Printing apparatus

Abstract

A printing apparatus for fabric, comprising a retainer unit having a retainer surface on which a piece of fabric is removably installed, an ink ejecting unit which ejects ink onto a surface of the fabric retained by the retainer unit according to image data transmitted from an external device, an image data receiving system which receives the image data transmitted from the external device, and a print controlling system which controls executing one of a normal printing operation wherein the image data received by the image data receiving system is printed on the surface of the piece of fabric retained by the retainer unit and a positioning information printing operation wherein positioning information to be used for arranging the piece of fabric in position with respect to the retainer surface is printed on the retainer surface, is provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fabric printer 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plane view of an operation panel 28 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration of a ROM 120 in a control unit of the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a configuration of a RAM 130 in the control unit of the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a personal computer 200 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of a RAM 230 of the personal computer 200 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration of a storing area in an HDD (hard disk drive) 250 of the personal computer 200 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process of the personal computer 200 as image data is generated and transmitted to the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a setting screen for positioning index for printer driver of the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a setting screen for selecting positioning index for printer driver of the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a printing process executed by the fabric printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a platen 5 with a white sheet member 50 set thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the platen 5 without the white sheet member 50 thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 is an illustrative plane view of the sheet member 50 with first positioning index printed thereon according the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is an illustrative plane view of the sheet member 50 with a second positioning index printed thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is an illustrative plan view of the sheet member 50 with a third positioning index printed thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention

FIG. 18 is an illustrative plane view of a T-shirt in size S being positioned on the platen 5 with the sheet member 50 having the second positioning index printed thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 is an illustrative plane view of a T-shirt in size XL being positioned on the platen 5 with the sheet member 50 having the second positioning index printed thereon according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a printing process of the positioning index in a fabric printer 2 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a setting screen for selecting the positioning index shown on the operation panel 28 of the fabric printer 1 according to the second embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for fabric, comprising: a retainer unit having a retainer surface on which a piece of fabric is removably installed;an ink ejecting unit which ejects ink onto a surface of the fabric retained by the retainer unit according to image data transmitted from an external device;an image data receiving system which receives the image data transmitted from the external device; anda print controlling system which controls executing one of a normal printing operation wherein the image data received by the image data receiving system is printed on the surface of the piece of fabric retained by the retainer unit and a positioning information printing operation wherein positioning information to be used for arranging the piece of fabric in position with respect to the retainer surface is printed on the retainer surface.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning information storing system, wherein the positioning information is stored.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning information stored in the positioning information storing system is used to guide the piece of fabric in position on the retainer surface, andwherein the positioning information storing system stores a plurality of patterns of positioning information, one of which is selectively used to guide the piece of fabric in position according to a type of the piece of fabric.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning information includes a plurality of lines each of which indicates a position of the piece of fabric to be arranged according to a size of the piece of fabric.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the positioning information includes a plurality of lines each of which indicates a position of the piece of fabric to be arranged according to a size of the piece of fabric.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an L* value of a color of the ink to be used for printing the positioning information in the positioning information printing operation is at most 70.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print controlling system controls printing the positioning information specified by a user via a computer being connected with the printing apparatus by ejecting the ink from an ejecting portion of the ink ejecting unit onto the retainer surface in the positioning information printing operation.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the retainer unit is configured as such at least one of the retainer unit itself is exchangeable with respect to the printing apparatus and the retainer surface is exchangeable with respect to the retainer unit.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a detecting system which detects presence and absence of the retainer surface of the retainer unit.