Abstract: There is provided a feed roller that includes a feed drive roller and a teeth roller drivenly rotated by making contact with the feed drive roller, wherein the circumferential surface of the feed drive roller is equipped with a groove with which a part of the teeth roller makes contact.

Abstract: This invention allows images to be printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. Ink droplets Ip are ejected from a print head 28 and printing is started when printing paper P is fed in the sub-scanning direction by upstream paper feed rollers 25a and 25b, and the front edge Pf reaches a position above a downstream slot 26r. Since printing is started when the front edge Pf of printing paper P has reached a position behind nozzle No. 1, images can be printed without forming blank spaces up to the front edge Pf of the printing paper P by causing the nozzles to eject ink droplets Ip irrespective of whether the nozzles are above the printing paper. When images are formed in the vicinity of the front edge Pf of printing paper P, the paper is repeatedly fed in small increments in the sub-scanning direction, and printing is carried out.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: an input/output cell that is included in a path captured during propagation delay testing and that has an output-stage buffer on an output bus; and a terminal connected to the output bus and an input bus of the input/output cell. An external load or a testing device is connectable to the terminal. The input/output cell has switching part that is capable of switching between a first path that loops back at an output side of the output-stage buffer and a second path that loops back at an input side of the output-stage buffer. The first path is selected during normal operation and the second path is selected during the propagation delay testing.

Abstract: A printing method of the present invention includes the steps of: carrying a medium and ejecting ink from a print head to print, on the medium, a mark that can be filled in by a user; detecting, with a sensor, whether or not the mark has been filled in; and performing a process in accordance with a result of the detection by the sensor. With this printing method, operations with respect to a printing apparatus can be performed with ease.

Abstract: In response to an order from a user, a new expendable container is supplied in exchange for an expendable container possessed by the user. Price for ink supply is determined based on expendable-related information that indicates at least the model of the expendable container possessed by the user, thereby promoting refilling and recycling of expendable containers. Price can be discounted if there is remaining ink, whereby discarding of ink can be discouraged, thus contributing to protection of the environment.

Abstract: In response to an order from a user, a new expendable container is supplied in exchange for an expendable container possessed by the user. Price for ink supply is determined based on expendable-related information that indicates at least the model of the expendable container possessed by the user, thereby promoting refilling and recycling of expendable containers. Price can be discounted if there is remaining ink, whereby discarding of ink can be discouraged, thus contributing to protection of the environment.

Abstract: This printer prints images while accurately positioning image data on printing paper. Printing paper P is guided by guides 29a and 29b and is fed in the course of sub-scanning such that the two side edges thereof are above the left slot 26a and right slot 26b of a platen 26. A carriage 31 equipped with a photoreflector 33 is brought to the position shown by a broken line. The photoreflector 33 is used to detect the presence of printing paper P in the connection 26d between the left slot 26a and downstream slot 26r. The feeding during sub-scanning is stopped and some of the nozzles above the downstream slot 26r start printing images in the upper-edge portion Pf (lower edge in FIG. 1) of the printing paper P when the front edge of the printing paper P is detected by the photoreflector 33.

Abstract: A printing device comprises a feed mechanism configured to advance the printing medium intermittently. The feed mechanism is adjusted so that an average feed error ?ave is in the vicinity of zero with respect to a most slippery printing medium among plural types of printing media designed to be used in the printing device. Alternatively, a printing device comprises a controller to correct a feed amount such that an average feed error ?ave is in the vicinity of zero with respect to at least one specific printing medium among plural types of printing media designed to be used in the printing device.

Abstract: A print start position is set to an appropriate position, and the time required for printing is shortened. A printing apparatus, which forms a row of dots from a print start position in a scanning direction to print on a medium to be printed, is provided with a sensor that is capable of detecting an edge, in the scanning direction, of the medium to be printed. The printing apparatus stores the result of detecting the edge of another medium to be printed, and, when printing on the medium to be printed, it reads out the stored detection result and determines the print start position based on that detection result.

Abstract: The present invention is a printing apparatus having: an antenna for communicating wirelessly with an element that is provided on an ink container; and an attach/detach section to and from which a storage medium can be attached and detached. The antenna is a flat antenna, the antenna is capable of communicating wirelessly with the storage medium attached to the attach/detach section, the medium is parallel to the antenna when the storage medium is attached to the attach/detach section, one side of the antenna faces the element, and the other side of the antenna faces the storage medium attached to the attach/detach section.

Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. According to the present invention, an area R for ejecting image-forming ink droplets is specified for a region lying beyond the edges of a printing paper P. The pixels of an external upper edge portion Rfp extending beyond the upper edge Pf are recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot of the platen. An internal upper edge portion Rfq, which is disposed downstream of the external upper edge portion Rfp, is recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot. When dots are recorded, blank spaces are prevented from forming in the edge portions of the printing paper, and ink droplets are prevented from depositing on the platen when the printing paper P deviates from its intended position, provided the upper edge of the printing paper P remains on the inside of the external upper edge portion Rfp or internal upper edge portion Rfq.

Abstract: There is realized a printing system, an order-receiving server, an order-receiving system, an order-receiving method, an order-sending method, and a storage medium, capable of making it convenient for a person making an order upon ordering a printing-medium unit. A printing system for printing on a printing medium, comprises: a printing-medium unit comprising the printing medium, and a memory, the memory having printing-medium information relating to the printing medium recorded thereon. The printing system: reads-in the printing-medium information; and sends-out the printing-medium information to a telecommunication line towards an order-receiving server for receiving an order for the printing-medium unit.

Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. According to the present invention, an area R for ejecting image-forming ink droplets is specified for a region lying beyond the edges of a printing paper P. The pixels of an external upper edge portion Rfp extending beyond the upper edge Pf are recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot of the platen. An internal upper edge portion Rfq, which is disposed downstream of the external upper edge portion Rfp, is recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot. When dots are recorded, blank spaces are prevented from forming in the edge portions of the printing paper, and ink droplets are prevented from depositing on the platen when the printing paper P deviates from its intended position, provided the upper edge of the printing paper P remains on the inside of the external upper edge portion Rfp or internal upper edge portion Rfq.

Abstract: A printing device body reads-in at least one of printing-medium-type information relating to a type of a printing medium provided in a printing-medium unit and stored in printing-medium storage unit, and ink-type information relating to a type of ink contained in an ink unit and stored in ink storage unit. The printing device body determines suitability between at least two of: a printing medium provided in the printing-medium unit, ink contained in the ink unit, and type information designated by a user.

Abstract: Images are printed up to the edges of printing paper while preventing ink droplets from depositing on the platen. According to the present invention, an area R for ejecting image-forming ink droplets is specified for a region lying beyond the edges of a printing paper P. The pixels of an external upper edge portion Rfp extending beyond the upper edge Pf are recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot of the platen. An internal upper edge portion Rfq, which is disposed downstream of the external upper edge portion Rfp, is recorded solely by the nozzles disposed opposite the downstream slot. When dots are recorded, blank spaces are prevented from forming in the edge portions of the printing paper, and ink droplets are prevented from depositing on the platen when the printing paper P deviates from its intended position, provided the upper edge of the printing paper P remains on the inside of the external upper edge portion Rfp or internal upper edge portion Rfq.

Abstract: When there is a request for provision of print data from a client 200, server 120 requests client 200 for printer characteristics information representing print characteristics of a printer 210. When client 200 transmits printer characteristics information to server 120, server 120 sets a print data generating process condition in accordance with the printer characteristics information. A server 120 then generates, in accordance with the set print data generating process condition, print data for use by printer 210, and transmits it to client 200. Client 200 transfers the print data provided from server 120 as-is to printer 210 and causes it to execute printing.

Abstract: The present invention is a printing apparatus having: an antenna for communicating wirelessly with an element that is provided on an ink container; and an attach/detach section to and from which a storage medium can be attached and detached. The antenna is a flat antenna, the antenna is capable of communicating wirelessly with the storage medium attached to the attach/detach section, the medium is parallel to the antenna when the storage medium is attached to the attach/detach section, one side of the antenna faces the element, and the other side of the antenna faces the storage medium attached to the attach/detach section.

Abstract: A platen gap between a print head and a platen can be adjusted into a plurality of values. Different correction values of bi-directional printing misalignment, ?G1 and ?G2, which are respectively associated with a plurality of values of the platen gap, PG1 and PG2, are stored in the EEPROM 200 for use in correcting positional deviation of ink dots in bi-directional printing. A positional deviation correction section 212 selects a positional deviation correction value based on at least the value of the platen gap, and corrects the positional deviation of ink dots in bi-directional printing using the selected positional deviation correction value.

Abstract: A print start position is set to an appropriate position, and the time required for printing is shortened. A printing apparatus, which forms a row of dots from a print start position in a scanning direction to print on a medium to be printed, is provided with a sensor that is capable of detecting an edge, in the scanning direction, of the medium to be printed. The printing apparatus stores the result of detecting the edge of another medium to be printed, and, when printing on the medium to be printed, it reads out the stored detection result and determines the print start position based on that detection result.

Abstract: Images can be printed using any type of ink by providing a print head comprising a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink from ink tank equipped with a memory. The memory contains drive waveform data for reproducing waveforms of drive signals used to actuate the plurality of drive elements. The drive signals are generated based on the drive waveform data stored in the memory of the ink tank, allowing various types of inks to be used by the same printer. In particular, crisp printing can be attained using ink tanks developed after the printer has been shipped.