GB2321549A

GB2321549A - Tape printing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2321549A
Application number: GB9701306A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bert M J Bulteel
Original assignee: Esselte NV
Current assignee: Esselte NV
Priority date: 1997-01-22
Filing date: 1997-01-22
Publication date: 1998-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-22
Also published as: GB9701306D0; DE29722272U1; GB2321549B

Abstract

A tape printing apparatus (1) for printing an image in a foreground colour onto tape (4) of a background colour comprises a printing mechanism (16) for printing an image consisting of a sequence of printable objects onto the tape as the tape is fed past the printing mechanism; an input device (106) for a user to enter image data defining said printable objects in groups to be printed in different foreground colours; a display (108) for displaying a representation of the image with said groups being displayed in their respective associated foreground colours on adjacent regions of the display, each region being associated with a particular foreground colour; and a processor connected to the input device (106) and to the display and operable to control the display (108) so that when a printable object is inserted into one of said regions it is automatically displayed in the foreground colour associated with that region, whereby during printing all printable objects in a group are printed in their associated foreground colour while tape is fed, printing is then interrupted while the foreground colour for printing is changed and subsequent groups are printed in a new foreground colour while tape continues to be fed.

Description

2321549 1 A TAPE PRINTING APPARATUS This invention relates to a tape

printing apparatus.

Tape printing devices of the general type with which the present invention is concerned are known. They operate with a supply of tape arranged to receive an image and means for transferring an image onto the tape. In one known device, a tape holding case holds a supply of image receiving tape and a supply of an image transf-Pr ribbon, the image receiving tape and the transfer ribbon being iDassed in overlap through a printing zone of the printing device. At the print zone, a thermal print head cooperates with a platen to transfer an image from the transfer ribbon to the tape. A printing device operating with a tape holding case of this type is described for example in EP-A-0267890 (Varitronics, Inc.). Other printing devices have been made in which letters are transferred to an image receiving tape by a dry lettering or dry film impression process. In all of these printing devices, the construction of the image receiving tape is substantially the same. That is, it comprises an upper layer for receiving an image which is secured to a releaseable backing layer by a layer of adhesive.

once an image or message has been printed on the tape, that portion of the tape is cut of f to enable it to be used as a label. The releaseable backing layer is removed from the upper layer to enable the upper layer to be secured to a surf ace by means of the adhesive layer.

In another known printing device, described in EP-A0322918 (Brother Kogyo K.K.), a tape holding case houses a supply of an image transfer ribbon. The tape holding case also houses a supply of backing tape which comprises a carrier layer having an adhesive layer on its underside to which is secured a releaseable backing sheet and an adhesive layer on its upper side which can be secured to the image receiving tape after an image has been printed thereon. In this device, the image is printed onto the 1 2 image receiving tape as a mirror image which, when viewed through the image receiving tape, is the correct way round. With this device, the print is protected when the label is used.

In the printing devices referred to above, a single body unit provides the printing mechanism for effecting thermal printing, a feeding mechanism for feeding tape through the printing zone, an input device for entering text data defining characters etc to be printed, a display for displaying the text and a processor for cohtrolling printing operations in response to data entered at the input device. Typically, the input device is a keyboard. The display is generally a fairly small LCD. Some prior art printing devices of this type nevertheless having a display which is relatively sophisticated, see for example EP 0574225 which has a so-called WYSIWYG display.

Another type of printing device is also known as described for example in EP 0680010 (Esselte) and US 5,538,352 (Brother), and that is a printing system in which the input device and display are remote from the printing mechanism itself. A conventional PC can supply the display and input device in the form of a keyboard. A stand-alone printing unit which communicates with the PC provides the printing mechanism, feeding mechanism for tape and the cassette bay or bays for housing the tape.

In all of these devices, the colour of the label and the colour of the print are predetermined by the contents of the tape holding case. By the colour of the label reference is made to the upper layer of the image receiving tape of the apparatus described in EP-A-0267890 and to the carrier layer of the device described with reference to EP-0322918. The colour of the print is determined by the colour of the image transfer ribbon. Thus labels of one particular colour can only be printed with ink of a particular colour. Moreover, because the image receiving tape and image transfer tape are in the same tape holding case, they will run out together.

3 In EP-0513187 there is described a two cassette printing apparatus in which a first cassette receiving portion receives a first tape holding case housing a supply of an image transfer ribbon capable of printing an image of a particular colour and a second cassette receiving portion receives a second tape holding case housing a supply of image receiving tape having a particular background colour. The f irst and second tape holding cases are individually removable and replaceable whereby different combinations of background colour and print colour can be selected.

This arrangement has the advantage that print and background colours can be "mixed and matched".

As the printing device has two separate receiving portions for the first and second tape holding cases, each case can be easily removed and located separately without affecting the other. As each tape holding case is received separately, one is not required to guide the other so they can be removed, mixed and matched as desired. Further, the size and capacity of each cassette is determined only by the cassette receiving portions and not by each other.

In the printing device described in EP-0573187, an image to be printed is formulated in pages. Each page can have unique characteristics in terms of its print style, size of font and number of lines to be printed. Pages can be printed in different foreground (ink) colours. Where a page has been composed, and the next page is to be printed in a different colour, a colour key is actuated which signals that end of page colour change data (a colour break) should be stored. During printing of the label, when a colour break signal is reached by the processor, it generates an end of page signal which indicates to a user that the present tape holding case should be replaced with a dif f erent tape holding case holding ink ribbon of a different colour. While this replacement is being made, the motor driving the platen is stopped so that further movement of the image receiving 1 4 tape past the print head is prevented.

The above described system thus allows for the printing of labels having different foreground colours, on a common substrate. However, during formulation of the label it is not possible for a user to see the effect of the colours because the display is monochrome. Thus the user has to remember each time what colour he has allocated to a particular page.

EP-073.4872 discloses a tape printing device which can provide multidolour printing by performing a plurality of printing operations over a common region of tape by rewinding the tape and repeatedly performing printing.

In such a printing device, it is necessary to accurately control the rewind operation which introduces complexity into the device and, moreover, the print speed for a particular region of tape is reduced.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a tape printing apparatus for printing an image in a foreground colour onto tape of a background colour comprising: a printing mechanism for printing an image consisting of a sequence of printable objects onto the tape as the tape is fed past the printing mechanism in a feed direction; an input device for a user to enter image,data defining said printable objects in groups to be printed in different foreground colours; a display for displaying a representation of the image with said groups being displayed in their respective associated foreground colours on adjacent regions of the display, each region being associated with a particular foreground colour; and a processor connected to the input device and to the display and operable to control the display so that when a printable object is inserted into one of said regions it is automatically displayed in the foreground colour associated with that region, whereby during printing all printable objects in a group are printed in their associated foreground colour while tape is fed in the feed direction, printing is then interrupted while the

1 1 foreground colour for printing is changed and subsequent groups are printed in a new foreground colour while tape continues to be fed in the feed direction.

Thus, with the tape printing apparatus defined above a user can readily see the foreground colours that he has selected and can see the ef f ect of moving printable obj ects f rom one region of the substrate tape into another region. As all printable objects in a group are printed in a common associated foreground colour, no rewind operations of the tape are necessary to perform colour printing.

The tape printing apparatus can include an input buffer which holds the image data defining the groups of printable objects with a colour break code between groups of different foreground colours, wherein the colour break code is used to interrupt printing when the foreground colour changes.

The colour break code can cause a colour break signal to be generated in a user detectable manner whereby a user can change the foreground colour while printing is interrupted. In the context of a two cassette printing apparatus of the type described in EP-0573187, a user can change the foreground colour by changing the ink ribbon cassette.

The printing mechanism can comprise a print head and a platen with the tape and an ink ribbon of the selected foreground colour being arranged in overlap between the print head and the platen.

The printing system can be constituted by a stand alone printing device, in which the printing mechanism, input device, display and processor all form part of the same unitary body. Alternatively, the printing mechanism can be provided in a printer which is remote from a PC providing the input device, display and processor. Data for printing and for controlling the printing mechanism i ' s then transmitted to the printing mechanism via a communication cable or other communication technique.

6 It is particularly useful with a so-called PC printer if the input device at the PC includes means to allow a user to restart printing after it has been interrupted. This allows a user to check that the ink ribbon of the newly selected foreground colour has been properly inserted into the device and to return to the PC to execute printing.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be'carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a PC printer; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing control circuitry for the printing apparatus; Figure 3 is a diagram showing a label which can be produced using the printing apparatus; Figures 4a to 4d are diagrams illustrating the effect of displayed colour changes; Figure 5 illustrates menu selection of a colour break; and Figure 6 is a further diagram illustrating the effect of displayed colour changes.

Figure 1 shows in plan view two cassettes arranged in a printing device 1. The upper cassette 2 is located in a first cassette receiving portion 26 and contains a supply of image receiving tape 4 which passes through a print zone 3 of the printer to an outlet 5 of the printer. The image receiving tape 4 comprises an upper layer for receiving a printed image on one of its surfaces and having its other surface coated with an adhesive layer to which is secured a releaseable backing layer. The cassette 2 has a recess 6 for accommodating a platen 8 of the printer, and guide portions 22,24 for guiding the tape 4 through the print zone. The platen 8 is mounted for rotation within a cage moulding 10. As an alternative, the platen 8 could be mounted for rotation on a pin.

The lower cassette 35 is located in a second cassette receiving 7 portion 28 and contains a thermal transfer ribbon which extends from a supply spool 30 to a take-up spool 32 within the cassette 4. The thermal transfer ribbon 12 extends through the print zone 3 in overlap with the image receiving tape 4. The cassette 35 has a recess 14 for receiving a print head 16 of the printer and guide portions 34,36 for guiding the ink ribbon 12 through the print zone 3. The print head 16 is movable between an operative position, shown in Figure 1, in which it is in contact with the platen and holds the thermal transfer ribbon 12 and the image receiving tape in overlap between the print head and the platen and ah inoperative position in which it is moved away from the platen to release the thermal transfer ribbon and image receiving tape. In the operative position, the platen is rotated to cause image receiving tape to be driven past the print head and the print head is controlled to print an image onto the image receiving tape by thermal transfer of ink from the ribbon 12. The print head is a conventional thermal print head having an array of pixels each of which can be thermally activated in accordance with the desired image to be printed.

The printing device has a lid which is not shown but which is hinged along the rear of the cassette receiving portion and which covers both cassettes when in place.

A motor drives the platen 8 so that sequential columns of print are printed on the image receiving tape 4 as it is fed past the print head. The platen 8 drives the image receiving tape through the print zone under the action of its own rotation. The rotation of the platen and the energisation of the print head 16 are controlled by a microprocessor, for example as described in our European Patents Nos. 0578372 and 0580322 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

The printing device 1 further includes an interface 50 which receives control and printing data via a cable 52 from a PC 54. The PC 54 includes a microprocessor chip 100 (Figure 2), a display 108 and a keyboard 106. The keyboard 106 comprises a set 8 of data input keys which are illustrated diagrammatically by the block 56 but will in practice comprise a plurality of lettered and numbered keys., For example, on existing PCs the QWERTY keyboard would constitute the block 56.

The basic circuitry for controlling the printing device is shown in Figure 2. The microprocessor chip 100 has read only memory (ROM) 102, a microprocessor 101 and random access memory capacity indicated diagrammatically by RAM 104. The microprocessor is connected to receive data input to it from a data input device such ds the keyboard 106. The microprocessor chip 100 outputs data to drive the display 108 and also via the cable 52 to drive the print head 16 and the motor 7 for controlling the platen 8. The microprocessor chip also controls via the cable 52 a cutting mechanism including a cutter 17 to cut off lengths of printed tape to form a label.

The operation of the printer will now be described. Data to be printed is typed using the data input keys 56 on the keyboard 106. As the data is entered into the keyboard 106 it is supplied to the microprocessor 101 which drives the display 108 to display the data as it is entered. To do this, for each character which is entered, the microprocessor calls up a stored version of the character from the ROM 102. As the character is stored in compressed form this font data is stored temporarily in the RAM 104 and is manipulated by the microprocessor 100 to generate pixel data to form the character. This pixel data is transmitted in one form to the display 108 and in another form to the print head for printing. Character data is not passed to the print head for printing until a print operation is executed. Firstly, the characters for the label are entered and edited using function keys on the keyboard 106 in conjunction with the display 108.

The ability for independent removal of the ink ribbon cassette 35 enables a user to change ink colour as desired. This enables multicolour labels to be produced in the following manner.

9 The label is composed by the user as a plurality of pages. Each page can have any user defined characteristics in terms of its print style, size of font and number of lines to be printed. The pages will be printed side by side. Pages can be of differing lengths.

Figure 3 shows a label composed of three pages; PAGE 1, PAGE 2 and PAGE 3. The dotted lines in between the pages are there for diagrammatic purposes only and will not appear on the finished label.. As an example, PAGES 1 and 3 are printed in black ink and PAGE 2 is printed in red ink, on a substrate tape of a common background colour.

Figures 4a to 4d illustrate how such a label could be formulated. As a first step, an image I of the label outline is displayed on the display 108. By selecting a colour selection mode, the user can designate respective regions of the displayed image to have different ink colours.' To formulate the label of Figure 3, the user designates pages 1 and 3 as colour region 1 and page 2 as colour region 2. This is described more fully with reference to Figure 5.

The user then proceeds to enter the first word Esselte into page 1 of the label which is in colour region 1 CR1. The word Esselte automatically appears in black because the colour region 1 has been designated as a, region to be printed in black ink. As shown in Figure 4c, if the user in formulation of the label enters the word labelling by mistake so that it falls into colour region 2 CR2, the word will automatically be displayed in red as shown in Figure 4c. The user realises that he does not wish to have the word labelling in red ink and therefore can remedy the situation, by marking the word as shown in Figure 4d and moving it back into PAGE 1. The displayed colour of the word labelling would automatically change to black when it was displayed in colour region 1. In this way, a user can quickly see the effect of moving objects on the screen between different colour regions so that he always has an accurate idea as to what colours will be printed.

The use of the colour selection mode will now be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows menus which appear on the display. An option menu 200 appears at the top of the display and can be arranged to be permanently visible. A user can select from this a number of label formulation options, including for example label, edit, insert and format. Label, edit and format will not be described further herein, although it will be noted that in the edit mode the label which has been displayed on the display can be edited and formulated. When a user enters the insert mode, a text mode 202 is displayed. The text menu offers a colour break option to a user, which can be selected by marking that option on the menu. If that option is selected, the conventional pointer P which is normally displayed on the screen is changed into a colour break pointer CP as illustrated in the right hand side of Figure 5. The user can move the colour break pointer CP by using a mouse, and it can be positioned to define the colour regions by clicking a mouse button. The normal pointer P can be resumed by pressing escape or any other suitable action on the keyboard. The colour break pointer CP can be moved around as with any printable object to define the colour regions accordingly.

The microprocessor causes the RAM 104 to hold in a text buffer a portion of. the RAM image data defining each page as a sequence of character codes and attribute data. A page break code indicates that a new page is starting and is held in the same text buffer between image data for the first page and image data for a next page. If a colour mode has been selected, the page break code causes a colour break signal to be generated during printing as described in more detail hereinafter. It is not necessary to. hold with each character or printable object the colour in which that character or printable object is to be printed, because this will be taken care of automatically by virtue of the fact that it is printed in a particular page. The colour of the ink ribbon is altered only between pages.

1 11 Once the final form of the label has been worked out, the microprocessor is aware of the pixel data for each page to be printed and has also calculated the overall length of the label. When a print operation is instigated at the keyboard 106, successive columns of pixel data are created from the data in the text buffer and the font data and transmitted to the print head. Sequential columns of pixel, data are printed as the image receiving tape is driven forward.

Printing is carried out until the first page PAGE 1 has been printEd. Then, the end of page signal'causes the microprocessor to display a symbol on,the display 108 which indicates to a user that he should replace the present tape holding case 35 with a different tape holding case having a red ribbon. While this signal is being displayed, the motor driving the platen is stopped so that further movement of the image receiving tape past the print head is prevented. When the user has replaced the tape holding case printing can be resumed by reactivating printing at the keyboard 106 or by automatic detection of the,lid closed" position where closure of the lid automatically brings the print head to its print ready state. When the red page PAGE 2 has been printed, the same sequence of operation occurs, the black tape cassette is reinserted and the third page is printed.

It will be apparent that the signal which indicates to a user that the tape holding case is to be replaced must be given when the printing operations for printing one pages have ceased. That is, the part of the tape being printed at this time is not visible to a user so it would not be possible for a user to print multicolour labels in the absence of this signal.

In the described embodiment, the tape holding case is replaced manually by a user. In another embodiment, the printing device could have means for automatically manipulating tape holding cases so as to replace one by another on receipt of the appropriate signal.

12 When the complete label has been printed, the motor moves the image receiving tape through a distance corresponding to the distance between the print head and a zone where cutting is implemented. A cutting operation is then executed by the cutter 7 to cut off the printed portion of the tape constituting the label.

It will be apparent that the length of each page can be determined by a user and in particular each page can have only a single character.

As an alternative to a signal being displayed on the display 108, a colour change signal could be audible or could be represented in some other way, for example by flashing the display. What is important is that a user is notified to change the ink ribbon colour.

It will be appreciated that the printing system can be made more user friendly if not only the foreground colour but the background colour of the inserted tape is also displayed. This would prevent for example, an attempt by a user to print red ink onto a red background tape.

Thus, the printing system described above has the following features.

1. A colour break barrier is put on the workspace to define the transition of one ink cassette to another. It will also put the printing onhalt to allow the user to change the ink cassette.

2. As shown in Figure 6, a colour break barrier can be put on an object (SAMPLES) on the label workspace. The object that is overlapping with the colour break barrier will not be displayed in two colours. The colour of the whole object will be the colour of the left most colour region of that object.

1 1 13 In this example, assume a red colour region at the lef t hand side of the colour break line and a blue colour region at the right hand side. The word "Sample" crosses the colour break line. Since the left most side of the word "Sample" is in the red coloured region, the whole word together with the word "Book,' will be displayed in red on the screen. The,word "Words" and the circle will both be displayed in blue.

3. An object can be put (e.g. dragged or extended) on top of dn existing colour break barrier. In this case the object gets the colour of the colour region at the lef t most position of the object. Thus, the software does not prevent the user from putting a colour break across an object.

Every object on the label workspace has his own colour property field. So, all objects on one and the same coloured region will all have their colour property set to the same value (e.g. red).

Modifying the colour property of an object will automatically change all the colour properties of the objects that are on the same coloured region. So, by changing the colour of one object, the user will also change the colour of the, coloured region. Newly created objects on a particular region will by default be drawn in the colour of the region.

Some objects might have the colour "transparent". They then reflect the colour of the substrate. The colour of those objects are not changed when the colour of the coloured region is changed. For those objects, their colour will only change when the colour of the substrate is modified.

1 14 7. The colour of the f irst colour region (= colour of ink cassette as the start of the printing) can be defined when the user selects a new empty tape design or when the user wants to convert the current label design into another label format (e.g. from 19mm tape to 32mm tape).

1

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 1. A tape printing apparatus for printing an image in a foreground colour onto tape of a background colour comprising:

a printing mechanism for printing an image consisting of a sequence of printable objects onto the tape as the tape is fed past the printing mechanism in a feed direction; an input device for a user to enter image data defining said printable objects in groups to be printed in different foreground colours; A display for displaying a representation of the image with said groups being displayed in their respective associated foreground colours on adjacent regions of the display, each region being associated with a particular foreground colour; and a processor connected to the input device and to the display and operable to control the display so that when a printable object is inserted into one of said regions it is automatically displayed in the foreground colour associated with that region, whereby during printing all printable objects in a group are printed in their associated foreground colour while tape is fed in the feed direction, printing is then interrupted while the foreground colour for printing is changed and subsequent groups are printed in a new foreground colour while tape continues to be fed in the feed direction.

2. A tape printing apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises an input buffer which holds said image data defining said groups of printable objects with a colour break code between groups of different foreground colours, wherein the colour break code is used to interrupt printing when the foreground colour changes.

3. A tape printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the colour break code causes a colour break signal to be generated in a user detectable manner whereby a user can change the foreground colour while printing is interrupted.

16

4. A tape printing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the input device includes means to allow a user to restart printing after it has been interrupted.

5. A tape printing apparatus according to any preceding claim, which includes a store for holding colour data in association with respective regions of the display.

6. A tape printing apparatus according to any preceding claim comprises a first cassette receiving portion for receiving a f irst tape holding case housing a supply of an image transfer ribbon capable of printing an image of a particular foreground colours; and a second cassette receiving portion for receiving a second tape holding case housing a supply of image receiving tape having a particular'background colour, wherein the first and second tape holding cases are individually removable and replaceable.

7. A tape printing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the printing mechanism comprises a print head and a platen with the tape arranged between the print head and the platen. 1

8. A tape printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tape is fed past the printing mechanism by means for driving the platen to rotate.

9. A printing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the printing mechanism, input device, display and processor are provided by a unitary body.

- A printing apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the input device, display and processor are provided as a unit remote from but in communication with the printing mechanism.

17, A method of printing an image in a plurality of foreground colours onto tape of a background colour, the method comprising: entering image data defining printable objects in groups to be printed in different foreground colours; displaying a representation of the image with said groups being displayed in a respective associated foreground colour on adjacent regions of the display, each region being associated with a particular foreground colour; controlling the display so that when a printable object is inserted into one of said regions it is automatically displayed in thd foreground colour associated with that region; and printing an image consisting of said sequence of printable objects onto the tape as the tape is fed past a printing mechanism in a feed direction, wherein all printable objects in a group are printed in their associated foreground colour while tape is fed in the feed direction, printing is then interrupted while the foreground colour for printing is changed and subsequent groups are printed in a new foreground colour while tape continues to be fed in the feed direction.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein a colour break signal is generated in a user detectable manner between groups of different foreground colours whereby a user can change the foreground colour while printing is interrupted.