JP2006259998A - Print control program and computer readable recording medium storing this program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a process performed by a printer and to facilitate bookbinding and printing. <P>SOLUTION: A page management module checks printing requirement data, determines the number N of pages of document data, and initializes a counter (S1, S2). Next, drawing data for one page is received and written into a file (S3, S4). After accumulation of the data for one page is complete, the count value of the counter is added (S5, S6) and drawing data for the next one page is received and written into a file (S3, S4). Once the counter counts N, a page processing module is directed to perform the next process (S7). A book binding layout table is created based on the total number of pages of the drawing data accumulated by a file accumulation module and on the printing requirements such as book binding method, and the drawing data are arranged on paper according to the book binding layout table, are subjected to PDL conversion, and sent to a printer device (S8-S17). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a print control program for converting original data into print data that can be interpreted by a printing apparatus, designating a print position of original data on a sheet, and outputting it to a printing apparatus in a bookbinding format. The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium storing a print control program.

  Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, bookbinding printing is performed by reducing and printing document data for two pages on both sides of one sheet of paper, and folding the printed sheet in half at the center, so that a booklet can be printed. The method of creating is common.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which eight pages of document data are printed on two sheets of paper, and the first page and the eighth page of document data are reduced and printed on the first sheet. On the back of the first sheet, the original data of the second page and the seventh page are reduced and printed side by side. Similarly, the third page and the sixth page of the original data are printed on the front side of the second sheet, and the fourth page and the fifth page of the original data are reduced and printed on the back side of the second sheet. Then, the first and second sheets are overlapped and folded in the middle to create a booklet in page order.

Further, as a conventional technique related to bookbinding printing, there is one described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2.
JP 2002-55803 A JP 2002-255439 A

  In the case of bookbinding printing shown in FIG. 7, two pages of document data are arranged on one side of one sheet. In this case, if an attempt is made to print on a paper having the same size as the original data, the image is reduced and printed. On the other hand, if an image is to be printed without being reduced, it is necessary to print on that much larger paper. For example, when printing an A4 size document, A3 paper is required, and the A4 printer does not reduce the size. Could not print.

  In the case of bookbinding printing, the original data of a predetermined page and the original data of the next page are not always printed on the same sheet, and therefore it is necessary to rearrange the pages of the original data. As described above, in the case of bookbinding printing, various processes different from normal printing are required, which increases the burden on the printing apparatus side.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing control program that can reduce the processing on the printing apparatus side and realize bookbinding printing easily, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the printing control program. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a print control program for causing a computer to function so as to convert original data into print data that can be interpreted by the printing apparatus and output the print data to the printing apparatus. Is stored in a storage device, and the computer is made to function so that the original data stored in the storage device is rearranged so that bookbinding can be performed, and then converted into print data.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, spread bookbinding printing can be performed by dividing the original data and arranging the original data on a half surface of the paper.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the document data is divided and arranged on one half of the sheet so that flat binding can be performed as the page rearrangement order.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the original data is divided and arranged on one side of the sheet so that saddle stitch binding is possible as the page rearrangement order. Item 3. A print control program according to Item 2.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a printing control program according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is stored in a computer-readable recording medium.

  According to the present invention, document data is temporarily stored in a storage device, and pages are rearranged so that bookbinding can be performed using the document data stored in the storage device, thereby reducing processing on the printing device side. And bookbinding printing can be easily performed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer system in which a printer driver according to an embodiment of the present invention is introduced. 1 is an application, 2 is a printer device, 3 is a printer driver drawing unit, 4 is a printer driver UI unit, and print control The printer driver as a program includes a printer driver drawing unit 3 and a printer driver UI unit 4.

  The application 1 and the printer driver are programs installed in a storage device such as a hard disk of the host computer, and the application 1 is for causing the host computer to function as a means for achieving a predetermined purpose. The printer driver converts the data created by the application 1 into print data that can be interpreted by the printer device 2 by the printer driver drawing unit 3 according to the contents of various instructions at the time of printing set by the printer driver UI unit 4. Is output. The printer driver can be installed in a host computer via an external storage medium such as an FD or CD-ROM that stores the printer driver, or via the Internet.

  Before using a function such as double-sided printing, enlargement, reduction, consolidated printing, bookbinding printing, etc. before sending a print output command from the application 1 to the printer apparatus 2, the printing condition setting panel of the printer driver UI unit 4 is displayed. By displaying the screen, making various designations, and instructing the start of printing after the designation is completed, the document data is transmitted from the application 1 to the printer driver drawing unit 3.

  In the printer driver drawing unit 3 that has received the document data, the document data is first divided into print condition data and drawing data by the data receiving module 5, and the print condition data is analyzed by the page management module 6. Further, the drawing data is stored in the hard disk of the host computer as intermediate data by the file storage module 7 in accordance with an instruction from the page management module 6. Then, the page processing module 8 calculates the number of pages and the position of the original page based on the analysis result of the printing conditions, and the print data creation module 10 performs the file reading module 9 according to the processing result of the page processing module 8. In addition, print data is generated by instructing reading of a file of a desired page from the drawing data stored in the hard disk and pasting the read drawing data. The print data created by the print data creation module 10 is transferred to the printer apparatus 2 by the data transmission module 11.

  Next, the bookbinding printing operation in the printer system including the host computer and the printer apparatus into which the application 1 and the printer driver shown in FIG. 1 are installed will be described with reference to FIG.

  When printing the original data created by the application 1, a print condition setting panel of the printer driver UI unit 4 (not shown) is displayed on the screen, and “bookbinding printing” is designated as a printing method and “details of bookbinding printing” is displayed. Set the print format according to the item. This setting information is sent to the printer driver drawing unit 3 together with the drawing data, and is divided into drawing data and bookbinding printing printing condition data by the data receiving module 5.

  Next, the page management module 6 checks the printing condition data, obtains the page number N of the document data, and initializes the counter (S1, S2). Next, the drawing data for one page is received and the drawing data is written into the file (S3, S4). After the accumulation for one page is completed, the count value of the counter is added (S5, S6). The drawing data for the next page is received and written to the file (S3, S4). Then, when the counter counts N, that is, after all the pages of drawing data are stored in the file, the next instruction is given to the page processing module 8 (S7).

  Next, the page processing module 8 sets the number of bookbinding pages PN based on the printing conditions such as the total number of pages of drawing data accumulated by the file accumulation module 7, the bookbinding method, and whether the first page is blank. In addition to finding and setting, a bookbinding layout table is created (S8).

  Here, the bookbinding page number PN is the number of left and right pages combined and counted as one page when bookbinding. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, when two folded sheets are bound and bookbinding is performed, so-called spread flat binding is performed, the surface of the first sheet becomes page P1, and the left and right sides of page P1 ( (Hereinafter referred to as P1 left and P1 right) are the first and second pages during bookbinding. One page P2 is composed of the back left side (P2 left) of the first sheet and the back right side (P2 right) of the second sheet, and is the third and fourth pages during bookbinding. Similarly, the page P3 is composed of the front surface (P3 left, P3 right) of the second sheet, and is the fifth page and the sixth page at the time of bookbinding. The page P4 is composed of the back left side (P4 left) of the second sheet and the back right side (P4 right) of the third sheet, and is the 7th and 8th pages at the time of bookbinding. The page P5 is composed of a front surface left (P5 left) of the third sheet and a front surface right (P5 right) of the third sheet, and is the ninth page and the tenth page at the time of bookbinding. By associating in this way, the arrangement relationship between the left and right sides of each sheet surface and the printed page is created as a bookbinding layout table as shown in FIG.

  After the bookbinding layout table is created by the page processing module 8 and the bookbinding page number PN is set, the count value P of the counter is initialized (S9). Hereinafter, the count value of the counter is added (S10) each time the processing of (S10) to (S17) described later is repeated.

  Next, the file reading module 9, the print data creation module 10, and the data transmission module 11 read the drawing data file for the P page from the hard disk (S11), and the drawing data for the corresponding portion, that is, the P page drawing data is read by 2 from the drawing data. The first half portion is extracted by dividing into two, and print data to be arranged on the left side of the paper is created (S12), converted into PDL (page-description language), and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2 (S13). Next, the drawing data file for the P page is read from the hard disk (S14), the relevant portion is divided from the drawing data, that is, the drawing data for the P page is divided into two, and the latter half is extracted and arranged on the right side of the sheet. Print data is created (S15), converted into PDL (page-description language), and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2 (S16).

  In this way, the print data necessary for one side of the paper is transmitted to the printer apparatus 2 to create print data corresponding to the next side of the paper. This process is continued until the count number P and the page number PN are the same (S17). The printer device 2 performs print output after receiving print data necessary for double-sided printing.

  For example, when one page of document data is normally printed, the entire surface of one sheet is printed. However, when bookbinding printing according to the present embodiment is performed, two document data for one page are printed. The result of printing is divided into the left and right sides of one sheet.

  Next, it demonstrates concretely using FIG. 3, FIG. The example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 prints the original data for five pages, and does not include a cover page at the time of bookbinding, so the right side of the first sheet (P0 right) is blank.

  When printing original data for five pages, three sheets are required in consideration of inserting a blank sheet. Thus, the number of sheets required for printing can be set by calculation based on the number of document data. When performing spread spread bookbinding, a bookbinding layout table as shown in FIG. 3 is created.

  First, the drawing data of the first page is read, the first half of the drawing data of the first page is extracted, PDL converted, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, the second half of the first page is extracted, PDL converted, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, the first half of the drawing data for the second page is extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, since there is no drawing data corresponding to the first back right (P0 right), the fact is transmitted to the printer apparatus 2.

  On the printer device 2 side, double-sided printing is performed after the print data for the first sheet has been prepared, and printout is performed in an arrangement as shown in the first sheet (front) and the first sheet (back) of FIG.

  Thereafter, similarly, the first half of the drawing data on the third page and the second half of the drawing data on the third page are extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, the first half of the drawing data for the fourth page and the second half of the drawing data for the second page are extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, transmitted to the printer apparatus 2, and printed on the second sheet. Further, the first half of the drawing data on the fifth page and the second half of the drawing data on the fifth page are extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, since there is no drawing data on the left side of the back side of the third sheet, that fact is transmitted to the printer apparatus, the latter half of the drawing data of the fourth page is extracted, PDL converted, transmitted to the printer apparatus 2, and transmitted to the third sheet. After outputting the double-sided print data, the operation ends.

  When binding printed paper, if the printer device 2 has a paper folding function and a stapling function, those functions may be used. However, if the bookbinding operation is performed manually, When printing from the printer, it is more convenient to stack the first sheet so that the top side is at the top.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by temporarily storing document data in a storage device such as a hard disk, imposition of bookbinding is facilitated, and spread flat bookbinding printing is performed without imposing a burden on the printer device side. It becomes possible to carry out easily. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since one page of original data is divided into two and arranged on the left and right sides of the paper, it is possible to use the same size font and perform reduced printing. There is no need, and the printing process can be simplified.

  By the way, the above-described embodiment is applied to the case of performing spread spread bookbinding. However, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when a plurality of sheets are stacked and bound at the center, so-called saddle stitch bookbinding is performed. Is also applicable.

  5 and 6 show an example in which saddle stitch binding is performed on the original data for five pages without a cover. In saddle stitch bookbinding, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, page P1 is composed of the back side left (P1 left) of the first sheet and the front right (P1 right) of the second sheet. It becomes the first page and the second page. Page P2 consists of the back left side (P2 left) of the second sheet and the front right side (P2 right) of the third sheet, and is the third and fourth pages during bookbinding. Page P3 consists of the back left side (P3 left) of the third sheet and the back right side (P3 right) of the third sheet, and is the fifth and sixth pages during bookbinding. Page P4 consists of the front left side (P4 left) of the third sheet and the back right side (P4 right) of the second sheet, and is the seventh and eighth pages during bookbinding. Page P5 consists of the front left side (P5 left) of the second sheet and the back right side (P5 right) of the first sheet, and is the ninth and tenth pages at the time of bookbinding. By associating in this way, the layout relationship between the left and right sides of each sheet surface and the print page is created as a bookbinding layout table as shown in FIG.

  First, the fact that there is no drawing data on page P0, that is, the left and right sides of the first sheet table, is transmitted to the printer device, then the drawing data on the first page is read, the first half is extracted, PDL converted, and the printer device 2, the second half of the drawing data on the fifth page is extracted, PDL converted, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Then, after the print data for the first sheet has been prepared, the printer device 2 performs double-sided printing, and the drawing data is printed out in an arrangement as shown in the first sheet (front) and the first sheet (back) of FIG. Is done.

  Thereafter, similarly, the first half of the drawing data for the fifth page and the second half of the drawing data for the first page are extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, the first half of the drawing data for the second page and the second half of the drawing data for the fourth page are extracted, converted to PDL, and sent to the printer device 2 to print out the second sheet from the printer device 2. .

  Further, the first half of the drawing data on the seventh page and the second half of the drawing data on the second page are extracted, subjected to PDL conversion, and transmitted to the printer apparatus 2. Next, the first half of the drawing data for the third page and the second half of the drawing data for the third page are extracted, converted to PDL, and sent to the printer device 2 to print out the third page from the printer device 2. . After outputting the print data of the third sheet on both sides, the operation is terminated.

  When printing from the first page of the drawing data without making the cover page blank, the first half of the drawing data of the first page is arranged on the right side of P0 in FIG. 3 or P0 (left) in FIG. . Further, a cover is created as a separate file and stored on the hard disk in the same manner as other drawing data. In the processing of S9 to S17 in FIG. 2, the cover data is displayed on the right side of P0 in FIG. 3 or P0 (left) in FIG. May be arranged.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not restricted to what was mentioned above. For example, bookbinding printing can be performed by creating a bookbinding layout table by applying the present invention even for bookbinding that combines flat and saddle stitch bookbinding. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since one page of original data is divided into two and arranged on the left and right sides of the paper, it is possible to use the same size font and perform reduced printing. Although it is not necessary, it goes without saying that it is possible to provide a function of reducing the size of one page of document data and performing bookbinding printing as in the prior art. Also, in the original data dividing method, as long as the paper can be folded in half, the original data may be divided into four or six, for example, instead of dividing into two.

  The present invention is useful in the field of a printer system for driving a printer apparatus having a bookbinding printing function.

1 is a block diagram of a printer system in which a printer driver according to an embodiment of the invention is installed A flowchart showing the flow of bookbinding printing in this embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of the page in each paper at the time of performing spread booklet bookbinding printing by this embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of a page when performing the double-spread book binding shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning of the page in each paper at the time of performing bookbinding bookbinding printing in a spread by this embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning of a page when performing the bookbinding in the double-spreading shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing showing the layout of pages on each paper when performing conventional bookbinding printing

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Application 2 Printer apparatus 3 Printer driver drawing part 4 Printer driver UI part 5 Data receiving module 6 Page management module 7 File storage module 8 Page processing module 9 File reading module 10 Print data creation module

Claims (5)

In a print control program for causing a computer to function so as to convert manuscript data into print data that can be interpreted by the printing apparatus and output the print data to the printing apparatus,
Printing characterized in that original data is temporarily stored in a storage device, and the computer functions so that the original data stored in the storage device is rearranged so that bookbinding can be performed and then converted into print data. Control program.   2. The printing control program according to claim 1, wherein spread bookbinding printing is made possible by dividing the original data and arranging the original data on one side of the paper.   3. The program for printing control according to claim 2, wherein the original data is divided and arranged on a half surface of the paper so as to enable page binding as a page rearrangement order.   3. The printing control program according to claim 2, wherein the original data is divided and arranged on a half surface of the paper so that saddle stitching can be performed as a page rearrangement order.   The computer-readable recording medium which memorize | stored the printing control program of any one of Claims 1-4.

Images