Patent ID: 8517619

Claim:
A tape printer for printing an image on an image receiving medium comprising: a tape receiving portion for receiving a supply of image receiving medium on which an image is to be printed; a printing mechanism arranged to print an image on said medium; a cutting mechanism for cutting off a portion of said medium, wherein the cutting mechanism comprises a cutter guide track defining a predetermined path having a shape for guiding a blade of the cutting mechanism during a cutting cycle, wherein said cutting mechanism comprises a translating blade support to which the blade is fixed, said translating blade support comprising engagement means for engaging said translating blade support with the guide track, such that in operation the engagement means and the translating blade support are arranged to follow said shape of said predetermined path of said cutter guide track and the blade of the cutting mechanism follows said predetermined path of the cutter guide track during the cutting cycle, during the cutting cycle, and therefore the path followed by the blade of the cutting mechanism, is curved, and different portions of the blade intersect the medium as the blade moves to cut off said portion of said medium.