JP7746148B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device. In particular, it relates to a printing device that prints characters and the like on paper having a printing area in which multiple printing sub-areas are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction.

Conventionally, there are known printing devices that print predetermined characters, etc. in each print area on paper (e.g., label sheets) that has a single print area or multiple print areas that are separated from each other. Some of these printing devices are also capable of printing characters, etc. in each print sub-area on label sheets that have a print area that further has multiple print sub-areas (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

When entering characters to be printed in each printing sub-area, this printing device displays a screen on its display for accepting input of characters to be printed in each printing sub-area. This screen has a display area that accepts and displays characters entered from the input device, and a tab for determining which of the multiple printing sub-areas the input is being accepted for.

Patent No. 4330359

The above screen displayed on conventional printing devices only had one display area that accepted and displayed character input, and switching tabs changed which printing sub-area in that display area the characters were input to and displayed in. As a result, with conventional printing devices, while entering characters into one printing sub-area, it was not possible to check the contents of characters in the other printing sub-areas. Furthermore, when switching using tabs, it was not intuitively clear which printing sub-area was accepting character input.

The object of the present invention is to enable a printing device that prints characters, etc. on a label sheet having a printing area in which multiple printing sub-areas are arranged in a predetermined direction to more intuitively and simultaneously check the content of the characters, etc. printed in the multiple printing sub-areas, and to more intuitively recognize which printing sub-area is accepting input of characters, etc.

A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a printing device that prints in a printing area in which a first printing sub-area and a second printing sub-area are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction. This printing device is equipped with a display unit that displays an input screen that simulates the printing area.

The input screen displayed on the display unit of the printing device has a first character input area and a second character input area. The first character input area accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area of the printing area. Note that "characters" here is not limited to common characters such as kana, kanji, and alphabets, but also refers to characters that can be printed by the printing device, such as alphanumeric characters, numbers such as Arabic numerals, and various symbols. The second character input area is arranged alongside the first character input area in the same specified direction as the first printing sub-area and second printing sub-area in the printing area, and accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area.

In the above-mentioned printing device, an input screen for entering characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area and the second printing sub-area is displayed on the display unit. This input screen is provided with a first character input area that accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area, and a second character input area that accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area. This allows the content of the characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area and the content of the characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area to be simultaneously confirmed on the input screen.

In addition, on the input screen, the first character input area and second character input area are arranged side by side in the same direction as the arrangement of the first print sub-area and second print sub-area in the print area. In other words, the first character input area and second character input area are arranged on the input screen to correspond to the arrangement of the first print sub-area and second print sub-area in the print area. This allows characters entered in the first character input area and second character input area to be intuitively confirmed on the input screen in a form that is close to the state in which the characters are printed in each print sub-area in the print area.

In the above-mentioned printing device, the input screen may have a first tab and a second tab. The first tab is linked to the first character input area and is activated when character input into the first character input area is permitted. The second tab is linked to the second character input area and is activated when character input into the second character input area is permitted. This allows the user to more intuitively recognize which printing subarea is accepting input of characters to be printed.

In the above-mentioned printing device, the printing layout of the characters printed in the first printing sub-area and the second printing sub-area may be changeable. In this case, the display layout of the characters in the first character input area and the second character input area may be constant regardless of the printing layout in the printing sub-area. This makes it easier to check the content of the characters entered in the character input area.

In the above-mentioned printing device, when converting characters entered in either the first character input area or the second character input area, the character conversion candidate display area that displays character conversion candidates may be displayed overlapping the other character input area. This allows the character entered in one character input area and the conversion candidates for that character to be confirmed simultaneously.

In the above-mentioned printing device, when characters entered in either the first character input area or the second character input area are reflected in the other, the tab connected to the other character input area may be deactivated. This allows intuitive recognition of which character input area is available for character input when characters entered in one character input area are reflected in the other character input area.

In the above-mentioned printing device, a border may be provided at the boundary between the first character input area and the second character input area. This makes it easy to identify each character input area.

On an input screen for entering characters to be printed in multiple printing sub-areas of the printing area, the contents of the characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area and the second printing sub-area can be intuitively confirmed at the same time. It is also possible to more intuitively recognize which printing sub-area the input of characters to be printed in is being accepted.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a label sheet. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the control configuration of the printing device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an input screen. 6 is a flowchart showing the label sheet printing operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a layout selection screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display state of a character conversion candidate display area. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen in which characters input in one character input area are reflected in the other character input area. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen UI after tab switching is performed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a print layout display screen. 12 is a diagram showing a character input state on the input screen when the print layout display screen shown in FIG. 11 is displayed. FIG.

1. First Embodiment (1) Configuration of the Printing Device The following describes a printing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The printing device 100 is capable of printing characters on multiple labels L (an example of a printing area) arranged on the same surface of a label sheet LS, as shown in FIG. 1, and separated from one another. Each label L on the label sheet LS has a first printing sub-area La and a second printing sub-area Lb. The first printing sub-area La is located above the label L and is surrounded by a first printing area frame line La1. The second printing sub-area Lb is located below the first printing sub-area La and is surrounded by a second printing area frame line Lb1. The printing device 100 can print characters separately in the first printing sub-area La and the second printing sub-area Lb of the label L. A label L configured as described above is called an "index label." FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a label sheet.

Each label L can be separated from the label sheet LS. Once separated from the label sheet LS, the label L can be attached wherever you want to use it.

The printing device 100 is capable of printing characters managed by various character codes in the printing sub-area, not limited to common characters such as kana, kanji, and the alphabet, but also alphanumeric characters, Arabic numerals, and various symbols (for example, symbols with numbers written inside a circle).

The configuration of the printing device 100 will be explained below using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the printing device. Figure 3 is a top view of the printing device. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the control configuration of the printing device. The printing device 100 comprises a display unit 1, an input unit 3, a sheet supply port 5, a printing unit 7, and a control unit 9.

The display unit 1 is provided on top of the main body B of the printing device 100. The display unit 1 displays an operation screen for operating the printing device 100. As will be described later, when entering characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area La and second printing sub-area Lb of the label L, an input screen UI (Figure 5) modeled after the label L is displayed on the display unit 1 as the operation screen. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the display unit 1 has a rectangular display area, but it also has a certain degree of dimension not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction, providing a larger display area than conventional devices. The display unit 1 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

The input unit 3 is located below the display unit 1 on the main body B and accepts operations for the printing device 100. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the input unit 3 is composed of multiple keys. Specifically, the input unit 3 mainly has character input keys 3a for entering characters and other operation keys. The input unit 3 mainly has, as operation keys, an execution key 3b for confirming and executing an operation, a tab switching key 3c for switching tabs (described below), cursor keys 3d for moving the cursor, a preview key 3e for displaying the print layout display screen PR (Figure 11), a print key 3f for printing on the label sheet LS, and a relabel key 3g for moving the label L. The input unit 3 also has, as operation keys, keys for commanding other functions that can be executed by the printing device 100.

The sheet supply port 5 is located below the input unit 3 in the main body B. Label sheets LS to be printed are supplied to the sheet supply port 5. A pair of paper guides 5a are provided at the sheet supply port 5. The distance between the pair of paper guides 5a can be adjusted by moving them closer or farther apart. This allows the sheet supply port 5 to supply label sheets LS of multiple sizes.

The printing unit 7 prints on the labels L of the label sheet LS. The printing unit 7 has a printing mechanism 7a and a sheet transport mechanism 7b. The printing mechanism 7a is a mechanism that prints on the labels L, for example, using a thermal transfer method. The sheet transport mechanism 7b transports the label sheet LS supplied to the sheet supply port 5 to the printing mechanism 7a and discharges the label sheet LS printed by the printing mechanism 7a to the outside.

The control unit 9 has a CPU 9a, a storage device 9b such as RAM and ROM, and an input/output interface 9c, and controls the printing device 100. The CPU 9a executes various information processes. The storage device 9b stores programs executed by the CPU 9a, character data, parameters necessary for controlling the printing device 100, etc. The input/output interface 9c inputs and outputs signals and data between the CPU 9a, storage device 9b, display unit 1, input unit 3, and printing unit 7. The control unit 9 controls the printing device 100 by having the CPU 9a execute programs stored in the storage device 9b. Note that part of the control of the printing device 100 may be realized by the hardware that constitutes the control unit 9.

The control unit 9 may be realized by a computer system having a CPU 9a, a storage device 9b, and an input/output interface 9c as separate devices, or by an SoC (System on Chip) that integrates these components on a single chip.

(2) Input Screen Next, the configuration of the input screen UI displayed on the display unit 1 when inputting characters to be printed on the label L will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the input screen. As shown in Fig. 5, the input screen UI has an appearance that imitates the label L. Furthermore, the input screen UI makes it easy to recognize which printing sub-area of the label L the characters are being input into. Specifically, the input screen UI has a first character input area IA1, a second character input area IA2, a first tab T1, and a second tab T2.

The first character input area IA1 is located in the upper half of the input screen UI, corresponding to the position of the first print sub-area La on the label L. The first character input area IA1 accepts and displays the input of characters to be printed in the first print sub-area La. A first character input area frame line FL1 is provided at the boundary of the first character input area IA1, making the first character input area IA1 easily recognizable.

The second character input area IA2 is located in the lower half of the input screen UI, corresponding to the position of the second print sub-area Lb on the label L. That is, the second character input area IA2 is located next to the first character input area IA1 in the downward direction. The second character input area IA2 accepts and displays the characters to be printed in the second print sub-area Lb. A second character input area frame line FL2 is provided at the boundary of the second character input area IA2, making the second character input area IA2 easily recognizable.

In this way, the input screen UI is provided with a first character input area IA1 for inputting characters to be printed in the first print sub-area La, and a second character input area IA2 for inputting characters to be printed in the second print sub-area Lb. This makes it possible to simultaneously check the content of the characters to be printed in the first print sub-area La and the content of the characters to be printed in the second print sub-area Lb on the input screen UI.

In addition, on the input screen UI, the first character input area IA1 and the second character input area IA2 are arranged side by side to correspond to the arrangement of the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb on the label L. For this reason, the input screen UI has an appearance that imitates the label L. Because the input screen UI has an appearance that imitates the label L, the characters entered in the first character input area IA1 and the second character input area IA2 can be intuitively confirmed on the input screen UI in a form that is close to the state in which the characters are printed in each print sub-area of the label L.

The first tab T1 is connected to the first character input area IA1 and is located on the side of the first character input area IA1. The first tab T1 is labeled "A screen input." The first tab T1 is activated when character input into the first character input area IA1 is permitted.

The second tab T2 is connected to the second character input area IA2 and is located on the side of the second character input area IA2. The second tab T2 is labeled "B screen input." The second tab T2 is activated when character input into the second character input area IA2 is permitted.

In this embodiment, when a tab is "activated," for example, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab are displayed in a darker color and/or a thicker color. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the first tab T1 is activated. A cursor CU1 is displayed in the text input area where text input is permitted. Alternatively, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in different colors depending on whether the tab is activated. For example, when a tab is activated, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in blue, and when the tab is deactivated, the text attached to the tab and the border of the text input area connected to the tab may be displayed in gray.

By activating the tab connected to the character input area where character input is being accepted, it becomes easier to intuitively recognize which printing sub-area is accepting input of characters to be printed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the side of the input screen UI displays information indicating the status of the printing device 100. Specifically, the input screen UI displays a label type indicator D1, a label number indicator D2, a superscript/subscript indicator D3, a character placement indicator D4, a character style indicator D5, a character size indicator D6, a font indicator D7, an input conversion indicator D8, a print direction indicator D9, and a remaining battery level indicator D10.

The label type indicator D1 indicates the type of label sheet LS to be printed. The label number indicator D2 indicates the number of the label L for which characters are currently being input. The superscript/subscript indicator D3 indicates whether the input characters will be superscripted or subscripted. The character placement indicator D4 indicates the placement of characters in the printing subarea. The character style indicator D5 indicates the character style applied to the input characters. The character size indicator D6 indicates the character size in the printing subarea. The font indicator D7 indicates the font of the characters printed in the printing subarea. The input conversion indicator D8 indicates the currently set character conversion mode. The printing direction indicator D9 indicates the direction of the characters printed in the printing subarea. The battery level indicator D10 indicates the remaining battery power.

(3) Printing Device Operation The printing operation of the label sheet LS in the printing device 100 will be explained below using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the label sheet printing operation. The following explanation will be given using the operation of printing a new label sheet LS as an example.

When a new printing operation is started in the printer 100, in step S1, the type of label sheet LS to be printed is specified. In this case, a label sheet LS with an index label, as shown in Figure 1, is specified.

After specifying the type of label sheet LS, in step S2, the print layout for the label L is specified. Specifically, the control unit 9 displays a layout selection screen LO, as shown in FIG. 7, on the display unit 1 and accepts the selection of the print layout from the input unit 3. FIG. 7 shows the layout selection screen.

The printing device 100 allows the selection of seven print layouts LO1 to LO8, as shown in Figure 7. The selectable print layouts are broadly divided into print layouts LO1 to LO4, which print the same characters in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb, and print layouts LO5 to LO8, which print different characters in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb.

You can also select a print layout in which characters are written horizontally (print layouts LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO7, LO8) or a print layout in which characters are written vertically (print layouts LO2, LO6). You can also select a print layout in which characters are written in opposite directions in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb (print layouts LO3, LO4, LO7, LO8).

On the layout selection screen LO, the print layout can be specified by, for example, using the cursor key 3d to move the cursor CU2 to the display portion of the desired print layout, and then pressing the execute key 3b. Note that the print layout can also be changed while entering characters in the first character input area IA1 or the second character input area IA2 on the input screen UI.

After selecting the print layout, in step S3, the control unit 9 causes the display unit 1 to display the input screen UI as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the control unit 9 determines whether character input will be permitted into the first character input area IA1 or the second character input area IA2 of the input screen UI, and activates the tab linked to the character input area determined to permit character input. In this way, by activating the tab linked to the character input area into which character input is permitted, the user can intuitively recognize which character input area is permitted for character input.

In the input screen UI shown in FIG. 5, character input is permitted in the first character input area IA1, but by pressing tab switching key 3c after the input screen UI is displayed, the character input area in which character input is permitted can be switched to the second character input area IA2. Also, by pressing tab switching key 3c, the character input area in which character input is permitted can be switched again from the second character input area IA2 to the first character input area IA1. Switching the character input area in which character input is permitted can be done at any time while the input screen UI is displayed.

In step S4, the control unit 9 accepts character input from the character input keys 3a of the input unit 3 into one of the character input areas where character input is permitted. The control unit 9 displays the character input using the character input keys 3a in the character input area where character input is permitted.

When a character is input into one of the character input areas and the input character is to be converted (for example, converting kana characters to kanji characters), as shown in FIG. 8, a character conversion candidate display area CD, which displays character conversion candidates for the character, is displayed overlapping the other character input area. Note that character conversion of the input character can be performed, for example, by pressing a conversion key included in the input unit 3.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the kana character "ai" is entered in the first character input area IA1, and when converting this kana character, the character conversion candidate display area CD, which displays the conversion candidates "ai, ai, ai, ai, ai" (love, meet, meet, ai, ai, indigo), is displayed overlapping the second character input area IA2. Note that when characters are input in the second character input area IA2, the character conversion candidate display area CD is displayed overlapping the first character input area IA1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display state of the character conversion candidate display area.

In this way, when converting characters entered into one character input area, the character conversion candidate display area CD is displayed overlapping the other character input area, allowing the user to simultaneously check the character entered into one character input area and its conversion candidates. As a result, character input into the character input areas can be performed efficiently.

After character input into either the first character input area IA1 or the second character input area IA2 is completed, in step S5 the control unit 9 determines whether the same character should be printed in both the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb. Specifically, if print layouts LO1 to LO4 were specified as the print layout in step S2, the control unit 9 determines that the same character should be printed in both the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb.

If the same characters are to be printed in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb ("Yes" in step S5), in step S6, the control unit 9 reflects the characters entered in one character input area in the other character input area. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the characters entered in one character input area are copied directly to and displayed in the other character input area. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the characters "aiueokaki" (letter characters) are entered in the first character input area IA1, and these characters are reflected in the second character input area IA2. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen in which the characters entered in one character input area have been reflected in the other character input area.

As shown in FIG. 9, when characters entered in one character input area are reflected in the other character input area, a cursor is not displayed in the other character input area, and the tab connected to that other character input area is deactivated. In a tab in an "inactivated" state, for example, the characters attached to that tab and the border of the character input area connected to that tab are displayed in a lighter color and/or a thinner border. In the example shown in FIG. 9, characters entered in the first character input area IA1 are reflected in the second character input area IA2, so cursor CU1 is displayed in the first character input area IA1 and the first tab T1 is activated, while cursor CU1 is displayed in the second character input area IA2 and the second tab T2 is deactivated.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, on the input screen UI, the character attached to the activated tab (first tab T1 in FIG. 9) connected to the character input area where character input is permitted is attached to the inactivated tab (second tab T2 in FIG. 9) connected to the character input area where the input character is reflected (second character input area IA2 in FIG. 9).

In this way, when you want to reflect characters entered in one character input area in another character input area, you can intuitively recognize which character input area is available for character entry by deactivating the tab connected to the other character input area.

On the other hand, if different characters are to be printed in the first print sub-area La and the second print sub-area Lb ("No" in step S5), when the tab switching key 3c is pressed to issue a tab switching command in step S7, the control unit 9 executes tab switching. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the character input area in which character input is permitted is switched, cursor CU1 is displayed in the newly permitted character input area, and the tab connected to that character input area is activated.

In the example shown in Figure 10, when tab switching is performed from the first tab T1 to the second tab T2, the character input area in which character input is permitted switches from the first character input area IA1 to the second character input area IA2. As a result, cursor CU1 is displayed in the second character input area IA2, and the second tab T2 is activated. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the input screen UI after tab switching is performed.

After switching tabs, in step S8, the control unit 9 accepts character input from the character input keys 3a of the input unit 3 into the character input area where character input is now permitted. The control unit 9 displays the character input using the character input keys 3a in the character input area where character input is now permitted.

When the preview key 3e on the input unit 3 is pressed while entering the characters to be printed on the label L by executing steps S4 to S8 above, the control unit 9 causes the display unit 1 to display the print layout display screen PR for the label L, as shown in FIG. 11. The print layout display screen PR shows how the characters entered using the input screen UI will be printed on the label L.

The print layout display screen PR shown in Figure 11 is displayed when the vertical print layout LO6 is selected in step S2, and the characters "aiueokaki" are entered in the first character input area IA1 of the input screen UI, and the characters "ABCDEFG" are entered in the second character input area IA2, as shown in Figure 12. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the print layout display screen. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the character input state on the input screen when the print layout display screen shown in Figure 11 is displayed.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the print layout specified in step S2 is reflected on the print layout display screen PR, while the characters in the first character input area IA1 and the second character input area IA2 are always displayed horizontally and are never inverted vertically, regardless of the specified print layout. In other words, the display layout of characters in the first character input area IA1 and the second character input area IA2 is constant regardless of the specified print layout. By keeping the display layout of characters in the character input areas constant, the characters displayed in the character input areas are easier to see, making it easier to check the content of the characters entered in the character input areas.

After the character input in the character input area is confirmed (finished), step S2 is executed on the print layout display screen PR to display characters according to the specified print layout.

In addition, on the input screen UI, the size of the characters displayed in the first character input area IA1 and the second character input area IA2 is fixed and does not change depending on the number of characters entered. On the printed label L and on the print layout display screen PR, the size of the characters is adjusted according to the number of characters to be printed in the print sub-area, so that all characters fit within the print sub-area.

If a large number of characters are entered in the character input area and not all of them can be displayed, only some of the entered characters will be displayed in the character input area. The characters that are not displayed can be displayed, for example, by moving the cursor CU1.

In this way, by fixing the size of the characters displayed in the character input area, the characters displayed in the character input area become easier to see, making it easier to check the content of the characters entered in the character input area.

After steps S2 to S8 have been executed to specify the print layout and input the characters to be printed in each sub-printing area for one label L, if the change label key 3g is pressed to command moving to another label L ("No" in step S9), the printing operation returns to step S2, and the above steps S2 to S8 are executed again. In other words, for the other label L after the move, the print layout is specified and the characters to be printed in each sub-printing area of that label are input.

On the other hand, if the print key 3f is pressed to command printing on the label sheet LS ("Yes" in step S9), the control unit 9 begins printing on the label sheet LS in step S10. Specifically, the control unit 9 controls the sheet transport mechanism 7b to transport the label sheet LS supplied to the sheet supply port 5 to the printing mechanism 7a. It also controls the printing mechanism 7a to print the input characters on the labels L to be printed. After printing on all the labels L to be printed, it controls the sheet transport mechanism 7b to discharge the label sheet LS to the outside.

Furthermore, after steps S2 to S8 have been executed to specify the print layout for one label L and input the characters to be printed in each sub-printing area, the specified print layout for that label L and the characters input for that label L can be saved in the storage device 9b.

(4) Commonalities of the Embodiments The first embodiment has the following common configurations and functions.
A printing device (e.g., printing device 100) is a printing device that prints on a printing area (e.g., label L) in which a first printing sub-area (e.g., first printing sub-area La) and a second printing sub-area (e.g., second printing sub-area Lb) are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction. This printing device includes a display unit (e.g., display unit 1) that displays an input screen (e.g., input screen UI) that simulates the printing area.

The input screen displayed on the display unit of the printing device has a first character input area (e.g., first character input area IA1) and a second character input area (e.g., second character input area IA2). The first character input area accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area of the printing area. The second character input area is arranged alongside the first character input area in the same predetermined direction as the first printing sub-area and second printing sub-area in the printing area, and accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area.

In the above-mentioned printing device, an input screen for entering characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area and the second printing sub-area is displayed on the display unit. This input screen is provided with a first character input area that accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area, and a second character input area that accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area. This allows the content of the characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area and the content of the characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area to be simultaneously confirmed on the input screen.

In addition, on the input screen, the first character input area and second character input area are arranged side by side in the same direction as the arrangement of the first print sub-area and second print sub-area in the print area. In other words, the first character input area and second character input area are arranged on the input screen to correspond to the arrangement of the first print sub-area and second print sub-area in the print area. This allows characters entered in the first character input area and second character input area to be intuitively confirmed on the input screen in a form that is close to the state in which the characters are printed in each print sub-area in the print area.

(5) Other Embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

(A) The processing content of each step in the printing operation described using Figure 6 and the processing order of each step can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

(B) The label sheet LS does not need to have the first print area border line La1 and the second print area border line Lb1.

(C) The printing device 100 can also print on label sheets having labels different from the label L shown in Figure 1.

(D) When displaying a large number of characters in each print sub-area on the print layout display screen PR, the characters may be displayed as shapes such as "■" (black squares). In this case, the content represented by the "■" may be made visible by enlarging the display of the portion represented by the "■".

(E) When printing multiple label sheets LS, a sheet print layout display screen showing the print status of the entire label sheet LS may be displayed on the display unit 1 for each label sheet LS printed. Specifically, after printing of the first label sheet LS is complete, the sheet print layout display screen for the second label sheet LS is displayed on the display unit 1, and after checking the print status of the second label sheet LS using this print layout, printing of the second label sheet LS can begin.

(F) The print layout display screen PR may be able to set the number of labels L to be printed for the label whose print layout is displayed. For example, the print layout display screen PR may be provided with an interface for setting the number of labels to be printed, and this interface may be used to set the number of labels L to be printed for the label displayed on the print layout display screen PR.

The present invention can be widely applied to printing devices that print characters, etc. on paper having a printing area in which multiple printing sub-areas are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction.

100 Printing device 1 Display unit 3 Input unit 3a Character input key 3b Execute key 3c Tab switching key 3d Cursor key 3e Preview key 3f Print key 3g Label change key 5 Sheet supply port 5a Paper guide 7 Printing unit 7a Printing mechanism 7b Sheet transport mechanism 9 Control unit 9a CPU
9b Storage device 9c Input/output interface B Main body UI Input screen FL1 First character input area frame IA1 First character input area FL2 Second character input area frame IA2 Second character input area T1 First tab T2 Second tab CU1, CU2 Cursor CD Character conversion candidate display area D1 Label type indicator D2 Label number indicator D3 Superscript/subscript indicator D4 Character layout indicator D5 Character decoration indicator D6 Character size indicator D7 Font indicator D8 Input conversion indicator D9 Print direction indicator D10 Battery remaining indicator LS Label sheet L Label La First print sub-area La1 First print area frame Lb Second print sub-area Lb1 Second print area frame PR Print layout display screen LO Layout selection screens LO1 to LO8 Print layout

Claims (5)

A printing device that prints in a printing area in which a first printing sub-area and a second printing sub-area are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction,
a display unit that displays an input screen that simulates the print area;
The input screen is
a first character input area that accepts and displays input of characters to be printed in the first printing sub-area;
a second character input area arranged next to the first character input area in the predetermined direction, and configured to accept and display input of characters to be printed in the second printing sub-area;
a first tab connected to the first character input area and activated when character input into the first character input area is permitted;
a second tab connected to the second character input area and activated when character input into the second character input area is permitted;
and
In a deactivated tab of the first tab and the second tab, the characters attached to the tab and the border of the character input area connected to the tab are displayed in a lighter color and/or thinner than those of the activated tab.
Printing device. a print layout of characters printed in the first print sub-area and the second print sub-area is changeable;
The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display layout of characters in the first character input area and the second character input area is constant regardless of the print layout. 3. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein when converting a character input into either the first character input area or the second character input area, a character conversion candidate display area that displays character conversion candidates is displayed overlapping the other character input area. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein when a character input into one of the first character input area or the second character input area is reflected in the other, a tab connected to the other character input area is deactivated. 5. The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein a border is provided at a boundary between the first character input area and the second character input area.