JP3053571B2 - Small printed matter with photo - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to relates to print small-sized with a photograph, in particular, it relates to a storage medium storing a program for creating a personal photo postcards and calendars and the like. In the description of the present invention, the case of a postcard will be described as an example of a small printed matter with a photo. By changing the size and shape of the photographic paper and the mount in accordance with the above, it is possible to produce substantially the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When personally obtaining a small printed matter such as a postcard with a photograph or a desktop calendar, it is necessary to make a purely personalized method, or to request a camera shop or an agency of a photo lab. And commercial methods.

[0003] As a personal creation method, a photograph printed using an image scanner is read into a personal computer or a word processor, and the photograph is inserted into a separately created printing style such as a postcard or a calendar. It is performed by printing with a color printer. However, in this method, it is not possible to avoid a photograph having coarse particles mainly due to a lack of output resolution of the color printer.

On the other hand, in a commercial method, a squirrel film is prepared by printing necessary information such as an address and a name on a base paper containing characters and illustrations prepared in advance, and developing the photographed film. The image of the squirrel film and a film created based on the photograph taken in or a film image brought in are printed on the same photographic paper. Therefore, the finish is more than satisfactory.

However, not only is the price per sheet high, but it takes about 4 to 5 days from ordering to completion, and about 1 week to 10 days for New Year's cards and hot summer visits. For addresses, names, telephone numbers, etc.,
In order to typeset or input and print out what the customer has filled out on the application form, characters may be difficult to read due to the customer's writing habits, etc. In many cases, erroneous characters are found and completed again after completion. In addition, since the accepting person and the creating person are different, it is difficult to communicate with the customer about which cut of the film brought in and how to trim it, which causes trouble. It was one of the factors.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention can be made inexpensively and in a short time, can insert a photograph in a composition suited to the taste of a customer, and can ensure that characters such as an address, a name and a telephone number are correct. is to provide a storage medium storing program <br/> beam for creating a small print postcards and calendars, etc. with photos can be eliminated to.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage medium comprising:
To create a small printed materials such as postcards and calendars with photographs on the basis of the recorded program first image scanner, a film scanner, CD-ROM drives,
Using an image input device such as a digital still camera IC card drive and / or a digital video tape drive, a photograph is read into a computer as digital signal data. Next, the read photo is inserted into a predetermined photo print position of a print style prepared in advance in a computer and displayed on a monitor screen, and a user prints a predetermined character of the print style using a character input device. Enter the required characters in the position. The print style including the photograph and the text is printed on a photographic film by a film recorder, developed by a development printer, and printed on photographic paper. This photographic paper is pasted on a predetermined backing paper by a backing paper pasting machine to be a small printed matter with a photograph.

Optionally, a plurality of print styles can be prepared. At this time, the user selects a printing style according to his / her preference. In addition, the photograph fitted in the printing style can be moved up, down, left, and right according to the user's preference, and can be trimmed so as to have a desired composition. Furthermore, a small sample with a photograph can be printed by a color printer as a completed sample, and a computer and a film recorder can be installed at different places.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus for producing a small print with a photograph according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a computer 1, an image input device 2 connected to the input side of the computer 1, and a character input device. An apparatus 3, a film recorder 4 and a color printer 5 respectively connected to the output side of the computer 1, a developing printer 6 for developing a photographic film printed by the film recorder 4 and printing on photographic paper; And a backing sheet pasting machine 7 for pasting the printing paper printed by the machine 6 onto a predetermined backing paper.

Here, the computer 1, the image input device 2, the character input device 3, and the color printer 5 can use relatively inexpensive personal computer devices. Therefore, for example, a plurality of computers 1 that require a relatively long time for an input operation performed by a user, which will be described later, can be connected and used, and the waiting time can be reduced. On the other hand, the film recorder 4 is relatively expensive, and the developing and printing machine 6 is an automatic or semi-automatic small-size developing and printing machine called "in-store lab" or "in lab" used in a lab station. An automatic or semi-automatic small mount application device called a "post card application machine" can be used for the mount application device 7, and these are also relatively expensive and require a large installation area. I need. Therefore, the film recorder 4, the development printing machine 6, and the backing machine 7 are installed at other suitable locations as centers, and optical cables or the like are provided between the computer 1 installed at each service station and the film recorder 4 at the center. By connecting via a transmission line, cost efficiency can be improved.

It is sufficient for the image input device 2 to include an image scanner for reading a printed photo and a film scanner for reading a photo directly from film. However, a CD-ROM drive for reading pictures from a film CD-ROM, an IC card drive for reading pictures taken by a digital still camera,
It is preferable to have a digital video tape drive for reading pictures taken by a digital video camera.

[0012] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for creating a photo small prints in the embodiment of the present invention, first reads the computer 1 photos as digital signal data with an image input device 2, FIG. 3 As shown, the read photo 10 is fitted into a predetermined photo print position 9 of a print style 8 prepared in advance in the computer 1 and displayed on a monitor screen 11. The printing style 8 is prepared as a purpose-specific printing style including sentences and illustrations corresponding to each, so that the printing style 8 can be adapted to different uses such as for a New Year's card, for a hot summer visit, for a marriage report, and the like. It is also preferable that each purpose-specific printing style is similarly prepared as a type-specific printing style having a different fitting position of the photograph 10 and a frame. As a result, the user can efficiently select a printing style that suits his purpose and taste from among many printing styles.

When a desired print style is selected from a plurality of print styles 8, only the selected print style 8 is displayed on the monitor screen 11, as shown in FIG. Photo 10 embedded in this single print style 8
Is trimmed so as to obtain a desired composition by moving its position up, down, left and right, or by enlarging or reducing it.

When the trimming is completed, the character input device 3
The required characters such as an address, a name, and a telephone number are input to the character print position 12 of the print style 8 by using. At this time, it is preferable that the character input device 2 employs a screen input method in order to eliminate fear of a general keyboard.
In addition, in order to minimize the input of kanji, it is preferable that the first part of the address of the area except for the street number is displayed by inputting the telephone number.

When the characters are input, a print style 8 in which the photograph trimmed in the selected print style and the input characters are fitted is displayed on the monitor screen as a final print form. The final print style 8 displayed on the monitor screen is printed on the photographic film by the film recorder 4, developed by the development printer 6 and printed on photographic paper, and then mounted on the photographic paper by the mount attaching machine 7. A small print with a photo is created by pasting photographic paper on the paper. The development and printing by the development printing machine 6 and the attachment by the backing machine 7 are performed by conventional means.

At this time, since the operation until the final print style is completed can be performed by the customer himself / herself, the photograph to be printed may be confused by the presence of an intermediary, the composition difference, It should be noted that character differences and the like can be reliably avoided. The final print style 8 displayed on the monitor screen is the color printer 5
Before printing a small printed matter with a photograph, the user can see it as a finished sample. Further, since the work after printing on the film recorder is automatically performed in a short time as in the well-known lab station, the customer can also obtain a small print with a photograph on the same day.

The processing after printing the final print style on a photographic film by outputting it to a film recorder, that is, the development printing machine, the backing machine, and the operation control thereof, are performed using a conventional apparatus using a conventional method. , And therefore does not essentially belong to the scope of the present invention. Further, the small-sized printed matter with a photograph in the present invention is configured so that the customer performs an operation until the final print style is completed. Therefore, the operation from the reading of the photograph to the completion of the final print style is completed. Referring to FIG. 5, an example of a computer program suitable for the case where the customer performs the operation will be described below.

When the program is started, first, it waits for the user to select the type of photograph to be read.
When the type of the photograph is selected, the image input device 2 corresponding to the selected type is ready for operation, and waits for an operation start command to read the photograph.

The read photo is displayed on the monitor screen in a state where it is fitted in a photo print position of one representative print style of a print style group classified according to the purpose of use, which is stored in advance as stored data, Wait for user selection. When the user selects a desired print style from among the purpose-specific print styles, the type-specific print styles having different illustrations, sentences, and picture insertion positions and frames that are previously stored as stored data. First, the previously read photos are displayed on the monitor screen in a fitted state, and wait for a user's selection. When the user selects one of the print styles by type, only the print style is enlarged and displayed on the monitor screen.

Next, confirmation of the selected printing style is requested, and if confirmed, the process shifts to a state of waiting for selection of whether or not to trim the photograph embedded in the printing style. It returns to the state of waiting for selection of another print style. When trimming of the fitted photo is required, the fitted photo moves to a position where it can be moved vertically and horizontally and scaled,
The operation waits for a user operation. On the other hand, when trimming is unnecessary, the process shifts to a state of waiting for selection of necessity of character input at the next stage.

After the user has moved and / or enlarged / reduced the fitted photo so as to obtain a desired composition, and inputting that trimming has been completed, the photograph should be printed at the character print position of the print style. Wait for selection of whether there is a character. When it is selected that there is a character to be printed, the state shifts to a state of waiting for character input, and when it is determined that the character input is unnecessary, the state shifts to a final state of waiting for confirmation at the next stage.

In the character input waiting state, in order to avoid a user's fear of the computer,
It is preferable to employ a screen input method. Also, in order to reduce the input operation of kanji as much as possible,
It is preferable that a list of the stored data of the first and last names corresponding to the input kana is displayed, and the program is programmed to allow the user to select from the list. Further, it is preferable that the address is programmed so that, by inputting a telephone number, a portion excluding the street number of the address of the area is selected from the stored data and displayed.

When the user inputs that the input of characters has been completed, the operation performed so far, that is, reading of a photo, selection of a print style, trimming of a photo, and whether or not the input of characters is correct is finally determined. Waiting for confirmation. When the final print contents are confirmed, print style digital signal data including photographs and characters is sent to a color printer to print a completed sample, and sent to a film recorder to be printed on a photographic film.

On the other hand, when the final confirmation is denied, it is preferable to allow the user to select a stage to return to and then return to the selected stage. Also, in any selection, confirmation or input stage, it is preferable that the program is programmed to move to the next stage after obtaining the confirmation. It is easily understood that it is preferably programmed so that the return and the stop of the work can be selectively performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The photo size prints in the embodiment of the present invention; FIG
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a device necessary for creating the device.

The photo size prints in the embodiment of the present invention; FIG
FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining a procedure for creating the information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example on a monitor screen in the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another display example on a monitor screen in the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a computer program recorded on a storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention .

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Computer 2 Image input device 3 Character input device 4 Film recorder 5 Color printer 6 Developing and printing machine 7 Backing machine

Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03B 27/32 G03B 27/46 G03B 27/52

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A user selects whether a photograph to be read is a printed photograph or a photograph taken on a film, and when the photograph is a printed photograph, an image scanner is used.
When the photograph is taken on film, the film scanner is operated to read the photograph as digital signal data, and the photograph is fitted in a predetermined photograph printing position of a previously prepared print style, and the photograph is inserted on a monitor screen. The user is allowed to input required characters at predetermined character printing positions of the print style in which the photograph is embedded, and the print style in which the photograph and the characters are embedded is printed on a photographic film by a film recorder. A storage medium storing a program to be programmed. 2. The photograph to be read is a printed photograph, a photograph taken on a film, and a photo CD-RO.
When the user selects a photo recorded on M, a photo recorded on an IC card of a digital still camera, or a photo recorded on a digital video tape, and the photo is printed Is an image scanner,
Use a film scanner for a photo taken on film, a CD-ROM drive for a photo recorded on a photo CD-ROM, and an IC for a photo recorded on a digital still camera IC card. When the card drive is a photo recorded on a digital video tape, the digital video tape drive is operated to read the digital signal data of the photo, and the read digital photo data is read into a predetermined photo printing position of a printing style prepared in advance. A photograph is fitted and displayed on a monitor screen, and a user is required to input a required character at a predetermined character printing position of the print style in which the photograph is fitted, and the print style with the photograph fitted in the print style is filmed. Be programmed to be printed on photographic film by a recorder Storage medium storing a program, characterized. 3. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of printing styles are prepared, and the printing style is programmed to allow a user to select a desired printing style, and to trim a photograph fitted into the selected printing style as necessary. Claims
3. The storage medium according to 1 or 2 . 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage medium, characterized in that it is programmed to be printed by the photographic and character fitted print style color printer to create the finished sample.