Printer, printing system and printing method

A printing system for printing an image on a web, comprising:

• a first printer for printing a first image on a web;
• and
• a second printer which is an inkjet printer for printing a second image on said web, said second image being a continuous image and being divided into unit images in a printing direction which have uniform lengths, said web being fed from said first printer to said second printer;
• wherein
• said first printer prints pulse control marks on said web at regular intervals in accordance with said first image, said pulse control marks being provided at positions corresponding to printing start positions of said unit images and providing printing start positions of said second image in said second printer,
• said second printer comprises:
• a printing mechanism for performing printing in synchronization with recording synchronization pulses, said printing mechanism recording one recording line at a corresponding position in said printing direction on said web in synchronization with a recording synchronization pulse, said recording line being a row of recorded dots arranged in a width direction perpendicular to said printing direction, said recording synchronization pulses each being generated for recording of one recording line of said second image and being generated on the basis of a feeding speed of said web;
• a mark detector of said second printer for detecting said pulse control marks;
• and
• a pulse generator of said second printer for generating said recording synchronization pulses, and for obtaining a difference between the number of recording synchronization pulses inputted to said printing mechanism in a period and an estimated number of recording synchronization pulses estimated to be inputted to said printing mechanism in said period, and on the basis of said difference, to adjust a frequency of recording synchronization pulses to be inputted to said printing mechanism, for every unit image, wherein said frequency of said recording synchronization pulses is made higher in order to decrease intervals of recording lines of said second image and said frequency of said recording synchronization pulses is made lower in order to increase intervals of recording lines of said second image, said period being from a detection of a preceding pulse control mark by said mark detector to a detection of a succeeding pulse control mark, said pulse generator causing said printing mechanism to start printing of a unit image with adjusted recording synchronization pulses every time when a pulse control mark is detected by said mark detector;
• and
• a length of a portion of said web between a printing mechanism in said first printer and said printing mechanism in said second printer is constant.