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US 7,970,136 B2Granted
Apparatus and materials for two-stage printing of value indicia
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsStephen L. Blumberg, David W. Beckstrom, Thomas J. Foth, David K. Asano, Ian A. Siveyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roll of label stock includes a plurality of first regions suitable for being printed on by thermal printing. The first regions are blank. The label stock also includes a plurality of pre-printed color images, each associated with a respective one of the first regions. A stamp printer that prints postage indicia on the label stock refrains from printing an image thereon, but would print images on another type of label stock that does not include pre-printed images.
Claims13
A roll of label stock comprising:
- a plurality of labels,
- each of the plurality of labels including a first region for being printed on by thermal printing, said first region being blank;
- and
- each of the plurality of labels including a pre-printed color image associated with a respective one of the first regions;
- and wherein,
- the pre-printed color image of one of the plurality of labels includes a first pre-printed color image, and
- the pre-printed color image of another of the plurality of labels includes a second pre-printed color image that is different from the first pre-printed color image,
- each of the first and second different pre-printed color images defining a picture image and being disposed at difference locations along a length of the label stock.
5 more elements
A value indicia printer comprising:
- a housing;
- a thermal print head installed in the housing;
- control means in the housing for controlling the thermal print head;
- and
- reading means in the housing for reading control indicia on printing stock;
- said control means responsive to said reading means to detect a type of the printing stock;
- said control means operative to cause the print head to print images and value indicia on the printing stock if the detected type of the printing stock is of a first type;
- and
- if the detected type of the printing stock is of a second type having a plurality of blank regions and a plurality of different pre-printed color picture images disposed on a front surface of the printing stock and wherein at least one of the pre-printed color images is associated with at least one blank region, said control means operative to cause the print head to print value indicia in the blank region of the printing stock, said control means further responsive to said reading means to detect each of the different pre-printed color picture images.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.