Patent ID: 8104856

Claim:
A printer comprising: a holding unit configured to hold a print substrate having a surface to be printed; a printer head configured to eject ink from at least one ink nozzle to the surface; a movement controller configured to move said holding unit and said printer head relative to each other in the directions of the axes X, Y and Z which are substantially perpendicular to each other and configured to rotate said holding unit about the axes X and Y relative to said printer head; a printing controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the printer head according to a relative position of said holding unit and said printer head; and a supporting device comprising: a first supporting member supported on a base and movable in the direction of the axis X extending substantially in a horizontal plane direction, a second supporting member supported on said first supporting member and movable in the direction of the axis Z extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said horizontal plane direction, and a third supporting member supported on said second supporting member and rotatable about a first rotation axis extending in the direction of the axis Y substantially perpendicular to the directions of the axes X and Z, wherein said holding unit is supported on said third supporting member, the holding unit being rotatable about a second rotation axis extending through the print substrate and extending along a plane substantially perpendicular to the first rotation axis, wherein said printer head is disposed on said base to extend above the print substrate, said printer head being movable in the direction of the axis Y, and wherein said first and second rotation axes extend to pass through the print substrate held by said holding unit.