Abstract: An evaluation method and printer in which a maintenance man may easily identify a deteriorated component in addition to a component that is broken down or is remarkably hard to operate without the need for any additional complex detecting device. A printer has a control part which controls a mechanical part and judges quantitatively in which state among normal, deteriorated, and abnormal states each mechanical part component is located. This judgment will change in accordance with whether the printer is in a maintenance or a normal mode. Further, a deteriorated component can be determined by visually inspecting a copy after one or a combination of electric parameters have been set to printable upper and lower limits.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a continuous medium printing apparatus including a printing section, a determining section, instructing unit, wherein the determining section is controlled in its reading operation for acquiring printed image data from continuous paper in accordance with first instructing signal supplied from the instructing unit, and the printing section is controlled in its printing operation on the continuous paper in accordance with a second instructing signal supplied from the instructing unit.

Abstract: A paper handling apparatus has a simplified structure and allows printed paper to be stacked efficiently. The paper handling apparatus receives printed paper which has undergone printing for each print job and handles the printed paper in an orderly manner. The paper handling apparatus has a stacking section in which printed paper is stacked sequentially for a plurality of jobs and an unloading mechanism for unloading stacked printed paper from the stacking section to the outside. The paper handling apparatus can be used with a printing apparatus which is connected to a large-scale information processing system or similar for printing a large volume of data.

Abstract: An intermediate buffer device for absorbing the difference in paper feeding speed between first and second printers is disposed therebetween. The first printer prints on a first surface of continuous forms in accordance with the top-surface printing data input from a host apparatus, and the second printer prints on the second surface of continuous forms in accordance with the back-surface printing data input from a host apparatus. A detecting portion detects the amount of retention in the intermediate buffer device. A printer controller stops printing and paper feeding by the second printer when the amount of retention falls below a first set value L1 and stops paper feeding and printing by the first printer when the amount of retention exceeds a second set value L2.