Label-printing control apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and label-printing control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10607124-B2
Application number	US-201916371631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 4, 2018
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

Provided are a label-printing control apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and a label-printing control method. A hardware processor of the label-printing control apparatus creates an adjusting image, from a reference mark for determining a die-cutting position on a continuous label stock and a cut mark representing a shape to cut a label image printed on the continuous label stock, both extracted from print data, while arranging specific images each created from the cut mark, to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks with different distances in the adjusting image. The hardware processor further creates, from the reference mark and a label image extracted from the print data, an end product image including the reference mark and the label image, and instructs the label printing device to print the adjusting image and the end product image on a continuous label stock.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A label-printing control apparatus for controlling a label printing device configured to print label images, which are to be cut into label shapes by die-cutting, on a continuous label stock, the label-printing control apparatus comprising:
an engine interface unit that communicably connects the label-printing control apparatus to the label printing device; and
a hardware processor that performs operations including
analyzing print data to extract a label image, a reference mark and a cut mark from the print data, the reference mark being a mark used for determining a die-cutting position on a continuous label stock, the cut mark representing a shape to cut the label image minted on the continuous label stock,
creating, from the reference mark and the cut mark extracted from the print data, an adjusting image including a plurality of the reference marks and one or more specific; images each created from the cut mark, corresponding to each of the plurality of the reference marks, while arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks with different distances in the adjusting image,
outputting data of the adjusting image to the label printing device through the engine interface unit, to instruct the label printing device to print the adjusting image on a continuous label stock,
creating, from the reference mark and the label image extracted from the print data, an end product image including the reference mark and the label image corresponding to the reference mark, and
outputting data of the end product image to the label printing device through the engine interface unit, to instruct the label printing device to print the end product image on the continuous label stock.

2. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks in a machine direction of the continuous label stock.

3. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes adding values indicating the distances of the specific images from the respective reference marks in the machine direction, to the adjusting image.

4. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction of the continuous label stock.

5. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 4 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes adding values indicating the distances of the specific images from the respective reference marks in one or both of the machine direction and the cross-machine direction, to the adjusting image.

6. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks with distances which increase at fixed intervals or at intervals changing in a stepwise manner, or decrease at fixed intervals or at intervals changing in a stepwise manner.

7. The label-printing control apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the specific images in the adjusting image are a plurality of the cut marks, a plurality of rectangles each circumscribed about the cut mark, or a plurality of scales each including graduations covering an area of the cut mark.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a label-printing control program to be executed in a controller of a label printing device configured to print label images, which are to be cut into label shapes by die-cutting, on a continuous label stock, the program comprising instructions which, when executed by a hardware processor of the controller, cause the hardware processor to perform operations comprising:
analyzing print data to extract a label image, a reference mark and a cut mark from the print data, the reference mark being a mark used for determining a die-cutting position on a continuous label stock, the cut mark representing a shape to cut the label image printed on the continuous label stock;
creating, from the reference mark and the cut mark extracted from the print data, an adjusting image including a plurality of the reference marks and one or more specific images each created from the cut mark, corresponding to each of the plurality of the reference marks, while arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks with different distances in the adjusting image;
outputting data of the adjusting image to the label printing device through an engine interface unit of the controller, to instruct the label printing device to print the adjusting image on a continuous label stock;
creating, from the reference mark and the label image extracted from the print data, an end product image including the reference mark and the label image corresponding to the reference mark; and
outputting data of the end product image to the label printing device through the engine interface unit, to instruct the label printing device to print the end product image on the continuous label stock.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks in a machine direction of the continuous label stock.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes adding values indicating the distances of the specific images from the respective reference marks in the machine direction, to the adjusting image.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction of the continuous label stock.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 11 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes adding values indicating the distances of the specific images from the respective reference marks in one or both of the machine direction and the cross-machine direction, to the adjusting image.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the creating an adjusting image, includes arranging the specific images to be spaced apart from the respective reference marks with distances which increase at fixed intervals or at intervals changing in a stepwise manner, or decrease at fixed intervals or at intervals changing in a stepwise manner.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the specific images in the adjusting image are a plurality of the cut marks, a plurality of rectangles each circumscribed about the cut mark, or a plurality of scales each including graduations covering an area of the cut mark.

15. A label-printing control method for use in a printing system including a label printing device configured to print label images, which are to be cut into label shapes by die-cutting, on a continuous label stock, the method comprising:
analyzing, by a controller of the label printing device, print data to extract a label image, a reference mark and a cut mark from the print data, the reference mark being a mark used for determining a die-cutting position on a continuous label stock, the cut mark representing a shape to cut the label image printed on the con

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Kouguchi Masatsugu

Classifications

• B41J11/663

  Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image · CPC title

• G06K15/1868

  for fitting to an output condition, e.g. paper colour or format · CPC title

• G06K15/027

  Test patterns and calibration (arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033) · CPC title

• B41J11/46

  by marks or formations on the paper being fed · CPC title

• G06K15/403

  handling the outputted documents, e.g. staplers, sorters · CPC title