A bag-making and packaging machine includes a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film roll holding unit that rotatably holds a first film roll, a film temporary placement member on which a vicinity of a leading end portion of a first film wound into the first film roll is manually temporarily placed when attaching the first film roll to the film roll holding unit, a leading end portion detection sensor configured to detect that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in a prescribed position, and a controller configured to control a rotating mechanism to convey the first film along a predetermined conveyance path until the leading end portion detection sensor detects that the leading end portion of the first film is positioned in the prescribed position.

A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has a film conveyance mechanism that conveys a first film so that a trailing end portion of the first film heads toward a film splicing position for splicing to a leading end portion of a second film, a first sensor detecting a mark on the first film, a second sensor detecting the mark at downstream, and a controller for the film conveyance mechanism. The controller judges, based on detection of the second sensor, that the trailing end portion of the first film has reached the splicing position and stops conveyance of the first film. The controller controls the conveyance mechanism so that the conveyance speed of the first film before the detection of the mark by the first sensor is faster than the speed after the detection.

The disclosed supply roll (5) comprises a roll core (6); flat material and/or strip material (8) being carried on the roll core (6) in a multitude of windings; and at least one functional marker (2). The at least one functional marker (2) is placed in a specified relative position at an externally arranged free end section (7) of the flat material and/or strip material (8) such that information about the relative position of the free end section (7) is optically identifiable by way of the at least one functional marker (2).

Provided is an image forming apparatus that easily performs the work of adjustment so that folding lines do not become an obstacle when looking at an image that is formed on paper after the paper has been folded. A printing-data-input unit that printing data for printing the image is inputted to. A fold-setting unit recognizes a folding pattern, and positions of folding lines on the paper that are used in that folding pattern. A positional-relationship-adjusting unit adjusts at least one of the positions of the folding lines and the printing data so that portions in the image that are not blank and the folding lines do not overlap on the paper. An output unit, after adjustment by the positional-relationship-adjusting unit, forms an image on the paper, and outputs the paper.

A method for splicing a web of packaging material is provided. The method comprises: guiding the web of packaging material through an automatic splicing device; determining the position of at least one mark of the material web by means of a detector; moving the material web based on the determined positon such that a specific area of the material web is arranged in proximity to a cutting unit; cutting the material web in order to form a separate leading part of the material web; introducing a new leading part of a separate material web into the automatic splicing device; determining the position of at least one mark of the newly introduced material web; moving the newly introduced material web based on the determined position such that a specific area of the newly introduced material web is arranged in proximity to a sealing arm of the cutting unit; and sealing the separate leading part of the material web and the newly introduced material web.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that easily performs the work of adjustment so that folding lines do not become an obstacle when looking at an image that is formed on paper after the paper has been folded. A printing-data-input unit that printing data for printing the image is inputted to. A fold-setting unit recognizes a folding pattern, and positions of folding lines on the paper that are used in that folding pattern. A positional-relationship-adjusting unit adjusts at least one of the positions of the folding lines and the printing data so that portions in the image that are not blank and the folding lines do not overlap on the paper. An output unit, after adjustment by the positional-relationship-adjusting unit, forms an image on the paper, and outputs the paper.

The disclosed supply roll (5) comprises a roll core (6); flat material and/or strip material (8) being carried on the roll core (6) in a multitude of windings; and at least one functional marker (2). The at least one functional marker (2) is placed in a specified relative position at an externally arranged free end section (7) of the flat material and/or strip material (8) such that information about the relative position of the free end section (7) is optically identifiable by way of the at least one functional marker (2).