Patent ID: 8398321

Claim:
A method for operating a printer, the printer comprising: a computer unit configured to control the printer; a printing medium unit comprising a roll of printing medium coupled to the computer; and a drive unit configured to advancing the roll of printing medium, the method comprising: estimating a length of the printing medium for an intended printing operation; executing the printing operation based at least in part on a comparison of an actual value of a length of the printing medium already depleted from the roll of printing medium and the estimate of the length for the intended printing operation with a maximum advance length of the printing medium; updating the value of the length of the printing medium already depleted from the roll of printing medium based on the estimate of the length of the roll of printing medium for an intended printing operation when the printing operation in said step of executing is executed; and ejecting a remaining unprinted printing medium from the printer when the sum of the actual value of a length of the printing medium already depleted from the roll of printing medium and the estimate of the length for the intended printing operation exceeds the maximum advance length of the printing medium unit of the roll of printing medium.