Tape printer having a display

A tape printer for printing desired characters onto a tape, comprising:

• input means for inputting characters desired to be printed on a tape and a variety of commands;
• data memory means for storing data of the inputted characters;
• font memory means for storing dot pattern data for a plurality of characters in a plurality of sizes;
• tape cassette receiving means for being detachably loaded with a tape cassette containing a tape;
• tape width detection means for detecting a tape width of the tape contained in the tape cassette loaded in the tape cassette receiving means;
• display condition data memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined display magnification rates in correspondence with tape widths, with widths of effective display ranges at which characters are to be displayed, and with display character sizes;
• display magnification rate setting means for selectively setting a display magnification rate;
• display data production means for determining the display character size and the width of the effective display range based on the data for the tape width detected by the tape width detecting means, on the data of the display magnification rate set by the display magnification rate setting means, and on the data of the display condition data memory means, for retrieving from the font memory means dot pattern data at the determined display character size for the characters stored in the data memory means, for producing display image data for displaying in the width of the effective display zone an image of characters that appears the same as the characters will appear when printed out, and for developing the display image data;
• a display data buffer for storing the developed display image data;
• display means for receiving the display image data from the display data buffer and for displaying the image of the inputted characters on the effective display zone of the determined width;
• and
• printing means for printing the image of the inputted characters on the tape.

A tape printer for printing desired characters onto a tape, the tape printer comprising:

• input means for inputting characters desired to be printed on a tape and a variety of commands;
• data memory means for storing data of the inputted characters;
• font memory means for storing dot pattern data for a plurality of characters in a plurality of sizes;
• tape cassette receiving means for being detachably loaded with a tape cassette containing a tape;
• tape width detection means for detecting a tape width of the tape contained in the tape cassette loaded in the tape cassette receiving means;
• display data production means for receiving data on the detected tape width, for retrieving dot pattern data of a display size from the font memory means for the characters stored in the data memory means, the display size corresponding to the tape width, and for producing display dot image data representing an image of the inputted characters which appears the same when displayed as when printed;
• a display data buffer for storing the produced display dot image data;
• display means for receiving the display dot image data from the display data buffer and for displaying the image of the inputted characters;
• and
• printing means for printing the image of the inputted characters on the tape,
• wherein the display data production means updates the display dot image data when the tape width detected by the tape width detection means changes.