Printing system and printing method

Abstract

A printing system and method for printing to roll paper with the advancement of the roll paper controlled such that printing of blank raster data at the end of the printed portion of the roll paper is minimized. The printing system has a raster data generating means for producing raster data from print data where the raster data is data for printing one line, a partial print data generating means for generating partial print data by allocating the raster data to each stage of nozzles disposed to a print head in the printer, a storage means for storing the partial print data, means for moving the print head in a main scanning direction and for advancing the roll paper in a sub-scanning direction while printing the partial print data stored in the storage means to the roll paper and program means to determine if the last partial print data being printed contains blank raster data continuously to the end thereof and if so to control the advance of the roll paper to a distance equal to the difference between the total number of rasters that can be printed by the print head and the number of blank rasters in the last partial print data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of operation through command conversion.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the printer driver.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the process of the present invention after raster data generation.

FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the carriage.

FIG. 6 schematically describes carriage operation.

FIG. 7 describes the roll paper printing operation.

FIG. 8 describes the roll paper printing operation.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the partial print data printing operation.

Claims

1. A printing system for controlling printing of print data to roll paper using a printer having at least two stages of nozzles disposed to a print head comprising: a raster data generating means for producing raster data from the print data with the raster data being data for printing one line;a partial print data generating means for generating partial print data by allocating the raster data to each of the stages of nozzles in the printer;a storage means for storing the partial print data;means for moving the print head in a main scanning direction;a paper transportation means for advancing the roll paper in a sub-scanning direction;printing means for printing the partial print data stored in the storage means to the roll paper; andprogram means to determine if the last partial print data being printed contains blank raster data continuously to the end thereof and if so to control the paper transportation means such that the roll paper is advanced a distance equal to only the difference between the total number of rasters that can be printed by the print head and the number of blank rasters in the last partial print data.

2. The printing system described in claim 1, further comprising a cutting means for cutting the roll paper after the last partial print data is printed, the cutting means cutting the roll paper at the beginning of the portion corresponding to the blank raster data.

3. The printing system described in claim 1, further comprising a printer driver for issuing a command to advance the roll paper when it is determined that the last partial print data contains blank raster data continuously to the end thereof such that the roll paper is advanced a distance equal only to the difference between the total number of rasters that can be printed by the print head and the number of blank rasters in the last partial print data.

4. A printing method for enabling a printer having at least two stages of nozzles disposed to a print head to print to a print medium such as roll paper from print data generated by a computer comprising the steps of: generating raster data from the print data with the raster data being data for printing one line;generating partial print data from the raster data;allocating the raster data to each of the stages of nozzles in the printer;storing the partial print data;moving the print head in a main scanning direction while printing the stored partial print data to the print medium;advancing the print medium in a sub-scanning direction; anddetermining if part of the last partial print data being printed contains continuous blank raster data to the end of said partial print data and, if so, advancing the print medium a distance equal to only the difference between the total number of rasters that can be printed by the print head and the number of blank rasters in the last partial print data.

5. The printing method described in claim 4, wherein a printer driver counts the raster difference and generates the partial print data linked to the raster difference.

6. The printing method described in claim 4, wherein the printer counts the raster difference and generates the partial print data linked to the raster difference.

7. The printing method described in claim 4, wherein when it is determined that the last partial print data or a part of the last partial print data contains blank raster data continuously to the end thereof, said printer driver issues a command to advance the roll paper a distance equal only to the difference between the total number of rasters that can be printed by the print head and the number of blank rasters in the last partial print data.