JP2013206088A - Print control program and print control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a lower visibility of a page with a partition line printed in intensive printing than that of a page with no partition line printed.SOLUTION: A print control program makes a print control unit execute determination processing to determine whether or not to print a partition line between pages according to a predetermined determination reference if an execution instruction of intensive printing that intensively prints plural pages onto one sheet is received, and print control processing to execute the intensive printing with a wider interval between the pages than that of when determined not to print the partition line when the determination processing determines to print the partition line and print the partition line between the pages.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for printing a partition line for partitioning pages that are collectively printed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image processing apparatus that performs aggregate printing that aggregates and prints a plurality of pages on a single sheet, it is known that a user can arbitrarily set a margin width between pages and a partition line width that separates pages. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-35482 A

However, according to the conventional technique, depending on the margin width set by the user, it is difficult to distinguish between the page and the partition line, and it may be difficult to view the page as compared with the case where the partition line is not printed.
For example, when printing a divider line, if the user sets the margin width to be narrower than when the divider line is not printed, it becomes difficult to distinguish between the page and the divider line, compared to when the divider line is not printed. On the contrary, the page becomes difficult to see.
In the present specification, a technique is disclosed that reduces the difficulty of viewing a page when printing a partition line that divides a page in aggregate printing as compared to a case where the partition line is not printed.

The print control program disclosed in the present specification includes a reception process that receives an instruction to execute aggregated printing that collects and prints a plurality of pages on a single sheet in a print control apparatus that controls a printing unit. When the execution instruction is accepted, a determination process for determining whether to print a partition line between the pages according to a predetermined determination criterion, and a case where it is determined that the partition line is to be printed by the determination process Performs a print control process for printing the partition lines between the pages at the same time as aggregating printing between the pages compared to a case where it is determined that the partition lines are not printed.
According to the above print control program, when dividing lines are printed, the interval between pages is wider than when dividing lines are not printed. Therefore, it is difficult to view the page compared to when dividing lines are not printed. Can be.

In addition, when the determination process determines that the partition line is to be printed, all the pixels that form the edge region of the page and that faces the other page The print control apparatus is caused to execute a ratio determination process for determining whether the ratio of pixels other than white occupying a reference ratio or more. In the print control process, the ratio of pixels other than white is determined by the ratio determination process. When it is determined that the ratio is equal to or greater than the reference ratio, the pages may be collectively printed at a wider interval than when it is determined that the ratio is less than the reference ratio.
When the ratio of pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge region is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, it is difficult to distinguish pages compared to the case where the ratio is less than the reference ratio.
According to the above print control program, when the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the page interval is increased compared to the case where the ratio is less than the reference ratio, so that the pages can be more easily distinguished.

Further, the print control program causes the print control apparatus to execute a saving setting process for accepting a saving printing setting for saving a colorant used for printing the page from a user. In the printing control process, the ratio determination process performs the saving setting process. When it is determined that the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or greater than the reference ratio, when the saving printing is set, the plurality of pages are arranged at a narrower interval than when the saving printing is not set. It may be printed.
If printing is performed while saving the colorant, it is easy to distinguish the page from the dividing line without increasing the interval between pages.
According to the above print control program, even when the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, when saving printing is set, pages are printed at narrower intervals than when saving printing is not set. The size of the page can be increased while preventing the page from becoming difficult to see compared to the case where the partition lines are not printed.

Further, the print control program causes the print control apparatus to execute a type setting process for receiving a setting of the type of the partition line from a user, and in the print control process, the type of partition having a large amount of colorant used for printing. The spacing may be increased as the line is set.
As the type of line having a larger amount of colorant used for printing, the area on which the partition line is printed increases. For this reason, if the amount of colorant used for printing is large or small, and the page spacing is the same, if the amount of colorant used for printing is the type of divider line, the space between the page and divider line May appear clogged, making it difficult for the user to view the page.
According to the above print control program, the type of partition line with a larger amount of colorant used for printing widens the page interval, so it is difficult to view the page even if the amount of colorant used to print the partition line increases. It can be avoided.

Further, in the print control program, the print control apparatus is configured to execute a setting reception process for receiving a setting as to whether or not to print the partition line from a user. In the determination process, the partition line is set by the setting reception process. May be determined to print the partition line.
According to the print control program, the user can set whether or not to print the partition line.

In addition, in the determination process, the print control program may determine whether the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region of the page that is opposite to the page is equal to or greater than a reference number. It may be determined whether or not the partition line is printed when the number is equal to or more than the reference number.
For example, even if the interval between pages is narrow, when most of the edge region is white pixels, it is easy to distinguish pages without printing a partition line. On the other hand, if most of the edge region is a pixel other than white, it is difficult to distinguish pages.
According to the print control program, whether or not to print the partition line is determined based on the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region, and thus whether or not to print the partition line can be determined more appropriately.

Further, the print control program causes the print control apparatus to execute a saving setting process for receiving a saving printing setting that saves a colorant used for printing the page from a user. In the printing control process, the determination process performs the saving process. Even when it is determined that the partition line is not printed, the partition line may be printed when the saving printing is set.
If printing is performed while saving the colorant, the page is printed lightly, making it difficult to distinguish the pages.
According to the print control program, even when it is determined not to print the partition line, the partition line is printed when the setting for saving the colorant is accepted, so that the pages can be easily distinguished.

  The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various modes such as a print control device, a print control method, a print device including the print control device, and a recording medium on which a print control program is recorded.

The block diagram which simplifies and shows the electrical constitution of a personal computer. The schematic diagram which shows a print setting screen. The schematic diagram for demonstrating a layout. The schematic diagram for demonstrating the setting of the space | interval of a page. The schematic diagram which shows an example of a page space | interval table. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of print control processing. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an edge region according to the second embodiment. The schematic diagram for demonstrating the setting of the space | interval of a page. The schematic diagram which shows an example of a page space | interval table. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of print control processing. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of aggregate print job generation processing.

<Embodiment 1>
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
(1) Electrical Configuration of Personal Computer As shown in FIG. 1, a personal computer (PC) 1 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a storage unit 14, a display unit 15, an operation unit 16, a communication interface unit (FIG. 1). In this case, the communication IF unit 17 is provided.

  The CPU 11 controls each unit of the PC 1 by executing a program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 14. The ROM 12 stores programs executed by the CPU 11 and data. The RAM 13 is used as a main storage device for the CPU 11 to execute various processes. The CPU 11 is an example of a control unit.

  The storage unit 14 is a device that stores various programs and data using a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The storage unit 14 stores an operating system (referred to as OS) 31, an application program (referred to as application) 32, a printer driver 33, and the like.

As the OS 31, for example, WINDOWS (registered trademark) of Microsoft Corporation can be used. The OS 31 is not limited to WINDOWS (registered trademark).
The application 32 may be an arbitrary program such as a word processor or spreadsheet software as long as it has a function of instructing the printer driver 33 to print via the OS 31.
The printer driver 33 is a device driver program that controls the printer 2. The printer driver 33 is an example of a print control program.

The display unit 15 includes an interface to which a display device 18 such as a liquid crystal display is connected, a drive circuit that drives the display device 18, and the like.
The operation unit 16 includes an interface to which an input device 19 such as a keyboard and a mouse is connected.

  The communication interface unit 17 connects the PC 1 to the printer 2 through a communication network 4 such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication interface unit 17 may be connected to the communication network 4 by wire or may be connected to the communication network 4 by radio. The communication interface unit 17 may be directly connected to the printer 2 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a parallel cable. The communication interface unit 17 is an example of a connection unit.

(2) Printer The printer 2 is a device that prints an image represented by a print job received from the PC 1 on a sheet. In the first embodiment, an electrophotographic printer 2 that prints an image using toner will be described as an example. The printer 2 may be an ink jet printer that prints an image using ink.
The printer 2 is an example of a printing unit. In addition, toner and ink are examples of colorants.

(3) Setting of print conditions The user selects a printer on a print screen (not shown) displayed on the display device 18 by the application 32 and clicks a predetermined button, whereby a print setting screen is displayed on the printer driver that controls the selected printer. Can be indicated. Here, it is assumed that the printer 2 is selected and the display of the print setting screen is instructed. When instructed to display the print setting screen, the printer driver 33 that controls the printer 2 displays the print setting screen shown in FIG.

  The print setting screen 35 is a set value of print setting items such as paper size, print orientation, number of copies, paper type, print quality, color / monochrome, toner saving print 36, layout 37, double-sided printing / booklet printing, and paper feeding method. It is a screen for setting.

  The toner saving print 36 is an item for setting whether to save toner used for printing a page. When the toner saving printing 36 is turned on, the printer driver 33 or the printer 2 reduces the size per dot of the image printed on the sheet or reduces the number of dots corresponding to one pixel of the image data. This saves toner and prints.

The layout 37 is an item for setting aggregate printing in which a plurality of pages are aggregated and printed on one side of one sheet. Here, a page means data of a unit printed on one side when one page is printed on one side of one sheet.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, 1in1, 2in1, 4in1, 9in1, or 16in1 can be set as the setting value of the layout 37. In the present embodiment, a setting value excluding 1 in 1, that is, a setting value of 2 in 1 or more is referred to as Nin 1.

Returning to FIG. When Nin1 (N ≧ 2) is set in the layout 37, a page order 37a and a partition line type 37b can be further set.
The page order 37a is an item for setting an arrangement method when arranging pages in a print area on a sheet. Here, the printing area refers to an area obtained by excluding the vertical and horizontal margins determined in advance according to the sheet size from the entire area of the sheet. For example, in the case of 2 in 1, “left to right” or “right to left” can be set as the setting value of the page order 37a. For example, in the case of 4 in 1 or more, “upper left to lower left, upper right, lower right” or “upper left to upper right, lower left, lower right” can be set.

  The partition line type 37b is an item for setting the type of partition line to be printed between pages. A solid line, a broken line, or none can be set as the kind of partition line 37b. When None is set, no divider line is printed.

  The process in which the printer driver 33 displays the print setting screen 35 and receives the layout setting is an example of a reception process that receives an instruction to execute aggregate printing. The process of accepting the setting of the partition line type 37b from the user is an example of a type setting process and a setting accepting process. The process for accepting the setting of the toner saving print 36 from the user is an example of the saving setting process.

  When the user clicks the OK button 35a or the cancel button 35b on the print setting screen 35, the print setting screen 35 is closed and the print screen described above is restored. When the OK button 35a is clicked, the printer driver 33 writes the setting value set on the print setting screen 35 as a print condition in a predetermined area of the RAM 13, and then closes the print setting screen 35. On the other hand, when the cancel button 35b is clicked, the printer driver 33 closes the print setting screen 35 without writing the setting value set in the print setting screen 35 in the predetermined area described above. In this case, a default value is used as the setting value.

  The user can instruct printing on the printing screen described above. When the user instructs printing on the print screen, print target data is output from the application 32 to the printer driver 33 via the OS 31 in units of pages.

(4) Interval Between Pages When the print target data is output from the application 32, the printer driver 33 generates a print job based on the print target data and the print conditions written in a predetermined area of the RAM 13. To do.
In this case, when Nin1 (N ≧ 2) is set as the layout setting value, the printer driver 33 sets the page line to page based on the setting of the partition line type 37b and the toner saving print 36. Set the interval (hereinafter referred to as “page interval”).

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, the setting of the page interval will be described separately for the case where the toner saving printing 36 is turned off and the case where it is turned on. Here, 4in1 will be described as an example. In FIG. 4, the A direction (horizontal direction) indicates the main scanning direction of the printer 2, and the B direction (vertical direction) indicates the sub scanning direction of the printer 2. In FIG. 4, some pages are omitted.

  First, the case where the toner saving printing 36 is turned off will be described. When “None” is set as the partition line type 37 b and the toner saving print 36 is turned off, the printer driver 33 sets the page in the main scanning direction of the printer 2 as shown in the sheet 41. The interval X of 47 is set to 4 mm.

  Similarly, when “broken line” is set as the type of the partition line 48, the printer driver 33 sets the interval X of the page 47 to 5 mm as shown in the sheet 42, and “solid line” is set. As shown in the sheet 43, the interval X between the pages 47 is set to 7 mm. Here, the “solid line” is a type of line in which the amount of toner used for printing is larger than that of the “broken line”.

  When “broken line” or “solid line” is set as the type of the partition line 48, the reason why the page interval is wider than when “none” is set is that the page line when the partition line 48 is not printed is set. If the partition line 48 is printed with the same interval as the interval, the space between the page 47 and the partition line 48 is clogged, making it difficult to distinguish between the page 47 and the partition line 48, and making the page 47 difficult to see. This is because there is a risk of losing.

  In addition, when “solid line” is set, the reason why the interval between pages 47 is wider than when “dashed line” is set is that the amount of toner used for printing is larger than “dashed line”. This is because there are many types of lines. The type of line with a larger amount of toner used for printing increases the area on which the partition line is printed. For this reason, if the amount of toner used for printing is large and small, and the interval between the pages 47 is the same, the page 47 and the dividing line 48 in the case of the type of dividing line 48 with a large amount of toner used for printing. This is because there is a possibility that the page 47 is difficult to see for the user.

When the interval X in the main scanning direction is set, the page is enlarged or reduced correspondingly while maintaining the aspect ratio. In other words, when the interval X in the main scanning direction is set, the page size is determined accordingly. When the page size is determined, as a result, the page interval Y in the sub-scanning direction of the printer 2 is determined. That is, the interval Y in the sub-scanning direction is uniquely determined according to the interval X in the main scanning direction.
Instead of setting the interval X in the main scanning direction, the interval Y in the sub-scanning direction may be set.

  Next, a case where the toner saving printing 36 is turned on will be described. Even if “None” is set for the type of the partition line 48, the printer driver 33 sets the type of the partition line 48 to “Solid” as shown in the sheet 44 when the toner saving printing 36 is turned on. Change to That is, the printer driver 33 prints a partition line even if “none” is set in the partition line type 37b. This is because when printing is performed while saving toner, the page 47 is printed lightly, and therefore, it is easier to distinguish the page 47 if the dividing line 48 is printed. In the sheet 44, the partition lines 48 are printed as solid lines, but the partition lines 48 may be printed as broken lines.

  However, even if the type of the partition line 48 is changed to “solid line”, the printer driver 33 keeps the interval between the pages when the partition line type 37b is “none” (X = 4 mm). This is because, when printing is performed while saving toner, the page 47 is printed lightly, so that the page 47 and the partition line 48 can be distinguished from each other even if the interval between the pages 47 is not increased compared to the case where the partition lines are not printed. It is because it is easy to stick.

For the same reason, even if “broken line” or “solid line” is set as the type of the partition line 48, the printer driver 33 sets the sheet 45 or the sheet 46 when the toner saving print 36 is turned on. As shown, the partition lines 48 are printed with the same spacing as the page spacing (X = 4 mm) when the type of the partition lines 48 is “none”.
Note that when “broken line” or “solid line” is set as the type of the partition line 48, when the toner saving print 36 is turned on, it is narrower than when the toner saving print 36 is turned on. In the range, the interval may be wider than the case where “None” is set in the partition line type 37b.

  In the above description, 4in1 has been described as an example, but the interval between pages differs depending on the set value of the layout. The printer driver 33 refers to the page interval table shown in FIG. 5 and determines the page interval for each set value of the layout. For example, in the case of 2 in 1, when the partition line type 37b is “none”, the page interval is set to 5 mm, when the “broken line” is set, it is set to 7 mm, and when it is “solid line”, it is set to 10 mm.

(5) Print Control Processing Next, print control processing executed by the printer driver 33 will be described with reference to FIG. This process is started when print target data is output from the application 32 to the printer driver 33.
In S101, the CPU 11 that executes the printer driver 33 (hereinafter simply referred to as “printer driver 33”) determines whether or not Nin1 (N ≧ 2) is set in the layout of the printing conditions described above, and Nin1 is set. If not, that is, if 1 in 1 is set, the process proceeds to S102, and if N in 1 is set, the process proceeds to S103.

In S <b> 102, the printer driver 33 generates a print job for printing one page on one sheet according to the print target data output from the application 32 and the printing conditions.
In S103, the printer driver 33 determines the type of the partition line from the set value of the partition line type 37b.

In step S104, the printer driver 33 refers to the page interval table shown in FIG. 5 and determines the page interval from the layout setting value and the type of partition line.
Here, as described above, when “broken line” or “solid line” is set as the type of the partition line 48 and the toner saving print 36 is turned on, the printer driver 33 determines the page interval. Is set to the same interval as when “None” is set in the partition line type 37b.
In step S105, the printer driver 33 determines the page size from the margin, the layout setting value, the paper size setting value, and the page interval determined in step S104.

In step S106, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not to print a partition line according to a predetermined determination criterion.
Specifically, the printer driver 33 determines that the partition line is not printed when “none” is set as the partition line type 37b on the print setting screen 35, and other than “none”, that is, “dashed line” or When “solid line” is set, it is determined that a partition line is printed. S106 is an example of a determination process.
The printer driver 33 proceeds to S107 when not printing the partition line, and proceeds to S109 when printing.

In S107, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not the toner saving printing 36 is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to S108, and if it is turned off, the process proceeds to S109.
In S108, the printer driver 33 changes the setting value of the partition line type 37b to a setting for printing the partition line by changing the setting value to a solid line. However, the page interval is the same as the interval when the partition line type 37b is “none”.

In step S109, the printer driver 33 prints a plurality of pages on one sheet in accordance with the print target data output from the application 32, the printing conditions, the page interval determined in step S104, and the page size determined in step S105. A consolidated print job to be generated.
Here, the printing condition refers to the printing condition after the change when the setting value of the partition line type 37b is changed in S108.

  In S110, the printer driver 33 transmits the generated print job or the aggregate print job to the printer 2 to execute printing.

(6) Advantages of the embodiment According to the printer driver 33 according to the first embodiment described above, when printing a partition line, the interval between pages is wider than when the partition line is not printed, so the partition line is not printed. It is possible to prevent the page from becoming difficult to see compared to the case. On the other hand, when the partition lines are not printed, the interval between the pages is narrower than when the partition lines are printed, so that the visibility of the printed page can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the printer driver 33, the interval between pages is increased as the type of partition line with a larger amount of toner used for printing is set, so the amount of toner used for printing of the partition line increases. You can also prevent the page from becoming difficult to see.

  Furthermore, according to the printer driver 33, when “solid line” or “dashed line” is set as the partition line type 37b on the print setting screen 35, it is determined to print the partition line. Can be set by the user.

  Further, according to the printer driver 33, even when “None” is set as the partition type, the partition line is printed when the toner saving print 36 is set, so printing is performed while saving toner. In this case, the user can easily distinguish the pages.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which whether or not to print a partition line is determined based on the type of the partition line. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, whether or not to print the partition line is determined based on the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region of the page that faces the other page. to decide.

  First, the edge region will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows a case where the edge region 61 has a range of 5 pixels inward from the side facing the other page 47 in each page 47 printed on one sheet 60. The number of pixels used as the edge region 61 is not limited to 5 pixels, and can be set as appropriate.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the partition line printing according to the second embodiment will be described. The printer driver 33 according to the second embodiment determines whether or not the number of non-white pixels included in the edge region 61 is equal to or greater than the reference number for each page printed on one sheet. The printer driver 33 determines that the partition line is printed when there is even one page in which the number of pixels other than white is equal to or larger than the reference number, and the number of pixels other than white is less than the reference number in any page. If it is, it is determined that the partition line is not printed.

Here, the reference number refers to a number set in advance as a reference for determining whether or not to print a partition line. Specifically, the reference number is, for example, 1. When the reference number is 1, if there is at least one pixel other than white in the edge region 61 of any one of the plurality of pages printed on one sheet, it is determined that the reference number is exceeded. When there is no pixel other than white in the edge region 61, it is determined that the page is less than the reference number.
The reference number can be set as appropriate. The reference number may be set by the user or may be set in the printer driver 33 as a fixed value.

  In the present embodiment, white means that the density value of RGB is (255, 255, 255), for example, when a page is expressed in the RGB color space. In addition, it is good also as white including the surrounding color of a density | concentration value (255,255,255). The definition of white can be determined as appropriate.

  In addition, here, an example will be described in which it is determined whether or not the number of pixels other than white is greater than or equal to the reference number for each sheet, but other than white in the edge region of each page printed on one sheet. The number of pixels may be summed, and it may be determined whether or not the sum is greater than or equal to a reference number.

  In FIG. 8, a sheet 71 represents a sheet on which a page having no pixels other than white in the edge region 61 is printed. Accordingly, no partition line is printed on the sheet 71. On the other hand, the sheets 72 to 74 represent sheets on which pages having pixels other than white in the edge region are printed. Accordingly, the partition lines 48 are printed on the sheets 72 to 74.

  Here, in the print setting screen 35 according to the second embodiment, “None” cannot be set as the partition line type 37b. This is because whether or not to print the partition line is determined based on the number of pixels other than white as described above. For the same reason, even if “broken line” or “solid line” is set in the print setting screen 35 according to the second embodiment, the partition line is not necessarily printed. The setting of “broken line” or “solid line” is used as the type of partition line when it is determined to print the partition line. In the second embodiment, it is assumed that either “dashed line” or “solid line” is set for the case where it is determined to print the partition line.

  The printer driver 33 according to the second embodiment also increases the page interval when printing the partition lines as compared to when not printing the partition lines. In this case, the printer driver 33 according to the second embodiment further includes pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge region 61 in addition to the partition line type 37 b and the set values of the toner saving printing 36. The page interval is determined in consideration of the ratio. This will be specifically described below.

When printing a partition line, it is possible to distinguish between a partition line and a page even when the interval between pages is the same when the ratio of pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge region 61 is low and high. There is a difference in ease.
For example, in FIG. 8, a sheet 72 represents a sheet on which a page 75 representing a document is printed. On the other hand, the sheet 73 represents a sheet on which a page 76 representing a photograph or an illustration is printed. In the case of the page 75 representing a document, the ratio of pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge region is low. On the other hand, in the case of the page 76 representing a photograph or an illustration, the ratio of pixels other than white is high. In this case, if the partition lines are printed with the same interval between the pages of the sheet 72 and the sheet 73, it is difficult to distinguish the page and the partition line in the case of the sheet 73.

Therefore, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not the ratio of pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge region is equal to or higher than the reference ratio. If the ratio is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the printer driver 33 is less than the reference ratio. Compare the page spacing.
Here, the reference ratio refers to a ratio set in advance as a reference for determining the interval between pages. Specifically, the reference ratio is, for example, 50%. The reference ratio can be set as appropriate. The reference ratio may be set by the user or may be set in the printer driver 33 as a fixed value.

  For example, the sheet 72 has a non-white pixel ratio of less than 50%, and the sheet 73 has a non-white pixel ratio of 50% or more. In this case, the printer driver 33 makes the interval between pages of the sheet 73 wider than the interval between pages of the sheet 72. In the example shown in the figure, the page interval on the sheet 72 is set to 5 mm, which is wider than the page interval (4 mm) on the sheet 71 on which no partition line is printed. The page interval on the sheet 73 is set to 7 mm, which is wider than the page interval (5 mm) on the sheet 72.

However, even if the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the printer driver 33 is more effective when the toner-saving print 36 is turned on than when the toner-saving print 36 is turned off. Reduce the spacing. Specifically, as shown in the sheet 74, the printer driver 33 determines the number of pixels other than white when the toner saving print 36 is turned on even if the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio. Is equal to or greater than the reference number, and the same interval as the interval of pages of the sheet 72 (X = 5 mm) in which the ratio of pixels other than white is less than the reference ratio.
If the toner saving printing 36 is turned on even if the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the same interval as the interval between pages (X = 4 mm) when the partition lines are not printed is set. Good.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the page interval table according to the second embodiment, a determination is made as to whether or not the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or greater than a reference ratio. In FIG. 9, “-” indicates that no page interval is set. This is because when the partition line type 37b is “none”, the ratio of pixels other than white does not exceed the reference ratio.

  Next, a print control process according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Even in the second embodiment, even when it is determined that the partition line is not printed, if the toner saving print 36 is turned on, the partition line is printed.

In S201, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not Nin1 (N ≧ 2) is set in the layout. If Nin1 is set, the process proceeds to S201. If not set, the process proceeds to S203.
In S202, the printer driver 33 executes an aggregate print job generation process. The aggregate print job generation process is a process for generating a print job with the setting of Nin1.

In step S <b> 203, the printer driver 33 generates a print job for printing one page on one sheet according to the print target data output from the application 32 and the printing conditions.
In step S204, the printer driver 33 transmits the print job generated in step S202 or S203 to the printer 2 to execute printing.

Next, the aggregate print job generation process executed in S202 described above will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a case where the interval between pages is set for each sheet will be described as an example.
In S301, the printer driver 33 acquires a plurality of pages to be allocated to one sheet from the print target data.

In S302, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not to print a partition line according to a predetermined determination criterion.
Specifically, the printer driver 33 counts the number of non-white pixels included in the edge area 61 for each page acquired in S301, and determines whether the number of non-white pixels is equal to or greater than a reference number. to decide. If the number of pixels other than white is less than the reference number, the printer driver 33 determines that the partition line is not printed, and proceeds to S303. If the number is greater than the reference number, the printer driver 33 determines that the partition line is printed. Proceed to S302 is an example of a ratio determination process.

S303 to S306 are processes performed when it is determined in S302 that no partition line is printed.
In S <b> 303, the printer driver 33 changes the setting value of the partition line type 37 b to “none” to set the partition line not to be printed.

In step S304, the printer driver 33 refers to the page interval table illustrated in FIG. 9 and determines the page interval from the layout setting value, the determination result that the partition line type 37b is “none”, and less than the reference ratio. . Here, the reason why the ratio of pixels other than white is less than the reference ratio is that “none” is set in the partition line type 37b as described above because there is no pixel other than white in the edge region 61. is there.
In S305, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not the toner saving print 36 is turned on. If it is turned on, the process proceeds to S306, and if it is turned off, the process proceeds to S311.

  In S306, the printer driver 33 prints the partition line by returning the setting value of the partition line type 37b to the type before the change to “None” in S303, that is, the type set in the print setting screen 35. Change to the setting you want. However, the page interval is the same as the interval when the partition line type 37b is “none”.

S307 to S310 are processes when it is determined in S302 that a partition line is to be printed.
In S307, the printer driver 33 determines whether the ratio of pixels other than white occupying all the pixels constituting the edge area is equal to or higher than the reference ratio. If the ratio is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the process proceeds to S308, where the ratio is less than the reference ratio. If YES, the process proceeds to S310.
In S308, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not the toner saving print 36 is turned on. If it is turned off, the process proceeds to S309, and if it is turned on, the process proceeds to S310.

In step S <b> 309, the printer driver 33 refers to the page interval table illustrated in FIG. 9 and determines the page interval from the layout setting value, the setting value of the partition line type 37 b, and the determination result equal to or greater than the reference ratio.
In step S310, the printer driver 33 refers to the page interval table illustrated in FIG. 9 and determines the page interval from the layout setting value, the setting value of the partition line type 37b, and the determination result of less than the reference ratio. .

In step S <b> 311, the printer driver 33 determines the page size from the margin, the layout setting value, the paper size setting value, and the determined page interval.
In S <b> 312, the printer driver 33 determines the aggregate print data for one sheet constituting the aggregate print job according to the print target data output from the application 32, the print condition, the determined page interval, and the determined page size. Is generated. Here, the printing condition refers to the printing condition after the change when the setting value of the partition line type 37b is changed in S306.

  In step S313, the printer driver 33 determines whether or not all pages in the print target data have been acquired. If acquired, the process returns to the print control process. If not, the process returns to step S301 to repeat the process.

  According to the printer driver 33 according to the second embodiment described above, when the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the pages are collectively printed at a wider interval than when the ratio is less than the reference ratio. When the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, it is difficult to distinguish pages compared to the case where the ratio is less than the reference ratio. For this reason, when the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, it is easier to distinguish pages by widening the interval between pages.

  Further, according to the printer driver 33, even when the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the toner saving printing 36 is narrower than the toner saving printing 36 is turned off when the toner saving printing 36 is turned on. Print multiple pages at intervals. If printing is performed while saving toner, it is easy to distinguish between a page and a partition line without increasing the interval between pages. According to the printer driver 33, when the toner saving printing 36 is turned on, pages are printed at a narrower interval than when the toner saving printing 36 is turned off. The page size can be increased while preventing the page from becoming difficult to see.

Further, according to the printer driver 33, when the number of pixels other than white included in the edge area is equal to or larger than the reference number, it is determined that the partition line is printed.
For example, even if the interval between pages is narrow, when most of the edge region is white pixels, it is easy to distinguish pages without printing a partition line. On the other hand, if most of the edge region is a pixel other than white, it is difficult to distinguish pages unless a partition line is printed. According to the printer driver 33, whether or not to print the partition line is determined based on the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region, and therefore whether or not to print the partition line can be appropriately determined.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope.

  (1) In the first and second embodiments described above, an example has been described in which a partition line is printed when the toner saving print 36 is turned on even if “none” is set in the partition line type 37b. On the other hand, when “none” is set in the partition line type 37b, the partition line may not be printed even if the toner saving printing 36 is turned on.

  (2) In the first and second embodiments, the page interval table used when the toner saving printing 36 is turned off has been described as the page interval table. On the other hand, a page interval table used when the toner saving print 36 is turned on is separately provided. When the toner saving print 36 is set on, the page interval table is referred to by referring to the separately provided page interval table. The interval may be determined.

(3) In the second embodiment, the case where the page interval is set for each sheet has been described as an example. However, some users may want the page spacing to be the same for all sheets. In that case, for example, when the print control process is started, the process of determining the page interval for all sheets is executed first, and the widest interval among the intervals determined for each sheet is uniformly applied to all sheets. May be.
Further, the user may be able to select whether to determine the page interval for each sheet or to apply the same interval to all sheets.

  (4) In the second embodiment, an example in which it is directly determined by counting the number of pixels other than white whether or not the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region is equal to or greater than the reference number. Explained. In contrast, if the number of white pixels included in the edge region is counted and the number of white pixels is less than a predetermined number, the number of non-white pixels included in the edge region is equal to or greater than the reference number. You may judge indirectly that there is.

  (5) In the second embodiment, it is directly determined by counting the number of pixels other than white whether or not the ratio of the pixels other than white occupying the pixels constituting the edge region is equal to or higher than the reference ratio. The case has been described as an example. On the other hand, if the number of white pixels included in the edge region is counted and the number of white pixels is less than a predetermined ratio (= 1−reference ratio), pixels other than white included in the edge region It may be indirectly determined that the ratio is equal to or higher than the reference ratio.

  (6) In the second embodiment, the case in which the page interval is determined according to whether the ratio of the pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio when printing the partition lines has been described. On the other hand, the page interval may be determined more finely according to the ratio of pixels other than white.

  (7) In the second embodiment, the case where it is determined based on the number of pixels other than white included in the edge region whether the partition line is printed has been described as an example. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when “None” is set in the partition line type 37b, it is determined that the partition line is not printed, and “broken line” or “solid line” is set. If it is, it may be determined that the partition line is printed.

  (8) In the first and second embodiments, the “broken line” and the “solid line” are described as examples of the partition line type 37b. However, the partition line type can be selected as appropriate. For example, a solid line, a thick solid line, and a double line that are thinner than the solid line shown in FIG. 4, a broken line that is thinner than the broken line shown in FIG. Then, the interval between pages may be increased as the amount of toner used for printing increases.

(9) In the above embodiment, the PC 1 has been described as an example of the print control apparatus. On the other hand, the printing control apparatus may be a control unit provided in the printer 2. Specifically, the control unit of the printer 2 may set the page interval based on the printing conditions stored in the print job transmitted from the PC 2. When the page interval is set by the control unit of the printer 2, receiving a print job from the PC 1 is an example of reception processing. Note that the reception process when the page interval is set by the control unit of the printer 2 can be rephrased as a reception process of receiving an aggregate print job from the terminal device.
The control unit of the printer 2 may be configured by one or more CPUs, may be configured by one or more ASICs, or may be configured by a combination of one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

The printer 2 may have a copy function or a direct print function.
For example, in the case of a copy function, the technique disclosed in this specification may be applied when an image is generated by reading a plurality of originals one by one and the generated image is collectively printed on one sheet.
In the case of the direct print function, the user selects an image to be printed from images stored in the removable memory mounted on the printing apparatus, and the multiple images selected by the user are consolidated and printed on one sheet. In this case, the technology disclosed in this specification may be applied.

  The print control apparatus may be a mobile phone or a portable information terminal.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... PC, 2 ... Printer, 11 ... CPU, 33 ... Printer driver, 35 ... Print setting screen, 42-47 ... Sheet, 48 ... Partition line, 60. ..Sheet 61 ... Edge area 71-74 ... Sheet 75 ... Page 76 ... Page

Claims (8)

In the print control device that controls the printing section,
A reception process for receiving an instruction to execute consolidated printing for collecting and printing a plurality of pages on one sheet;
When the execution instruction is received by the reception process, a determination process for determining whether to print a partition line between the pages according to a predetermined determination criterion;
When it is determined by the determination processing that the partition lines are to be printed, the pages are collectively printed at a wider interval than the case where it is determined that the partition lines are not printed, and the partition lines are printed between the pages. Print control processing to
Print control program to execute. A printing control program according to claim 1,
Ratio of pixels other than white in all pixels constituting the edge region on the side opposite to the page in the edge region of the page when it is determined by the determination processing to print the partition line Causing the print control device to execute a ratio determination process for determining whether or not the print ratio is equal to or greater than a reference ratio,
In the print control process, when it is determined by the ratio determination process that the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or greater than the reference ratio, the space between the pages is wider than when it is determined that the ratio is less than the reference ratio. A print control program that prints data at intervals. A print control program according to claim 2,
Causing the printing control apparatus to execute a saving setting process for receiving a setting of saving printing for saving the colorant used for printing the page from a user;
In the print control process, when the ratio printing process determines that the ratio of pixels other than white is equal to or higher than the reference ratio, the saving printing is not set when the saving printing is set. A printing control program for printing the plurality of pages at a narrower interval than the case. A print control program according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Causing the print control apparatus to execute a type setting process for receiving a setting of the type of the partition line from a user;
In the print control process, a print control program for increasing the interval as a type of partition line having a large amount of colorant used for printing is set. A print control program according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Causing the print control apparatus to execute a setting reception process for receiving a setting as to whether or not to print the partition line from a user;
In the determination process, a print control program that determines to print the partition line when a setting for printing the partition line is received in the setting reception process. A print control program according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the determination process, it is determined whether or not the number of pixels other than white included in an edge region of the page that is opposite to the page is equal to or greater than a reference number, and the reference A print control program that determines to print the partition line when the number is greater than or equal to the number. A print control program according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Causing the printing control apparatus to execute a saving setting process for receiving a setting of saving printing for saving the colorant used for printing the page from a user;
In the print control process, even when it is determined that the partition line is not printed by the determination process, the print control program that prints the partition line when the saving printing is set. A printing control device for controlling a printing unit,
A control unit;
A connection unit for connecting the printing unit and the control unit;
With
The controller is
A reception process for receiving an instruction to execute consolidated printing for collecting and printing a plurality of pages on one sheet;
When the execution instruction is received by the reception process, a determination process for determining whether to print a partition line between the pages according to a predetermined determination criterion;
When it is determined by the determination processing that the partition lines are to be printed, the pages are collectively printed at a wider interval than the case where it is determined that the partition lines are not printed, and the partition lines are printed between the pages. Print control processing to
A print control device that executes.

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