Tape printing device for printing characters and frames

Abstract

An operator inputs characters from a keyboard. The characters are stored in the form of character codes. The operator sets an overall frame and a partial frame to decide characters to be enclosed in the frames by editing character codes symbolically displayed on the liquid crystal display. In this process, both ends of the frames are also encoded into character codes. After the operator enters an execution key, the character codes are converted into bit image data by means of a character generator. The image data for characters, the overall frame and the partial frame are combined on the image buffer. When the image data is ready, the image data is transferred to the thermal head via a driving circuit, and the printing process is executed on a printing medium. An array of printing mechanisms substantially extending across the width of the tape printing medium allow the printing device to execute the whole printing process while sending the medium in one direction.