Printing device

A printing device for use with single piece type or continuous sheet type printing paper, comprising:

• a thermal head provided in a path in which the printing paper is fed to face a printing surface of the printing paper, said thermal head having an effective heating width equal to or larger than the width of the printing paper, the printing paper having a positional reference at a predetermined position;
• a feeding mechanism for feed-driving the printing paper;
• a cutter provided on a paper-discharge side of said printing device and offset from said thermal head;
• a sensor provided in the printing paper feed path for sensing the positional reference in the printing paper;
• and
• a controller for controlling said feed mechanism, said thermal head, and said cutter based on a sensing output of said sensor, said controller controlling said cutter to cut off a non-print area of the printing paper which includes said positional reference at said predetermined position, wherein
• said sensor includes a sensing unit in close proximity to and offset in a paper-supply direction relative to said cutter in the printing paper feed path, and wherein said controller controls said cutter on the basis of a detection output from said sensing unit,
• said controller controls said feeding mechanism to feed said printing paper in a first direction during a printing operation, and controls said feeding mechanism to feed said printing paper in an opposite direction to position a first cut position of said printing paper at said cutter, said cutter cutting said printing paper at said first cut position,
• said controller controls said feeding mechanism to feed said printing paper in said first direction after said cutter cuts said printing paper at said first cut position, and
• said controller controls said feeding mechanism to feed said printing paper in said opposite direction after said sensor senses the positional reference to position a second cut position of said printing paper at said cutter, said cutter cutting said printing paper at said second cut position to remove said non-print area.