JP2000296652A - Method and system for image printing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for image printing wherein a printed image can be readily and surely cut in a size same as a conventional silver salt photograph and a region where various information can be written or printed can be attained in a portion surrounding the image. SOLUTION: An image 51 is printed on a print paper 50 in accordance with image data obtained by imaging by means of a digital camera and cutting marks 52 are printed on portions surrounding the printed image 51. The cutting marks 52 indicates a size of a conventional silver salt photograph. When the print paper 50 having the printed image 51 is cut along the cutting marks 52, the image having the size of a conventional silver salt photograph is obtained. As the aspect ratio of the image 51 to be printed is different from the aspect ratio of the image obtained by cutting along the cutting marks, a margin 53 where imaging information 54 can be written or printed can be obtained at a portion surrounding the image 51. It is unnecessary to execute trimming of the image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image printing method and an image printing system apparatus for printing an image such as a photograph.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras that convert light condensed by a lens with an optical sensor such as a CCD into digital data and store image data in a storage medium have been reduced in price and high in image quality, and have become popular. I have. The image data in the digital camera can be transferred to the personal computer by connecting the digital camera to a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a personal computer) via a cable, or by means such as infrared communication, and the image data can be loaded into the personal computer. Some digital cameras store image data in a removable memory card from the camera body.By inserting the memory card directly or through an adapter into a built-in or external card slot in a personal computer,
Image data can be easily imported to a personal computer in a short time.

[0005] By connecting a sublimation type or ink jet type printer to a personal computer which has taken in image data and performing printing, even small-scale offices and homes can print inexpensive and high-quality photographs. In recent years, a digital camera and a printer have been directly connected without using a personal computer, so that image data stored in a memory card of the digital camera can be printed.

[0004]

However, when an image such as a photograph is printed by the printer as described above, the margin around the image is indispensable for the printer to feed the printing paper. Requires a user to use a cutter or the like to cut. Therefore, there is a problem that a user may operate the cutter incorrectly and damage an area where an image is printed. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to cut into a fixed size every time.

[0005] Further, the size of paper used in a printer is generally A-size paper of the JIS standard.
The 4 size is the most widely used. The number of output pixels such as 640 × 480 and 1024 × 768 is set so that the ratio of the long side to the short side of the image to be printed is 4: 3 so that the image data to be printed by the printer can fit on the A-size paper. Was set. However, in the case of silver halide photography, the ratio of the long side to the short side, such as E size, cabinet size, 8-cut size, and 6-size size, is almost 3: 2, but is not constant. Unless the photos printed by the printer were cut, the albums and photo frames sold for conventional silver halide photography could not be used. But,
It has been difficult to cut the printed image such that it is difficult to damage the area on which the image is printed or to cut to a fixed size each time.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image printing method and an image printing system capable of cutting an image printed based on image data accurately and easily to the size of a conventional silver halide photograph. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an image printing method and an image printing system capable of obtaining an image of a desired size without performing trimming on image data. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image printing method and an image printing system capable of writing various information around a printed image and securing a printable writing area.

[0008]

According to the image printing method according to the first aspect of the present invention or the image printing system according to the eighth aspect, the position of a cutting line that encloses a rectangle outside the image based on the image data is specified. The cutting marking means can be printed. Therefore, the image printed based on the image data can be cut into a desired size accurately and easily. In addition, since a writing area where no image is printed occurs around the printed image, information of the image can be printed or written. Further, since the input information is printed near the image, the input information added to the image data at the time of input can be printed at the same time.

According to the image printing method of the present invention and the image printing system of the present invention, the input information is at least the date and time when the image data was input. Therefore, the user can easily know when the image printed based on the image data is input.

According to the image printing method of the third aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the long side to the short side of the cutting line is different from the ratio of the long side to the short side of the printed image. Regardless of the size, an image of any size can be obtained. Also, by setting a writing area around the image, it is possible to cut the image to a size larger than the image, so that the image is printed to a desired size without so-called trimming for deleting a part of the image data. Can be.

According to the image printing method of the present invention, the ratio of the long side to the short side of the cutting line is approximately 3: 2. Therefore, since the print can be cut to the print size used for the conventional silver halide photograph, it is possible to use an album, a frame and the like which are commercially available for the silver halide photograph.

According to the image printing method of the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the cutting mark means is provided near the intersection of the cutting lines, the image is accurately and easily formed by cutting each cutting mark. Can be cut to a desired size. According to the image printing method of the present invention, since the cutting mark means is a rectangle surrounding the outside of the image, by cutting along the rectangle, the image is accurately and easily cut to a desired size. be able to.

According to the image printing method of the present invention, since the cutting mark means is a band surrounding the outside of the image, the image is cut accurately and by cutting along the outermost side of the band. It can be easily cut to a desired size. According to the image printing system of the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the image processing device is a digital camera, the image data input from the digital camera is directly printed by the printing device without passing through a processing device such as a personal computer. Can be.

[0014]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention; (First Embodiment) FIG. 6 shows a first embodiment of the image printing system of the present invention. A printer 1 such as an ink jet printer as a printing unit is directly connected to a digital camera 2 as an input unit via a serial cable 3 or the like as communication means. The printer 1 can print a character or an image on a print medium such as paper to obtain a printed matter.

As shown in FIG. 7, the printer 1 has a RAM (Rand) for temporarily storing image data stored in a flash memory 25 as a storage unit of the digital camera 2.
om Access Memory) 11, a print head 12 for printing images and characters, an interface 13 for connecting to the digital camera 2 via a serial cable 3, and a RAM 1.
1, a CPU 10 for controlling functions of the printer 1 such as a print head 12 and an interface 13.

The digital camera 2 includes a condenser lens 21 for collecting light from a subject, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) for converting light input from the condenser lens 21 into an electric signal.
e) 22, an A / D converter 23 for converting an electric signal output from the CCD 22 into digital data, a RAM 24 for temporarily storing digital data, an instruction screen for displaying and processing an image, and the printer 1. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 2 that displays the control screen to be controlled
7, input means 2 such as buttons (not shown) for inputting instructions for controlling the printer 1 and the digital camera 2
8. The digital data temporarily stored in the RAM 24 is transferred to the CPU 20 by a predetermined computer program.
After processing such as image processing and data compression, a flash memory 25 serving as a storage unit for storing image data, a VRAM 26 storing data for an image to be displayed on an LCD 27, the digital camera 2 and the printer 1 An interface 29 for connecting to the serial cable 3 for connecting the digital camera 2 and a CPU 20 for controlling functions of the digital camera 2 and performing image processing and the like.

The flash memory 25 is a rewritable recording medium capable of storing the recorded contents without power supply. The flash memory 25 not only stores the image data of the photographed image, but also controls the digital camera 2 and the printer. 1 and a computer program for performing control. The computer program stored in the flash memory 25 includes setting contents in which an optimal cutting mark position is set according to the size of an image based on image data to be printed and the size of printing paper on which the image is printed. Is incorporated. The flash memory 25 is built in the digital camera 2 or is detachably attached to the digital camera 2.

The image data includes not only the data of the photographed image itself, but also a history such as the photographing date and time, and information relating to individual image data registered by the user, for example, input information such as a photographing place and a photographer. I remember. The communication means is a serial cable 3, which connects the interface 13 of the printer 1 and the interface 29 of the digital camera 2. In the present embodiment, a wired transmission system using a serial cable is employed as the communication means, but a wireless transmission system using electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays, and a communication network such as the Internet can also be used. Further, the printer 1 and the digital camera 2 can be remotely located by using a network such as the Internet.

Next, a printed matter printed using the image printing system in which the printer 1 and the digital camera 2 are directly connected will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in a printed matter printed by the image printing system of the first embodiment, an image 51 based on image data is printed at a predetermined position on a printing paper 50. According to the size of the image 51 to be printed and the size of the printing paper 50, a plurality of images 51 can be printed as shown in FIG. The size of the image 51 printed based on the image data can be instructed by using the input unit 28 of the digital camera 2 at the time of printing. For example, when printing the image 51 in A6 size, an image of 148 mm long side × 105 mm short side is printed.

A cutting mark 52 for cutting the image 51 is printed around the image 51. Cutting mark 52
Are printed outside the image 51 as line segments so that a margin 53 can be secured around the image 51. The cutting mark 52 is printed such that a margin 53 is formed around the image 51 according to the size of the image 51 to be printed and the size of the printing paper 50 desired by the user. Further, since the cutting mark 52 is printed at a position where the ratio of the long side to the short side of the cut sheet including the image after cutting is approximately 3: 2, the size of the photo card size which is the conventional photographic paper size of silver halide photography is used. (Long side 152mm x Short side 107mm), Cabinet size (165m
mx 120 mm), large cabinet size (180 mm x 130
mm), 8-cut (216 mm x 165 mm), 6-cut (254 mm x 203 mm), 4-cut (30
5 mm x 254 mm).

When the printing paper 50 of the JIS standard A4 size is used, the cutting mark 52 is arranged in accordance with the size of the image 51 to be printed, in a photo card format, a cabinet format, a large cabinet format,
The image is printed so as to correspond to one of the sizes of eight cuts and six cuts. For example, A4 size printing paper 50
When printing an image 51 of six sizes, the cutting mark 52 is printed so as to correspond to the cabinet size in consideration of the balance between the size of the image 51 and the surrounding margin 53. Also, margin 5
When the number 3 is sufficient, the cut mark 52 can be printed so as to correspond to the large cabinet size.

Image 51 to be printed based on image data
The user can use the digital camera 2 to specify the size of the image and the photo size corresponding to the cutting mark 52 to be printed. Also, the size of the image 51 to be printed,
Alternatively, a setting may be made in which the size to be cut automatically is determined according to the size of the printing paper 50.

Therefore, after printing the image 51, the user can easily and accurately use a cutting instrument such as a cutter knife 57 and a cutting assist instrument such as a ruler 56 as shown in FIG. Can be cut off the image 51 provided with. Further, since the cut image 51 has the size of a conventional silver halide photograph, a commercially available silver halide photograph album or photo stand can be used.

The photographing information 54 stored by the user together with the image data at the time of photographing can be printed on a margin 53 generated around the image 51. Therefore, the user can take the date and time, place,
You can know the photographer. In addition to the shooting information 54, the user can write or print an arbitrary message or the like.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 3 shows a printed matter printed by an image printing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Components substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, a rectangular frame 58 surrounding the image 51 is printed as a cutting mark so that a margin 53 is formed around the image 51. The size of the frame 58 is printed so as to be the size of a conventional silver halide photograph as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the user is in box 5
By cutting the printing paper 50 on which the image 51 is printed along 8, it is possible to easily and accurately cut the image 51 provided with a margin 53 around the printing paper 50.

Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the photographing information 54 stored by the user at the time of photographing and an arbitrary message can be written or printed in the margin 53.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 4 shows a printed matter printed by an image printing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Components substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, a border 59 having an arbitrary color is printed around the image 51 as a cutting mark so that a writing area 55 is created around the image 51. The color of the border 59 can be freely selected by the user in consideration of the balance with the image 51. In addition, border 5
Reference numeral 9 denotes not only a single color but also a border depicting a character or a pattern, and can be written not only around the image 51 but also in the image 51. Therefore,
By cutting the printing paper 50 on which the image 51 is printed along the outermost side of the border 59, the user can easily and accurately cut the image 51 having the writing area 55 provided therearound.

As in the first and second embodiments, the outermost portion of the border 59 corresponds to the size of a silver halide photograph. Further, in the writing area, the photographing information 54 stored by the user at the time of photographing and an arbitrary message can be written or printed.

As described above with reference to the plurality of embodiments, according to the image printing method and the image printing system of the present invention, the cutting mark means is printed around the image printed based on the image data. Accurate printed image,
And it can be easily cut to the size of a conventional silver halide photograph. Further, since a writing area can be secured around the printed image, various information attached to the image data can be printed or written. Further, since the image can be printed without trimming, it is possible to print all of the image based on the captured image data without deleting the end portion of the image.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a printed matter printed by an image printing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a printed matter on which a plurality of images are printed by the image printing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a printed matter printed by an image printing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a printed matter printed by an image printing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of cutting a printed material printed by the image printing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an image printing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 printer (printing device) 2 digital camera (image processing device) 3 serial cable 10 CPU 11 RAM 12 print head 13 interface 20 CPU (processing unit) 21 condenser lens (input unit) 22 CCD (input unit) 23 A / D Converter (input unit) 24 RAM 25 Flash memory (storage unit) 26 VRAM 27 LCD (image display unit) 28 input means 29 interface 50 printing paper (printing target) 51 image 52 cutting mark (cutting mark means) 53 margin 54 Shooting information (input information) 55 Writing area 56 Ruler 57 Cutter knife 58 Frame (cutting mark means) 59 Edge (cutting mark means)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yosuke Wakamiya 3-5-5 Yamato, Suwa-shi, Nagano F-term in Seiko Epson Corporation (reference) 2C061 AP10 AQ05 AS02 JJ01 JJ13 2C087 AA09 AA13 AC07 CA04 CB07 5C022 AA13 AC00 AC01 AC42 AC69 AC75 5C062 AA01 AA05 AA29 AB08 AB43 AC04 AC17 AC24 AC67 AF06 AF10 AF14 BA00 5C076 AA14 AA16 AA19 AA40 BA02 BA03 CA05 CA12

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An image printing method for printing an image based on image data stored in a storage medium on a print target, comprising: printing an image based on the image data on the print target; An image printing method, comprising: a step of printing a cutting guide indicating a position of a cutting line enclosing a rectangle on the outside on the printing target; and a step of printing input information near the image. 2. The image printing method according to claim 1, wherein the input information is at least the date and time when the image data was stored in the storage medium. 3. A ratio of a long side to a short side of the cutting line is different from a ratio of a long side to a short side of the image.
Or the image printing method according to any one of 2. 4. The image printing method according to claim 3, wherein a ratio between a long side and a short side of the cutting line is approximately 3: 2. 5. The image printing method according to claim 4, wherein the cutting guide is provided near an intersection of the cutting lines. 6. The image printing method according to claim 4, wherein the cutting guide is a rectangle surrounding the outside of the image. 7. The image printing method according to claim 4, wherein the cutting guide is a band that surrounds the outside of the image. 8. An image processing apparatus having a storage unit capable of storing image data, an image based on the image data stored in the storage unit, connected to the image processing apparatus, and a rectangle outside the image. An image printing system, comprising: a cutting guide for designating a position of a surrounding cutting line; and a printing device for printing input information of the image on a print target in the vicinity of the image. 9. The image printing system according to claim 8, wherein the image processing device is a digital camera. 10. The image printing system according to claim 8, wherein the input information is at least the date and time when the image data was stored in the storage unit.