28. A method of printing characters on a tape according to claim 27, wherein the character string is oriented in the transverse direction of the tape.
27. A method of printing characters on a tape, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a print format from a plurality of print formats, each print format corresponding to instructions stored in a memory; inputting at least one character string containing a plurality of characters; storing the character string; printing the stored character string on a tape defining a longitudinal direction according to the instructions for the print format; and equally spacing the characters of the character string along a predetermined print length and printing the characters such that when the print format defines a vertical writing index tab print format in which a lateral direction of each character of the stored character sting is arranged in agreement with a transverse direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the tape and said each of the characters is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tape, the character string is printed from a head thereof in two lines.