Apparatus for recording graphical representations with checking of the recording area

A recording apparatus capable of recording a graphical representation on a recording medium with a recording instrument which is movable relative to the recording medium along an X axis and a Y axis, comprising:

• a graphic pattern memory for storing a set of graphic pattern data representative of a pattern of said graphical representation;
• an input device through which is entered graph data which is to be presented in said pattern;
• a graph memory for storing said graph data entered through said input device;
• recording control means for effecting and controlling relative movements between said recording instrument and said recording medium so as to record said graphical representation on said recording medium with said recording instrument in accordance with said graphic pattern data and said graph data;
• setting means for selecting position parameters for determining a maximum X-axis recordable range within which a recording on said recording medium with said recording instrument is possible along said X axis, and a maximum Y-axis recordable range within which the recording is possible along said Y axis, said setting means including:
• margin-position register means for storing at least one of preset left and right margin positions of said recording medium, and at least one of preset top and bottom margin positions of said recording medium;
• an instrument-position register for storing a current position of said recording instrument relative to said recording medium;
• a start-point setting key operable, with said recording instrument located at said current position, to store said current position stored in said instrument-position register into said graph memory as start-point data representative of a start point at which the recording of said graphical representation is started;
• arithmetic means for calculating said maximum X-axis and Y-axis recordable ranges which define a maximum recordable area, based on said start-point data and the contents of said margin-position register means, and for calculating an X-axis plotting range and a Y-axis plotting range which define a plotting area of said graphical representation, based on said start-point data, said graphic pattern data and said graph data, but not said maximum X-axis and Y-axis recordable ranges;
• judging means for comparing said X-axis and Y-axis plotting ranges with said maximum X-axis and Y-axis recordable ranges, respectively;
• and
• indicator means, responsive to said judging means, for indicating that said X-axis plotting range exceeds said maximum X-axis recordable range if said judging means determines that said X-axis plotting range exceeds said maximum X-axis recordable range, and indicating that said Y-axis plotting range exceeds said maximum Y-axis recordable range if said judging means determines that said Y-axis plotting range exceeds said maximum Y-axis recordable range.