Abstract: A printer with a tractor unit driven by a DC motor and a printing control method that acquires accurate load information when continuous paper is loaded. The printer has a printhead 2 that can move in a primary scanning direction and has discharge nozzles that discharge liquid onto continuous paper, and a tractor unit 4 that is driven by a DC motor Mt and conveys continuous paper toward the printhead 2 in a secondary scanning direction perpendicular to the primary scanning direction. The printer 1 and printing method also have a load information acquisition unit 23 that, when continuous paper is loaded in the tractor unit 4, drives the tractor units 4 at least two different constant conveyance speeds V1, V2, and acquires load information I1, I2 for the DC motor Mt at the at least two different conveyance speeds.

Abstract: A print apparatus includes a print-medium sender configured to send out a print medium, a print-medium transportation unit disposed downstream of the print-medium sender in a print-medium transportation direction, and configured to transport the print medium, a print unit disposed between the print-medium sender and the print-medium transportation unit, and configured to perform printing on the print medium while moving in a direction perpendicular to the print-medium transportation direction, and a transport-amount correction controller configured to correct the amount of transportation of the print medium by the print-medium sender or the print-medium transportation unit in accordance with the position of an end of the print medium.

Abstract: A pinwheel includes a plurality of pins arranged on a circumferential surface thereof with a specific interval for engaging transportation holes of a medium, so that the medium is transported. Each of the pins has a lateral section having a substantially oval shape.

Abstract: A method for cutting coating blanket material for use in a printing press includes providing a cutting apparatus having a frame and a cutting surface extending across the frame. A support is mounted to the frame adjacent and approximately parallel to the cutting surface and carries a cutter head mounted thereon for motion back and forth across the support. A drag-type knife is coupled to the cutter head and is movable between a working position wherein the knife penetrates a first layer of flexible material defined by the coating blanket material, and a non-working position wherein the knife is located above the coating blanket material. During operation, the coating blanket moves back and forth through the cutting apparatus while the knife simultaneously places lines of cut in the coating blanket material in accordance with commands issued from a controller having coating blanket cutting data stored therein.