Long medium

A long medium having:

• a start end;
• a final end opposite the start end in a longitudinal direction;
• a first side edge connecting the start end and the final end;
• a second side edge connecting the start end and the final end, the second side edge being spaced apart from the first side edge in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
• first reference holes formed at a first pitch along the first side edge;
• N first conveyance holes formed along the first side edge at a second pitch smaller than the first pitch, and formed between adjacent first reference holes, in which N is a positive integer;
• first index holes formed along the first side edge at a third pitch smaller than the first pitch, the first index holes being respectively positioned in different first index hole forming areas, each of the first index hole forming areas being set between different adjacent pairs of the first reference holes;
• second reference holes formed at the first pitch along the second side edge;
• N second conveyance holes formed along the second side edge at the second pitch and formed between adjacent second reference holes;
• and
• second index holes formed along the second side edge, the second index holes positioned in different second index hole forming areas, each of the second index hole forming areas being set between different adjacent pairs of the second reference holes along the second side edge, the second index holes comprising:
• a plurality of first circulating holes continuously formed at a fourth pitch, smaller than the third pitch, in a start end direction with respect to one of the second index holes closest to a start end side of a corresponding second index hole forming area, and
• a plurality of second circulating holes, the second circulating holes being respectively disposed between different adjacent sets of the plurality of first circulating holes in the longitudinal direction, the second circulating holes being respectively formed at a fifth pitch, larger than the first pitch, relative to a respective one of the first circulating holes that is formed in the start end direction from the respective second circulating hole, and closest to the start end side of a corresponding second index hole forming area, and wherein:
• the second index hole forming area is defined by an area extending from a first second conveyance hole, of the second conveyance holes, adjacent to a final end side of a first second reference hole, of the second reference holes, to an Mth second conveyance hole, in which M is a positive integer equal to or smaller than N,
• when the first pitch is P1, the second pitch is P2, the third pitch is P3, the fourth pitch is P4, the fifth pitch is P5, a first reference length is L1, a first scale is S1, a second reference length is L2, and a second scale is S2,
• S1=P2/L1,
• L2=L1/(M−1),
• S2=P2/L2,
• P3=P1−P1×S1,
• P4=P1−P1×S2, and
• P5=P2×(M−1)+P4,
• when the first index hole is formed in one of the first index hole forming areas closer to the start end and farther away from the final end, the first index hole is formed at a position farther away from an end portion on the start end side of the corresponding first index hole forming area and closer to an end portion on the final end side of the corresponding first index hole forming area when compared to a position of another one of the first index holes formed in another one of the first index hole forming areas farther away from the start end and closer to the final end,
• when, within the plurality of first circulating holes continuously formed between adjacent second circulating holes, the first circulating hole is formed in one of the second index hole forming areas closer to the start end and farther away from the final end, the first circulating hole is formed at a position farther away from an end portion on the start end side of the corresponding second index hole forming area and closer to the end portion on the final end side of the corresponding second index hole forming area, and
• the second circulating hole, adjacent to the start end side of the plurality of first circulating holes, is formed at a position farther away from the end portion on the start end side of the corresponding second index hole forming area in which the second circulating hole is formed than the plurality of first circulating holes are to the start end side of their corresponding second index hole forming areas, and closer to the end portion on the final end side of the corresponding second index hole forming area than the plurality of first circulating holes are to the final end side of their corresponding second index hole forming areas.