Abstract: A tape printing apparatus and method for printing a series of characters on a tape including an input device to input a series of characters, and a display device coupled to the input device and configured to display the series of characters. A tape length calculator is coupled to the input device to automatically calculate a total length of tape to be printed based upon the series of characters. The printing apparatus further includes a unit selector to convert the total length into a displayed length of a selected unit of length selected from at least two different choices of units of length, and a tape length display for displaying the displayed length in the selected unit of length prior to printing. A storage device is coupled to the unit selector and is adapted to store the length unit as a selected display unit.

Abstract: Tape printing device 1 is provided with the second and third screen modes M1 and M2, in which the input document and its layout can be simultaneously displayed on the same screen. These modes can be switched by operating layout image simultaneous display key 23. The user can enter a document while viewing its layout image displayed on the same screen to obtain the desired layout. Thus, the present invention provides a user-friendly character information processing device in which the user can enter a document while viewing the layout image on screen to obtain the desired layout.

Abstract: When stoppage of printing on a tape is commanded, an automatic non-printing feed of the tape equal to the distance between the print head and a cutter is performed to enable cutting of the tape with minimum waste. Additionally the forming of leading and trailing margins on a printed tape less than the distance between the print head and cutter is enabled by providing deceleration and acceleration coupled with print pulse width variation corresponding to tape movement.

Abstract: A tape printing assembly for editing input data of up to ‘n’ lines which includes a main display formed to display the edited input data in ‘p’ lines, where ‘p’ is an integer between 1 to at most ‘n’−1. A display controller is adapted to control the editing procedure and display of the input data of a line currently being edited on the main display, while simultaneously indicating on an auxiliary display the line currently edited. In another aspect, a line number indicator, corresponding to a line of input data, is positioned proximate and adjacent to the line on the main display. Upon a selected portion of the input data being positioned within a display area, the line number indicator is positioned proximate to and moves with the selected portion. Upon the selected portion being scrolled beyond an end of the display area, the line number indicator is fixed relative the display area proximate the end thereof.

Abstract: A tape printing device includes a key input for inputting characters and symbols, a memory for storing data representing the input characters and symbols, a tape-width detector for detecting width of a loaded tape, an enlargement printing command receiver for receiving command information concerning an enlargement printing mode. In the enlargement printing mode a pseudo label, whose size is N times that of a label in a normal printing mode, is obtained when arranging tape-sections widthwise of the tape in such a manner as to join, after dividing the printed tape into N tape length sections, wherein N is an integer of at least two. A computer determines the printing attribute for each of the N tape sections in accordance with the characters and symbols stored in memory and tape width detected by the tape-width detector. A printer serially prints on the end character-string portions in the manner determined by the computer for the respective tape length sections.

Abstract: There are provided a print image-forming device and device for forming print images and a printing apparatus incorporating the device. A basic image is created which has a plurality of elementary images including at least one fixed-sized elementary image and at least one variable-sized elementary image. A reduced image of the basic image is formed as the print image by reducing at least one of the at least one variable-sized elementary image of the basic image, when the basic image cannot be printed as the print image within the printing area.

Abstract: For printing a label with user desired margins, a tape printer determines a first region in which a character string is to be printed, and determines a second region encompassing the first region and in which an array of dots is to be printed. The array of dots with the character string superimposed thereon is printed onto the tape. This array of dots is used as a reference to guide cutting of the tape to form a label with user desired margins.

Abstract: A character string including one or more full-width characters and one or more half-width numerical characters is input and printed on a tape. The half-width characters are input by a symbol entering mode and have widths which are one-half the widths of ordinary characters. Two half-width numeric characters to be printed consecutively are developed in a font development area corresponding to that required for one full-width character so that the two half-width numeric characters can be handled as a single character.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: The present invention aims to produce a label which has a size, margins and a character arrangement as a user desired, and aims to reduce a wasteful consumption of tape.In a tape printing device of the present invention, there is established an enlargement printing mode in which a large pseudo label, whose width is wider than the width of tape, can be obtained when the tape is divided into division portions in the longitudinal direction of the tape and when the division portions are arranged in the direction of the width of the tape. When printing in this mode, the tape printing device prints not only a character string but a marker which indicates the dividing positions in the longitudinal direction of the tape, with the intention of improving the quality of the pseudo label.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus for printing a series of characters on a tape including an input device to input a series of characters, and a display device coupled to the input device and configured to display the series of characters. A tape length calculator is coupled to the input device to automatically calculate a total length of tape to be printed based upon the series of characters. The printing apparatus further includes a unit selector to convert the total length into a displayed length of a selected unit of length selected from at least two different choices of units of length, and a tape length display for displaying the displayed length in the selected unit of length prior to printing. A storage device is coupled to the unit selector and is adapted to store the length unit as a selected display unit.

Abstract: Tape printing device 1 is provided with the second and third screen modes M1 and M2, in which the input document and its layout can be simultaneously displayed on the same screen. These modes can be switched by operating layout image simultaneous display key 23. The user can enter a document while viewing its layout image displayed on the same screen to obtain the desired layout. Thus, the present invention provides a user-friendly character information processing device in which the user can enter a document while viewing the layout image on screen to obtain the desired layout.

Abstract: The tape printing device of the present invention has the function of automatically setting the length of the front and rear margins according to the width of the tape and the function of printing a square-array dot pattern on a wide region which is wider than the character string. Moreover, the tape printing device of the present invention has the function of feeding the tape, for example, between a print head and a cutter, when instructing to stop printing the character string, without printing characters.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: A tape printing assembly for editing input data of up to `n` lines which includes a main display formed to display the edited input data in `p` lines, where `p` is an integer between 1 to at most `n`-1. A display controller is adapted to control the editing procedure and display of the input data of a line currently being edited on the main display, while simultaneously indicating on an auxiliary display the line currently edited.

Abstract: In a tape printing device of the present invention, there is established an enlargement printing mode in which a large pseudo label, whose width is wider than the width of tape, can be obtained when the tape is divided into division portions in the longitudinal direction of the tape and when the division portions are arranged in the direction of the width of the tape. When printing in this mode, the tape printing device prints not only a character string but a marker which indicates the dividing positions in the longitudinal direction of the tape, with the intention of improving the quality of the pseudo label.

Abstract: A processor for a tape printer enables user-generated characters each formed by dot patterns in four sizes (16.times.16 dots, 24.times.24 dots, 32.times.32 dots, 48.times.48 dots). The user generates the dot pattern of the smallest size (16.times.16 dots) and the processor automatically enlarges the generated dot pattern to tentative dot patterns in the three larger sizes which can then be modified in turn by the user. Upon completion of the modification of the second size pattern (24.times.24 dots) the processor enlarges the completed second size dot pattern to a substitute fourth size tentative dot pattern (48.times.48 dots) to incorporate the modifications of the second size dot pattern into the fourth size dot pattern and thus reduce the user modifications to the fourth size dot pattern.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.