JP2010017944A - Printing control system of continuous paper printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing control system of a continuous paper printer which prevents the risk of double printing by a trial printing and the improper use while executing the trial printing efficiently. <P>SOLUTION: The system concerned has a mechanism capable of recognizing the page desired for making the trial printing based on image information (separator information, printing body information) from higher order apparatus, can merge the image for trial printing into the image desired for printing and pause the printing, and can print the paused page and following pages after outputting a specific image when pausing the printing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print control system that performs trial printing for preventing misalignment and misprinting of a continuous paper printing apparatus.

  In the form printing that prints a large number of business pages for customers such as invoices, if the printing paper and the actual printing are misaligned, it cannot be used as business printed matter, so a large amount of paper and time are printed again. I have to do it. As a preventive measure, test printing is performed before printing, and it is checked whether there is a deviation between the paper and printing, and then printing is performed.

  Conventionally, a head portion of print data is cut out from a host device, test printing is performed, printing is confirmed, and then main body data is printed. However, this method is inefficient because it is necessary to retransmit the main body data from the host device again after confirming printing. In order to prevent such retransmission, a method has been proposed in which actual body data is printed, paused, print confirmation is performed, and subsequent body data is printed.

JP 2007-168165 A JP 2005-328257 A

  In a known example patent, a predetermined number of pages of main data is held, and when printing or printing resumes, the number of pages is paused, and if there is no problem after the operator confirms printing misalignment and paper misprinting, it continues. Print. When there is a problem, the printing position or the paper is changed, and the remaining page is output again from the held page.

  However, in this method, test printing is confirmed with actual print data, and depending on the printing misalignment, there is a risk that a printing result having a problem may be erroneously delivered, resulting in double printing. is there. Moreover, there is a possibility that the output of the trial print may be abused due to the recent security problem.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus that can prevent the danger and misuse of double printing by trial printing and can efficiently operate trial printing.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first means of the present invention is characterized in that it can recognize separator information and printing body information from a host device (for example, a personal computer, a workstation, a host computer, etc.).

  In order to achieve the above object, the second means of the present invention is characterized in that it can identify and hold the separator print portion from the host device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the third means of the present invention recognizes the test print page of the first page of the print body data part excluding the separator part from the separator information and the print body information from the host device, and the first page part. Can be printed and discharged and paused, and the page in error can be recognized and the page portion can be printed and discharged and paused.

  The fourth means of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third means, the output image of the printing body data desired to be test-printed can be printed by adding image information capable of determining the test printing. .

  The fifth means of the present invention is characterized in that in the fourth means, printing to which image information capable of discriminating the trial printing is added can be repeatedly printed by an operator's instruction.

  A sixth means of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth means, after the printing, a printing main body page after the print output image paused can be printed according to an instruction from an operator.

  According to a seventh means of the present invention, in the sixth means, the separator printing portion from the host device can be identified and held before the printing, and printing can be performed by adding device information to the separator portion. It is a feature.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate printing misalignment and image confirmation in advance or when an error occurs when outputting a large number of pages, and to reduce the burden of post-processing work of an operator when there is a problem during printing and image confirmation. In addition, it has the effect of preventing misdelivery and misuse of printed matter operators.

As described above, the present invention has a mechanism capable of recognizing a page to be trial printed based on image information (separator information, printing main body information) from a host device, and merges an image for trial printing with an image to be printed. However, it is possible to pause, and when paused, it is possible to print pages after the pause after outputting a specific image.
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of print data I / F during mass printing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the upper apparatus 1 and the continuous paper printing apparatus 2, in addition to the printing main body data 102, the printed matter after printing is sorted into a delivery destination and the like, and the front separator 101 and the rear separator for the purpose of reducing operator processing. 103 is added.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the continuous paper printing apparatus.

  The continuous paper printing apparatus 2 in FIG. 2 identifies the printing information of the front separator 101, the print main body data 102, and the rear separator 103 transmitted from the host apparatus 1, and the front separator 101 that is paired with the print main body data. The post-separator 103 portion and the first page of the print body data can be recognized. At this time, the first page indicates a page to be test printed. Usually, it is the first page, but if it is not the first page, it is assumed that the upper apparatus 1 and the continuous paper printing apparatus 2 have means for specifying a page on which trial printing is desired. Hereinafter, the first page refers to a page to be trial printed.

  Further, the print control unit 15 can draw and develop the pre-separator 101 for the print main body data 102 in the separator image buffer 11 by the drawing development unit 14 and hold it.

  When the continuous paper printing apparatus 2 receives the print main body data 102 from the upper level apparatus 1, the print main body data 102 is sequentially developed in the frame buffer 16 by the drawing development unit 14 from the first page.

  When the first page is developed, the print control unit 15 prepares a test print image (an image that can be distinguished from test print so that the printed material is not misused so that the print misalignment can be detected at the time of printing) and the first page. These images are merged, transferred to the printer engine 19 and transferred to a position where the operator can confirm the print image, and a trial print process for temporarily stopping printing can be performed.

  At this time, when the test reprint key 21 is detected in the continuous paper printing apparatus 2, the test print process described above is performed again. When the actual print key 20 is detected, printing starts from the first page of the print body data 102. If there is a predetermined image in the separator image buffer 11, the print body data is printed after the separator image buffer 11 is printed. 102 is printed.

  When an error occurs in the continuous paper printing apparatus 2 and printing is temporarily stopped, the test print image prepared in advance and the paused error page image are merged in accordance with the cancellation of the error or the operator's instruction, and the printer engine 19 Then, it is possible to perform a test printing process in which the printing is transferred to the position where the operator can confirm the printed image and the printing is temporarily stopped.

  At this time, when the trial reprint key 21 is detected in the continuous paper printing apparatus 2, the above-described trial printing process is performed again. When the actual print key 20 is detected, printing is started from an error page that has been paused. If there is a predetermined image in the separator image buffer 11, an error occurs after the separator image buffer 11 is printed. The print body data 102 after the page is continuously printed.

  In addition, the separator image can be merged by adding the number of restart pages in which an error has occurred, and it is also possible to identify under what circumstances the separator is printed after printing.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for solving the current problem when normal printing is performed from the host apparatus 1. When the operator prints from the upper level apparatus 1, the continuous paper printing apparatus 2 performs processes 110 to 114 (pre-separator, print body data reception 110, pre-separator recognition and drawing development and holding 111, print body data, first page (Test print page) detection 112, first page drawing development 113 of the print main body data, merging and printing of the test print image and the first page image, and paper feed 114 to the paper discharge position) are operated.

  The operator confirms the merged image of the output test print image and the first page image, and if there is a problem in print misalignment or image quality, presses the test reprint key 21 to confirm the image of the test print again. Repeat this process until there is no problem with the test print image.

When the problem disappears, the actual print key 20 is pressed to print the front separator and print body data from the first page. (Pre-separator editing and printing 116, and printing 117 from the beginning of the print body data operate)
After printing, a portion of the trial print is cut out, and a printed matter with a front separator is sent to a predetermined delivery destination.

  In this method, trial printing can be realized without sending data for trial printing from the host apparatus 1. Since the test-printed portion includes test printing (watermark printing, etc.) other than actual printing, it is possible to avoid misuse without sending the delivery destination twice accidentally. Further, by adding a pre-separator after the trial printing, the operator can easily sort and confirm the printed matter at the delivery destination.

  FIG. 4 is a flow for solving the current problem when the continuous paper printing apparatus 2 is temporarily stopped due to an error (paper jam, no paper, etc.). When an error occurs in the continuous paper printing apparatus 2, error detection and pause 118 are activated in the continuous paper apparatus.

  The operator cancels the error (error canceling operation of the continuous paper printer, paper replenishment, replacement, etc. 119), so that the test print image and the error page image are merged and printed, and the process of the paper feed 120 to the paper discharge position is performed. Operate.

  The operator confirms the merged image of the output test print image and the error page image, and if there is a problem in printing misalignment or image quality, presses the test reprint key 21 to confirm the image of the test print again. Repeat this process until there is no problem with the test print image.

When the problem disappears, the actual print key 20 is pressed to continuously print the front separator and the print body data after the error page. (Processing of editing and printing 122 of the front separator and printing 123 from the error page is performed)
After printing, a portion of the trial print is cut out, and a printed matter with a front separator is sent to a predetermined delivery destination.

  With this method, trial printing can be executed even during error processing. Since the test-printed portion includes test printing (watermark printing, etc.) other than actual printing, it is possible to avoid misuse without sending the delivery destination twice accidentally. Further, by adding a pre-separator after the trial printing, it is possible to reduce an operator's mistake of sorting printed materials separated due to an error, improve work efficiency, and easily confirm printed materials at a delivery destination.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the example of the print data I / F at the time of mass printing based on the Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure of the continuous paper printing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram when trial printing is performed in advance during normal printing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a processing flow figure when performing test printing at the time of the continuous output apparatus error which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1: host device, 2: continuous paper printing device, 10: host device I / F processing unit of continuous paper printing device, 11: buffer for storing developed image of pre-separator, 12: test print confirmation prepared in advance 13: Panel I / F processing unit of continuous paper printing device, 14: Drawing development processing unit of continuous paper printing device, 15: Print control processing unit of continuous paper printing device, 16: Printing Buffer for drawing and developing main body data and post-separator, 17: printer I / F processing unit of continuous paper printer, 18: operation panel unit of continuous paper printer, 19: printer engine unit of continuous paper printer, 20: panel Real print key of device (key for executing print main body data after test printing), 21: Trial reprint key of panel device (key for executing test print again after test printing).

Claims (7)

  A printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus capable of recognizing separator information and printing body information from a host apparatus.   A printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus, which can identify and hold a separator printing portion from a host apparatus.   Recognizes the test print page of the first page of the print body data part excluding the separator part from the separator information from the upper device and the print body information, and can print, discharge and pause the first page part, A printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus, which can recognize a new page and print, discharge and temporarily stop the page portion.   4. The print control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein image information that can be used for test printing is added to the output image of the printing body data desired to be test printed, and the continuous paper can be printed. Print control system for printing devices.   5. The printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein printing with image information that can be used to determine the trial printing can be repeatedly printed according to an instruction from an operator.   6. The print control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein after the printing, a printing main body page after the temporarily stopped print output image can be printed according to an operator's instruction. system.   7. The printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a separator printing portion from a host device is identified and held before the printing, and printing can be performed by adding device information to the separator portion. A printing control system for a continuous paper printing apparatus.

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