PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably perform ribbon near end notification without being influenced by a configuration of printing characters and the like.SOLUTION: In a near end determination processing unit 20, a number-of-pixels of a pixel whose density value exceeds a density slice for near end determination is stored for each scan from pixel information acquired by scanning a predetermined printing area of a passbook medium 6 with a scanned number-of-pixels storage unit 21. In a pixel presence determination unit 23, it is determined that the pixel exists in the scan when the number-of-pixels is equal to or greater than a predetermined number-of-pixels. In a near end determination unit 24, it is determined whether or not an ink ribbon is in a ribbon near end state depending on the number of the scan in which the pixel exists in a character height direction. The number of the scan in which the pixel exists in the character height direction is set in a predetermined length value setting unit 25. In a ribbon replacement notification unit 26, it is notified that time for replacement of the ink ribbon is close when it is determined that the ink ribbon is in the ribbon near end state, and it is notified that the replacement of the ink ribbon is necessary when it is determined that the ink ribbon is in a ribbon end state.
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