied to the medium by the tension applying unit multiple times during reciprocating transport in the return direction (S8 to S10). The control unit performs a detection process to detect the attributes of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the multiple reciprocating transports (S9). [Selected Figure] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device, a print preparation method, and a print preparation program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus that prints an image on a long medium, for example, detects the attributes of the loaded medium and prior to printing after loading the medium, such as the printing apparatus described in Patent Document 1. A plurality of processes such as skew correction are performed. Prior to printing, the conventional printing apparatus, for example, the printing apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001, is configured such that the medium is urged in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the medium, and the medium is conveyed and returned. Skew is corrected by transporting back and forth several times.

JP-A-8-231083 Japanese Patent No. 5678618

In a conventional printing apparatus, the medium is reciprocally transported multiple times in the transport direction and the return direction for the multiple processes performed prior to printing, so it takes time to start printing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus, a print preparation method, and a print preparation program capable of shortening the time required to start printing.

A printing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit, and the medium from the supply unit. a conveying unit that conveys the medium in a conveying direction toward a printing unit and a return direction that is opposite to the conveying direction; a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium; a conveying drive unit that drives the conveying unit; a control unit that controls the transport driving unit; and a medium detection unit that outputs a detection result of the medium to the control unit. is conveyed in the conveying direction, and then the medium is repeatedly conveyed in the return direction during reciprocating conveyance, in which the tension applying unit applies the tension to the medium a plurality of times; and a detection process of detecting an attribute of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the two-way transportations. By performing the detection process during the skew correction process, the printing apparatus of the first aspect can shorten the time until printing starts compared to the case where the skew correction process and the detection process are performed separately.

A print preparation method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit, and the medium from the supply unit. a transport unit that transports the medium in a transport direction toward the printing unit and a return direction that is opposite to the transport direction; a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium; a transport drive unit that drives the transport unit; A print preparation method executed by the control unit of a printing apparatus including a printing unit, a control unit that controls the transport drive unit, and a medium detection unit that outputs a detection result of the medium to the control unit. and controlling the transport drive unit to apply the tension to the medium by the tension applying unit during reciprocating transport in which the medium is transported in the transport direction and then transported in the return direction. and a detection step of detecting the attribute of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the reciprocating conveyances of the plurality of reciprocating conveyances. and The print preparation method of the second aspect performs the detection process during the skew correction process, so that the time required to start printing can be shortened compared to when the skew correction process and the detection process are performed separately.

A print preparation program according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies a long medium, a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit, and the medium from the supply unit. a transport unit that transports the medium in a transport direction toward the printing unit and a return direction that is opposite to the transport direction; a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium; a transport drive unit that drives the transport unit; Print preparation including instructions executed by the control unit of a printing apparatus comprising a printing unit, a control unit that controls the transport drive unit, and a medium detection unit that outputs a detection result of the medium to the control unit A program for controlling the transport drive unit to apply the tension to the medium by the tension applying unit during reciprocating transport in which the medium is transported in the transport direction and then transported in the return direction. The attribute of the medium is detected based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during the skew correction process that repeats the addition a plurality of times, and during one of the reciprocating conveyances of the plurality of reciprocating conveyances. and an instruction for causing the control unit of the printing apparatus to execute a detection process to be performed. The print preparation program of the third aspect is executed by the control unit of the printing apparatus to perform the detection process during the skew correction process. It takes less time to start printing than before.

1 is a perspective view of a printer 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the printer 1; FIG. (A) is a schematic diagram of a medium M including a mount M1 and a plurality of labels M2, and (B) is a schematic diagram of an output result output by the medium detection unit 53 to the control unit 30. 6 is a flowchart of print preparation processing; FIG. 6 is a flowchart of first transport processing executed in the print preparation processing of FIG. 5; FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of second transport processing executed in the print preparation processing of FIG. 5; FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of third transport processing executed in the print preparation processing of FIG. 5; FIG.

A printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in order with reference to the drawings. The drawings referred to are used to explain technical features that can be employed by the present invention, and the configuration of the devices described is not meant to limit them, but merely illustrative examples. In the description of this embodiment, the lower left side, upper right side, lower right side, upper left side, upper side, and lower side of FIG. do.

The physical configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 includes a housing 2, a display section 3, and an operation section 4. As shown in FIG. The housing 2 has a front wall 24 , a right wall 25 , a rear wall 26 , a bottom wall 27 , a top wall 28 , a left wall 29 and a cover 23 . The housing 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is large enough to be placed on a table. A discharge port 21 and an opening 22 are formed in the housing 2 . The discharge port 21 is formed in the front wall 24 of the housing 2 in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The opening 22 is formed in a lower rear portion of the right wall 25 of the housing 2 and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the right side. The cover 23 is a rectangular plate when viewed from the right side, and can be rotated between a closed position that closes the opening 22, indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1, and an open position, indicated by the dashed line in FIG. It is supported on the rear lower part of the right side surface of the housing 2 as possible. The display unit 3 is provided on the front upper right portion of the front wall 24 of the housing 2 and displays an image. The operation unit 4 is provided below the display unit 3 in the front upper right portion of the front wall 24 of the housing 2, and includes a plurality of buttons for inputting various instructions. The display unit 3 and the operation unit 4 are provided above the discharge port 21 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a supply unit 5, transport units 7, 10, 15, 19, and 48, a partition wall 55, a tension applying unit 8, a medium detection unit 53, and a printing unit inside the housing 2. 6. Accommodates the fixing unit 40, the reading unit 45, and the cutting unit 50; The printing device 1 is an inkjet printer that prints on a long medium M. As shown in FIG. The medium M is, for example, an elongated roll wound around a cylindrical paper tube K. As shown in FIG.

The supply unit 5 is provided in a space surrounded by the partition wall 55 and the rear wall 26 shown in FIG. . The supply unit 5 holds the roll R. The roll R is obtained by winding the medium M in a roll shape. The supply unit 5 of this embodiment includes a shaft portion 51 and a magazine 52 . The shaft portion 51 extends in the left-right direction and is inserted through the paper tube K of the roll R. As shown in FIG. The magazine 52 is a U-shaped support base when viewed from the front. The magazine 52 supports both left and right ends of the shaft portion 51 so that the shaft portion 51 can rotate about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The shaft portion 51 is detachably supported by the magazine 52 . The magazine 52 is detachably supported by the printer 1 . When the user replaces the roll R, the user places the cover 23 shown in FIG. 1 at the open position, takes out the magazine 52 shown in FIG. The partition wall 55 has a first wall portion 56 extending upward from the lower wall 27 of the housing 2 and a second wall portion 57 extending rearward from the upper end of the first wall portion 56 to divide the internal space of the housing 2. partition. The second wall portion 57 is separated from the rear wall 26 of the housing 2 in the front-rear direction.

The printing section 6 prints an image on the medium M supplied from the supply section 5 . The printing unit 6 of the present embodiment is an inkjet head that includes a plurality of nozzles 60 that eject the liquid G in the ejection direction, and prints an image on the medium M by ejecting the liquid G from the plurality of nozzles 60 . In this embodiment, the ejection direction is downward, and the printing unit 6 is provided above the transport path Q of the medium M with the plurality of nozzles 60 facing downward. The transport path Q is a path along which the medium M is transported from the supply unit 5 to the discharge port 21 to the outside of the housing 2 . The liquid G is supplied to the printing unit 6 from a tank 20 arranged inside the housing 2 via a tube (not shown).

The transport unit 7 transports the medium M in a transport direction F from the supply unit 5 to the printing unit 6 and in a return direction B opposite to the transport direction F. A conveying direction F is a direction along a conveying path Q from the supply section 5 to the printing section 6 . The transport direction F is a direction that intersects the horizontal direction, which is the direction in which the rotation shaft of the roll R extends, and is a direction that changes according to the position on the transport path Q. As shown in FIG. The transport direction F from the supply unit 5 to the tension applying unit 8 is a direction that changes according to the remaining amount of the medium M. As shown in FIG. , it is generally upward. The conveying direction F from the tension applying section 8 to the discharge port 21 is generally forward. That is, in the printing apparatus 1, the transport path Q bends at the portion where the medium M abuts against the tension applying unit 8, and the transport direction F changes from upward to forward.

The conveying section 7 is provided on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the printing section 6 and on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the supply section 5 . That is, the transport section 7 is provided between the printing section 6 and the supply section 5 in the transport path Q of the medium M. As shown in FIG. The conveying unit 7 of the present embodiment includes a conveying roller 71 that rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and a pinch roller 72. The conveying roller 71 and the pinch roller 72 nip the medium M vertically. Carry out transportation.

The medium detection unit 53 outputs the detection result of the medium M to the control unit 30 . The medium detection unit 53 of this embodiment is a transmissive sensor or a reflective sensor. When the medium detection unit 53 is a reflective sensor, the medium detection unit 53 detects the leading edge of the label M2 based on the difference in reflectance between the mount M1 and the label M2, for example. When the mount M1 has a plurality of holes arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction F, and the medium detection unit 53 is a transmissive sensor, the medium detection unit 53 may, for example, pass through the mount M1 through the plurality of holes. The leading edge of the label M2 is detected depending on whether or not.

The transport unit 10 is provided downstream in the transport direction from the transport unit 7 and transports the medium M in the transport direction F and the return direction B. As shown in FIG. The transport unit 10 of the present embodiment rotates the roll R held by the supply unit 5 to transport the medium M in the return direction B and winds it onto the roll R. As shown in FIG. The transport section 10 of this embodiment is removably engaged with the shaft section 51 of the supply section 5 . The transport unit 10 rotates the roll R held by the supply unit 5 , transports the medium M in the transport direction F, and feeds the medium M from the roll R toward the printing unit 6 .

The tension applying unit 8 applies tension to the medium M between the supply unit 5 and the transport unit 7 in the transport path Q. As shown in FIG. The tension is tension that acts in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the medium M. The tension applying unit 8 is arranged downstream of the transporting unit 7 in the transporting direction and upstream of the transporting unit 10 in the transporting direction, and contacts the medium M to bias the medium M in a direction intersecting the transporting direction F. do. That is, the tension applying section 8 is provided between the transport section 7 and the transport section 10 in the transport path Q. As shown in FIG. The tension applying section 8 is provided behind the conveying section 7 and above the supply section 5 .

The transport unit 15 is provided below the printing unit 6 and downstream in the transport direction with respect to the transport unit 7 , and transports the medium M in the transport direction F. The transport unit 15 includes a drive roller 13 , a driven roller 14 and an endless belt 16 . The driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14 are separated from each other in the front-rear direction. The endless belt 16 is stretched over the driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14 . As the endless belt 16 rotates, the driven roller 14 rotates. The upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 16 is substantially at the same vertical position as the portion where the medium M is nipped by the conveying section 7 and faces the plurality of nozzles 60 of the printing section 6 . The upper end of the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 16 is in a state in which the medium M conveyed between the conveying unit 7 and the conveying unit 19 in the conveying direction F is attracted to the endless belt 16 from below by static electricity or negative pressure. transport.

The fixing unit 40 is arranged downstream in the transport direction with respect to the printing section 6 and upstream in the transport direction with respect to the transport section 19 . The fixing unit 40 is a halogen heater and has a halogen lamp 41 , a reflector 42 and a housing 43 . An opening 44 is formed in the bottom wall of the housing 43 along the left-right direction. The fixing unit 40 radiates infrared light through the opening 44 to heat the medium M passing directly below the opening 44 . As a result, the liquid G ejected onto the medium M by the printing unit 6 is fixed on the medium M. As shown in FIG.

The conveying unit 19 is provided downstream in the conveying direction with respect to the printing unit 6 and the fixing unit 40 and upstream in the conveying direction with respect to the reading unit 45, the cutting unit 50, and the discharge port 21, and transports the medium M in the conveying direction F. , and in the return direction B. The conveying unit 19 has a conveying roller 17 that rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and pinch rollers 18 .

The reading unit 45 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the printing unit 6 and the transport unit 19 and on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the cutting unit 50 and the discharge port 21 . The reading unit 45 is positioned directly above the transport path Q. As shown in FIG. An image printed on the surface of the label M2 of the medium M is optically read, and an image signal representing the read image is output. The reading unit 45 is, for example, a line image sensor such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) elongated in the width direction of the medium M, that is, in the left-right direction.

The conveying unit 48 is provided downstream in the conveying direction with respect to the reading unit 45 and upstream in the conveying direction with respect to the cutting unit 50 and the discharge port 21 , and conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F and the return direction B. The conveying unit 48 has a conveying roller 46 that rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction, and a pinch roller 47 .

The cutting unit 50 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the reading unit 45 and the transport unit 48 and on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the discharge port 21 , and is positioned directly above the transport path Q. The cutting portion 50 has a blade 59 extending downward. The blade 59 is movable between a cutting position and a standby position, and cuts the medium M at a position immediately after the discharge port 21 on the transport path Q. As shown in FIG. As indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, the cutting position is the position where the blade 59 intersects the conveying path Q. As shown in FIG. 2, the stand-by position is a position where the blade 59 is separated from the conveying path Q and arranged directly above the conveying path Q. As shown in FIG.

The electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 31 electrically connected to the control unit 30, an operation unit 4, a display unit 3, transport driving units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49, a printing unit 6, a halogen A lamp 41 , encoders 33 to 37 , a medium detection section 53 , a tension detection section 54 , a reading section 45 and a cutting section 50 are provided. The control unit 30 controls the printing apparatus 1 and controls the printing unit 6 , the halogen lamp 41 , the transport driving units 9 , 11 , 38 , 39 and 49 and the cutting unit 50 . The storage unit 31 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, and the like that store various parameters required when the control unit 30 executes various programs.

The transport drive unit 9 rotationally drives the transport unit 7 under the control of the control unit 30 . The transport drive unit 11 rotationally drives the transport unit 10 under the control of the control unit 30 . The transport drive unit 38 rotates the endless belt 16 of the transport unit 15 by rotating the driving roller 13 of the transport unit 15 under the control of the control unit 30 . The transport drive unit 39 rotationally drives the transport unit 19 under the control of the control unit 30 . The transport drive unit 49 rotates the transport unit 48 under the control of the control unit 30 . Each of the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 is, for example, a stepping motor capable of forward and reverse rotation. The encoder 33 inputs to the controller 30 a value corresponding to the driving amount of the transport driving unit 9 . The encoder 34 inputs to the controller 30 a value corresponding to the driving amount of the transport driving unit 11 . The encoder 35 inputs to the controller 30 a value corresponding to the driving amount of the transport driving unit 38 . The encoder 36 inputs to the controller 30 a value corresponding to the driving amount of the transport driving unit 39 . The encoder 37 inputs to the controller 30 a value corresponding to the driving amount of the transport driving unit 49 . The tension detection unit 54 outputs a detection result according to the tension applied to the medium M between the tension application unit 8 and the conveying unit 7 by the tension application unit 8 to the control unit 30 .

The configuration of the medium M will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the medium M includes a long mount M1 and a plurality of labels M2 attached to the mount M1. Each label M2 has a rectangular shape with a length L in the longitudinal direction and a width W in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A plurality of labels M2 are affixed on the mount M1 at regular intervals in the transport direction F with an interval J therebetween.

The print preparation process executed by the control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIG. The print preparation process is executed when a print instruction is detected for the first time after the medium M is replaced in the printer 1 . The instruction includes an instruction to perform print preparation processing for skew correction of the medium M, print data, and an instruction to execute print processing based on the print data. In the following description, each processing step is abbreviated as "S". At the start of the print preparation process, the medium M is sandwiched between the conveying units 7 and the attributes of the medium M have been input to the printing apparatus 1 by the user.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control section 30 controls the cutting section 50 to move the blade 59 to the initial position (S1). The initial position of the blade 59 is a waiting position where the blade 59 is separated above the conveying path Q, indicated by a dotted line in FIG. The control unit 30 stores the position P0 of the leading edge of the medium M at the start of processing, that is, the position P0 of the leading edge of the medium M, as a predetermined origin position (S2). The control unit 30 controls the transport driving units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 with predetermined driving amounts to start the process of transporting the medium M in the transport direction F (S3). The predetermined drive amount is set in advance as a drive amount for obtaining the tension of the medium M, and is stored in the storage unit 31 . The control unit 30 acquires the tension of the medium M while the medium M is being transported in the transport direction F based on the output value of the tension detecting unit 54 (S4). In S3, the transport drive unit 11 is driven by the same drive amount regardless of the remaining amount of the medium M, so the transport speed of the medium M fed out by the transport unit 10 changes according to the remaining amount of the medium M. The tension applied to the medium M changes according to the difference between the transport speed of the medium M fed out by the transport unit 10 and the transport speed of the medium M by the transport unit 7 . The control unit 30 acquires the remaining amount of the medium M based on the correspondence between the tension and the remaining amount of the medium M stored in the storage unit 31 and the tension acquired in S4 (S5). The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the return direction B to the position P0 where the position of the leading edge of the medium M was stored in S2 (S6).

The control unit 30 determines the speed V0 and the distance D0 as variables for skew correction processing (S7). A method for determining the speed V0 and the distance D0 may be set as appropriate. For example, the velocity V0 and the distance D0 may be determined as values stored in the storage unit 31, or may be determined as values set by the user. The controller 30 performs a first transport process (S8). In the first transport process, the control unit 30 executes the first round-trip transport among a plurality of round-trip transports of the skew correction process and the adjustment process for adjusting the medium detection unit 53 . In the skew correction process, the control unit 30 conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F while tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 in each of a plurality of reciprocating conveyances. The medium M is conveyed in the return direction B without applying tension. In the adjustment process, the control unit 30 of the present embodiment sets a threshold used in the process of detecting the leading edge of the medium M by the medium detection unit 53 and the detection process described later.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the first transport process, the controller 30 determines the speed V1 and the distance D1 as variables for the adjustment process (S11). A method for determining the speed V1 and the distance D1 may be set as appropriate. The distance D<b>1 may be preset according to the distance between the position P<b>0 and the reading unit 45 and determined as a value stored in the storage unit 31 , for example. The speed V<b>1 may be preset according to the detection performance of the medium detection unit 53 and determined as a value stored in the storage unit 31 , for example. Values set by the user may be determined for the velocity V1 and the distance D1.

The control unit 30 determines whether the speed V1 determined in S11 is higher than the speed V0 determined in S7 (S12). If the speed V1 is higher than the speed V0 (S12: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V0 (S13). If the speed V1 is not greater than the speed V0 (S12: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V1 (S14). Through the processing from S12 to S14, the control unit 30 sets the transport speed V to the slower one of the transport speed V0 required for skew correction processing and the transport speed V1 required for adjustment processing.

The control unit 30 determines whether the distance D1 determined in S11 is greater than the distance D0 determined in S7 (S15). If the distance D1 is greater than the distance D0 (S15: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D1 (S16). If the distance D1 is not greater than the distance D0 (S15: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D0 (S17). Through the processes from S15 to S17, the control unit 30 sets the transport distance D to the longer one of the transport distance D0 required for the skew correction process and the transport distance D1 required for the adjustment process.

The control unit 30 activates the medium detection unit 53 (S18). The medium detection unit 53 outputs detection results to the control unit 30 at predetermined intervals. The predetermined period is, for example, a period of several milliseconds. The control unit 30 stores the detection result output from the medium detection unit 53 in the storage unit 31 as needed. The control unit 30 controls the transport driving units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the transport direction F at the transport speed V by the transport distance D (S19). The control unit 30 sets the drive amount of the transport drive unit 11 for transporting at the transport speed V according to the remaining amount of the medium M obtained in S5. In S<b>19 , a predetermined tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . As a result, the control unit 30 performs the forward transportation of the first round trip transportation in the skew correction processing, that is, the transportation in the transportation direction F, at the transportation speed V set in the processing of S13 or S14, and the processing of S16 or S17. The sheet is conveyed by the conveying distance D set in .

The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the return direction B to the position P0 where the position of the leading edge of the medium M was stored in S2 (S20). By the process of S20, the control unit 30 causes the medium M to return to the predetermined position P0 after the medium M is transported in the transport direction F in the first round-trip transport of the plurality of round-trip transports in the skew correction process. Transport to B. At S<b>20 , the predetermined tension is not applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . The transport speed in S20 may be the value set in S13 or S14, or may be different values.

The control unit 30 determines whether the detection results of the medium detection unit 53 activated in S18 include data of maximum and minimum values (S21). For example, when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the detection result is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 30 determines that the detection result includes data of the maximum value and the minimum value. If it is determined that there is no maximum value and minimum value data in the detection results (S21: NO), the control unit 30 stores the error of the medium detection unit 53 (S23), and terminates the print preparation process. . When it is determined that there is data of the maximum value and the minimum value (S21: YES), the control unit 30 causes the medium detection unit 53 to detect the front end of the label M2 attached to the mount M1, that is, the front end of the label M2. A threshold for is set (S22). For example, the control unit 30 may set the average value of the maximum value and the minimum value of the detection results as the threshold. The control unit 30 ends the first conveying process, and returns the process to the print preparation process of FIG.

After S8, the controller 30 performs a second transport process (S9). In the second transport process, the control unit 30 determines the attribute of the medium M based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit 53 during the second reciprocating transport out of a plurality of reciprocating transports in the skew correction process. Perform detection processing to detect. The control unit 30 of the present embodiment detects, as attributes of the medium M, the distance P between adjacent labels M2 and the width W of the labels M2 shown in FIG. 4A. The control section 30 detects the distance P based on the detection result of the medium detection section 53 . The control unit 30 performs detection processing after the adjustment processing, and detects the distance P using the threshold set in the adjustment processing. The control unit 30 detects the width W based on the image read by the reading unit 45 .

As shown in FIG. 7, in the second transport process, the control unit 30 determines the speed V2 and the distance D2 as variables for the detection process (S31). A method for determining the speed V2 and the distance D2 may be appropriately set. The distance D<b>2 may be preset according to the distance between the position P<b>0 and the reading unit 45 and determined as a value stored in the storage unit 31 , for example. The speed V2 may be set in advance according to the detection performance of the medium detection unit 53 and determined as a value stored in the storage unit 31, for example. Values set by the user may be determined for the speed V2 and the distance D2. The control unit 30 determines whether the speed V2 determined in S31 is higher than the speed V0 determined in S7 (S32). If the speed V2 is higher than the speed V0 (S32: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V0 (S33). If the speed V2 is not greater than the speed V0 (S32: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V2 (S34). Through the processing from S32 to S34, the control unit 30 sets the transport speed V to the slower one of the transport speed V0 required for skew correction processing and the transport speed V2 required for detection processing.

The control unit 30 determines whether the distance D2 determined in S31 is greater than the distance D0 determined in S7 (S35). If the distance D2 is greater than the distance D0 (S35: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D2 (S36). If the distance D2 is not greater than the distance D0 (S35: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D0 (S37). Through the processes from S35 to S37, the control unit 30 sets the transport distance D to the longer one of the transport distance D0 required for the skew correction process and the transport distance D2 required for the detection process. The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the transport direction F at the transport speed V by the transport distance D (S38). The control unit 30 sets the drive amount of the transport drive unit 11 for transporting at the transport speed V according to the remaining amount of the medium M obtained in S5. In S<b>38 , a predetermined tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . As a result, the control unit 30 carries out the outward transport of the second reciprocating transport in the skew correction process by transporting the sheet by the transport distance D set in S36 or S37 at the transport speed V set in S33 or S34. The control unit 30 estimates the distance P of the medium M in the transport direction F (S40). The control unit 30 estimates the distance P corresponding to the size of the medium M in the transport direction F using the threshold set in the adjustment process during the first transport process. As shown in FIG. 4B, the control unit 30 estimates, as the distance P, the average value of adjacent maximum values indicated by the detection result of the medium detection unit 53, for example.

The control unit 30 determines whether the length estimated in S41 matches the set length of the medium M (S41). The set length of the medium M is obtained based on the attribute of the medium M set by the user before starting the print preparation process. The control unit 30 may determine that the two match when the difference between the length estimated in S41 and the set length of the medium M falls within a predetermined range. If it is determined that the estimated length and the set length of the medium M do not match (S41: NO), the control unit 30 stores a medium mismatch error (S48), and starts the print preparation process. terminate.

If it is determined that the estimated length matches the set length of the medium M (S41: YES), the control section 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed Vw (S42). The speed Vw is a speed suitable for detecting the width W of the label M2 based on the image read by the reading unit 45 . In the detection process, the control unit 30 of this embodiment detects the lateral width W of the medium M based on the image read by the reading unit 45 in addition to the distance P. The reading unit 45 is separated from the position P0 by distances D0 and D2 or more. Therefore, after conveying the medium M by the conveying distance D in S38, the control unit 30 sets the conveying speed V to Vm, and controls the conveying driving units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to move the medium M in the conveying direction F. , at a transport speed V (S43). The control unit 30 sets the drive amount of the transport drive unit 11 for transporting at the transport speed V according to the remaining amount of the medium M obtained in S5. In S<b>43 , a predetermined tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . The controller 30 determines whether the leading edge of the medium M is at the width detection position (S44). The width detection position is a position where at least the label M2 at the leading end of the medium M is positioned below the reading unit 45. FIG. The controller 30 waits until the leading edge of the medium M reaches the width detection position (S44: NO). When the leading edge of the medium M is at the width detection position (S44: YES), the control section 30 analyzes the image read by the reading section 45 by a known method to detect the width W of the medium M (S45). .

The control unit 30 controls the transport driving units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the return direction B to the position P0 where the position of the leading edge of the medium M was stored in S2 (S46). By the process of S46, the control unit 30 causes the medium M to return to the predetermined position P0 in the return direction B after the medium M is transported in the transport direction F in the second reciprocating transport among the plurality of reciprocating transports in the skew correction process. transport to At S<b>46 , the predetermined tension is not applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . The transport speed in S46 may be the value set in S33 or S34, or may be different values. The control unit 30 determines whether the width W detected in S46 matches the set width (S47). The set width is acquired based on the attribute of the medium M set by the user before starting the print preparation process. If it is determined that the detected width W does not match the set width (S47: NO), the control unit 30 stores a medium mismatch error (S48) and ends the print preparation process. If it is determined that the detected width W matches the set width (S47: YES), the control unit 30 ends the second conveying process and returns the process to the print preparation process of FIG.

After S9, the controller 30 performs a third transport process (S10). In the third transport process, the control unit 30 performs the third round-trip transport of the plurality of round-trip transports in the skew correction process and the cutting process for cutting the medium M. As shown in FIG. 8, in the third transport process, the control unit 30 determines the speed V3 and the distance D3 as variables for the cutting process (S51). As in S11 and S31, the method for determining the speed V3 and the distance D3 may be appropriately set. The control unit 30 determines whether the speed V3 determined in S51 is higher than the speed V0 determined in S7 (S52). If the speed V3 is higher than the speed V0 (S52: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V0 (S53). If the speed V3 is not greater than the speed V0 (S52: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport speed V to the speed V3 (S54). Through the processing from S52 to S54, the control unit 30 sets the transport speed V to the slower one of the transport speed V0 required for the skew correction process and the transport speed V3 required for the cutting process.

The control unit 30 determines whether the distance D3 determined in S51 is greater than the distance D0 determined in S7 (S55). If the distance D3 is greater than the distance D0 (S55: YES), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D3 (S56). If the distance D3 is not greater than the distance D0 (S55: NO), the controller 30 sets the transport distance D to the distance D0 (S57). Through the processes from S55 to S57, the control unit 30 sets the transport distance D to the longer one of the transport distance D0 required for the skew correction process and the transport distance D3 required for the cutting process. The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the transport direction F at the transport speed V by the transport distance D (S58). The control unit 30 sets the drive amount of the transport drive unit 11 for transporting at the transport speed V according to the remaining amount of the medium M obtained in S5. In S<b>38 , a predetermined tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . As a result, the control unit 30 performs forward transportation of the third reciprocating transportation in the skew correction process by transporting the sheet by the transport distance D set in S56 or S57 at the transport speed V set in S53 or S54.

The control unit 30 determines whether the medium M is at the cutting position (S59). When the transport distance D is set to the distance D3, the control unit 30 determines that the medium M is at the cutting position. When the medium M is at the cutting position (S59: YES), the control unit 30 controls the cutting unit 50 to cut the leading end of the medium M (S61). If the medium M is not at the cutting position (S59: NO), the control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M to the cutting position in the return direction B ( S60) and S61 are performed. At S<b>60 , the predetermined tension is not applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the return direction B to the position P0 where the position of the leading edge of the medium M after cutting in S61 was stored in S2. (S62). By the process of S62, the control unit 30 causes the medium M to return to the predetermined position P0 in the return direction B after the medium M is transported in the transport direction F in the third reciprocating transport among the plurality of reciprocating transports in the skew correction process. transport to At S<b>46 , the predetermined tension is not applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 . The transport speed in S62 may be the value set in S53 or S54, or may be different values. The control unit 30 ends the third conveying process, and returns the process to the print preparation process in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, after S10, the control unit 30 ends the print preparation process. After completing the print preparation process, the control unit 30 executes the print process based on the print data.

In the above embodiment, the printing device 1, the supply unit 5, the printing unit 6, the tensioning unit 8, the control unit 30, and the medium detection unit 53 are the printing device, the supply unit, the printing unit, the tensioning unit, It is an example of a control unit and a medium detection unit. The transport sections 7, 10, 15, 19, and 48 are examples of the transport section of the present invention. The transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 are examples of the transport drive unit of the present invention. S19 and S20 in FIG. 6, S38, S43 and S46 in FIG. 7, and S58 and S62 in FIG. 8 are examples of skew correction processing and skew correction steps of the present invention. S40 and S45 are examples of detection processing and detection steps of the present invention. S18, S21, and S22 are examples of adjustment processing and adjustment steps of the present invention. The processes from S12 to S17 and from S32 to S37 are examples of the condition setting process and the condition setting process of the present invention. S5 is an example of the remaining amount obtaining process of the present invention. The cutting portion 50 is an example of the cutting portion of the present invention. S61 is an example of the disconnection process of the present invention.

The printing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment includes a supply unit 5, a printing unit 6, transport units 7, 10, 15, 19, 48, a tension applying unit 8, transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, 49, and a control unit 30. , and a medium detection unit 53 . The supply unit 5 supplies an elongated medium M. As shown in FIG. The printing section 6 prints an image on the medium M supplied from the supply section 5 . The transport units 7 , 10 , 15 , 19 and 48 transport the medium M in a transport direction F from the supply unit 5 to the printing unit 6 and in a return direction B opposite to the transport direction F. The tension applying unit 8 applies tension to the medium M. As shown in FIG. Transport drives 9, 11, 38, 39, 49 drive transports 7, 10, 15, 19, 48, respectively. The control unit 30 controls the printing unit 6 and the transport driving units 9 , 11 , 38 , 39 and 49 . The medium detection unit 53 outputs the detection result of the medium M to the control unit 30 . The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9, 11, 38, 39, and 49 to transport the medium M in the transport direction F and then transport the medium M in the return direction B during reciprocating transport. 8 to repeat the application of tension to the medium M a plurality of times (S19, S20 in FIG. 6, S38, S43, S46 in FIG. 7, S58, S62 in FIG. 8). The control unit 30 performs detection processing for detecting the attribute of the medium M based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit 53 during one round-trip transportation out of a plurality of round-trip transportations, that is, during the second round-trip transportation. (S40, S45) is performed. By performing the detection process during the skew correction process, the printing apparatus 1 can shorten the time until the start of printing compared to the case where the skew correction process and the detection process are performed separately.

The medium detection unit 53 of the printing device 1 is a transmissive sensor or a reflective sensor. The control unit 30 performs adjustment processing (S18, S21, S22) for adjusting the medium detection unit 53 during the other reciprocating transportation among the plurality of reciprocating transportations. By performing the detection process and the adjustment process during the skew correction process, the printing apparatus 1 shortens the time required to start printing compared to the case where the skew correction process, the detection process, and the adjustment process are performed separately. can also be shortened.

The control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 performs detection processing after the adjustment processing. By performing the detection process after the adjustment process, the printing apparatus 1 can perform the detection process based on the detection result of the medium detection unit 53 for which the threshold is set by the adjustment process. In printing processing, detection processing can be performed more appropriately than in the case where detection processing is performed based on the detection result of medium detection unit 53 without setting a threshold value through adjustment processing.

In the second transport process, the control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 sets the transport distance D for one round-trip transport among a plurality of round-trip transports for the skew correction process, that is, the transport distance D for the second round-trip transport for the skew correction process. The longer one of the transport distance D0 and the transport distance D2 required for the detection process is set, and the transport speed V for the second reciprocating transport is set to the transport speed V0 required for the skew correction process and the transport speed V2 required for the detection process. , whichever is later is set (S32 to S37). The control unit 30 performs the second reciprocating conveyance of the skew correction process by conveying the sheet by the conveyance distance D at the conveyance speed V set in S32 to S37. The printing apparatus 1 can perform the second reciprocating transport of the plurality of reciprocating transports for the skew correction process under conditions suitable for performing both the skew correction process and the detection process.

In the first transport process, the control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 performs a reciprocating transport different from the reciprocating transport for performing the detection process out of the multiple reciprocating transports of the skew correction process, that is, the transport distance of the first reciprocating transport. D is set to the longer one of the transport distance D0 required for the skew correction process and the transport distance D1 required for the adjustment process, and the transport speed V for the first reciprocating transport is set to the transport speed V0 required for the skew correction process. , or the transport speed V1 required for the adjustment process, whichever is slower is set (S12 to S17). The control unit 30 performs the first reciprocating transport in the skew correction process by transporting the sheet by the transporting distance D at the transporting speed V set in S12 to S17. The printing apparatus 1 can perform the first reciprocating transport under conditions suitable for performing both the skew correction process and the adjustment process.

The control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 acquires the remaining amount of the medium M before skew correction processing (S5). The printing apparatus 1 can acquire the remaining amount of the medium M before skew correction processing.

The printing apparatus 1 includes a tension detector 54 that outputs the tension applied to the medium M by the tension applying section 8 . The control unit 30 acquires the remaining amount of the medium M based on the tension detected by the tension detection unit 54 in S5 (S5). The printer 1 can detect the remaining amount of the medium M based on the tension applied to the medium M through relatively simple processing.

In the skew correction process, the printing apparatus 1 adjusts the driving amount of the transport drive unit 11 according to the remaining amount detected in S5 (S19, S38, S43, S58). The printing apparatus 1 can appropriately adjust the driving amount of the transport driving unit 11 according to the remaining amount of the medium M, and can apply appropriate tension to the medium M.

The printing apparatus 1 includes a cutting section 50 that cuts the medium M. As shown in FIG. The control unit 30 controls the transport drive units 9 , 11 , 38 , 39 , and 49 to cause the tension applying unit 8 to stretch the medium after one reciprocating transport out of a plurality of reciprocating transports, that is, after the second reciprocating transport. After conveying the medium M to the cutting position in the conveying direction F while tension is applied to the medium M, the cutting unit 50 is driven to cut the medium M (S61). The printing device 1 can cut the medium M arranged at the cutting position. The printer 1 can cut the leading end of the medium M even when the leading end of the medium M has a bent portion. The printer 1 can avoid problems caused by the bent portion at the leading end of the medium M. FIG.

In the skew correction process, the control unit 30 of the printing apparatus 1 transports the medium M in the return direction B after the medium M is transported in the transport direction F in each of a plurality of reciprocating transports (S20, S46, S60). The predetermined origin in the above embodiment is the position P0. The printing apparatus 1 can position the medium M at a predetermined origin in each of a plurality of reciprocating transports. The printing apparatus 1 can place the medium M at a predetermined origin after the skew correction process.

The medium M includes a mount M1 and a plurality of labels M2 attached to the mount M1. In the skew correction process, the control unit 30 conveys the medium M in the conveying direction F while tension is applied to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 in each of a plurality of reciprocating conveyances. The medium M is conveyed in the return direction B without applying tension. In the adjustment process, the control unit 30 adjusts the threshold value for detecting the label M2 based on a plurality of detection results of the medium detection unit 53 during the first reciprocating transport. In the detection process, the control unit 30 detects the size of the medium M in the transport direction F based on a plurality of detection results of the medium detection unit 53 during the second reciprocating transport and the threshold value. The printing apparatus 1 can perform adjustment processing and detection processing during skew correction processing with relatively simple processing. In the skew correcting process, the skew is corrected when the medium is conveyed in the conveying direction F, and when the medium is conveyed in the returning direction B, the inclination of the medium M with respect to the conveying direction F is corrected. can be transported to

The printing apparatus, print preparation method, and print preparation program of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modifications may be added as appropriate.

The supply unit 5 only needs to be able to supply the elongated medium M, and the configuration may be changed as appropriate. The medium M may be fanfold paper that is folded along perforations cut into the paper. The transport unit 7 may transport the medium M by another transport member such as a transport belt. The conveying unit 10 may be capable of conveying the medium M only in the return direction B, may be modified in configuration according to the configuration of the supply unit 5, or may be omitted. The drive amount of the transport drive unit 11 during forward transport among a plurality of reciprocating transports in the skew correction process may be the same regardless of the remaining amount of the medium M. FIG. The roll R may not have the paper tube K and may be wound in a roll shape so as to be attachable to the supply section 5 .

The configuration of the printing unit 6 may be changed as appropriate, and may be an inkjet head capable of color printing, or an electrophotographic or thermal thermal head. The fixing unit 40 may be omitted or its configuration may be changed according to the printing method of the printing apparatus 1 . The printer 1 may omit the cutting unit 50 . The cutting unit 50 may cut the medium M manually by the user. At least one of the conveying units 15, 19, 48 may be omitted or the configuration thereof may be changed as necessary. The reading unit 45 may be another device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices).

The configuration of the tension applying section 8 may be changed as appropriate. For example, when the roll R rotates in the direction in which the medium M is fed out, that is, in the counterclockwise direction in the right side view in the above-described embodiment, the tension applying unit 8 applies a predetermined frictional force to the shaft portion 51 to thereby reduce the medium M may be tensioned. The printing apparatus 1 may apply tension to the medium M by adjusting the transport speed of the medium M by the transport unit 7 and the transport speed of the medium M by the transport unit 10 . In this case, the transport drive units 9 and 11 function as tension applying units. The medium detection unit 53 may be a sensor other than a transmissive sensor and a reflective sensor.

A program including instructions for executing the print preparation process of FIG. 5 may be stored in the storage device of the printing apparatus 1 by the time the control unit 30 executes the program. Therefore, each of the program acquisition method, the acquisition route, and the device storing the program may be changed as appropriate. The program executed by the control unit 30 may be received from another device via cable or wireless communication and stored in a storage device such as a flash memory. Other devices include, for example, PCs and servers connected via a network.

Each step of the print preparation process of the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to the example executed by the control unit 30, and part or all of the steps may be executed by another electronic device (eg, ASIC). Each step of the print preparation process may be distributed and processed by a plurality of electronic devices, for example, a plurality of CPUs. Each step of the print preparation process can be changed in order, omitted, or added as required. A mode in which an operating system (OS) or the like running on the printing apparatus 1 performs part or all of the print preparation process based on a command from the control unit 30 is also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the following changes may be added to the print preparation process as appropriate.

The number of reciprocating conveyances in skew correction processing may be changed as appropriate. The control unit 30 may apply tension to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 only during return transport in the skew correction process, or apply tension to the medium M by the tension applying unit 8 during forward transport and return transport. The medium M may be tensioned. The control unit 30 does not have to convey the medium M to the position where the leading edge of the medium M is at the position P0 during the backward conveyance of the skew correction process. The conveying distance of the return path of the skew correction process may be changed as appropriate.

Each of the detection process, the adjustment process, and the cutting process may be executed in any of the multiple reciprocating conveyances of the skew correction process. Each of the detection process and the adjustment process may be executed during return transport in the skew correction process. Each of the adjustment process and the cutting process may be performed separately from the skew correction process. The method of determining the transport speed V and the transport distance D during reciprocating transport in the skew correction process may be changed as appropriate, and may be set to the same value or different values for each of a plurality of reciprocating transports. A value may be set. The control unit 30 may display an error on the display unit 3 in at least one of S23 and S48.

1: printing device, 5: supply unit, 6: printing unit, 7, 10, 15, 19, 48: transport unit, 8: tension applying unit, 9, 11, 38, 39, 49: transport drive unit, 30: Control unit 45: Reading unit 50: Cutting unit 53: Medium detection unit 54: Tension detection unit

Claims (21)

a supply unit that supplies an elongated medium;
a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit;
a conveying unit that conveys the medium in a conveying direction from the supply unit to the printing unit and in a return direction opposite to the conveying direction;
a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium;
a transport drive unit that drives the transport unit;
a control unit that controls the printing unit and the transport driving unit; and a medium detection unit that outputs a detection result of the medium to the control unit;
with
The control unit
controlling the transport driving unit to apply the tension to the medium by the tension applying unit during reciprocating transport in which the medium is transported in the transport direction and then transported in the return direction; a skew correction process that is repeated several times;
a detection process for detecting an attribute of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the reciprocating conveyances performed a plurality of times. Device. The medium detection unit is a transmissive sensor or a reflective sensor,
The control unit
2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting processing for adjusting said medium detection unit during another reciprocating transport of said plurality of reciprocating transports. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control section performs the detection process after the adjustment process. The control unit
The transport distance of the one reciprocating transport is set to the longer one of the transport distance required for the skew correction process and the transport distance required for the detection process, and the transport speed of the one reciprocating transport is set to the skew transport. further executing a condition setting process for setting the slower one of the transport speed required for the correction process and the transport speed required for the detection process;
4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least part of the one reciprocating transport in the skew correction process is performed by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting process. The printing device according to . The control unit
The longer one of the transport distance required for the skew correction process and the transport distance required for the adjustment process is set as the transport distance of the other reciprocating transport, and the transport speed of the other reciprocating transport is set to the skew transport. further executing a condition setting process for setting the slower one of the transport speed required for the correction process and the transport speed required for the adjustment process;
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least part of the other reciprocating transport in the skew correction process is performed by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting process. printer. The control unit
6. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a remaining amount acquisition process for acquiring the remaining amount of the medium before the skew correction process. further comprising a tension detection unit that outputs the tension applied to the medium by the tension applying unit;
7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in the remaining amount acquisition process, the control section acquires the remaining amount of the medium based on the tension detected by the tension detection section. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, in the skew correcting process, the control unit adjusts the driving amount of the transport driving unit according to the remaining amount detected in the remaining amount acquisition process. printer. further comprising a cutting unit that cuts the medium;
The control unit
After the other reciprocating transport among the plurality of reciprocating transports, the transport driving unit is controlled to transport the medium to a cutting position while the tension is applied to the medium by the tension applying unit. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein after conveying the medium in the direction, the cutting unit is driven to cut the medium. In the skew correction process, the control unit conveys the medium in the conveying direction in each of the plurality of reciprocating conveyances, and then conveys the medium in the returning direction to a predetermined origin. 10. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9. The medium includes a mount and a plurality of labels attached to the mount,
The control unit
In the skew correction process, in each of the plurality of reciprocating conveyances, after the medium is conveyed in the conveying direction while the tension is applied to the medium by the tension applying unit, the medium is stretched by the tension applying unit. convey in the return direction without applying the tension to the
In the adjusting process, adjusting a threshold value for detecting the label based on the plurality of detection results of the medium detection unit during the other reciprocating transport,
6. In the detection process, the size of the medium in the transport direction is detected based on the plurality of detection results of the medium detection unit during the one reciprocating transport and the threshold value. , and 9. a supply unit that supplies an elongated medium;
a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit;
a conveying unit that conveys the medium in a conveying direction from the supply unit to the printing unit and in a return direction opposite to the conveying direction;
a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium;
a transport drive unit that drives the transport unit;
A print preparation method executed by the control unit of a printing device comprising: the printing unit; a control unit that controls the transport drive unit; hand,
controlling the transport driving unit to apply the tension to the medium by the tension applying unit during reciprocating transport in which the medium is transported in the transport direction and then transported in the return direction; a skew correction process that is repeated twice;
a detection step of detecting an attribute of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the reciprocating conveyances of a plurality of times of the reciprocating conveyance. Method. The medium detection unit is a transmissive sensor or a reflective sensor,
The print preparation method includes:
13. The print preparation method according to claim 12, further comprising adjusting the medium detection unit during another reciprocal transport of the plurality of reciprocal transports. 14. The print preparation method according to claim 13, wherein the control section performs the detection step after the adjustment step. The transport distance of the one reciprocating transport is set to the longer one of the transport distance required for the skew correcting process and the transport distance required for the detecting process, and the transport speed of the one reciprocating transport is set to the skew transport. further comprising a condition setting step of setting the slower one of the transport speed required for the correction step and the transport speed required for the detection step;
13. The control unit carries out at least part of the one reciprocating transport in the skew correcting step by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting step. 15. The print preparation method according to any one of 14. The longer one of the conveying distance required for the skew correcting step and the conveying distance required for the adjusting step is set as the conveying distance of the other reciprocating conveying, and the conveying speed of the other reciprocating conveying is set to the skew conveying. further comprising a condition setting step of setting the slower one of the conveying speed required for the correction step and the conveying speed required for the adjusting step;
The control unit carries out at least part of the other reciprocating transport in the skew correcting process by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting process. 14. A print preparation method according to Item 13. a supply unit that supplies an elongated medium;
a printing unit that prints an image on the medium supplied from the supply unit;
a conveying unit that conveys the medium in a conveying direction from the supply unit to the printing unit and in a return direction opposite to the conveying direction;
a tension applying unit that applies tension to the medium;
a transport drive unit that drives the transport unit;
Print preparation including instructions executed by the control unit of a printing device comprising: a control unit that controls the printing unit; a control unit that controls the transport drive unit; a program,
controlling the transport driving unit to apply the tension to the medium by the tension applying unit during reciprocating transport in which the medium is transported in the transport direction and then transported in the return direction; a skew correction process that is repeated several times;
detection processing for detecting the attribute of the medium based on the detection result output from the medium detection unit during one of the reciprocating conveyances of a plurality of times, to the control unit of the printing apparatus; A print preparation program comprising instructions for execution. The medium detection unit is a transmissive sensor or a reflective sensor,
The print preparation program includes:
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising an instruction for causing the control unit of the printing apparatus to execute an adjustment process for adjusting the medium detection unit during another reciprocating transport of the plurality of reciprocating transports. The print preparation program described in . 19. The print preparation program according to claim 18, wherein the control unit includes the instruction to perform the detection process after the adjustment process. The transport distance of the one reciprocating transport is set to the longer one of the transport distance required for the skew correction process and the transport distance required for the detection process, and the transport speed of the one reciprocating transport is set to the skew transport. an instruction for causing the control unit of the printing apparatus to execute a condition setting process for setting the slower one of the transport speed required for the correction process and the transport speed required for the detection process;
The control unit includes an instruction to perform at least part of the one reciprocating transport in the skew correction process by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting process. 20. The print preparation program according to any one of claims 17 to 19. The longer one of the transport distance required for the skew correction process and the transport distance required for the adjustment process is set as the transport distance of the other reciprocating transport, and the transport speed of the other reciprocating transport is set to the skew transport. an instruction for causing the control unit of the printing device to execute a condition setting process for setting the slower one of the transport speed required for the correction process and the transport speed required for the adjustment process;
The control unit includes an instruction to perform at least part of the other reciprocating transport in the skew correction process by transporting the sheet by the transport distance at the transport speed set in the condition setting process. 19. The print preparation program according to claim 18.

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