JP2015069360A - Program and information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique by which it is expected that an image file is generated in a suitable file format.SOLUTION: A printer driver 40 installed in a PC1 generates print data, and further generates an image file of the image corresponding to the print data. Then, the printer driver 40 determines whether or not the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of an object contained in the print image data satisfies preliminarily determined conditions. Then, the printer driver 40 changes the file format of the image file generated depending on whether or not the conditions are satisfied.

Description

  The present invention relates to a program and an information processing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a program and an information processing apparatus having a function of generating an image file based on an image printed on paper.

  Conventionally, a function for generating an image file based on an image printed on paper is known. The function of generating an image file is used, for example, when a preview image is displayed before print data is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the printing apparatus.

  For example, Patent Document 1 is a document relating to the generation of the image file described above. In this patent document 1, as a technique for displaying an image file for preview by a printer driver, an EMF spool file generated for printing is expanded into a low-resolution bitmap for preview, and a preview file is generated. It is disclosed that the file may be, for example, multi-value data before halftone or binary data after halftone.

JP 2003-167701 A

  However, the conventional technique described above has the following problems. That is, the print target image generally includes various objects such as characters, figures, and photographs. Further, the number of colors of the image to be printed varies depending on the data contents. For this reason, when an image file is generated in a uniform file format, the image may be deteriorated or the size may be increased depending on data contents.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, the problem is to provide a technique that can be expected to generate an image file in a suitable file format.

  A program designed to solve this problem includes a print data generation process that generates print data that is print data based on print image data that is data of a print target image, and the size or print of the print image data. A determination process for determining whether the number of colors of the image data or the type of object included in the print image data satisfies a predetermined condition, and an image corresponding to the print data generated by the print data generation process The information processing apparatus is configured to execute an image file generation process for generating an image file in a different file format depending on whether an affirmative determination is made or not in the determination process.

  The program disclosed in this specification generates an image file of an image corresponding to print data. Examples of the image file include a preview file for preview and a log file for print log. Then, the program reads the image file with different file formats depending on whether the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of the object included in the print image data satisfies the predetermined condition. Is generated. Examples of the file format include BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.

  For example, the JPEG method tends to have a high compression rate and a small size, but employs an irreversible compression method, and data loss may occur. The PNG method is known to be suitable for compression of figures that JPEG is not good at. The BMP format is an uncompressed file format, and no data loss occurs, but the size tends to increase. In this way, the characteristics differ depending on the file format. Therefore, in the program disclosed in this specification, the file format of the image file is changed depending on the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of object included in the print image data. As a result, generation of an image file suitable for the contents of the print data can be expected.

  In the image file generation process, it is possible to generate image files of at least two types of file formats having different compression methods, and the condition is that the number of colors of the print image data is greater than the first color reference value. If it is determined in the determination process that the number of colors of the print image data is greater than the first color reference value, the determination process determines that the number of colors of the print image data is not greater than the first color reference value. Compared to the case, it is better to generate an image file with a more compressed file format. Image files with a large number of colors tend to be large. If the size is large, it takes time to generate and read, so it is preferable to adopt a more compressed file format and reduce the size. In this configuration, one file format may be a file format that is more compressed than the other, and the other file format may be an uncompressed file format.

  Further, in the image file generation process, it is possible to generate image files of at least two types of file formats with different compression methods, and the condition is that the print image data includes a photographic image, and printing is performed in the determination process. When it is determined that a photographic image is included in the image data, an image file in JPEG format is generated. When it is determined in the determination process that the photographic image is not included in the print image data, a file other than the JPEG format is generated. An image file should be generated. Image files containing photographic images tend to be large. Therefore, it is preferable to generate a JPEG format image file suitable for photographic image compression.

  In addition, the program disclosed in the present specification notifies that there is a possibility that the image of the image file generated by the image file generation process may be deteriorated when an affirmative determination is made in the determination process. The information processing apparatus may execute the notification process to be performed. A file format having a high compression rate such as the JPEG format may not match the image before compression. Therefore, by notifying the user of the possibility that the image quality has deteriorated, it is possible to reduce the user's anxiety when the image quality differs from the actually output image.

  In the image file generation process, the condition is that the size of the print image data is smaller than a size reference value, and the size of the print image data is determined to be smaller than the size reference value in the determination process. In addition, when an image file having the same file format as the print image data is generated and the size of the print image data is determined not to be smaller than the size reference value in the determination process, the size is smaller than the print image data. A file format image file should be generated. As a method for reducing the size, methods such as reducing the amount of information per pixel and compressing data can be applied. When the data size is small, the time required for generation and reading is short. For this reason, when the size of the print image data is small, it is preferable to reduce the risk of image degradation by setting the image file in the same file format as the print image data.

  In the print data generation process, print data is generated on the basis of bitmap format print image data. In the image file generation process, the condition is set such that the number of colors of the print image data is greater than the second color reference value. If the number of colors of the print image data is determined to be smaller than the second color reference value in the determination process, the bit map required for color expression per pixel is smaller than the print image data. A file is generated, and when it is determined in the determination process that the number of colors of the print image data is not less than the second color reference value, an image file having a file format other than the file format of the bitmap file is generated. Good. When the number of colors of the print image data is small, the loss of image information hardly occurs even if the number of bits necessary for color expression per pixel is reduced. For this reason, it is preferable to employ a bitmap that requires fewer bits per color representation than the print image data and to reduce the size without losing image information. Note that the second color reference value is smaller than the first color reference value described above.

  In the determination process, it is preferable to determine whether or not the condition is satisfied in units of sheets on which print data is printed. In the image file generation process, an image file of another file may be generated in units of sheets. The print data is assumed to have different numbers of colors and object contents for each page. For this reason, it is preferable to determine the file format in units of pages.

  In the determination process, if the print setting when generating the print data is a setting for allocating one logical page to a plurality of sheets, it is determined whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of sheets. In the image file generation process, it is preferable to generate an image file having a common file format for all of the plurality of sheets to which one logical page is allocated when the determination is made in units of the plurality of sheets. When printing by assigning a single logical page to a plurality of sheets as in poster printing, there is a possibility that the user will misunderstand that the image quality has deteriorated if the appearance differs between sheets. Therefore, when allocating and printing one logical page to a plurality of sheets, it is preferable to adopt a common file format for the plurality of sheets and unify the appearance.

  Further, the present specification includes a communication unit that communicates with a printing apparatus, and a control unit, and the control unit print data that is data for printing based on print image data that is data of an image to be printed. Print data generation processing for generating image data, determination processing for determining whether the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of the object included in the print image data satisfies a predetermined condition, An image file generation process for generating an image file of an image corresponding to the print data generated in the print data generation process in a different file format depending on whether the determination is affirmative or negative in the determination process; And a transmission process for transmitting the print data generated in the print data generation process to the printing apparatus via the communication unit. Processing apparatus is disclosed.

  According to the present invention, a program and an information processing apparatus that can be expected to generate an image file in a suitable file format are realized.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print system according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program integrated in the personal computer (PC). It is a figure which shows the structure of a preview screen. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a print processing procedure of the printer driver according to the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the printing process at the time of poster printing. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the preview read-out process of the previewer which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of a preview screen at the time of reading the preview file of a JPEG format. It is a figure which shows the structure of a previewer when a JPEG format preview file is selected.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying a program and an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 100 according to this embodiment includes a printer 2 and a personal computer (PC) 1 that controls the printer 2. In the print system 100, the PC 1 and the printer 2 are connected via a USB cable. The PC 1 is an example of an information processing apparatus. The printer 2 is an example of a printing apparatus.

  Note that the number of printers and PCs constituting the printing system 100 is not limited to one, and a plurality of printers and PCs may be connected. Further, the connection between the PC 1 and the printer 2 is not limited to the USB cable, but may be another serial communication cable, a parallel communication cable, a wired LAN cable, or a wireless communication path such as a wireless LAN.

  The PC 1 is used as a temporary storage area when the CPU 11 that executes various processes, a ROM 12 that stores a program (BIOS) of a startup process performed by the CPU 11 when the PC 1 is started, and the CPU 11 performs various processes. A controller 30 having a RAM 13 and a hard disk drive (HDD) 14 storing various programs and data is provided. Note that the controller 30 in FIG. 1 is a collective term for the hardware used for controlling the PC 1 such as the CPU 11 and is not necessarily represented as a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the PC 1. The CPU 11 is an example of a control unit. The controller 30 may be a control unit.

  The PC 1 includes an input unit 15 including a keyboard and a mouse, a display unit 16 including a liquid crystal display, a USB interface 17, and a network interface 18. The USB interface 17 is hardware for communicating with a device connected via a USB cable. The network interface 18 is hardware for communicating with a device connected via a LAN cable.

  Note that the controller 30 in FIG. 1 is a collective term for hardware such as a CPU that is used for controlling the printer, and is not necessarily represented as a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the printer. The CPU is an example of a control unit. The controller 30 may be a control unit.

  The USB interface 17 is hardware for communicating with a device connected via a USB cable. The network interface 18 is hardware for communicating with a device connected via a LAN cable.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the HDD 14 of the PC 1 includes an operating system (OS) 50, an application program 61 (document creation software, drawing software, spreadsheet software, photo data editing software, etc.), and a printer that controls the printer 2. The driver 40 is stored. The printer driver 40 is an example of a program. Various programs stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM may be installed, or programs stored in a server on the network may be downloaded and installed.

  The application program 61 incorporated in the PC 1 has a function of outputting a print command to the printer driver 40, and the image data of the original image is passed to the printer driver 40 by this function. The printer driver 40 generates print data in PDL format necessary for printing by the printer 2 based on the image data passed from the application program 61. The print data created by the printer driver 40 is transmitted to the printer 2 via the USB interface 17.

  The printer 2 only needs to have a function of forming an image on a sheet, and the image forming method may be an electrophotographic method, an ink jet method, or another general image forming method. Further, even if a color image and a monochrome image can be formed, only a monochrome image may be formed.

  The printer driver 40 according to the present embodiment has a preview function for generating a preview file that is an image file of an image corresponding to print data to be printed on paper, and displaying the preview file. The printer driver 40 of this embodiment has a function for setting whether to use the preview function.

  Specifically, when using the preview function, the printer driver 40 of this embodiment generates a preview file corresponding to the print data in addition to the print data, and starts the previewer 42. Then, the preview file is displayed on the previewer 42. On the other hand, when the preview function is not used, print data is generated and transmitted to the printer 2 without generating a preview file and without starting the previewer 42. Details of the printer driver 40 will be described later.

  The preview function in this specification is not a function provided in the application program 61 but a function provided in the printer driver 40 as described above. Processing such as 2-in-1 integrated printing and watermarking may be performed when the printer driver 40 generates print data, and the processing performed by the printer driver 40 is not reflected in the preview by the application program 61. On the other hand, the preview by the printer driver 40 can display a preview file reflecting the processing performed by the printer driver 40. Therefore, the preview by the printer driver 40 has an advantage that the image image printed on the paper can be displayed more accurately than the preview by the application program 61.

[Configuration of printer driver]
Next, the configuration of the printer driver 40 will be described with reference to FIG. The PC 1 is assumed to incorporate Microsoft Windows (registered trademark) as the operating system (OS) 50.

  The printer driver 40 includes a user interface driver 41 that enables user input regarding various settings of a print job, a previewer 42 that displays a print image on the display unit 16, and a printer graphics driver 43 that generates print data and a preview file. And have.

  Specifically, the user interface driver 41 provides a print setting screen that allows the user to set various attributes at the time of printing. On the print setting screen, in addition to general print settings such as paper size, paper type, print quality, and print orientation, settings for whether to use the preview function, and images of one logical page are displayed on multiple sheets of paper. It is possible to set whether or not to perform poster printing that is assigned to and printed. The user interface driver 41 has a function of starting the previewer 42 when using the preview function.

  The previewer 42 displays a preview screen 420 as shown in FIG. The preview screen 420 includes an image area 421 for displaying a preview file corresponding to one sheet of paper reflecting the print setting selected by the user on the print setting screen described above, and a page selection area 422 for selecting a display target page. , A print execution button 423 for receiving a print instruction, and a cancel button 424 for canceling the print job.

  In the page selection area 422, the page number being displayed in the image area 421 is underlined. Thereby, the user can grasp the page number being displayed in the image area 421. The page selection area 422 displays the number of page numbers corresponding to the number of generated preview files, and the user can grasp the total number of pages constituting the print job.

  When the print execution button 423 is pressed, the previewer 42 transmits print data corresponding to the preview file to the printer 2. On the other hand, when the cancel button 424 is pressed, the previewer 42 deletes the preview file. When the print execution button 423 or the cancel button 424 is pressed, the previewer 42 ends.

  The printer graphics driver 43 is based on processing of image data to be printed, generation of a preview file in units of physical paper based on image data reflecting the processing, and image data reflecting the processing. Then, print data generation processing in units of physical paper is performed. The processing is selected on the print setting screen, for example, composition of watermark, header, footer, etc., magnification change such as enlargement or reduction, image rotation, aggregation of 2in1, 4in1, etc., division for poster printing, etc. This corresponds to the processing corresponding to the print setting.

  The file format of the preview file may be any file format that can be displayed by the previewer 42, and is selected according to the contents of the image to be printed in this embodiment. The selected file format includes a bitmap (BMP) format, a JPEG format, and a PNG format. As for the BMP format, monochrome BMP, 16-color BMP, 256-color BMP, and 24-bit BMP can be selected.

[Print preview method]
Next, the print preview method will be described. As described above, the print system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a print preview method that is a method for performing printing by performing a preview display and a direct printing method that is a method for performing printing without performing a preview display. Of these, the direct printing method is a general printing method, and a description thereof will be omitted. A printing procedure using the print preview method will be described below.

  When printing is performed by the print preview method, first, the application program 61 receives a print instruction from the user and outputs a print start notification. Then, the OS 50 receives the print start notification from the application program 61 and starts acquiring image data from the application program 61.

  Then, the OS 50 outputs a drawing command to the printer graphics driver 43 based on the acquired image data. After outputting the drawing command, the OS 50 waits until the printer graphics driver 43 responds.

  Upon receiving a drawing command, the printer graphics driver 43 generates bitmap format image data according to the drawing command, and performs processing such as image rotation on the image data as necessary. Further, print data for printing and a preview file for the previewer 42 are generated based on the image data. The preview file stores page number information and the like in addition to image data to be printed. When the generation of the preview file is completed, the printer graphics driver 43 responds to the OS 50 with termination. The printer driver 40 generates a preview file in units of physical paper as described above every time image data is received, and repeats until the processing of the last page is completed.

  When the application program 61 completes the delivery of the last page of image data, it outputs an acquisition end notification. When the OS 50 receives an acquisition end notification from the application program 61, it issues a print end event to the user interface driver 41. The user interface driver 41 activates the previewer 42 when receiving a print end event.

  The previewer 42 reads the preview file generated by the printer graphics driver 43 after the activation or simultaneously with the activation, and displays the preview file of the first page in the image area 421.

  Thereafter, the previewer 42 receives a print instruction or a cancel instruction from the user. When receiving a print instruction from the user, the previewer 42 transmits print data corresponding to the preview file to the printer 2. That is, in the case of the print preview method, print data is transmitted to the printer 2 in accordance with an instruction from the previewer 42. On the other hand, when receiving a cancel instruction from the user, the previewer 42 stops the print job.

[Print processing]
Next, the printing process of the PC 1 that realizes the printing procedure of the above-described print preview method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 shows a procedure realized by the PC 1 using the printer driver 40 and the OS 50, and is executed by the CPU 11 when the reception of image data to be printed is started via the application program 61.

  In the printing process, first, print image data, which is data of an image to be printed, for the first page is acquired (S101). Specifically, in S101, the OS 50 converts the image data acquired from the application program 61 into BMP data in the 24-bit BMP format, and passes the converted BMP data to the printer graphics driver 43 of the printer driver 40. In other words, in S101, the printer driver 40 acquires 24-bit BMP format image data of the image to be printed. When monochrome printing is set, image data in monochrome BMP format or 256 color BMP format may be acquired.

  After S101, it is determined whether the size of the acquired print image data is smaller than a threshold value (S102). Note that the print image data acquired in S101 is data that is the basis of print data described later, and the size of the print data increases as the size of the print image data increases. That is, S102 corresponds to determining whether or not the size of the print data is smaller than the reference size. S102 is an example of determination processing.

  When the size of the print image data is smaller than the threshold (S102: YES), even if the acquired print image data is used as it is for the preview file, a problem associated with the size of the data hardly occurs. Therefore, the 24-bit BMP format print image data acquired in S101 is copied to generate a 24-bit BMP format preview file (S121).

  If the size of the print image data is not smaller than the threshold (S102: NO), it is determined whether or not the number of colors of the print image data acquired in S101 is less than 3 (S103). S103 is an example of determination processing, and “3” as a reference value is an example of a second color reference value.

  When the number of colors of the print image data is less than 3 (S103: YES), the number of bits necessary for color representation per pixel is only 1 bit. Therefore, based on the print image data acquired in S101, A preview file is generated in the BMP format, which requires fewer bits for color expression per pixel than the print image data (S131). For example, the preview file is generated in a monochrome BMP format or a 256 color BMP format.

  If the number of colors of the print image data is not less than 3 (S103: NO), it is determined whether or not there is a photographic image in the print image data (S104). The printer driver 40 receives a drawing command from the OS 50 when acquiring print image data in S101. This drawing command is a command that is executed for each object such as characters, graphics, and photographic images, and the printer driver 40 can determine whether or not there is a photographic image in the print image data based on the drawing command. S104 is an example of determination processing.

  When there is a photographic image in the print image data (S104: YES), the data size becomes large in the BMP format that is an uncompressed file format. Therefore, based on the print image data acquired in S101, a preview file is generated in a JPEG format that has a high compression rate and is suitable for the file format of an image file including a photographic image (S141).

  If there is no photograph image in the print image data (S104: NO), it is determined whether or not the number of colors of the print image data acquired in S101 is greater than 16 (S105). S105 is an example of determination processing, and “16” serving as a reference value is an example of a first color reference value.

  When the number of colors of the print image data is greater than 16 (S105: YES), the data size is increased as in the case of the photographic image. Therefore, a preview file is generated in JPEG format based on the print image data acquired in S101 (S141).

  On the other hand, when the number of colors of the print image data is not more than 16 (S105: NO), it is estimated that the print image data does not include a complex image such as a photographic image. Therefore, based on the print image data acquired in S101, a preview file is generated in a PNG format suitable for a file format for storing graphics more than JPEG (S111). S111, S121, S131, and S141 are examples of image file generation processing.

  After generating the preview file in S111, S121, S131, or S141, PDL format print data is generated based on the print image data acquired in S101 (S112). S112 is an example of print data generation processing. Also, the previewer 42 is activated, and a read instruction for causing the previewer 42 to read the generated preview file is output (S113). If the previewer 42 is already activated, the activation instruction is omitted.

  After S113, it is determined whether there is a next page (S114). If there is a next page (S114: YES), the process proceeds to S101 to generate a preview file for the next page. On the other hand, if there is no next page (S114: NO), the printing process is terminated.

  As described in detail above, the PC 1 that executes the printing process performs S111, S121, S131, or S141 in accordance with the contents of the print image data acquired in S101, in other words, the contents of the print data generated thereafter. A preview file having a suitable file format is generated. As a result, it is possible to reduce delays associated with generation and reading of preview files and unnecessary compression of preview files.

[Printing process for poster printing]
Next, a printing process when poster printing is set will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 5 shows the procedure of the printing process when the poster printing is set, and the reception of the image data to be printed has been started via the application program 61 as in the printing process of FIG. In response to this, it is executed by the CPU 11.

  In the printing process of this embodiment, first, print image data for all pages constituting one poster is acquired (S201). All the print image data acquired in S201 is print image data in 24-bit BMP format.

  After S201, it is determined whether or not the data size of all the acquired print image data is smaller than the threshold (S202). If the data size of all the print image data is smaller than the threshold (S202: YES), each print image data acquired in S201 is copied, and a 24-bit BMP format preview file corresponding to each print image data is generated. (S221).

  If the data size of at least one print image data is not smaller than the threshold (S202: NO), it is determined whether or not the number of colors is less than 3 for all the print image data acquired in S201 (S203). When the number of colors of all the print image data is less than 3 (S203: YES), based on each print image data acquired in S201, the bits necessary for color expression per pixel rather than each print image data A preview file corresponding to each print image data is generated in the BMP format with a small number (S231).

  If the number of colors of at least one print image data is not less than 3 (S203: NO), it is determined whether or not there is a photographic image for at least one of the pages constituting the poster (S204). If there is a photo image for at least one page (S204: YES), a preview file corresponding to each print image data is generated in JPEG format based on each print image data acquired in S201 (S241).

  If there are no photographic images on all pages (S204: NO), it is determined whether or not the number of colors is greater than 16 for at least one page among the pages constituting the poster (S205). If at least one page has more than 16 colors (S205: YES), a preview file corresponding to each print image data in JPEG format based on each print image data acquired in S201, as in the case of a photographic image. Are respectively generated (S241).

  On the other hand, if the number of colors is not more than 16 on all pages (S205: NO), a preview file corresponding to each print image data is generated in PNG format based on the print image data acquired in S201. (S211).

  After generating the preview file in S211, S221, S231, or S241, PDL format print data corresponding to each print image data is generated based on each print image data acquired in S201 (S212). Also, the previewer 42 is activated, and an instruction for causing the previewer 42 to read the generated preview file is output (S213). Note that the previewer 42 may display all the preview files for one poster in the image area 421 or may display one of the pages for one sheet constituting one poster.

  After S213, it is determined whether or not there is a next poster print (S214). If there is a next poster print (S214: YES), the process proceeds to S201 to generate a preview file for the next poster print. On the other hand, if there is no next poster printing (S214: NO), the printing process is terminated.

  As described in detail above, in print processing with poster printing, if preview files corresponding to some of the pages that make up the poster are generated in a different file format from other pages, the image quality will be uneven. May be possible. Therefore, the file format of the preview file is determined in S202, S203, S204, and S205 in units of a plurality of pages constituting one poster so that all the pages constituting one poster become preview files of the same file format. Is unified. As a result, while suppressing unevenness in image quality that occurs between pages during poster printing, it is possible to reduce delays associated with generation and reading of preview files and unnecessary compression of preview files.

[Previewer operation]
Next, the procedure of the preview reading process for causing the previewer 42 to read the preview file will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The preview reading process is executed by the CPU 11 when the previewer 42 receives an instruction to read a preview file, such as S113 of the printing process.

  In the preview reading process, first, a preview file is read by the previewer 42 (S301). The preview file is generated for each job in a predetermined folder by the printer graphics driver 43, and the previewer 42 reads the preview file of the job specified by the read instruction from the folder. If there is no preview file in the folder, or if all the preview files have already been read, the preview reading process is terminated without executing the processes in and after S302.

  Next, the page number of the preview file read in S301 is added to the page selection area 422 (S302). In this embodiment, page number information is added to the preview file when the preview file is generated, such as the page number is stored in the header area of the preview file, or the page number is added to the file name. You can get the page number from

  Next, it is determined whether there is a preview file displayed in the image area 421 (S303). If there is no displayed preview file (S303: NO), the preview file of the first page of the read preview files is displayed in the image area 421 (S311). Of the page numbers displayed in the page selection area 422, an underline is added to the page number corresponding to the preview file displayed in the image area 421 (S312).

  After S312, or when there is a preview file displayed in the image area 421 (S303: YES), it is determined whether or not there is a JPEG format preview file read in S301 (S304). Since the JPEG format employs an irreversible compression method with a high compression rate, there is a possibility that the image after compression does not match the image to be printed. Therefore, when there is a JPEG format preview file (S304: YES), as shown in FIG. 7, a warning icon 426 for calling attention is displayed at the page number corresponding to the preview file in the page selection area 422. (S321). After S321 or when there is no JPEG format preview file (S304: NO), the preview reading process ends.

  When the previewer 42 receives pressing of the warning icon 426, the previewer 42 displays a warning message box 427 as shown in FIG. By notifying the user of the possibility that the image quality has deteriorated in this way, it is possible to reduce the user's anxiety when the image quality differs from the actually output image. The warning icon 426 and the warning message box 427 are examples of notification processing.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the printing apparatus is not limited to a printer, and may be a copier, a FAX, or a multifunction machine having a printing function. Further, the information processing apparatus is not limited to a PC, and may be a workstation, a smartphone, a PDA, or the like.

  In the embodiment, the previewer 42 is included in the printer driver 40. However, if it is specialized to display a preview file, the previewer does not have to be a module dedicated to the printer driver 40, and the preview file is not included. Any module that can be read out may be used. For example, if the file format of the preview file is the BMP format, a viewer program provided by the OS 50 may be activated and the preview file may be displayed on the viewer program.

  The previewer 42 according to the embodiment displays the preview file in units of one page, but may be configured to display a list of a plurality of pages. Further, the preview file may be configured to be enlarged or reduced.

  In the embodiment, two types of BMP, JPEG, and PNG having different numbers of bits required for color expression per pixel are employed as the file format of the preview file, but the present invention is not limited to these. For example, GIF, TIFF, or XML may be employed depending on conditions.

  In the embodiment, the file format of the preview file is determined in units of pages for one job, or in the case of poster printing for each job. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the file format may be determined for each job. However, it is assumed that the image to be printed has a different number of colors and object contents for each page. Therefore, it can be expected that the file format is determined more favorably in the unit of page or the unit of page for one poster.

  In the embodiment, the data size (S102), the number of colors (S103, S105), and the presence / absence of a specific object (S104) are determined as conditions for determining the file format of the preview file. It is not necessary to do all of these. That is, only one of these may be determined, or a plurality may be determined. These conditions are only examples, and other conditions may be added.

  In the embodiment, the present invention is applied when generating preview data used for the preview function. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention can be applied when generating image data corresponding to print data. For example, the present invention can also be applied when generating log data for storing a print history.

1 Personal computer (PC)
2 Printer 40 Printer driver 42 Previewer 50 OS
61 Application program

Claims (9)

Print data generation processing for generating print data that is data for printing based on print image data that is data of a print target image;
A determination process for determining whether the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of object included in the print image data satisfies a predetermined condition;
Image file generation processing for generating an image file of an image corresponding to the print data generated in the print data generation processing in different file formats depending on whether the determination is affirmative or negative When,
A program characterized by causing an information processing apparatus to execute. In the program according to claim 1,
In the image file generation process, it is possible to generate image files of at least two types of file formats having different compression methods, and the condition is that the number of colors of the print image data is greater than the first color reference value, and the determination process When it is determined that the number of colors of the print image data is greater than the first color reference value, the determination process determines that the number of colors of the print image data is not greater than the first color reference value. A program that generates an image file in a file format that is more compressed than In the program according to claim 1 or claim 2,
In the image file generation process, it is possible to generate image files of at least two types of file formats with different compression methods, and the condition is that the print image data includes a photographic image. If it is determined that the image includes a photographic image, a JPEG format image file is generated. If it is determined in the determination process that the print image data does not include a photographic image, an image file other than the JPEG format is generated. A program characterized by generating In the program according to claim 2 or claim 3,
Causing the information processing apparatus to execute notification processing for notifying that there is a possibility that an image of the image file generated by the image file generation processing has deteriorated when an affirmative determination is made in the determination processing. A program characterized by In the program according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the image file generation process, the condition is that the size of the print image data is smaller than a size reference value, and the determination process determines that the size of the print image data is smaller than the size reference value. An image file having the same file format as the print image data is generated, and when it is determined in the determination process that the size of the print image data is not smaller than the size reference value, the file format is smaller than the print image data. A program characterized by generating an image file. In the program according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the print data generation process, print data is generated based on the bitmap format print image data,
In the image file generation process, the condition is that the number of colors of the print image data is less than a second color reference value, and the determination process determines that the number of colors of the print image data is less than the second color reference value. In this case, a bit map file having fewer bits required for color expression per pixel than the print image data is generated, and the number of colors of the print image data is not less than the second color reference value in the determination process. A program that generates an image file having a file format other than the file format of the bitmap file when it is determined. In the program according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
In the determination process, it is determined whether or not the condition is satisfied for each sheet on which print data is printed
In the image file generation process, an image file of another file is generated for each sheet. In the program according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
In the determination process, when the print setting when generating the print data is a setting for allocating one logical page to a plurality of sheets, it is determined whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of sheets.
The image file generation processing generates an image file having a common file format for all of the plurality of sheets to which one logical page is allocated when the determination is made in units of the plurality of sheets. A communication unit that communicates with the printing device;
A control unit;
With
The controller is
Print data generation processing for generating print data that is data for printing based on print image data that is data of a print target image;
A determination process for determining whether the size of the print image data, the number of colors of the print image data, or the type of object included in the print image data satisfies a predetermined condition;
Image file generation processing for generating an image file of an image corresponding to the print data generated in the print data generation processing in different file formats depending on whether the determination is affirmative or negative When,
A transmission process for transmitting the print data generated in the print data generation process to the printing apparatus via the communication unit;
An information processing apparatus characterized by executing

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